Now he took a deep breath, in doing so rising himself once more above the simple statis of warrior, allowing his stature to be as it should, letting his pressence reflect the strength of the dark lord of warriors.

He then took Lord Aelvedaars wrist, holding tightly about the marking of the dark lord of sorcerer's, which the sorcerer returned upon his own wrist, as was traditional clasp between dark lords, as there arms locked in that manor, Recinis smiled and diped his head slightly before the clasp was released.

Turning he cast his gaze stickingly upon Shayla and Erik, letting matters fall through his mind, sifting through possibilities.

"You are once more among the ranks of sith... I welcome you again... Hopefuly you will find your stay upon Kori'sian less numbing, as we found the stay beneath the shield had become... Be warned though, it is a simplier life you will go to, in comparison to the one you found within these walls...

His form shifted, his arms wrapping about the waist of his lady, nodding but once to her, to which she returned the nod, she smiled briefly as she opened the portal which would return them home, and then they both stepped back, allowing Shayla and Erik to be first to step through, before they too dissapeared into the ethereal depths which floated before them...

Soon they were within the walls of the temple upon the other planet, Recinis cast his gaze out a window, before he turned and smiled at the sight before him, Shayla and her husband were sitting comfortably upon a couch, and jharmeen was conversing with them both, catching up on things which had happened...

He frowned for but a moment as he stepped forth the interupt there conversation. "Take now some time to rest, and be revitalized, take a bit longer to renew your friendships completly, and send away the time which has passed in eachothers absence... But soon we must put our minds to a more productive use... Whether Lord Aelvedaar will join us later in time, or not, we must make plans... we must find something to do, which will further our quest..."

he then sat down beside his lady, and placed an arm about her, giving her a breif kiss upon the cheek. "Soon Jharmeen... Our son will return, ready as a warrior... Are do you believe he will be ready then to take upon him the knowledge that you may teach him? For my lessons have gone as far as they will, and his destiny will indeed require more then a sword..."

He smiled and gave her another little kiss before continuing "Enjoy your free time with your sister... I go now to find the... Other member to this party.."

Shayla wondered where she should begin. They had already discussed lighter matters; Graysith had already confirmed she knew of both Shayla's marriage to Erik and her pregnancy. And now, via Terrin Danner, Shayla knew what lay on the road ahead of them...

...but yet was there something else as well?

Shayla raised a finger to her lip, chewing the nail a bit as the answer to that question became crystal clear. After she had left Prinn'chatka she had encountered not one, but two other beings, both seemingly...interested in Sith affairs. The first of those two, Master Tyberius, Graysith was already aware of. But Lord Alcron...

Shayla turned to Graysith, and as briefly as possible related her two encounters with these beings. She made sure to highlight Tyberius's revelation that he was seeking Galen Jhin'Dar Danner, as well as Alcron's mention of his "ultimate design" for the Universe, including the rise of his own Empire, and his insistence that the design required the return of the Sith as well. She also noted Alcron's claim that he had been able to ascertain everything that she knew, a claim that she didn't truly believe because by all that had just occurred in Prinn'chatka at that time, one would most likely conclude that the Sith were in jepordy of returning at all.

Something that, with the return of all the allies, could indeed happen yet...

You always pay for drinking too much, you idiot.

Jasyn figured he'd deal with that particular issue later. For the moment, however, he wanted to know to whom the bootsteps belonged; the last time he was aware of anything, he was here alone...

Forcing himself upright, causing the room to spin and blur as he did so, Jasyn moved forward, albeit rather slowly. He made it into the hallways in time to see the back of Lord Recinis. Jasyn opened his mouth, realizing how dry it was, and pushed words out. "Is Captain Danner about here somewhere?" he queried. "Seems to be about time we should start talking about what we should do to get Darra back safely to Galen," Jasyn pointed out, leaning against the doorframe to keep from swaying.

He waited, and swallowed to get some sort of moisture going in his mouth. Something to drink would be nice...

...and for once, that something wouldn't be Sith brandy.

Recinis then spun and headed once more to the hallways, stoping only momentarily to cast his gaze out a window upon the vast jungle without...

He took in a deep breath before turning again and coming into the little room where he had previously left the others, having found Erik on the way to his destination.

He nodded as erik took a seat beside shayla before he began to speak. "We must now put our efforts towards the future... We have had time to pursue random personal matters in the reacent past, But now such pursuits must be put away, for a time of better circumstance..."

He took a deep breath, looking at them as if to assure himself he held the attention of all present, though that number was not great in size.
"In order to bring forth the sith once more, as has been the quest of graysith for sometime, we will require darra's return to galen... How can we accomplish this?"

Having disclosed the albiet obvious agenda, recinis took a seat beside jharmeen...

"Now... Roan has Darra... And if his plans are to be recognized, it would be obvious for him to advance her age to a more stable level, as was his actions towards his own daughter... But, darra, unlike ShaRhylla, holds no loyalty with roan... So rather then going to kamino to stop him, for he has already held ample time to do so, we need to see how he might convert her to serve him... Perhaps she will be taken to the eternal flame of Korriban, roan would not know of the shield placed about that area, and so he might strive to use its effects, of rising the darkness in even the lightest of beings, to accustome darra to evil, and therin make her his own...

These are my own thoughts... But if any others may be presented, they truly would be appriciated."

She trailed, her eyes defocusing, then considered what they had done so that Freedon Naad could have a body. "Could he clone her, advance the age, and have other genetic modifications done to make her more docile, thus easier to control?" Shayla queried, then fell silent for a moment. "I suppose the concern, however, is not what he plans to do, but how we plan to stop him from doing it, period. We've done this once already with ShaRhylla, and could do again in much the same manner. I still think his most likely destination is Kamino," Shayla ended.

"I lost my daughter to this creature's insidious evil," she stated in a quiet but penetrating voice. "I shall not lose my niece in the same manner.

"I shall hunt him down and destroy him myself before that happens."

Rest? Who the hell needed rest when there was Sith brandy? Besides, there was no time for that.

And where was Terrin?

The scowl on his face only deepening further, Jasyn marched out towards the voices he was hearing, heedless to the fact that his brain seemed to be swimming in brandy, jostling around back and forth in his skull and impacting it every so often.

Owwww...

But that wouldn't stop him. Something was going down, and Jasyn wanted to know what. And he could hold his liquor...

As he stepped into the room where everyone was seated discussing things, he heard Graysith's last words. Strolling over to the Dining Hall table, he first grabbed a goblet of something he sure as hell hoped was pale-water and then turned and proceeded to join the others, ignoring the buzz in his ears for a moment, not entirely certain if the words he was about to speak were loud or not.

Sure as kriffing hell sounded loud to him...

“Why don’t you just follow Darra’s Force-essence, All-essence...whatever...and find her that way?” he queried then fell silent, leaning against the wall and taking a sip of his drink.

He paused, hesitating. "It's not that easy for a Force-user. With the Force you have to have some prior knowledge of the person you are tracking, which we do, but you also have to have a general idea of where that person might be. Also, the stronger the relationship is between the person being tracked and the "tracker"...say for instance mother and daughter...the easier it is to find someone that way. I'll admit, I don't know specifically how this may be different for an All-user," he commented, looking over to Shayla then to Graysith. "I know it's possible for someone to be blocked from the All via a chronotic shield, which will probably be the case with JhinDarra. I don't think Roan would miss such an important detail as that...

When she straightened, her demeanor was anything but.

"It is not as simple as that, Mr. Kartan," she began somewhat sternly, the Glyph on her forehead flashing in affirmation of her words. "The All is not a magick solution to the woes of the universe, able to miraculously defeat any enemy, or resolve any discord."

She pursed her lips in thought, then continued.

"It is true that the Living Force is merely a part of the All, but what seems to have been forgotten... or perhaps is not understood; indeed how can you understand this? -- is that it is indeed a part of the All, but a full portion unto itself in being that.

"The All merely encompasses forces other than just the Living Force, and it is by the Living Force that links between loved ones are created and minds and souls reach out to others. I have no link established with my niece... nor, surprisingly enough, do I with Ankrist Roan, even though I--"

But if it works, use it. And this should most DEFINITELY work...

