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...

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.

"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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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..."

"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..."

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?"

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."

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.

Lo-Ban waited for responses...

"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."

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.

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.

"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.

What tripped your trigger, Danner? Was it the fact that you felt your knowledge was being belittled? Or that you felt your family's experiences with Roan were being devalued for what they were?

Shouldn't you be directing this anger at someone else entirely? What good's it gonna do you to point out to Narcolm what you know of Roan?

Probably not all that much. The man will make his decision regardless. And it's not your decision to grant him or deny him leave.

Terrin relaxed further.

Heh. You were always the hot headed businessman, weren't you Danner?

Terrin again turned his attentions to Narcolm's words, now completely in control of hismelf. He waited, and listened to see what would come of his request.

Now I approach this one called Narcolm, shaking my head at the anger and fear he so transparently displays. Indeed, such a steed does not a good battle mount make; one such as this would not hold true but would always fight the bridle... and the spur. I sigh, and finally speak.

"Let it never be said that this Dark Lord acts in the manner of a Jedi," I say calmly as I come to a halt in front of the man. Again I shake my head; such incongruency, these words falling from the mouth of one who was once feared across thirteen sytems.

"If you desire to leave our alliance, then so be it. But know as well, you leave also our protection, and you will not bring knowledge gained within it beyond it's walls."

With that I reach swiftly out, placing my clawed hands against the sides of his head before he is even aware I am making the motion to do so. It is a matter of seconds before all knowledge he has gained of any of us, and of Phrinnchatka and its location, is entirely ripped from his mind and handily discarded into the ravenous embrace of the All. I then let my hands drop, satisfied to see a look of dawning wonder and fear and questioning flood across his face.

It is truly nothing to let drop the shield about this city, and send him swiftly and surely to the surface, where he so eagerly desired to be. I hope he finds whatever it is he is looking for there....

"If we can use the book to find the whereabouts of the baby," she stated, "Then I suggest that the best course of action would be to use the book to find the whereabouts of Roan as well.

"Now, how exactly we're gonna face him..."

Terrin wasn't so sure how to do precisely that just as much as he was sure they simply had to face the guy.

But how to face him? Even Graysith had struggled with facing Roan. This wasn't your everyday bad guy. Roan had things at his disposal that could curl the hairs on the people he was against.

Nope, ships and battle tatics were not gonna work against this guy.

...had anything worked against this guy?

Well, there was that one time, back in the Temple of Khar Delba when Roan had captured Galen and Terrin had already been captured himself. Little JhinDarra, through Galen, had been able to flatten not only Roan but Graysith as well.

But then, did he really want to risk the life of his own daughter like that? No kriffing way.

And besides, while Darra had been able to nail him, Roan had still gotten up...eventually. And though both babies had these gifts inherent in them, they lacked the control to go against Roan to begin with. And Terrin was pretty sure that the only way Darra would react in a manner similar to the way she had on Khar Delba was if she sensed a threat to her parents or perhaps her "extended family." Then again, she might remember Roan and sense him as a threat the moment he appeared.

Terrin shuddered at the thought, then frowned. Again, NO WAY. There simply had to be something else they could do that wouldn't involve either baby...

Terrin glanced around the room, considering. And that's when he saw what he felt could very well be the answer. His eyes rested on the Claw which had been returned to Graysith. He bit his lip, again considering.

Graysith had that thing on when she'd been taken by Maladius, but Aelvedaar had said himself that she had been somehow blocked from the All. So she wouldn't have been able to use it had she met up with Roan in the course of her capture the last time at all.

Now, however, it was a very viable option...

Terrin again scanned the table, and let his eyes fall into the still somewhat-icy pair of Graysith's. "What about the Claw?" he asked, then fell silent, waiting to see what she...or anyone else for that matter...would have to say about this.

"The Dark Lord will be...taken care of... in a manner most suitable for his transgressions, Captain," she said at length, her voice glacial. Behind her, Recinis seemed to stiffen, his hand placing itself instinctively upon the spot on his body where his sword would hang. She smiled slowly, her eyes darkening, and she tilted her head downward a bit, shooting that look out across all assembled. Indeed, the Dark Lord had done something to her, something even the power of the All couldn't help her remember...

...but he did not take away other memories equally hideous. Nor did he manage to remove that part of her which simply had to exist for her to be Chosen by Aelvedaar at all.

"The primary quandary before us is the actual method by which we shall retrieve my daughter," she continued at length, "but it would appear we have resolved that issue. What yet remains is determining who it is that will accompany me to the Valley of the Dark Lords, which shall easily be taken care of as well."

She settled back against the couch, nestling her head against Recinis, who once more dropped a protective hand upon her shoulder. "But now, perhaps, we should see what the Book of Ages will reveal to us at this time?"

Then she fell silent, the Claw making a light rasping sound as she drew it lightly about the material of the couch on which she was seated, the designs she was unconsciously tracing flowing up from a place deep inside from which the Beast now stepped aside....

Slowly I straighten up from the Book of Ages, letting my hands fall to my sides as I once again sweep the room with a look. This time I need no sorcery or command of the All to sense everyone's instinctive pulling back from me, the look in my eye was that sorrowful.

"The Child is currently within a Yuuzhan Vong escapepod, and at the moment is entering the galaxy from whence they came," I announce in a low voice. "She is there with another young human child, one in whom I can sense inherent Force abilities, the young Thea with whom some of you are already familiar.

"I did not think them to be at such a distance from us; indeed, it is going to try our abilities sorely, even with the channelling of the Valley of the Dark Lords, to regain them."

I now fall into a speculative silence, waiting for the comments or suggestions of the others. Within the confines of my hands, the Book of Ages closes with a peculiar but incontrovertible sigh.

He exited the ship silently, his imposing form walking, almost regaly, towards the man, whom he knew was begining to sense his presence.
his hand extended slowly, his lips curling into that demonic smile which fit him so well, his eyes locking onto the back of the man with such intensity, it was amazing the man did not snap to attention, but his feelings were elswhere, the dark lord knew..for he knew all.
His extended hand flicked slightly, and the sword ripped from the ground, the hilt of it comming comfortably into the hands of he who summoned it.
His piercing eyes examined the blade for a moment, his head tilting back to emite that dark cackle that sent a ripple of terror through all present, including even the dark one before him, for indeed great darkness was within that one, his body commanded it, the man simple did not realize it yet...not yet anyway.
his eyes returned with a snap to Narcolm, and his lips turned from there sadistic smile into something almost showing pitty...almost.
His voice came forth in a low rumble, as though it were filled with the elements of all that could destroy.
"So...your friends have abandoned you?"
he sensed something at that, and his smile, that had once come close to pitty, now turned up in crualty. "Your friends have left you? you have no where to run...im afriad you will die now..."

The floodgates broke and the river of lava poured across his mind. Scorching his very being as it splashed around within his skull, meshing reality with dream and dream with insanity. He could not rise above it... Narcolm cried out but he was helpless. A candle in the wind. He clutched his head, wimpering, and slumped to his knees. He needed to contain it, to put a bridle on it, but the more he struggled the more passionate the flames became. he needed a Master.
Master

He looked up, stairing into Entaris's deep eyes, and calm exterior his own visage warped by anguish and rage. Slowly he sank into the molten mire, allowing the flames to consume him...
Master

Then his lips began to quiver as he labored over the sylables, dragging them out from the depths of the river.

So then she turned her attentions to everything else Aelvedaar had revealed. She frowned at one thing in particular: the announcement of Thea's presence with the baby. She frowned further.

It was bad enough they had Graysith's daughter aboard that ship to the Vong Galaxy. But Thea? At least the stealing of the baby did serve some purpose. Thea was just a little innocent kid who wanted to be a Jedi entirely too much...

...WHAT HAD THEY TAKEN HER FOR?!

A small tendril of something akin to righteous anger began to well up in Shayla's psyche...