She directed a pair of shining greeny-blue eyes to each party present, then stated her idea simply. "The Eternal Flame."

Jharu shuddered suddenly, falling to his knees... his lounges expanded suddenly as he found it encrediably difficult to find air... something within him wished to help him... It was as if it took hold of the magicks and forced them to take hold of him, forced them to deny his sith heritage, and grant him his desire, to go to the aid of his aunt... his last thought before he felt that strange force die out within him was a message... to the one person he loved more then life itself... "Mother... Aunt Galen is in trouble... Im going..."

If this was pale water, it was the worst damn pale-water he had tasted in his life...

He looked back up with a jerk, realizing something that he still didn't know anything about. "Speaking of finding Darra..." he started. "Has Terrin gone to look for Galen or something? Cause I know they'd both wanna be here discussing this as well..."

"Jharu, NO!" she suddenly burst out, reacting to a vision only she could see... but one which her husband could clearly feel.

"You have not the ability yet to face this!"

With that she turned away from Recinis in one quick and despairing movement, one hand reaching out as if to somehow grasp her son and wrench him physically back into her arms, while the other in an almost identical motion reached forward as well...

...only it was to rip a portal opening to the Dark Realms, that hopeless place of death and demon and undying and indestructable evil.

She didn't give her husband a chance to respond; he scarcely had the time to note something awful was in progress. That hand which opened the portal then swung off to the side... and clenched as from seeming nowhere her blade Rora'Kessh came flying from its hiding place into her hand, melding there as though uniting permanently with her palm.

Sword in hand, Tooth of S'slan at her waist, armed with the Claw she sprang forward with a great valkyrie cry, to go to the aid of her son.

He then turned to jasyn. "Mr. Danner is with my son, Graysith has just gone to check up on them..."

Graysith stood for the longest time in one spot, reaching out with her talents, seeing after the safety of her son from a distance. Not that she would step in from afar; no. Rather, she kept a watchful eye on his progress just in case she needed to give chase herself, should events balloon beyond his capability to deal with them.

But she had little to worry about. She smiled to herself, seeing her son's resourcefulness as he dealt with the problem presented to him and thus successfully completed his Quest.

Nodding in satisfaction, she waited until he had taken Galen and Captain Danner into the little Sith fighter and had taken off for Koris'ian. Then she raised a graceful hand, opened a portal through the All, and proceeded to return home herself. The Gateway closed behind her with a silent little "snick," and the silence of the ages descended once again upon the Temple of S'slan, a silence disturbed only by the sith shadows ever sobbing in the dark recesses, sorry to see their momentary visitors elude them.

Stepping forth from the portal, she nodded quietly, then returned to seat herself at the side of her Lord and love. A slim hand laid lightly upon his knee, and she smiled.

"They are en route, Recinis," she said softly. "He has succeeded as we knew he would. He is returning even as I speak with my sister and--" She paused just the slightest, her brow creasing in a little frown.

"--her husband," she finally finished, then falling silent with a nod of apology for the interruption.

Sure as hell was no pale-water. Wasn't even alcohol. Who knew what it was, in a Sith city such as this...

He scowled at his only partially empty goblet, then looked up as Graysith spoke, sensing the barest of hesitations in her voice.

His scowl shifted to a look of concern. "Is everyone allright? Galen was found safely?"

At that he fell silent, his brooding brown eyes meeting the violet gaze of Graysith as he waited.

Jharu smiled to himself as his home came into view... Quickly he put the ship into course, and had it zooming towards the little city in which his parants resided...
Soon he had brought the craft to a soft touch down beside the larger sith warship...

opening the hatch he looked to galen, leaning down he assisted her in standing, and slowly walked out, looking to terrin for a moment as if unsure what the man would do...

Soon they had exited the ship and begun the journy to the temple... As they turned a corner he smiled seeing the faces of his parants, close behind were a few others...

Perhaps he is lingering at the ship for some reason, or is dragging his steps because of his action toward me in the Temple, she thought to herself as she forced the frown from her visage.

"You can ascertain the answer to your question yourself, Mr. Lancaster," she said smoothly as she now approached Jharu and Galen and, after a slight hesitation, placed a gentle and supportive arm about her shoulders.

"Yes son, I believe I can mend her," she smiled, then winced in sympathy at the obvious pain her touch caused Galen, even though her touch was as light as she could make it. Grimacing a little, she extricated Galen from her son's hold and led her to the couch on which she had been sitting, smiling to see Recinis vacating his portion of it as she came up with the injured woman and made her lie down.

Then she drew back, cocking her head in consideration, letting her violet gaze sweep over Galen's form even as the soft glow of her Glyph bathed it in a radiance equally as gentle. On the couch, Galen moaned a little, then fell still, her brown eyes darting past the form of Graysith as if searching for something, and then turning back to meet her eyes with her own.

Graysith remained silent and merely gazed calmly into Galen's face. For a long moment nothing was spoken, then Galen nodded once, rather curtly, and turned her head to the back of the couch. A wry sort of smile came over Graysith then as, now given the go-ahead she reached out with what her Sire had taught her, letting a tendril of the All seep insidiously into her sister's body where it melded with her very cells and shot, electric-swift, through her body, poking and prodding, searching, seeking... and finally finding.

And where it found it reached forth in its enigmatic splendor, grasping building blocks stored within Galen's own body, altering their forms, plastering them where bone was shattered and tendon ripped. In such a manner it knitted the broken bones of Galen's shoulder and arm and rib; then it backed quietly out of her body, almost as an afterthought.

On the couch Galen jerked her head back to her sister, almost in surprise, and sat up. She flexed her arm and made a fist, loosened it, took a deep breath. Everything appeared to be in its original working order; she nodded shortly, but remained quiet, her eyes growing somehow distant.

Graysith nodded in turn, and turned back to Jasyn.

"As you can see, Mr. Lancaster, Galen is safe... and now, quite sound. I do not know if I can say the same for Captain Danner; Jharu!"

Now she turned to her son, who looked into her eyes in an obedient manner.

"Where is Captain Danner, son?" she asked gently. "I do not see him here; did he not depart the ship with you upon your arrival?"

Yet even as she voiced the question, she sought out actively... and soon found his essence. She couldn't help but frown again, turning her gaze into her husband's wonderfully supportive one, and through their eternal link sharing with him her rising concern and trepidation concerning Galen's husband, letting him clearly see how the man had raised a blaster into her own face back on K'eel Doba, even though he did not shoot.

"We seem to have lost his trust, my love," she communicated with him along that Link, that none other could listen in and worry.

...absolutely everyone.

But there was just one problem with that: people were everywhere. Try as he might to avoid them, at some point he'd just have to deal with them. Sighing at that, he finally departed the ship, still taking his time, his eyes occasionally darting everywhere with suspicion. Yet, for the most part, the look he maintained was completely inscrutable.

At length he finally did make it into the Temple and then near the Dining Hall where the others were. Everyone seemed to be waiting about...expectantly; Terrin didn't much pay them any mind. Instead he eyeballed the bar full of food somewhere nearby, ambled over, and started to nourish himself. But he did this with the most peculiar care; he picked up several things and examined them with a very careful eye, then actually put most things back without eating a bite.

After all, it was Sith food. Heavens knew the Sith had somehow gotten him to trust them once before; maybe it was something about the meal they had been dining on at the time...

Terrin finally settled on a fruit of some sort to eat; after all, if it was natural, there might be less of a chance of it being muddled with. With strange care he began to eat, taking small bites and eyeing the fruit after each as if to ascertain if anything was in it. He didn't note Jasyn, who had stepped in near a distant-looking Galen and patted her on the knee reassuringly, and he'd probably only taken a few bites when the man approached him and shook him by the arm. Terrin looked up momentarily to meet Jasyn's brooding brown eyes; they radiated nothing but concern and confusion.