When, out of the deepest recesses of Shayla's mind, a small and carefully hidden tendril of something began to uncoil itself. Like oil, the blackness slowly began to encompass her mind, and memories began to trigger...

...an explosion of black lightning...a shadowy figure...Eyes the color of blood, boring into her......

"Where.....is Graysith?" it hissed.

Then a struggle, a fight...

...a breaking of a will...

"Switched...by Aelvedaar..."

Along with this knowledge came the most hideous, the most soul-encompassing despair Shayla had ever known.

She had betrayed them. There was no hope...they could never succeed...might as well die right here, right now...

Shayla couldn't understand the fact that her terror was totally out of porportion to the situation. Wasn't ready to realize tht this was something that was not truly her, that it was a memory bolstered by the nightmares and despairs of a galaxy. She gave a little cry of despair and quite suddenly went limp, the despair and anguish she was experiencing physically pushing her to the ground. She was barely aware that Erik had broken her fall; scarcely aware of the looks of concern from anyone else. All she could do was sob and hang to him like a lifeline.

Analyze what is happening here, Shayla! some little voice tried to persist through her sorrows, This isn't you. This isn't real. There's no reason for a despair like this...

But, on the other hand, another voice said: You betrayed Graysith. Roan knows how she was saved. And he'll know where you went. He'll figure out where you all are. It's over. Everyone's attempts here will fail...

Shayla fought with all her being, just as she knew she had done when the evil thing had appeared to her before, to try and defeat the growing despair.

You will succeed, you will succeed... she kept telling herself.

But the struggle was great. And, although she loved Erik dearly and he was lending his support as best as he could by remaining on the floor with her, she still couldn't quite get a grip on reality. Quite frankly, she needed something Erik just couldn't give her at that moment. So, as the waves of anguish continued to wrack her slight frame, time stood still...

your destiny..... come, you are weak with out me... come now, here is your chance... they wont notice your departure... DO IT!! COME!! COME..... YOU NEED ME!! the sith with the chosen daughter, he killed your father.... you need me... you cannot kill him without me... COME GET ME!! NOW!!

The lightsaber had tapped into Lo-Ban's every concern, and used it against him...

Lo-Ban quickly, and most discreetly, exited the room... at the moment, everyone's attention on Shayla...

Lo-Ban was quickly pulled towards the pillar Recinis had placed the lightsaber...

come closer....

with that, Lo-Ban was slammed into the pillar... increasing in size, he tore threw the pillar, and extracted the saber...

In a most eerie and robotic voice,"I'll teach you for treating me so... RECINIS!!"

This just wasn't like Shayla. Something was horribly wrong here...

...had something happened to her aboard the Vong ship that no one knew about...?

But even as focused on his sister as he was, Shawn would have been an idiot not to note the sudden absence of Loban...

...and the sudden raging evil which accompanied this absence.

"I'll teach you for treating me so... RECINIS!!"

Not really wanting to leave with his sister in such a state, Shawn debated a moment on what he should do.

He'd left her before. He'd always left her...

He frowned at this little thought as he fingered the lightsaber on his belt, sudden resolve filling him.

Something had to be done about this, right now...

...but this would take more than the arts of a Jedi...

Shawn forced himself to tear his greeny-blues away from the scene currently unfolding with his sister, and met Recinis's emerald green ones. He could also sense the unease and awareness of the newcomer.

This is evil we may not be able to deal with on our own...

At this thought, Shawn's eyes shifted to the figure of Lord Aelvedaar.

his towering form turned slowly to regard them, and he cast his iron willed gaze upon Taehun and bane in undying hatred. his hand extended into the air, and pointed down a hallway, slender, yet strong finger seeming to burn through the air of this evil place, showing his will beyond what words could describe.
"choose your quarters, i will speak with you later" his voice was a hiss, which commanded all to obey, and it took yet another blast of the force's dark will to stop narcolm from folliwing suit.
His eyes watched menecingly as the two vanished down the hall, before finaly his gaze snapped to narcolm with the suddeness of breaking bones.
His voice extended from the darkness like a shadow uncurling in the night to roam freely among its brothers.
"Do you know why it is you yet live?"
he directed towards the man, his eyes seeming to glow with there own secret purposes, his teeth gleaming brightly as his lips remained in a crual, and purly demonic smile, one that even though not fully revealed to narcolm, still could be felt in the strang place that was entaris' dark temple.

[b]((OOC :please follow Entaris, taehun, bane, and Narcolm into "ashes reborn" in this forum))

Somewhere... something...

Now her eyes darted around the room, seeking, reading, stopping only briefly to inquire wordlessly of her Sire, who merely nodded his head in turn. She sought further, noting that one of their group was missing, and...

Somewhere, there was great evil building, she didn't understand how or where it had originated, but one fact rang loud and clear into her very soul:

This was the same evil that had stricken the the young man before, and was obviously meaning to once again use Loban as a pawn.

Once again, it meant to destroy Recinis.

Intolerable!

Now she unleashed the Beast within, allowed it to raven into brilliant, pewter-eyed life, reaching in as she used to do to find that unyielding strength she held within. The Glyph positively erupted into radiant beauty as she sought with her talents to divine just what threat was heading their way...

...and clearly saw the image of the strangely transformed Loban running back, that black-bladed lightsaber clutched in his hand, murder in his heart.

She didn't even allow herself the luxury of a gasp, nor any explanation to the others. Recinis was unarmed; though a great warrior, he had no protection against this evil thing... and it was soon to be upon them. There was simply no time. She burst from her position, running like an opee and soon exited the Dining Hall and the atmosphere it suddenly held, so rife with questions and concern. Such didn't concern her in the least at the moment. All she had in her eyes was the sight of Loban, all she had in her ears was that hideously ringing laugh, and all she had in her heart was the dead certainty that if she didn't stop him he would....

In mere seconds she had left the room and was coming up on the Grand Foyer. There it was, amidst the shadows and the pillars, that she came upon the infuriated young man. But his fury was nothing in comparison to hers; she brought herself to a sudden halt, her skirts skirling about her, and raised her hand toward him.

It was the hand that bore the Claw of S'slan.

And this fool had the effrontery to DARE seek to harm the new love she had only just found!

Fool he was indeed....

Her eyes shaded to the inkiest of black, the color one finds only in the depths of the earth. Her lips fairly gnashed with outrage and resolution. The hand bearing the Claw slowly lifted, even as the possessed young man came flying at her, saber raised, howling his own brand of anger and evil.

If any had followed, they were too late to stop the events which now happened.

A cry akin to that which flings forth from the lips of a warrior came from her lips, and she made a distinctly blurred motion with the Claw-bearing hand. The All, ever at her command yet ever bridled to prevent it's true strength from showing, now leapt forth like a steed into battle, eager for blood. An unseen tendril ripped forth from that Claw, tearing out to entwine about the saber as if it were some sort of alien and cloying vine, it's inherent power laughing at the energies in the blade and devouring it like a starving child.

In one great and indomitable motion, that saber was wrenched from Loban's hands, flying into the air in a graceful arc leading directly to the Chosen Daughter. It never reached her however, instead seeming to pause in mid-air before turning back the way it had come and heading straight back toward it's erstwhile bearer.

It arrowed directly to a spot in the exact center of his eyes, the mere proximity pushing Loban backwards until he tripped in his haste and fell to the floor. There the transformation back to himself slowly proceeded, with the blade he had only just held pinning him to the ground, a millimeter from continuing on and likewise pinning his brain.

Graysith's eyes grew even blacker...

Then with a quick flick of her wrist, she opened up that unseen portal to the place which exists in all dimensional planes, secreted there between one second and the next. In one great and unstoppable movement she flung the dark saber as though into an Abyss.

Her jaws clenched, she stood over the astonished Loban, hands fisted, rage still scrabbling in her breast. It was quite some time before she was able to calm herself down enough to return to the others and inform them of what had happened.

has it happened again... of course it has... what else could have happened?

He was alone, and did not have the strength to lift himself to his feet... so he waited for someone to find him...