Jasyn started to say something, but before he could get so much as a word out Terrin jerked away. "Don't touch me!" he seethed, then returned to his attentions to the fruit in his hand, once again eating with the greatest care. All the while Jasyn turned and cocked a puzzled brow at the others in the room as if to say, What the hell is the matter with him?

"Alas, I fear that something dire indeed has befallen the Captain, love," she whispered to him along their shared Link. "His actions certainly do not bear out his former declarations to us, even though his trust of us was won hard. But now... it is as if someone has meddled with his mind, and the only power I know of which has the strength to do this is the All."

She paused a moment, still not saying anything aloud, for she knew her next words would only serve to bring on despair to those who were now with them. In fact, it was all she could do to keep that same emotion at bay, when she realized just who it was indeed who had probably been the culprit in regards to Captain Danner. Her eyes squeezed shut in pain, and remained closed.

"I feel ShaRhylla has affected the good Captain much in the same manner I once did to my own Adept," she cried out in silent anguish. "Our allies will be expecting me to heal him as easily as I healed my sister; my Lord, they do not realize that I have not this power. I am not a goddess. The physicality of matter is one thing, quite easily manipulated. But this--"

She paused once more, drawing in a figurative breath before continuing on in privately, her thoughts flowing directly into her husband's heart.

"This is something I cannot revoke. I did not implant this within him; how do I know what to reinstate? I could wipe his mind clean, or at least take his emotions from him, but that is something I feel he would not wish.

"Oh my love, I stand in failure before even having been asked to accomplish this. Only the one who altered him may return him to normal.

"What am I to do?"

During the entirety of her plea to Recinis, the Lady Q'utaro stood silent, the epitome of calmness, that none other would sense her distress and begin to feel they were losing a battle ere it had even begun. She merely cast her gaze about the room, watching the others for their reactions, if they would indeed show any.

Allright, this was just WRONG. Why weren't either of them asking about finding Darra, since they were now both here? For that matter, why weren't either of them paying attention to anyone in the room?

What had happened to Jharu and the group that had triggered Graysith to depart as she had moments before? Did these strange reactions have something to do with that?

Shayla didn't say a word. She simply remained calm, however she knew that her questions had been clearly heard and understood.

If they were going to go find Darra, they certainly couldn't do it with Terrin...not if he was acting this way.

And they couldn't do it with Galen acting so passively either...

--and just couldn't take the looks anymore. Without a word--in fact, without really seeing a soul in the room but only feeling their eyes--he shot off and out of the Temple altogether and back towards the Sith fighter they'd come in. He entered, for the hatch had been left open, and slammed the door in the manner he'd seen Jharu do so.

Then he sat at the controls, eyeing them, pondering.

He'd seen people pilot this thing before. Maybe if he could figure out how to run this baby he could get the hell off this planet before someone did something to him...

"Jharu," she said softly but with meaning, nodding her head toward the door through which Captain Danner had disappeared.

Then she turned back to the others, finally speaking aloud.

"I believe we were debating as to how best determine where Roan has fled with my niece," she said into the somehow frozen silence. "Perhaps the Book of the Sith still in the possession of my Sire would provide us with this information? For although Roan may have been stripped of his magicks by his own hand, he is still Sith. The Book should reveal his presence, should it not?

"How think you, my love?"

With that she turned back to Recinis, hoping her suggestion had some merit. For during her brief time in the Dark Realm, she had become aware of another something she did not wish to reveal to the others at this time, and that being the presence of the Valley of the Lords, and more importantly, the Eternal Flame of the Sith. And she really did not wish to re-enter that dark and dismal place again, not if there was another option available to them.

He followed terrin right into the sith ship, speaking sternly.

"Terrin! come back! what are you doing?"

His eyes narrowed as the man seemed to be trying to figure out how to start the ship up...

His eyes opened slowly and he cast his gaze upon her once more...

his loungs drew forth a slow breath, before finaly he cast his gaze to the window.

"What about using Jinn's monitors and scanners to seek out Roan? Granted, the computer might not be able to assist in tracking Darra specifically, but it interacted directly with Roan."

Followed? He had been FOLLOWED?! They weren't gonna let him go...

Terrin strove to not let a speck of this show on his demeanor; he cursed himself again for being unarmed and felt completely vunerable. This didn't help matters in regards to him responding to Jharu in any way, either. At length he simply shot up from the navigation seat he had taken and turned to regard Jharu with a poorly veiled look of utter suspicion. With as much brute force as possible he shoved an unsuspecting Jharu into the controls, simply to get enough room so that he could run.

Run. Anywhere. Just away. Away from everything.

Dear gods he just wanted away...

What the hell was wrong with Terrin?

At that thought, he gazed over at Galen from the place he was still standing. And what was the matter with Galen?

He seemed to remember a time she looked vaguely like this before.

Why wasn't someone DOING something? Something was bothering her, upsetting her...

...and everyone was missing the problem due to the fact it wasn't so very obvious as Terrin's was.

Well, Not anymore.

Jasyn took a seat on the couch next to Galen, hesitated a moment, then took her by the shoulders and shook her a bit, starting out gently and hoping that would be all it would take. "Galen, come on, we need your imput. We're gonna find your daughter..."

Suddenly that shadow was stopped, and as he approuched he noted a very large tuk'ata tearing at him...

jharu hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.

he has become very strange... Even mean... But... he... I have to help him!

Jharu nodded and ran in, screaming loudly "STOP!" catching the large creatures attention, jharu glared at it...

the thing looked at him for a moment, as if considering what to do, then turned back to terrin... Imidiatly jharu ran at the thing, full speed he slammed into the creature, knocking it from terrin and causing it to begin its viciousness upon jharu...

Though the thing did not get far in the deed before the protective form of Ghrr came blasting into it, knocking the giant creature from jharu...

Jharu stood slowly placing a hand against his left arm which had sustained a slight injury, smiling at Ghrr as she returned, having totaly caught the tuk'ata off guard, and scaring it out of an easy meal...

As ghrr came close, she nudged jharu in a protective manor, before taking her place at his side...

He reached down and gave her a little hug of appriciation. Thank you Ghrr

before turnign to terrin, his eyes narrowing at the man...

He leaned down beside him... lucky to be alive, considering what he had been attacked by, he had a few nasty cuts and gashes accross his legs and arms... and a large cut upon his chest, which eminated blood from it....

Jharu sighed and then took hold of the man, dragging him away from the jungle, and onto the controlled stone pathway's...

he quickly returned to the sith fighter, tracing a rune within the air, as his mother had taught him, and causing the fighter to lock up so terrin would not be able to enter it again...

he then dragged terrin to a bench outside the temple, and set him upon it...

He then returned inside, Ghrr at his side, looking briefly at his mother. "Terrin is unconcious outside... He was wounded by a tuk'ata, and is losing very much blood" he made a slight gesture to the blood which was coverign his own form, obviously not his own, "Though i must say... With his actions, i am unsure whether or not i should have let the creature take him, rather then saving him... He does not appear to be to willing to even talk..."

he shook his head slowly ,recalling the violent shove terrin had given him back in the sith ship.

The soft glow of twilight into which she exited was not dim enough to mask the horrific sight she saw. Just on the opposite end of the Temple's fronting courtyard, draped unmoving upon one of the decorative stone benches, was the ominously silent form of Danner. Graysith's heart leapt into her throat, her breath accelerating as she now flew across the stones of the courtyard to come to a halt at his side. There she knelt, wincing to see the amount of blood which had erupted from his wounds, puddling on the ground beneath him, a heavy trail of it clearly revealing the direction from which Jharu had dragged the man.

She gave his wounds a quick visual inspection. There were great rending tears in his arms and legs, telling the story of how the captain had probably drawn up into a little ball to defend himself against the attack. Or else in a reflexive movement to something else.... Graysith gasped, her scrutiny now moving from the terrible -- but not immediately life-threatening -- gashes upon his extremities to his chest.

For some reason she had at first thought he was wearing red....

Tears came into her eyes at the sight of the dreadful wound which sliced across Terrin's torso from left shoulder to the right side of his waist. Blood stained the now-shredded robe he wore, puddling upon his body, pooling in the hollow of his throat, glistening in the rapidly failing light. Here and there the gleaming ivory edges of ravished bone poked forth from his chest, attesting to the phenomenal power and strength behind the tuk'ata's attack.

Graysith swallowed, and quickly reached a hand out to that wound. She hesitated, then let it sink down upon it like a bird alighting on a branch. Then she yanked it reflexively away, unable to help the movement.

He was cold... so very cold.

Tears now flowed down her face in unheeded profusion. She may not have known the man long, but she did have a blood oath with him. So she put aside her instinctive reaction to that glacial darkness she sensed now being in command of his body, and put her hand back on the primary wound again, where it was promptly covered in blood. She gasped again in dismay, for she was unable to feel a heartbeat.

So tired. She had already healed Galen; her sister's injuries had taken much from her, as had her recent confrontation with the evil in the Dark Place where she had gone to assist Jharu. If only she wasn't weakened thus.

The Captain was so cold....

She did not often feel such helplessness... but indeed she was not invincible. A terrible dread swept down all about her as she hunkered there by Terrin's side, her hand still on his body, knowing she could not bring him back from death no matter how hard she tried.

NO!

A great, encompassing surge of pure ice came sweeping down upon me like an invisible glacier, freezing my blood in my veins, rippling up and down my spine with some kind of insidious and evil laughter. I ignored it as best I could, my mind filling instead with the sudden rush of memory, which pushed me to my feet and sent me flying in the wake of my sister. All prior thoughts of Terrin's strange behavior, of my own questions and concerns regarding him and us; all seemed small and insignificant in the light of this terrible announcement.

Oh Khandon, no... please. Please, let him be all right; oh dear gods I've been so stupid, don't let him be dead, he cannot be dead; please please please, he found me and I just knew he was somehow going to find Darra too, oh dear gods....

Images now shoved my desperately rambling thoughts aside as my mind flew back to another place and time, where Terrin had suffered the onslaught of another such creature. Hope rose up to add its strength to those images:

Khar Delba. The Temple. Roan and my sister... we had gone there, and he was attacked and pinned down.... he survived that, didn't he? Maybe this will be the same....

But those images promptly squelched as I came to a sliding halt outside, pushing past my silent sister and dropping to my knees beside Terrin's still form. My own heart literally stopped beating for a moment as I saw the terrible wound on his body, saw the blood simply everywhere, took in the sight of Terrin's absolutely pale flesh.

"No..." I whimpered, still beseeching the gods and the fates to intervene, to stop this, to erase it, to make it simply go away.

"This can't be happening, it just can't. Tell me he'll be all right!"

Oh kriffing hell NO...

Jasyn placed a supportive hand on Galen's shoulder as he heard her verbal denial, and stood mutely for a long moment, not really knowing what to say.

And how the hell was he going to say anything? Something had been wrong with Terrin since the moment they'd returned to the planet. It was just so very obvious...

And perhaps it was truly better this way. The Terrin that was really Terrin wouldn't have wanted to live as he'd become; wouldn't wanted to have hurt those he loved so very much by his own actions. The tragedy, however, was that he died running from them all instead fighting for them, with them. Yet perhaps in dying before too much time passed he had indeed not died in vain; rather he died to save them all from the person he had been so suddenly and cruelly made.

I shuddered as Jharmeen's continuing silence gave an all too clear reply to my question, and to the one voiced by Jasyn. I swallowed thickly, her form then becoming indistinct as she stood there so quietly, so sympathetically, her hands crossed in front of her, festooned with weaponry like some sort of knight errant.

The ache in my heart was too much to bear. I simply turned back to Terrin's cooling form, and let myself fall across his torso. The taste of his blood filled my mouth with its copper chill; I didn't do a thing to avoid that but merely buried my face against his chest, digging my fingers into the shreds of the Sith robe he was still wearing--

Oh dear sweet Khaandon... "Where's the horns, fly-boy?"

--and gave my anguish full vent.

How could this happen? This wasn't supposed to happen... never, ever ever ever. And dear Khaandon, I had left, I had to leave him, I had to be affronted, to be offended... I had to go and act like a selfish little witch and he had followed, doggedly, on my trail... oh ye gods how could I ever consider as selfish ownership the love he had really been expressing for me all along?

That tuk'ata didn't kill my husband... I did.

I DID.

It was then that something snapped, deep inside me. Something I wasn't even aware of in the slightest.

I couldn't bring Terrin back, I couldn't turn back the hands of time... but there was something I could do.

With a sudden inarticulate cry I leapt to my feet, my face and the front of my flight suit wet with Terrin's cold blood, and before anyone could figure out what I was doing I whirled on the spot. My leg flew out in a hooking crescent kick, taking Jharmeen by surprise, and knocking her off to the side. Even as she pinwheeled her arms, seeking balance, I ducked in low and fast, and yanked that sword I saw hanging on her from its scabbard.

Momentum kept me moving. I finished the full circle armed with that sword, and didn't even pause but took off running as fast as I could.

This...this was just hideous.

But as Shayla stood there, keeping all these thoughts to herself, Galen shot up, whirled, and kicked Graysith, nearly knocking her over and in the same motion pulling a sword from her belt, running off into the forest. Shayla's greeny-blues darkened with concern as she turned to Graysith even as Lord Recinis was assisting her in regaining her balance. She stepped from Erik's arms into the cold of the evening. "Shouldn't someone follow her?" was all Shayla said, a bit hesitant as to what to do. "And..." she paused as her next thought came, glancing to Terrin's disturbingly still form as the lump again rose to her throat. "We can't just...just...leave him like that..."

His comrade...

...his Captain...

...his friend...

...dead.

The only thing that jarred him from his darkening thoughts was Galen's sudden move; he stood still in concern for the barest of moments, not even really hearing whatever words Shayla was saying before he simply ran after Galen, his heart flying.

They'd lost Terrin. He didn't want to lose Galen too.

"Galen, wait!" he yelled, moving as quickly as he could. He didn't know what she was up to, but he sure as hell wasn't going to sit around and wait for something terrible to befall another one of their party.

But even still, Jasyn was having a rather difficult time of catching up with her...
"STOP!!!!" he yelled again, hoping to goodness his pleas weren't falling on deaf ears.

Panic? why... why where they panicked? was...was terrin in trouble? ya, I knew he was hurt... But... But i... I... It was dark...Was.. Did he? No. Death, Could it be?

as everyone else quickly ran from the room jharu dropped to his knee's, looking down at his hands, which were covered in blood, suddenly realizing the implications of it.

his gaze turned over slowly to Ghrr, who had remained obidiantly at his side, had even nudged him worriedly after his sudden shock...

he then looked down at the floor, a tear slipping down his cheek he stood, and exited, his whole body shaking.

He found the others, just in time to see his aunt run off with his mothers sword in hand.
Eyes wandering slowly the found the still form of his uncle...

i did it... its my fault isnt it? even before this... I.. I let him come with me... I let him go into danger... I didnt help him in time when the creature attacked...

jharu shook his head roughly, and ran off, entering the temple, flying through the passages randomly, untill he found a secluded room where he curled under a small table...

"My love--" she began when yet more pain came arrowing through her being, this time from the eternal link she maintained with her son. She pursed her lips, now turning wide and aching eyes up into Recinis's clouded green ones. She motioned in Galen's direction again.

"See if you can assist in catching her before in her grief she gets herself killed, my love," she whispered, now fully on her feet again. Then without waiting to see what Recinis would do, she rose up on tiptoe, kissed him softly, and turned to go back into the Temple.

En route she stopped long enough to place a sympathetic hand on Shayla's shoulder. She sent her a sad smile, clearly sensing the grief and shock which was flashing throughout her adept's body.

"See if you can find something which with to cover the Captain," she said gently, giving her shoulder a squeeze of shared pain. Quieting then with a nod, she hurried on into the Temple.