Yet she did not seem to calm.

Shawn was likewise aware of another, just outside of the Temple, struggling.

But just what was he struggling over? The destruction of his lightsaber? Perhaps. But then, maybe there was something else...

Shawn considered this for only a moment, then decided to leave the boy to his thoughts for the moment.

Adversity breeds character.

Loban had definitely perfected the "Helpless" Syndrome. And with every time someone bailed him out of a tough situation, Loban was just learning to rely on everyone else to fix his problems. While relying on others was good to an extent, the boy had to learn to face whatever it was he was dealing with. Only then could he do anything about it at all.

Adversity breeds character, indeed. Now, to see if Loban could actually take his adversity and use it to sharpen his own character or not...

Shawn knew he could not help the boy do this. Turning his attentions back to his sister, he left young Loban to his own thoughts...

And had he found it indeed... Although, to some his 'adventures' would seem as troublesome to those around him, he wasn't used to these situations... but, with everything else, he would learn to survive... not only survive, but thrive...

Lo-Ban took everything he had, and got to his feet... He slowly came in to see that Shayla was still in Eric's grasp, he couldn't feel jealousy at the moment, he was more concerned if Shayla was going to be all right...

Fiance? Graysith could not repress the swift inner smile which came to her as the tendril she now sent forth to seek what had sent her Adept into such depths of despair now found and brought that little gem into her mind. She kept the smile from her face however, and swiftly knelt at Shayla's side. What had provoked such an overreaction on her Adept's part was beyond her; her questing tendril seemed to find no real cause other than a tiny blank spot hidden deeply in the recesses of Shayla's mind.

All she knew was that the waves and waves of anguish and utter wretchedness beat out from Shayla, likening themselves to those of a stormy sea, and originating from a tempest of their own. With nothing more than that in her mind, she reached out and placed a cool hand on Shayla's brow.

She could only think of one way to stop them.

"My dear, dear Sister," she murmured softly, her voice a caress of a summer breeze. "Take heart, and fear not. There is no need for such misery, you are among those who love you. Come, please, and tell us what is wrong, that we-- that I might help you, my Sister."

She then fell silent, turning her head up to send a look equally as swift into the eyes of her love before returning her focus to the utterly despondent young woman who yet refused to meet her gaze.

"S...something...came to me when I switched places with you on the Vong ship..." Shayla began, her voice quiet and trembling. "He demanded...to know where you were..."

She trailed, literally shaking with the memories, feeling so unworthy, feeling so very hopeless.

"I...I tried to fight him. But...he broke me...

I...I told him what he wanted to know...that we were switched..."

She trailed again, shuddering, her heart heavy with shattered hopes and dreams...many of them not even her own, unbeknownst to Shayla. But one last phrase did manage to work its way from her mouth, explaining the springboard for her despair.

"I am so very, very sorry," she sobbed. "I tried to fight him...

...tried so very, very hard...

But I have betrayed you..."

NO!! the thought rang out like a trumpet calling an army to battle. This, too, is intolerable!

Graysith drew in a deep breath, now forcing down the tides of righteous anger to where she was able at last to muzzle the Beast, and let the Glyph back down the electromagnetic scale. With a final shiver she finally calmed herself, and now spoke up again in a soft voice,

"No."

Her hands moved like birds in flight, coming to take up Shayla's head between them, gently turning her face to where it was at least pointing toward her own. One hand slipped down, the fingers of it placing themselves upon her chin, forcing her to look up at her. A small frown creased Graysith's face when she saw that Shayla still refused to open her eyes to meet her own.

Shayla could close her eyes. But she could not close her ears.

"No," Graysith repeated once more, her voice even more gentle. "There is no betrayal, sister. There can be none, when such is given so unwillingly, when the information sought has been so obviously forced from your very being."

"There is no betrayal, sister. There can be none, when such is given so unwillingly, when the information sought has been so obviously forced from your very being."

Shayla at last opened her tear-filled eyes, gathering all the strength she could muster to look into Graysith's violet ones.

Was that...forgiveness in those eyes? Understanding?

...Love?

For a long moment Shayla remained motionless, still fighting the waves of sorrow. Graysith's gentle words and touch slowly began to arrow a tendril of warmth into that damning sorrow.

No betrayal. No betrayal. You were forced. You did not do this...

...but what sort of power could rend the very thoughts from one who wished not to reveal them?

Shayla shuddered visably, then, in one swift and suddenly determined motion reached out to embrace Graysith.

He fights with the fear and the despair of the Universe? What ungodly menace now rose from the mists to add its cloying and very real danger to that which already faced them? This one fights with one's very feelings...?

She gave Shayla another warm embrace, then sat back on her haunches. Her eyes roved around the room, taking in the presence of all as at Aelvedaar's urging nod in her direction, she finally spoke up again.

"There is more afoot than we feared, my allies," she said solemnly. "And this strange one is certainly to stand in our path, for already he has chosen to reach out and bring harm to my sister...."

Now a hand ran about Shayla's face, wiping the remaining tears from her face, feeling the final shudder which trembled beneath her touch before the young woman finally regained control of herself.

She continued, "I know not of this one, nor how it is he can wield such a singular power. And while I also have no idea as to the duration of the strange hold he has upon Shayla, I do know I can protect her from it further, until his cowardly evil is discovered face-to-face and destroyed."

Now she rose to her feet, drawing Shayla up with her. While the words she spoke were meant for all to hear, her eyes never left the yet-moist greeny-blue pair in front of her.

"I can save you from further despair, my sister, but only by once again removing the emotion from you as you have once already experienced."

"Recinis speaks wise words. But such a thing is not learned at the drop of a hat; though my Adept is an astute learner, it took her quite some time to be able to grasp the bit of All knowledge which she now possesses."

She paused a bit longer, pursing her lips. Off to one side of this unfolding drama, Aelvedaar caught her eye, lowering his head toward her and sending a thought arrowing into her mind. She drew in a great inhalation; then continued with:

"Time is of the essence, it is felt. I dare not put my Adept at further risk by taking her to the Valley in this state, while not knowing of the meditation technique Recinis so freely has offerred. I cannot take the time to wait while it is learned."

Now she pulled back, taking on an air of regal strength, arrowing a look directly into Recinis wonderful green eyes, remembering other looks she had sent therein, hoping indeed she would have the chance to do so again.

"I shall take the child of my blood sister, and proceed to the Valley while you remain behind and teach my Adept how to seek and control this missing memory. Once there, I shall retrieve my daughter from her prison, and shall return to Phrinnchatka forthwith. Unless--"

She bit her lip, then continued smoothly as though that last brief word had not been uttered.

He would have volunteered earlier... but, he expected either Recinis or Shayla to do so...

Lo-Ban looked in Naad's direction, and held his ground, waiting to see how Graysith would react...

How had this happened? What had triggered it?

The very analytical part of her psyche acknowledged that this somehow seemed to be linked to her losing her temper over Thea.

But how had she fought this? Why hadn't it loomed like a shadow upon her?

Still unaware of all that was occurring around her, Shayla thought back.

Graysith had reassured her...had told her that she had not betrayed her...and suddenly she had known that everything WOULD be allright...

Shayla suddenly gasped, this time realization slamming into her, causing overwhelming joy.

It was the light within her that had dissapated this darkness! It was the light!

Shayla placed a hand on Graysith's arm and waited for her to turn to look. "It is the light that defeats him! That defeats this which has been triggered within me!" she said. "For only when I could see that there was hope in my despair could I get past it. And that's when it disappeared."

She smiled. "Recinis is right--I need my emotions to fight this, for it is the happiness and joy and love within me which saps the strength of the despair which has been planted within me.

I just know that it is."

Shayla paused, thinking. Her blue-green eyes arrowed into Graysith's violet pair. "I know you wish me no further harm. But I believe that I should accompany you in this, rather than possibly risking that your sister's child be discovered in transit by Roan. I know that we would take the utmost caution, but I worry as to the possibility of him getting his claws on the child, and you again. For the Greater Good, I'd rather risk my life than that of the child's. Search deeply in my mind, and see if the markings of the despair yet remain...

his gaze truned to graysith, his eyes glowing with that strange warmth as he spoke softly.