It didn't take her long to find where Jharu was hiding, sobbing with a worried Ghrr pressing closely against him. Graysith's eyes grew moist as she entered the room, reaching out with her talents to now enter into the mind of the tuk'ata that the animal would realize she meant no harm to Jharu. It was a bit difficult, for Ghrr's simple mind kept shying away from her, seeking to maintain constant contact with her charge. It was only because Graysith was bonded to a tuk'ata herself that she finally managed to fully capture the great beast's attention, long enough to get a message through to it.

She knelt slowly and looked up into Ghrr's glacial eyes, now reaching out a hand to lay lightly alongside her muzzle. Her violet eyes pressed into the tuk'ata's very soul.

"Go with the others who run in the jungle without," she commanded gently. "Keep them from harm. Your charge is my youngling; he shall be safe in my hands."

Ghrr hesitated, reaching a tendril out to wrap in an almost loving manner about Jharu's lower leg. The she whined in reply, turned, and left the room, the rapidly increasing staccato beat of her claws against stone revealing to the Chosen Daughter that she was indeed obeying her directive.

Graysith sighed and turned to her son. It didn't seem as if the boy even knew she was there; the moisture which glistened in her eyes now developed into fullblown tears which began to drip down her face. Moving forward still on her knees, she crept beneath the table and gathered her son in her arms.

"Oh, my Jharu," she breathed, then fell quiet, rocking him as she had when he was first brought to her, cradling his head against her breast, and letting her own tears flow unimpeded alongside his.

After a few minuts of searching he had located a trail of footprints, and followed onward...

Sometime afterwards Recinis could hear the rapid sound of running in front of him, clearly Galen, and in a moment more he could see her.

Doing his best to pick up his pace, if indeed he could run any faster then he already was, he called out to her "Galen! stop! think of what it is you are doing! would terrin want you to kill yourself pointlessly? You want to kill that which has taken him from you, yes, but think of him!"

after a few minuts of continued sobbing he managed to gain a small amount of control,looking up at his mother, his form shuddered as he spoke, his voice shaking just as fiercly as was the rest of him.
"I... I di-... I-i cou-.... i-i-t-tt..."
Suddenly he pulled his gaze away from his mother, for while she was indeed filled with nothing but worry for him, and love, he simply could not meet the gaze of another living being, even the gentlest of eyes seemed as a scornful stare of dissipointment and anger...

He shuddered again and pulled himself even closer to her... His voice came out again, over and over again in a quiet whisper, barely understandable. "im...im sorry... Im sor-sorry..."

Without any more hesitation she simply stepped closer and knelt next to Terrin, whereupon the knees of the flightsuit she had been wearing were immediately soaked in blood. Shayla shivered, hesitated, then reached out to place a hand on the fatal wound.

She shuddered again, a lump once more rising in her throat. This time she did nothing to stop it, but let the tears fall unimpeded.

So small. She felt so small. She was a healer, and she couldn't do a thing to safe him.

And along with that, a part of Shayla seemed to shake an accusatory finger at her. There was a time, Shayla Petrolu Kartan, that you wanted this man dead and sincerely felt he deserved it. Well, I suppose you got what you wanted...

Simply aching at that thought, Shayla moved her hand from Terrin's wound to brush his blonde hair back from his face. He wasn't who she had thought. He had a good heart...

...he'd just struggled in finding someone that he trusted enough to give that heart to.

And after all, who was she to determine the value of a life? For each has his own purpose, regardless of what anyone else may believe.

Erik's quiet and steady footsteps broke Shayla's thoughts. She turned to him, and he handed her a small basin of water and a cloth. Taking the most gentle care, she cleaned Terrin's wounds. Then she stood, taking from Erik a satin bed cover, and placed it atop Terrin's motionless form. Only then did she step back and hunker into Erik's supportive arms, her heart still too heavy for her to even consider moving.

After a few more minutes had passed she slowed her rocking, and pulled away, holding her son out at arm's length. She searched his eye with her own, her expression full of meaning.

"My dear son, you have not been long in this existence," she said at last. "There is much you have learned already, but there lies ahead of you yet a universe more. One thing you must learn now, Jharu, is that the only fate that you can control is your own."

She paused, now reaching out a gentle hand to lay it upon his chin, forcing his head up from where he was hanging his head so that he faced her. She waited in silence until he finally opened his eyes and looked into hers. The sorrow within his eyes tainted them black.

Finaly with one more sniffle he pulled back from his mother, giving her a brief little nodd as if to say "ill be ok..."

They then exited from beneath the table, and returned to where the others were...

My breath came in great ragged sobs as I tore a path through the dense understory of the Koris'ian jungle, heedless to the noise my progress was making. Indeed, I didn't know if those sobs were induced by the pain of running full-tilt for so great a period of time... or if I was still sobbing out my grief and pain and anguish and complete and utter hatred I was rapidly beginning to build up against the universe and its inhabitants in general.

No, the thought popped into my head again, where it perched itself in a black miasma and chuckled darkly, now reaching into my memories and bringing them one after another out to torture me.

Terrin did not die for me in any manner, not in any way, shape or form. His death is pointless at any rate, because he-- Because he--

He died because of me. Plain and simple.

But none other shall, ever again. Not because of me. Nor because of that damned tuk'ata.

he felt the strengths of the force rise within him and soon he was sprinting somewhat faster then he had been before... In a few minuts he had closed the distance between him and galan, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms about her, causing them both to come to a sudden halt...

Thus I found it a rather easy task to ignore that logic now. I dug in my feet and began yanking for all I was worth."Let me GO!" I hissed between my teeth, my voice coming out in a hoarse and searing croak even though at a whisper.

"You have no right; NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT! DAMMIT JUST LET ME LIVE MY LIFE AS I WANT TO! If only everyone had, this wouldn't have happened, and Terrin wouldn't-- he wouldn't.. wouldn't be--"

I cut off the rest of the statement, the words sticking in my throat like stones, blocking off anything further I might try to say, nearly choking me for their immensity. I swallowed, trying to wash them away, and struggled harder. My feet left twin streaks in the duff of the jungle floor where I dug them uselessly against the strength of this Lord of the Sith.

"Leave me be... just leave me alone... please... please...."

Now I gasped, tears flooding my vision to blur Recinis's form. I gave another little yank, but now my feet began stumbling forward in an awkward attempt to keep up with him.

"Please...." I sobbed again, choking against the great heaving breaths which tore at me, my eyes on fire, my throat feeling raw and tender. "I can't-- I- I don't want-- I-- he--

"Oh dear Khaandon I can't, I can't! Just let me go, please for the love of all that lives..." On and on I babbled while being dragged inexorably back in the direction from which I had run.

I couldn't stand it any longer.

Quite suddenly I threw back my head, throwing all my weight forward and down into my feet that they would act like anchors and bring me to a sudden halt. This change in my attitude worked at least for the moment, for I did find myself at a brief standstill. I didn't want to waste any second of that moment; now I began to twist my arm, trying to free my hand from the grasp of durasteel clamped about it. I drew in a fresh breath, and set in again.

"You do not have the right to stop me!" I seethed, my eyes now as fiery as my throat. "Who in Hell's Seven Circles put you or your kind in charge of me and mine! If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened at all! I would have my baby, and my husband; you do not have the right to tell me how to live my life!"

Nevermind the little fact that if it hadn't been for the Sith this entire mad career would never had even begun. I wouldn't have meet Sorben to begin with, and would not have Darra at all. Nor would I have ever met Terrin, fallen in love with him and married him.

But like I said, logic and I were at the moment quite an adversarial pair.

I dug my feet in more firmly, squirmed, and then hauled off and kicked Recinis right in his shin, leaning forward quickly as I did so to sink my teeth into the back of his hand which yet held mine in an ironbound grip.

He could not take it any longer, no... He could understand that she was not thinking clearly, he also understood that she was at the moment saddened, and even angered... But none the less, it ended here...

Before she had a chance to try anything else his hand slipped from its grasp on her, and pressed against a nerve causing her to fall unconcious...

he sighed and slung her over his shoulder, taking jharmeens fallen sword and slipping it behind his belt so it would stay put...

As his feet met stone he took in a deep breath, finding comfort in the fact that the journy had ended... For the entire hike had been a mind numbing experiance of carrieing dead wait, and finding his way through the jungle...