"Unless you should decree it other wise, i will of course go with you."

Loban... young, eager, I sense a great determination in him striving to get out, yet he has shown himself able to be swayed by evil, whether by choice or not....

Freedon Naad, a Sith sorcerer, acquaintance of my Sire, yet one who comes to us as a surprise, and who maintains such silence in my presence, if not altogether obeisance... powers of sorcery could be utilized in the Valley of the Dark Lords into which we shall travel...

Shayla, my dear and loving sister, who is learning of the All, and who has that to offer in league with me... yet who carries this hidden darkness deep inside her. Can she overcome it's heinous power should it strike again...?

Recinis, my dear love, my solid protector and companion for life....

Silence hung like a heavy cloud over the group as she too remained thus. Time continued to pass.... To take them all, or in part, or go alone, swiftly and in shadow....

At length she raised her head. Her eyes were steady with the words ready to fall from her lips.

"While I have my reservations about my Adept and the young Loban, I feel all who have volunteered their services may indeed in one manner or another prove to be an asset in this venture. All of you have your own strengths..." Here she swept her eyes into every pair before her, lingering briefly in those of Loban and Freedon. "...which I feel may outweigh their possible drawbacks.

"It is my desire, and my command, if I may state it as such, that all who have expressed their desire to go with the child and myself, may do so.

"We must make all due haste."

Not because he didn't trust. Not because he didn't think Darra had it in her to knock Roan flat if he popped up--Terrin knew that she did. Rather, he just couldn't imagine sending her out there without her parents. And he perhaps did have something of value that he could offer for this mission.

Terrin's blue eyes fell into Galen's brown pair, and he placed a hand atop hers. He wondered what she was thinking--how she felt all of this--but at length he gathered his wits about himself and spoke the words that had been within him all along.

“Wait--" he said into the silence of the moment. "I will go too. You might find my strategy capabilities--and the extra hands--helpful."

Then he quieted, waiting.

True, he may be able to offer some skills in the strategic arena... but would he be able to offer any more than that of a Sith warrior, whose very life was measured by his ability to make such decisions? And indeed, would strategy in the truest sense of the word actually be necessary at all at this time?

Would he not serve a more useful purpose here, developing what strategies he could in regards to the steps which were yet to come, beginning now to lay the groundwork for what they may or may not need to depend upon at some point in the future?

She sighed heavily at the burden so suddenly placed upon her shoulders. Her violet gaze shifted into Lord Aelvedaar's, seeking his wisdom, voicelessly requesting his guidance....

He remained silent, his features now inscrutable, that mere silence alone urging her to continue.

"I--" she began, dropping her gaze briefly before turning it back into Captain Danner's face once again. "I do not wish to have all our assets riding upon the same ronto in this matter. Your strategic skills would be better put to use from here, should something go awry with this attempt we now find before us.

"It is my desire that you remain here with your wife, who of course absolutely must remain behind herself."

Now she rose gracefully to her feet, placing a light touch on Recinis's hand before letting it drop and addressing the group a final time.

"We shall depart in eight hours, my allies. Let us now conserve our strengths and partake of food and drink, and then try to obtain some rest. The way before us may or may not prove to be a dangerous one; we need to do all we can at this time to prepare for it.

"We shall meet at the Sith warship at the time I have so designated."

With those words she fell into the silence in which no rebuttal could possibly fall, and moved to find herself something to eat. Behind her, Lord Aelvedaar shot a look over all who were present, then moved to do the same himself.

Where meditation and sleep awaited...

At least staying behind meant that there were people here for a recovery mission, should--gods forbid--they need one. And they DID need to think ahead, towards what should be done concerning Roan. That was gonna take some coordination, and Terrin knew he would be needed to help with the strategy on that.

And there was one other small fact that had not escaped his attention: Galen had remained completely silent in the matter. While he knew she, just like him and even more so, wouldn't like parting with Darra even a short time, Terrin didn't really think she'd just sit by quietly if she were really uncomfortable about this. Not when it concerned Darra.

Glancing over at the still-sleeping baby for a moment, Terrin placed a hand on Galen's shoulder as he asked: "You wanna stay here and hang out--" he paused, eyeing Matt and Jasyn, who were doing a good job of socializing minus drinks for once "--Or slip out for some you, me, and Darra time?"

He then turned his gaze to Graysith, who stood in silent command, her orders issued, she held that certain aura about her, that commanded respect, even though on first glance she looked slight, and in someway's even frail, though certainly not frail in the traditional sense, yet whenever she took command, she held a grace which worthily gave her the title of "choosen Daughter of the sith"

Recinis then walked silently to stand beside her, not daring disturb her Wonderus pressence, for while not truly looking angry, or displeased in any way, her eyes shown with that quality that only a leader could posses, the quality that instantly commanded all to know, that questioning her wishes were not an option.

She looked up as Graysith approached and came to a halt in front of them, her brown eyes dark with what Terrin failed to see, but which with her talents her sister could clearly sense. Conflict raged in their depths: the knowledge that their little daughter was soon to be quite probably put into danger; the desire to tell the Sith and all with them to take the next shuttle out of town, so to speak, that she could take her family off to a quiet little hidey-hole somewhere far, far away; the outrage she held even more deeply -- and unknown to herself -- against whatever fates had managed to come along and place her in this position... all combined to war against the quietly rising surrender to the simple fact that, yes this had happened, and no, she couldn't do a thing about it now. If she dared to leave the protection offered to her and her family...

Graysith needed no special abilities to sense the shudders that Galen managed to hide so skillfully from her husband. So she reached out a quiet hand, laying it on her sister's other shoulder.

"And now is where you shall display that true courage I know exists within you, Galen," she said softly, remaining silent for a moment thereafter to merely gaze deeply into her eyes. Then, with a slight smile and regal nod to Terrin, she turned and moved away from them, pausing only briefly now to lay her plate on a nearby table. Still paused, she turned and nodded once more to the group at large. Then she turned away and glided to the door, keenly aware of the nearness of Recinis and the feelings he was holding within.

Once in the corridor, she felt herself relaxing bit by bit, letting the mantle of the doyen likewise slip away from her. She sighed a bit and leaned her head against Recinis.

"I fear we are heading into danger, love," she said softly as they continued to walk along. "And this does not merely spring from logical deduction. For while I do not know the arts which the sorcerer uses, while the actions he has been taking are foreign to me, I can clearly sense his reactions to what he has devined with the stones he has thrown."

Now she paused, turning into Recinis and tilting her head up to meet his face with hers. Violet eyes suddenly softened, seeking deeply into the emerald depths of his own pair, seeking refuge there. Her hands slipped up alongside his chest as she continued,

"There is great danger along the path which we shall be taking, Recinis. I-- I do not-- I know the child is central to this effort and her safety is my direct responsibility, as mine is yours. I fear a shadow hangs over us in particular, oh my warrior... and for just the next hours I yearn so greatly to simply forget this."

I do not want to lose you! I cannot bear even the thought of its possibility! These thoughts raced through her mind, but she refrained from speaking them aloud, letting them arrow into his mind through the bond which existed between them, and letting her spoken words trail off into silence. She just continued standing there in the quiet of the corridor, her hands on Recinis's broad chest, her eyes looking deeply into his.

But that's not exactly the easiest thing to do when you're worried yourself.

Just because he understood why Graysith was taking Darra didn't make it any easier. Just because he knew that he could trust they'd do everything to protect the baby didn't mean he liked this anymore even with that knowledge. And, although Galen might be accepting what was about to happen, that didn't mean Terrin thought she was comfortable with all of this either.

He was sure she hated it. And Terrin personally agreed with her on that.

He quietly gazed on little Darra, who was yet sleeping peacefully in Galen's arms.

So innocent...so fragile...

...yet so powerful at the very same time.

He reached out and ran a finger softly along the edge of Darra's face. He just couldn't escape the worry at the possible danger this journey might be bringing to her.

But it was all about the trust they'd been developing here. He'd had to go out on the limb of trust before where it concerned Graysith, not just with his daughter but also with his wife. And she'd come through.

Terrin hadn't forgotten that either.

So, while the concern would remain, Terrin did know they could trust. And a portion of him was aware of the fact that this trust would come with even more difficulty to Galen.

After all, to learn to trust someone who had been your primary enemy for two years was no simple matter.

Especially not when that said enemy had killed your father.

But, as Terrin had told Galen before, circumstances and time change people. With that in mind, Terrin turned his blue eyes to Galen, reading something completely inscrutable in her big brown eyes, silently conveying his concerns while at the same time offering her warmth and solid assurance.

...while the truth of the matter was, I was livid. Livid with rage at the Sith. That I had to get myself wrapped up in all of this. Absolutely seething that everyone was just sitting around bandying orders around willy-nilly, that MY considerations were being so blithely overlooked -- ok, so I hadn't said anything... yet ...but I was certain that had I opened my mouth to speak those words would have been sympathetically considered and then tossed aside like someone's dirty socks.

And most of all, positively furious that Terrin was just going along with it.

Treaty be damned; this was my daughter they were planning on just up and taking and going to, where was it? To some damned Sith valley? Somewhere, no doubt, where her life would be more than simply endangered, it would be constantly in the most dire peril imaginable, no matter who the hell they had along for the ride...

They didn't know HIM... and what he could do.

All these thoughts and feelings roiled around in my chest, threatening to burst through the dam I had carefully erected around them, one so skillfully built that I don't think Terrin really had a clue of their existence, but she...

She did. She knew, sure as Khaandon made lil green worrts. And all she could do was mouth empty words of me being strong, and having courage...!

WELL. Courage they want? Courage they shall have.

With that I rose swiftly to my feet. Graysith had long since left with her warrior, but the other two Sith were around. I just stood there, staring daggers at this Lord Aelvedaar's back, until he finally deigned to turn around and send another almost pitying glance in my direction. That glance immediately disappeared when he saw through me to the fires raging in my soul.

I held Darra more closely against me.

"I don't care what the hell this destiny is you've sent into my sister's head, nor what all this hocus-pocus is all about. What I do know is that there are three Sith present, each very powerful in his own right, and together probably one tough cookie to munch."

I paused, drawing a breath reflexively as Lord Aelvedaar's brows began to lower. Then I hurried on before I could remember that he could probably turn me into the tiniest gleeberfly if he wanted to....

"Civilizations and Roan be damned. You're NOT taking my baby out of this city. Not with Graysith, not with all the Sith magic and sorcery in the entire universe, and not even with me holding her in my arms the whole way.

"You're going to have to find another way, buster. You're NOT going to use her."

Returning his gaze to graysith Recinis nodded slowly "i must try to calm her..." with that he ran after her, with all do speed, calling at her to stop.
with his well trained body, he easily managed to catch up to her, and even though he knew he could easily simply get ahead, and stop her, he declined, knowing that she must make the choice, he simply continued calling to her, asking her to stop for just a moment.

As he raced along with her, he continued to speak. "Galan..Do not run away like this" his voice was low, yet filled with a sterness that could not be challanged, even though it carried only understanding in its waves.
"In the end...where will you go? if you care for your child, so be it! but DO NOT simply run! Find justification, declare your feelings...do not run, i know the prices of those actions, for i have tread that path before... Do not run..."

he then stopped, looking after her, calling out once more, "at least talk to me, tell me what your fears are, i can sense you do not trust the sith, but you can trust me, i mean only to help."

I closed my eyes, briefly fighting against the upwelling tears I could feel coming into them, opening them again and trying to blink them from my vision, yet being blinded by them, still running on.

I was not running away. I was not.

Running. Away.

Not.

No, no no....

Now gritting my teeth, I swallowed against yet another struggle beginning to niggle within me: one that said, He is a SITH; do not trust what he says; he'll say anything to get Darra, anything at all.... and one that instinctively recognized the goodness that flared in this warrior like a shining star.

No wonder my sister loves him! that one tiny thought flared up inside me, a tiny comet seeking to bring me back into some semblance of logical thought once again. But--

But.

Logical thought be damned. Not when it comes to my daughter.

I gripped her more tightly to my chest, now running for all I was worth, and soon had passed entirely beyond the Grand Foyer of this immense temple of the Sith, bursting out into the eternal night of this surreal place like a flock of birds being flushed by a hunting nek.

"Do not worry, my love," she whispered softly. "She has no where to go but into her own realization that what she indeed is running from is the only-- and the truest --path she can take. She can go nowhere, nor can any harm come to her.

You know very well why they are probably taking her, Danner. She flattened Graysith and Roan from the womb. She's got more strength than any of the others here.

But still you don't like this at all, now do you?

Terrin frowned at the thought, suddenly reading the glare Galen had sent in his direction as evidence that she thought he was just sitting by while all this happened.

Well, maybe he had been at that.

Terrin frowned even more deeply at this thought. Had he been? Would his vote have counted if he had said "No way are you taking my kid"? Or was he really in the same spot that Galen was, totally unbeknownst to her? Once the Sith decided that the baby was going with them, what was he going to do to stop them?

Well, you could start by voicing the fact that you ARE really uncomfortable about this.

Terrin turned to look directly into Aelvedaar's somewhat-blazing molten eyes. "It's one thing to trust," he said. "And it's another to trust when the life of your child is at stake, and especially on a trust that you are just building anyway.

"Although gods know I understand the reasons behind why JhinDarra is being taken, and although I know I can trust Graysith and the others to take the utmost care in protecting her, I honestly can't say that I like this anymore than my wife does. If it is at all possible, please find another way."

With that, Terrin turned to go see if he could find and console his wife, whom he could empathize with more than she might realize.

Gods, but I knew that was true. Hadn't I seen that strength in action? Didn't I witness that unseen something blasting forth to knock that cursed Dark Lord, and at the time even more cursed sister of mine alpha over omega? Wouldn't it be entirely possible that this little one in my arms just might be the absolute strongest of the entire lot of them packaged together, and that no harm would come to her in this mission?

Was I being selfish regarding her... thinking only of myself and pretending it was for the sake of my daughter...?

I wavered, staggered as that waver slowed my feet before my momentum could adequately compensate, narrowly kept from tumbling alpha over omega myself. Cast a look down into the sleeping face of my daughter.

My little JhinDarra, who through all this ruckus was yet sleeping, as if to say, "It'll be all right, Mommy...."

Now I came to a complete halt, sobbing for breath, sobbing in anguish. I didn't know...

And that was it. I just didn't know.

Didn't know anything at the moment except that my legs finally gave out completely beneath me. Slowly I crumpled to the soft grasses of the park I had stopped in, cradling Darra to me as if she were a lifeline I would never release, and just sat there and cried, knowing there would all-too-soon come a time when they would be coming to take her from me.

"Indeed, my warrior, you did all you possibly could. The fact remains, however, that the future will bring what destiny decrees it shall bring. I can only hope your wisdom has reached my sister, and that she heeds the truth of your words. She is in enough pain now as it is."

Somewhere deep inside her, the Beast raised his head with a questioning growl, wondering as to her apparent about-face in how she felt toward Galen JhinDarr Danner. Truly there was nothing untoward forcing her to think thus, was there?

Seeking into her psyche, and not finding, he laid his head quietly between his massive paws again, curled protectively around the brilliant mote he so jealously guarded. Graysith seemed to relax even further as her inner Beast quieted, and gave Recinis's shoulder another loving squeeze.

"Galen will be all right, my love," she repeated, rising on tiptoe to whisper into his ear. "Come, let us retire together, and spend these last quiet hours as we should, for on the morrow we must depart, and even the All cannot assure me that we will be entirely successful in our mission."