Rejoining the others he set galen upon a bench, and returned jharmeens sword to her.

he then spoke, before anyone could raise question. "no, she's not harmed... but i had need to...subdue her, if she was to return..."

he then motioned for the temple, picking galen up once more he carried her in and set her upon a soft couch, pulling a blanket from a small compartment he billowed it outward and allowed it to rest upon her so she might regain energy, and sleep comfortably. Hopefully to awake with a slight bit more logic...

Without waiting to see what the others would do he exited the temple, and then returned once more with the covered form of terrin, merly speaking slight sentance of explanation, before finding his way down to the underlayers of the temple. "He died of the sith cause, and so shall have a sith burial."

Upon reaching his destination he set terrin upon a little table...

He almost winced as he removed the sheet from his body, but knew well that it must be done.

as he went about his tasks he paid no heed to any that might have followed, indeed to caught up in his duties was he now to realize if there was any with him, though he guessed there probably was.

Working gently he removed the remnents of Terrins robes, and washed away the drying blood, sprinkling a white powder from a little jar over the mans body, which would allow the body to mend lesser wounds, even though in death, as though he were alive.

He then sprinkled a red powder over him, which would preserve the body beyond its years. Finaly he placed a dark satin sheet over his body, and lifted him...

Carrying him to another room, he set the man upon a stone alter, draped in a white sheet, allowing the satin and white the sit together profiding a sort of seal.

his hand reached outward to touch lightly upon terrins forhead. "And so... Terrin Danner, one whom showed great passion, has passed away this day... His memory shall live on... While not sith in blood, he has shown he was worthy of being a friend..."

He then stepped away, bowing respectfully to the man. Turning and returning to the main room of the temple.

Until we meet again Mr. Danner... if indeed such things are possible, i look forward to that moment.

Oh kriffing Hell, not her too...

That thought was squelched with a great rush of relief when he realized that there was no trail of blood, excepting perhaps the tale-tale one that had already been made. Jasyn skidded to a halt, took a moment to catch his breath, then turned on his heel and followed everyone back to the place where Terrin now laid, covered.

For a long moment Jasyn just stood there, hearing Lord Recinis's words and at length tearing his eyes and his heart from Terrin's covered form to trail inside behind the others. Then he followed Recinis as he went deep into the Temple with Terrin's body to peform burial rights, lurking behind a little after the Sith Lord departed and stepping up to Terrin's body. For a long moment he stood in silence, and then, "Your cause is my cause, my friend. Darra will be found and returned to Galen."

Then he stepped back once more, lingering a bit longer then returning to the main room and casting a concerned look in Galen's direction. Then he addressed Graysith directly with the question pressing at the forefront of his mind. "What really killed him?" he said a bit oddly. "And don't tell me a tuk'ata, because there was sure as hell something wrong with him the moment he stepped back in this Temple. What happened back on K'eel Doba?"

In it was a little girl, blonde hair and greeny-blue eyes, wandering through life fatherless; indeed, parentless. Along with that was the knowledge of those who shared a similiar past...

...and here it was happening again. Did it ever stop? How could the hand of Fate be so very cruel, so very uncaring?

Shayla just couldn't see how, in the big picture of things, the death of Terrin Danner served the Greater Good. Taking a deep breath, Shayla stepped forward to look at the fallen Terrin one final time. Then, as if only then remembering it, she glanced down to the bloodied knees of her flightsuit. After staring at them almost blankly for a moment, she again looked straight forward, turned on her heel, and departed the catacombs altogether to find a change of clothes then return to the main room where everyone else was certainly gathering.

"I do not know much, Mr. Lancaster," she began with a frown of annoyance. "What I do know is that my son was drawn into the Dark Realms, a place not of life nor even death, as were the others as well. This I discovered when I went to his aid.

"However, my stay there was brief. M-my..." She paused infinitesimally, then continued on smoothly, "There were two beings there who did not wish for the intrusion, for no sooner did I arrive than they flung us all back into a temple which was strange to me. I-- I confess I do not even know where that Temple is, nor do I know why it was that we were flung there. I can tell you this, however."

Again she paused, letting her gaze rove from one set of eyes to another.

"While in that realm, I did see Captain Danner sitting looking stunned; his wife was nearby with an equally stunned look on her face as well. My son was off to one side, seeming to be recovering from some hurt. And there was another man there as well; the last I saw of him was in the clutches of the evil being who dismissed us from his presence... that evil being in the guise of Darth Wicked, who I loved, and still do."

Now she ignored all present and turned her violet eyes almost beseechingly into Recinis's emerald pair. Her grip about Jharu tightened.

"A being whose possessed body I vowed to destroy, should it become truly lost to evil. And a being whose... companion I was once entreated to destroy as well, whom I couldn't, and who I now wish with all my heart that I had.

"And I will. For although I cannot be certain, I believe it was the contrivances of this pair that led to Captain Danner's death, and his death shall not go unavenged. Not while I draw breath, or have power to wield in the attempt."

"He will not die in vain. And though you may take this as my being impertinent, I will not sit idly by while others complete the wishes and avenge the death of my Captain either. I'm a part of this simply because of the trust he gave me as a crewmember, and I will not abandon that even in his death."

Jasyn paused at that, running a hand through his now-unruly brown hair and beginning to pace, his eyes darkening further. "But first...I could really use a drink..."

She drew back from Jasyn, now wrinkling her nose at his last statement.

"The Blood Oath I had was with Captain Danner, Mr. Lancaster," she said icily, sniffing a bit. "As such, it was to assist me with the whereabouts of my daughter. I-- I now know exactly where she is; the only reason I remained with Captain Danner at all beyond that was because of the Blood Oath. There are factors at play here you cannot even begin to understand; my own counsel will I keep as to what course of action I deem to be in the highest priority!"

With that she turned from the man altogether, and went over to stand beside the sleeping Galen. There her demeanor slowly softened, and she remained at her side, her hands crossed in front of herself, quietly waiting for even she knew not what at that moment.

Frustrated that he was finding no outlet for his own personal brand of grief, he simply turned to the bar and took a glass of Sith brandy. Then he took a seat at one of the nearby couches, his look darkening further as he began to drown his despair in the drink, somehow disturbed by the fact he would have to be the one to tell the others at Eagle Enterprises of Terrin's untimely death.

...evil being in the guise of Darth Wicked...

Something within Shayla snapped a flared in hot anger. She barely even heard Jasyn's or Graysith's next words as a realization took shape in her mind.

HIM. The one who had tampered with her own mind, causing her to fall into soul-encompassing despair every time she was angry. It had been HIM, she was just sure of it...

...but then, wasn't that particular being, at some point in time at least, connected with Roan...?

Shayla turned from these inward questions to glance at Jasyn, who was just taking a seat with a snifter of Sith brandy. Her greeny-blues fell on him in disgust, and she balled her fists at her sides, her next words coming out harshly. "Is that all you can think of doing at a time like this?!" she growled, drawing a surprised look at least from Jasyn and from her own husband. "A man just died here, for reasons I can't even comprehend, by the whim of a couple of beings who have meddled with those in our party at least twice prior to this.”

Then she looked to Graysith. “Perhaps we should find and return to this Temple which you were flung to see if we can ascertain its importance?” she asked, her mind spinning with ideas. Then she turned to Jharu. "You returned with Terrin and Galen by ship," she observed. "Do you know what planet the Temple was on?"

He nodded to shayla, having been on his way to jasyn at that very moment, he reached down and removed the brandy from the mans hands, casting a dark glance his way before he could say a word, as though to say "Dont get more"

he then placed the drink back at a small bar and turned back to the group.

He nodded to shayla in response to her question, looking down at his son. "Jharu, You found your way to the temple, did you not? where may we find it?"

His son looked at him for a moment before he began speaking. "It was on K'eel doba... But i dont know where, galens friend was driving and there was no view... But galen landed there as well, she probably knows."

recinis nodded taking in a deep breath, "Thank you my son, You have done your best, and that is all we can every ask of you..."