"It scares me to have her taken from here too, love," he whispered quietly. Then he simply stayed where he was, remaining a silent and steady support.

They soon arived in there room, each went about there own tasks in quietness.

recinis located his sword and staff, and placed them gently in place, along with his black shirt, and pants, which he was planning on exchanging his robes for in the morning.

He then laid down quietly on the bed, and wrapped his arms lovingly around graysiths waist, drawing her near to him, so they might snuggle warmly together in the soft folds of the sith bed, allowing all tension, and thoughts of there mission float away as the silky sheets carressed there skin with its wonderus softness, which seemed all to impossible.

2 hours later...

Lo-Ban awoke in a cold sweat... THE SAME DAMN DREAM YET AGAIN, already forgotten, once again...

No matter how firm and calm a demeanor she had maintained the night before in the face of Galen's episode, the fact remained that her sister's despair had cut her to the core. She was all too keenly aware of the responsibility she had over JhinDarra's well-being; indeed, the tiny infant placed a burden upon her shoulders disproportionate in size to that of her own. Yet another quiet sigh heaved from her breast as she thought of the perils which more than likely were to come.

Did she really think that Dark Lord Roan didn't already know that they would surely attempt this? How successful was she in her attempt to fool herself into believing that he would not try to jeopardize their quest?

Yet another sigh provided the answer to those questions, and she rolled onto her side, now letting her eyes shift and take refuge in the sleeping form of her love. Worried though she was, she couldn't help but smile a tiny bit, and reached out a finger to lightly trace a line down the middle of his face, beginning at his forehead and finishing by playing gently upon his lips. She allowed her mind to finally shift, to take refuge in his strength, one utterly commanding and completely natural and not lessened a whit in slumber.

Unlike most, my love is not vulnerable as he sleeps, the thought caressed her mind. And thus it is because of his strength, that I must truly believe the words he spoke to me last night.

We will never be parted. And we shall retrieve my daughter.

This he has stated. And this I must believe....

Graysith lay quietly sleeping, one arm hung over his chest lightly, he smiled a bit as he watched her sleep, he didnt want to wake her up, but he knew he must...
he sighed to himself, they could spare a little time, he had a feeling they had time left.
with that thought he snuggled a little closer the graysith, letting his own eyes close again in quiet comfort.

after some time, he again opened his eyes, and his gaze falling onto his sleeping love, he sighed again... It was time.

He leaned in to her, and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, and then, even more gently, shook her sleeping form, to awaken her, and waited that way untill finaly her violet eyes were revealed, and peered questioningly into his own emerald orbs.

"I fear it is time..." he said quietly to her, before placing a loving kiss on her lips.
He then stood, and got dressed in his shirt, and pants, strapping his weapons on before his gaze fell to his robes, which had been placed in a piece of sith technology he had discovered, that had washed them. They lay folded neatly in the strang tray, and he gathered them up, considering them.

after a moments hesitation he placed the robes over his clothing, covering all traces of his weapons. The folds of the robes made it appear as though he were fully unarmed, yet with a simple flick of the clothing, he could have easy access either weapon.

Her eyes opened to find Recinis's pair directly in front of her's. A small smile came to her lips as, after making certain that she was fully awake, he then leaned in further to kiss the final dregs of sleep from her being. That smile widened, and she stretched her hands forward to grasp him and bring him down to her again, when the fact that instead of yielding he instead drew reluctantly away, preparing himself for what lay ahead, snapped her roughly into the reality of the moment.

Now the smile lessened and she sighed, sitting up quickly and swinging her legs off the side of the bed. Getting smoothly to her feet, she padded to the wardrobe from which she had drawn the greeny-golden robe of a noble Sith lady, and reached inside. She drew out her black practice doba, and quickly donned it.

Then she went back to the bed, standing beside it just as Recinis finished attiring himself and turned to look her way. She smiled at him, although that smile wasn't as bright as normal; though he looked innocent enough, she was well aware of the weaponry hidden beneath the silken folds of his cloak.

She swallowed, blinking quickly as she drew in a breath with that realization.

Fates be with us, but let us hope these weapons will not have to be put to use....

Now shaking her head to flick that thought into the recesses of her own mind, she took a step forward, holding her hands out to her love. His hands were strong and warm as she took them up in hers, holding them for a moment before raising his sword hand to her lips to kiss its palm. Her violet eyes fell into his, and lay there for several seconds, but seconds in which an eternity came hand-in-hand.

Lord Aelvedaar, whom she at least expected to have run into by now, was nowhere to be seen. Neither were Shayla or the Danner family; her frown deepened again with the thought that she might have to physically take their daughter from them. Integral to this mission though the child was, she still found herself dragging her feet when it came to having to act against her sister.

The little car came to a quiet halt then, its hatch whooshing open to disgorge them on the perimeter of the immense spaceport. It lay before them in all its alien splendor... completely devoid of life.

Graysith now could not keep the frown upon her face from deepening as she went up to the warship and gained entry to it. There her physical senses affirmed what the All had already told her: there was no one yet aboard. As she turned to descend to the tarmac once again, her eyes fell on something laying like a shadow over the back of the navigator's seat, something which drew her to it like a magnet. The frown on her face loosened up a bit to see it was her signature cloak, laying where someone had carefully placed it when Maladius had taken her from this very ship. It seemed to stare accusingly at her, wondering at her absence.

"Have you any weapons? I do feel safer with something to protect the baby from harm... a last resort, so to speak..."

Lo-Ban waited for a reply...

Shayla frowned, and sat up, still gazing into the dark depths of his eyes. "I have to go, and you know that. And you'll be needed here, so you can use the talents which you possess."

He sighed and nodded, sitting up himself as Shayla wandered over to the Sith equivelent of a fresher and got ready to head out, donning her black jumpsuit and violet cloak. Then, returning to Erik's side a moment, Shayla kissed him one last time, wrapping her arms about his neck. She leaned back a bit, and whispered, "I love you, my husband to be. Don't get into too much trouble while I am away."

"I love you too," he said. "And as for trouble...can't garantee I won't get into any of that..." he kidded.

It was morning.

He looked down into the bright blue eyes of little JhinDarra for a long moment, wishing to just stay right in this moment and forget about what lay ahead in the very near future. Then, he turned his stormy blues into to Galen's eyes. He knew he didn't have to say a word; she already had realized it was time.

So, rather than bother with formalities regarding what time of day it in fact was and where they needed to be heading, Terrin simply drew both Galen and Darra up and into his embrace, remaining there with them both for one long moment. Then he turned and headed for the Sith spaceport, his grip about Galen tightening in support, his heart aching with the knowledge of what they were about to have to do.

Oh Darra, how can I do this? How can I let you go? Why you...? Why did I ever have to bring you into the world anyway? How can you bear the destiny all these people keep saying is in front of you? Will this be the first of many times you will be taken from your daddy and me, hopefully to be returned safely once again? Or will there come a time you will just simply be taken altogether...

I pressed her tiny body more closely to me, snuggling her, shooting all the love I had for her into every pore of her skin that she would remember me. I didn't care if to some the movement and my thoughts might appear a touch on the melodramatic side; it was how I felt, and Khaandon knows my gut instincts had a penchant for being correct.

You haven't even eaten yet! Now my thoughts shied away from their former direction, simply unwilling to go there any longer. I positively crushed Darra to me. How will they take care of you? Did they bring a bottle? Did they bring clothing for you, and tiny toys, and....

Those thoughts crashed to an abrupt halt with the simultaneous realization that, silly, your sister could easily provide her with whatever it is she needs... and the fact that somehow we had gone through the tunnel leading to the transportation center and had travelled the distance to the spaceport without me being aware of it. My head jerked away from Darra and I tried to swallow the steadily growing knot in my throat, that I could send it screaming down to join the even bigger one in my stomach.

Ch'arlingua stretched before me, somehow seeming to laugh, taking up my footsteps as we continued on toward our destined meeting place and making them ring in my ears. It was almost as if the place were making a point about something, one I refused to listen to.