He then walked to galen, kneeling beside the yet unconcious woman. His hand crept out slowly and pressed upon her neck, to which she awoke quite suddenly, arm instantly coming to flail outward and hit roughly upon recinis chest, her body picking up where it left off...

I couldn't help the instinctive flail of my arms as I was yanked so rudely back into lucidity, then froze when the words this Sith was speaking to me finally made their way into my ears. My next movement was as instinctive as was my initial lashing out upon awakening: now I sat quickly up, and wrapped my arms around myself with a little shudder.

Back to the Temple--?

"Wh- why would you want to go back there?" I stammered, gulping as memories rose up in reply to those words, raw and hot within me. Memories of who had last held me in his arms in that Temple, albeit against my wishes at the time....

I gulped again, rushing on to shove those taunting images from my mind.

"The logbook referred to it as a Temple of S'slan, and at first there was that weird kind of shield around it. But then it disappeared...

"Why would you want to go there? I mean, I already figured out a long time ago that's where Roan was hiding out with my Darra-- only there weren't any life signals when we got there. Only a lot of broken equipment, lab equipment I think; and there were quite a few dead Kaminoans, and I remember Flac saying...

"FLAC!!!" I interrupted my little soliloquy with a shout and straightened further, my arms dropping from where I had been holding myself.

"Where is Flac? What happened to him; is he here? Where is he? Oh ye gods don't tell me he didn't make it either...."

I fell into silence and began shivering uncontrollably as twin images rose up in my mind's eye: images of way too many dead scientists laying amidst broken shards and crumpled metals, and the image seared into my brain as well of Flac in the grip of Darth Wicked in that hellspawned place where I had led him, and Terrin, and my nephew and sister for that matter.

Death... there was way too much death lately, too many dead bodies.

Kaminoan scientists, in a place where Galen had suspected Roan had been with Darra. And somehow they had ALL ended up there...Terrin and the kid and Galen and this other person...and were strangely REMOVED from that place by some dark force?

Now, praytell, WHAT was disturbing about this picture...?

...and who the hell was this Flac guy?

Roan was hiding in the temple of S'slan... Indeed, that would be fitting for a former dark lord of the warrior clan... dead kaminian scientists? lab equipment? could that mean... Then, most likely darra is no longer a child...

Roan has now both children who were meant to bring back the sith... two children, both with great power, if darra has indeed been advanced... Would he then go about returning the sith for his own currupt designs?

If he will attempt it... them time is indeed important...

Recinis turned about slowly, looking down at his son, and giving a brief smile. "come here Jharu" he spoke gently, placing a hand upon jharu's shoulder as the boy approuched, reaching out to take the boy's wrist up, looking down upon the flesh. "while in tradition, a great ceremony is to follow a warriors quest, im afraid we have not the time, and your recieving the mark which entreats you is something that must be done of quickness, for the mark is to be transfered to a warrior while knowledge is fresh... Or the mark is truly just a mark..."

He smiled at his son, then taking a claw he traced upon the boy's wrist half of the mark of warriors, pressing his own wrist to the boys, allowing it to become final...

Arms wrapping gently about his son in a loving hug he whispered. "no this my son, i am proud of you for all you have accomplished... You are fit to be a warrior... You now must learn what you can from your mother, in anything she wishes to teach you, and then the other half of the mark shall be given..."

he smiled briefly once more before standing and addressing the others, giving jharmeen a little smile and a nodd before turning serious again.

"I fear roan has done what we feared he would manage to accomplish... he has both pieces to the puzzle... Darra, and ShaRhylla... While it indeed pains me to suggest this... I feel, with the evidence of scientists in the temple... Darra is no longer a simple child... But now a girl with the strength to bring forth the sith from the past... I know not how roan would persuade her to help him... But i know too, that minds are easily swayed, when there is nothing to oppose what is being told...

I feel Roan would now go to the eternal flame... Either that, or he will go somewhere where he might teach the girls what they must do, and find a means of assuring his position of power once the deed is done..."

"we must travel to K'eel doba with great speed... As we are all tired-" he cast a light nod to jharmeen before continuing. "I suggest we take a more simplistic way of travel..."

Eyes shifting slowly he cast his attention upon galen. "I am sorry for all that has happened in such a short time... But time is very important... And you have no time to look back on things, save the time of travel... That indeed must be enough rest for us all..."

he then paused, shaking his head slowly. "no... While we have not the time to spare... 2 hours, 2 hours to ready yourselves... 2 hours to spend in any way you wish... Then we leave."

Turning again he walked back to jharmeen and jharu, looking down at both of them with a loving smile. "there are things i must do to prepare...Should you need me, I will be within the gardens..."

He gave them both a gentle hug, giving jharmeen a loving kiss as well, before turning and exiting the temple...

Finding his way to the gardens Recinis sat down closed his eyes, and let the universe slip away.

Roan... you are no simple being... While corrupt you may be... You were a dark lord... And given that title for a reason i can clearly see... Clever... Strong... you present more of a mystery then even i can fully grasp... Where are you going? what are your plans?

You would not be so stupid as to return to your temple,that is clear by the fact that you leave your shield away... You also would not be as stupid as to simply go to Korriban... No no... You will find a place to go where you might grow stronger... And not be found...

...she hadn't been pregnant with their son, either.

He turned and looked at her, his brown eyes radiating concern. "Sweetheart, don't you think we should sit this one out? I know you feel dedicated to the cause and all, but we have our son to think about now too."

He paused at that, turning his eyes into her greeny-blues and waiting.

Hopefully she'd see the sense in the words he was speaking...

She paused at that then made her final declaration. "I'm going, as a friend and an ally if nothing more than that. Don't you dare try to stop me."

At that she whirled and headed out to the courtyard, unheeding to anyone who might follow, not even her own husband.

He cast a worried expression in Graysith's direction, then simply nodded respectfully. Then he joined Jasyn, who had stubbornly recovered his snifter of brandy, on a nearby couch.

She reached into her sith robe, pulling out Erik's lightsaber. She ignited it, gazing at the glowing blue blade momentarily, then waving it about in a fancy pattern, thankful that she had kept some modicum of training up although she had not been using such a weapon for some time...

In time you will have no need of such...toys... came a memory that seemed like only yesterday. Sighing, Shayla deactivated the blade then placed the lightsaber back in her robe.

So long as she was a typical Force-user, she would be needing it, to protect those around her that she cared about, her unborn baby, and herself.

That thought, along with something else entirely, triggered her greeny-blue eyes to wander to a now-abandoned stone bench where the remainder of a blood trail lay. Shayla shuddered.

No one else was going to suffer and die by the actions of those two who lurked in the Dark Realms; not if she could help it.

Her eyes defocused at that thought, and she again reached into a small pocket inside the hip of her robe to finger something there. Then again her hands fell loosely to her sides and she waited, knowing that the time to depart was growing closer and closer by the moment.

She was ready.

This is not good, that my son should feel enough trepidation not to give forth his usual smile, she thought to herself. Indeed, he is too young to have to face such things as he already has.

Outwardly her smile merely grew broader, and she reached forward with both hands to hug her son. "You have done well," she said, pulling back. "Now go and rest; there is yet an hour before we leave."

Leave.

Her smile disappeared as Jharu left her, and her thoughts turned back to Lord Recinis's decree. It was all she could do now to keep from following after Recinis, giving the questions within her vent.

We are going to K'eel Doba. Yet Galen said there were no life signs in the Temple of S'slan. Why do we go there at all, then? It makes no sense; this would be a waste of time.

And time is something beginning to be a luxury.

She shook her head in reply to her own thoughts. No matter how she looked at the situation, returning to K'eel Doba, to the Temple, just didn't seem to be a logical choice to her. Other matters were more pressing, such as discovering where Ankrist Roan had fled, and with whom. Logic dictated that it was with her niece, yet there was someone else who had entered the picture, and whose location was just as much a mystery as the ex-Dark Lord's.

This one called Flac. Who was this man, to be found within the Darker Realms with my sister? She certainly seemed concerned for his safety; perhaps determining his whereabouts and effecting his release would calm her enough that she in turn would not try to run off and do something extreme, which Khaandon only knew she had a propensity toward doing.