Finally we came to a halt. There she stood ahead of us, dressed in the cloak she wore the day she-- dressed in that cloak of rune-encrypted smoke she liked to wear, a small smile on her face, that weird thing on her forehead glowing like some ungodly and fiery ember, and behind her...

...behind her was the most magnificent ship I had ever laid eyes on.

My heart brightened just a smidgeon as I took in the lines of the ship --or at least tried to, it was that difficult to really discern --whose awesome strength simply slammed into me almost on an instinctive level.

Surely no harm will come to my baby inside such a magnificent vessel, with the company she will be keeping...

...now has to keep.

I gave Darra another hug, tilting my head to give her one final kiss on her shining little forehead. I peered down into her gigantic eyes, soaking up the sight of her one last time. Then, the act being the hardest thing I ever did in my entire life, I simply held her out to my sister. She gave me a steady look, but one which arrowed into the very depths of my soul, then accepted Darra and likewise cuddled her in the folds of her cloak.

Darra didn't squirm or kick or make a peep. She just turned those uncanny eyes of hers up into her aunt's face, and seemed to study her. At length a tiny noise erupted from her lips in a bubble of spit; then she looked once more at me, closed her eyes, and lay quiet in Graysith's arms.

She nodded as I stepped back more closely into Terrin's embrace, opened her mouth to say something... then closed it. It was as if no words could possibly express the depth of feelings now crashing around within this spaceport, easily filling it with hopes and fears, anguish and... and something I was beginning to recognize as love.

Then she nodded once again, and made a motion that Terrin and I step back. She then gave us a slight bow, turned, and glided up the gangway to the warship. At its head she paused, turning to send a final look directly into my eyes before then continuing on and disappearing within the bowels of the craft. Its hatched slammed closed with a silence of deafening proportions.

We took her at her word then, Terrin and I, and moved back a bit, our arms around each other. From a safety distance of perhaps 40 meters we stood and watched, as quite suddenly something we couldn't see but could feel in our very cells thrummed, as though someone had taken up the very air to play a deep bass song upon it.

The Sith warship disappeared with the tiniest of "pops," leaving Terrin and I alone with the majesty of a spaceport filled with exotic and alien splendor, but a splendor which was suddenly reduced to ashes in my eyes.

For a long while after the Sith ship departed all Terrin could do was hold Galen closely to himself as he suddenly became aware, only to the barest of his surprise, of a small but significant pain in his heart. Here he'd made an alliance for the ultimate protection of Galen and little JhinDarra, and yet she was again being taken away from them.

Strong she was...but when was she just going to be able to be a kid? some errant thought suddenly came forward. Between missions? And how many more times would they have to simply trust the life of their daughter to the Sith and step back while she was taken away?

Something else in Terrin's mind responded with a You already have entrusted her life to them...

...but then, you never thought that they'd risk her life like this, now did you?

Terrin swallowed back a lump in his throat, refusing to give in to the feelings raging within him. As he'd admitted to himself the evening before, he did trust the Sith to do everything in their power to protect Darra.

But would that be enough?

Terrin pulled away from that thought, not wanting to analyze it too closely. He had to believe it would be enough. But he was going to be damn sure they were ready should--Fates may it not even ever be so!--they need a recovery mission. He'd promised Galen that she and Darra would always come first, and Terrin wasn't about to go back on his word, even if their daughter was in the quite capable hands of Graysith and company. He wouldn't sit lithley by while everyone else continued to do their work and not do his. He was supposed to be a Sith strategist; well strategize he would. That began with making sure his daughter and all who accompanied her were brought back here successfully, and continued with beginning to form plans for what they would do to face Lord Roan.

That decided, Terrin looked down into the most saddened pair of big brown eyes he'd ever seen in his life. His own eyes swam with emotion; he wasn't sure if there was a word he could speak to even reassure.

"She'll...she'll be taken good care of," was the only thing he could manage to whisper at the moment. The only thing he could think of to say with complete honesty. And yet, one final rejoinder managed to present itself along with the knowledge that, although adopted daughter she might be, Terrin viewed little JhinDarra as his very own flesh and blood; as his daughter. And with that understanding came keen awareness of the responsibility he had freely and unhesitantly accepted in taking on the role as her Daddy. "I'm going to make sure she gets back here safely, love."

This seemed like a rather grandiose claim, but Terrin was dead serious and very much in control of his senses. "We need to make sure we have some plans secure," he added, making the former statement seem much more realistic. "The Sith will do everything they can to make sure our daughter returns safely, and we're going to do everything we can here to make sure of that as well."

He quieted at that, gazing into Galen's brown eyes, still holding her closely to himself. Then he seemed to suddenly realize they were still standing in the spaceport. He looked about himself a bit, then returned his gaze into Galen's eyes. Without another word, he drew her to his side, and together they began to depart from the spaceport altogether.

The entirety of the known universe was somehow condensed into a timeframe easily encompassed by that simple syllable, wrapping itself into the tiniest of motes to then unexpectedly subject itself, for once, to my whim. I didn't let a hint of this get past the trapdoor of my mind, instead staying close to Terrin's side and moving across the tarmac with him, pretending to let him lead me back into Phrinnchatka...

...where he can start making plans with his Sith buddies!

I nearly faltered as that thought raised its head to announce its outrage, but managed by sheer dint of effort to keep my manner calm, my face clamped as though by a vise in an expression of anguish. Whatever I had within me to answer as any form of logic seemed to be dwindling with every step we took; instead my rage only grew more heated, my determination more fierce.

I don't give a worrt's bumpy hide if this Aelvedaar is the head-nek Sith around here! My inner voice announced to my heart, happily finding correlation there. And I don't care about Graysith, either.

That inner voice quieted a bit at that thought, raising a figurative finger as if seeking my attention regarding that particular subject... I ignored it completely, and just concentrated more fiercely instead:

They have no right -- NO RIGHT IN ALL THE UNIVERSE! -- to up and just USE my child like she was merely a hydrospanner or something! She was a BABY, and has RIGHTS TO BE ONE... just like she has the right to have her Momma with her.

It was suddenly as if I had transformed myself into a Twi'lek dancer, so apparently choreographed were the steps now laid out before me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw just what it was that we were now passing by...

...and before Terrin could realize what I did, I had ducked out of his embrace and fled to the Sith fighter which was parked there practically begging to be taken. My hand slammed on the hatch controls even as I heard the approach of Terrin's pounding feet....

C'mon, C'MON! The man has long legs...!

...and with precision timing it opened, lazily extending a gangway, and allowed me entry just as he was practically within an arm's reach of me. I slammed the emergency hatch closed, and the gangway was snipped off like an umbilical cord. It fell at Terrin's feet, causing him to leap back to avoid being hit. A heartbeat passed... and then the eerie not-quite-metal of the ship vibrated as Terrin began pounding on it.

I ignored him completely, instead firing up the engines with a flick of the oddly encrypted runes on the navboard, hoping he had the sense to leap back. I sure as there was Treasure on Roon was not going to open the hatch to make sure he was out of harm's way....

Then the little ship blasted off the tarmac, heading away, the sky through which it soared blank and sere with the canopy of rock arching overhead. My altitudinal vector was up, the azimuth merely out... and I prayed to Khaandon that the Sith Lord still in Phrinnchatka would wake up and drop that damned shield before I found myself smeared from here through a month of Sundays....

Of course it didn't happen that way.

Again my very essence thrummed as, in less than a blink of an eye, the little ship quite suddenly found itself back in its docking bay, its engines idling in preparation of turning itself off for the count. The nonchalance with which that Sith Lord had so effortlessly reached out and placed me back in square one made me shiver with a strangely growing unease...

...and a rage which completely overtook my senses.

I leapt to my feet, slamming both fists down on the navboard. "Aelvedaar!!" I screamed, flinging my head back and letting the name rip out from my throat. "Let me go!!!"

Now I paused for breath, waiting to hear the death of the engines, waiting for the hatch to open. Neither event occurred. The little ship just sat there, waiting.

As though he were waiting as well.

Now I drew in a deep breath, climbed up on my battle-steed called love, protected by the armor of justice.

"You will let me go, Lord Aelvedaar," I continued through gritted teeth. And although my voice was lowered, it was positively shaking. "You will.

"Or are we that much a prisoner of your designs?"

I didn't know what he was thinking. I could scarcely think myself. All I knew was that I simply had to get to Darra before something awful happened to her, and that I'd do whatever it took to do that even if it meant I would kill myself in the process. The chances of that happening were pretty good, actually, considering the rate I was going....

Then with a suddenness that took my breath away, something seemed to blink. The little ship fired up in joyous reply, and took off like fledgling mynocks out hunting for their first meal.

I collapsed in the navigator's seat, letting my breath escape me in a sigh of relief as I realized I was on my way. Moments later we had entered into the K'eel Doban atmosphere proper, where with a flick of the device still hidden lo these many months within my flightsuit, I initiated the Force dampening shield Seus had armed Sorben and I with when we had gone out chasing Darth Desolist and his lackey, Gravin Dark.

In less than a nanosecond, I was invisible to most who used the Force. I could only hope that Lord Roan wouldn't be actively seeking me, thinking I was hiding in fear under the chronotic shield over Phrinnchatka....

But even then, I had another lil plan up my sleeve....

Like my two Sith fighters of old, this one reached out its arms and strove to be free. My heart sang right along with it, my mind leaping back to the days when it was just me and my stolen ship, as mentally dubbing this one -- but of course! -- Jester III, I acquiesed to her wishes and gave her soul wings.

After a deafeningly long moment, the Sith ship again thrummed to life, suddenly popping out just as the Sith warship with his daughter aboard had done moments before. Terrin scrambled to his feet, his face suddenly covered with fear and anguish and something akin to utter despair, somehow fully aware of where Galen was headed. So not only was his little daughter away from the safety of this city now, his wife was as well. And he was stuck here, unable to do anything to help them, unable to do anything to protect either of them.

No. NO. He could not, and WOULD NOT sit by while this happened. But what in fact was happening? Why had Galen reacted like this?

His mind instinctively flashed back to the evening before. To what she had said and done.

Admit it buster. She was furious that they were using Darra. And though she seemed to be trusting Graysith enough when she'd had to turn Darra over to her, had her doubts simply taken over? Had that long-lived distrust and hatred towards her sister taken hold...?

Terrin froze as another little thought wormed its way into his brain. She doesn't trust you either, buddy. It was you, you said something to cause her to react like this, to make her think that the only way she would ever get Darra back is if she went herself. She doesn't trust you...

Terrin shook his head at those thoughts, slamming that door of his long-forgotten and hopefully now completely defeated self as far behind him as he could. He refused, absolutely refused to think that way. He simply had to believe...

You know that she loves you, and that she trusts you. If she didn't trust you, she would have never agreed to even stay here...

...with the Sith...

Terrin's frown deepened at that, as something that just might be reality slammed home. She trusts you. And just maybe she was beginning to trust the Sith. But to trust the life of her own daughter to the Sith whose trust she hadn't firmly established...?

You told Aelvedaar yourself that this would be difficult for her to do...

Well, maybe she didn't trust them yet. And maybe she was headed to find litle JhinDarra. But now her life was in the most dire of dangers, and simply because she'd be allowed to leave...

Terrin's mind again froze as this seemingly small factor added up to something very important. She'd been allowed to leave.

And Terrin knew very well there was only one way she could have gotten past the protection of this city.

But why? After Aelvedaar had insisted that she stay here til Roan was defeated? After Graysith had reiterated this very fact?

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???

First Darra, and now Galen...

Suddenly too angry to think clearly about anything, Terrin turned on his heel began to head back to the Sith Temple.

Something was very wrong about all of this. The Sith didn't just do something without some sort of purpose, Terrin was sure of that much. They were up to something...

And Terrin aimed to find out exactly what that something was. And, should he not like that something at all, Terrin knew what he was quite ready to do, Alliances be damned.

"What's wrong?" Shawn asked, truly concerned. Then he noticed something else, and was suddenly very worried. "And where is Galen?"

Galen was gone, in terrible danger, and the Sith had let her go.

The conclusion that was running around in Terrin's mind like a runaway ronto paid no heed to common sense. After having to hand over little JhinDarra to Graysith, after so suddenly losing Galen to what might be probable danger as well, Terrin's emotions were too tangled and muddled to be pushed aside for logical reasoning. He couldn't see that maybe, just maybe, he was jumping to conclusions. That he wasn't seeing what Galen had just done objectively, but rather subjectively. That somewhere along the line his final conclusion had possibly gone off track.

"Galen's gone after Darra," Terrin started. Then, after hesitating a moment, he hurried on with his thoughts on that particular matter. "The Sith sorceror let her go...and I believe..."

Still remaining completely calm, Shawn carefully considered that which Terrin had stated.

Galen had gone after Darra. Which meant she’d had to have been, first and foremost, let out of the shield of Prinn’chatka.

So was Terrin concluding that, because Lord Aelvedaar had let her go, that he was therefore planning on using her as bait?

Shawn frowned. This was faulty logic. Trouble was, Shawn wasn’t too sure Terrin was ready to admit that.

“Have you stopped to consider that maybe he let her go because he considered locking her in this city, where she by her very own actions demonstrated that she did not wish to remain, as somehow cruel?”

Shawn paused at that, waiting to see if any of this would worm its way into Terrin’s brain processes. As an afterthought, he added, “At least give Lord Aelvedaar the benefit of a doubt and talk to him. Jumping to conclusions will not help you out, nor will it help Galen or JhinDarra.”

Could Shawn be correct? Was Aelvedaar the sort that would, even at Galen's risk, let her go simply because she wanted it that way?

Haven't you had to let her go once before yourself, regardless of what danger she might be headed for, based on what you knew she wanted?

That thought brought all of the other mixed-up thought processes in Terrin's mind to a screeching halt. He closed his eyes in borderline defense, trying to sort through the new possibilities that were now surfacing.

Do you honestly believe you can go before Lord Aelvedaar and demand him to return Galen if she doesn't want to be here? How will that help her to ever develop any trust?

The answer to that was simple enough. It wouldn't. All something of that sort might do is bolster her distrust in all of them even more.

She's gotta gain the trust on her own. And, as much as it scares you, you are going to have to let her go in order for her to ever come to that trust.

But Terrin was utterly horrified to consider what things might occur in order for Galen to come to that trust which she so desperately needed.

He had to know that she would be protected should danger befall her. He had to know that when the time came to prove that she could trust even the Sith that the opportunity would be used to its fullest.

He had to know.

"Ok, fair enough," Terrin finally said quietly, opening his eyes which were swimming with a spectrum of emotions. Then, without further word, Terrin motioned for Shawn to take lead and bring him to the Sith Sorceror, if in fact he could be found at all.

In fact, it just might do the complete opposite. And aside from that, it just might take Terrin away from the one thing he could do to protect his wife and child the most: make plans to deal with Lord Roan.

Shawn continued to move along, into the bowels of the Temple where he felt that great entity that was Aelvedaar residing, no doubt watching the unfolding events. As they reached the great double doors of the Sorceror's chambers, Shawn sent out a simple message. Captain Danner has some concerns about the safety of his wife...

...that might be putting it entirely too lightly, but Aelvedaar could no doubt sense Terrin's deep concern...

Terrin's look darkened a bit, but then he nodded, seemingly in some sort of understanding. Then he cocked a brow in question.

At length Shawn added, answering an Terrin's unvoiced query, "She has set course for Coruscant. Lord Aelvedaar suggests we analyze this move and consider just what she might be planning.

"I suggest we find Erik Kartan and your crewmen and discuss in more comfortable accomadations?"