And indeed, there was another reason to return to those dark realms where neither life nor death existed.

She nodded to herself, and found her way to the suites she shared with Recinis. There she removed the elegant Sith robes she had been wearing, and dressed herself once again in her simple practice doba. Affixing the Tooth of S'slan to her thrimm, she took up Rora'Kessh and considered it for a long moment. Then she carefully laid it upon their bed.

That would not be needed. Should anyone or any...thing break through the defensive perimeter she could make with the All, or get past the offensive one she could mount using the Claw, she yet had the Tooth. The sword, while elegant and beautiful, might really only prove to be a hindrance. She would leave it behind.

With that she stepped back from the bed, and checked herself over. Prepared, she opened a portal through the All and for a brief moment just stood quietly before it.

She had a promise to keep and meant to keep it, but not at risking the lives of the others she loved. She would go alone.

M'wonBo'o's assistance would have been helpful, though....

Taking a deep breath, she stepped through that portal into inky blackness, closing the doorway between two dimensions behind her as she did so, knowing the Link shared between them would inform her Lord of her actions, and otherwise quite certain she would be back before the others even knew she had gone.

((OOC: Follow Graysith back to The Darker Side of Midnight in the "Jedi Praxeum/Sith Temple" forums, thank you.))

Be careful my love...
though he would have desired to follow her actions, and assure that no harm came to her, but of now, he had matters which were of importance to think of, and he was quite certain she would be fine.
Roan... where would you go? it is true, the sith held only 4 planets which they lived on... 4, believed to be the center of everything in the stage of our ignorance... But there were outposts hidden in many places... Perhaps he would go to one of the warrior's temples...Thyferra had such a temple hidden on it... perhaps he would go there...

It would indeed provide a good hiding place, and a place where he might go about training the children to his desires... if that is what he plans to do...

He then stood taking in a deep breath.But still, i must examin the temple... Perhaps clues can be found within...

he then walked off, locating his son who was running through random drills with a wooden practice sword...

...and found it not.

Shayla's heart jumped in her throat as she recalled the last time she had not been able to sense Graysith's presence. But she was somewhat comforted by the fact that Lord Recinis seemed so very calm. Even so, this sudden disappearance had her very worried. She pondered the wisdom of approaching Lord Recinis without an invitation to do so, yet she was drawn to come over regardless. So Shayla folded her hands in front of herself then walked over to where the Dark Lord was seated, bowing her head in respect. She didn't really want to address Graysith's sudden absence in front of her son, however; after all, he may not be aware of it yet. So instead she settled on saying something entirely different, that might still give answer to Graysith's whereabouts even still.

"Time draws close for our departure," she observed. "Shall we begin gathering the others so that we can leave promptly?"

At this she fell silent, her greeny-blues meeting the emerald pair of Lord Recinis, letting her unspoken question read somewhere in the depths of her eyes.

Nodding in satisfaction, fatigued by the inner battle with the Darkness of this place, she opened another portal in the All...

Then she drew away, settling her hands quietly in her lap, and leaned against her husband.

"Thank you," she said quietly, gazing straight into Shayla's eyes, before expanding that gaze outward to include all present.

"The being, my daughter, and the human Galen called 'Flac' are not in the Dark Realms," she announced without preamble. "But what is there is of even greater importance."

She paused a moment, letting the noise of her son's approaching footsteps die away into quiet. And when all were attentive she continued.

"Somehow they have taken the Valley of the Dark Lords into those hideous realms," she said, her voice growing even more solemn as she revealed what she had suspected from her prior visit there. "I do not myself have the power to bring it back; indeed, it takes powers not of the living to achieve what they have obviously achieved regarding this valley.

"Which in turn informs me of the current state of my daughter... and of Darth Wicked."

A pang rose up in her eyes, dark and oily, a pang of combined pain and anguish and deep hatred. She fought it down, that Jharu would not see such things in his own mother. And when she was under complete control of herself, her visage calm, the Glyph steady, she continued.

"The powers of the valley still respond to me, however," she went on. "I have found where Roan and JhinDarra are... and at the time of this telling they have been joined by those heinous beings and their prisoner, Flac. I managed to create a link with the Sith ship in which they travel; in thus a manner we may follow them to wherever it is they go.

"But--!"

She stopped, turning to Recinis now, and taking his hands into her own.

"We must go quickly, and keep on their trail. If they depart from the ship, and go off through the All, we will be back at square one. And in addition to this, the fact that I was able to reach them at all proves that Roan is not protecting himself with a chronotic shield. Just as he let the shield about the Temple where he he had been hiding drop and reveal the broken remnants of the lab to us.

"I fear he has something dire up his sleeve, my love; he is making it quite easy for us to follow him...."

With that she fell silent, letting her gaze rove back and forth between Shayla and Recinis before finally letting it fall altogether into the comforting emerald pair of her husband, where they stayed.

He let loose a small smile, doing his best to put the remnants of the horrers his eyes had see behind, having worked them through his system with what knowledge he held in sword play...

With his mothers words he couldnt help the tightening fist at his side, as images of a red headed demon came through his mind.

My sister... she truly is my sister... how could this be? so evil... She... she did it... its her fault aunt galen was hurt... uncle terrin dead...and that other man as well... He's gone because of her... And a 'darth wicked'? She to apparantly has claimed his soul?

I have to help... I cant let her do anything more to harm these people... I have to save them... I have to save her...

Save her.

Even if it means ending her own life...

But then, i didnt know her at all... How can i judge her? what has caused her to take this path?

Jharu's eyes focused once more, giving his hand a quick little shake to remove the sligt cramp which had worked its way into his muscles whilst his fist had been clenched...

His wide violite spheres looked up from his thoughts to see his mother and father standing, and looking at him...

His father reached out and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, jharu could feel the fingers squeeze slightly to get his full attention.
"jharu my son... Whatever troubles you... Release it... What has happened, is in the past, and what will happen is in the future... neither of these things may tresspass on the present, if you hope to fulfill your desires."

He looked up at his father, eyes going even wider as he considered the words...Realizing how simple, and at the same time, how important the advice was...

he nodded his head as his fathers firm hold on his shoulder dissapeared into memory...

He looked over then at the woman with the blonde hair and bluish-green eyes that had helped his mother...

He smiled at her and without a thought to contradict himself he wrapped her in a thankful hug, mimicking his mother somewhat, though with an intirly different meaning. His hug would clearly read. "Thank you for helping my mommy"

As he released her from his stronge embrace he bowed his head slightly, looking up at her wide eyed and curiously.

Good looking kid, she mused to herself.

Then she turned her gaze into that of Graysith's first, then to Lord Recinis. "We should depart immediately," she observed.

She then stretched out with the Force to the link she shared with Erik, sending him a little niggle that told him they were getting ready to leave and that he should lead the others to the warship by following her Force-signature. Then she again looked to Lord Recinis. "The others know that it is time. My husband will lead them to the ship."

Here they went, again.

Erik then stood, brushing off invisible crumbs from his flightsuit then nodding his head in the direction of the Temple entrance. "I know the way," he said simply, then turned and began leading the way, his thoughts turned inward even as he did.

To the mans credit he did not...

Soon all were aboard, and were preparing for departure, the urgency of Jharmeens words still fresh in Recinis' mind...

Why would you want us to follow? why so care free... You are not that stupid roan, i will not be fooled... Had you been as stupid as you now make us think, my presence in this time would not be necessary...

As jharmeen went to set the ship into motion, recinis held on to her, stoping her tracks, emerald orbs meeting violet in a concerned matter. "Not yet... If we must go, let us go... But be weary...

"For i believe he wants to end this now... He's not foolish enough to drop his guard, not unless two things are met... This is indeed a warriors tactic... two things my love... one, he indeed has more defenses then any could ever comprehend... and two, he has found our weakness and only needs us to take the bait, in order to finish us with one swift blow..."

recinis nodded then, allowing a deep breath to fill his longs, before slowly releasing it. "But... Im afraid this bait is simply to important to ignor..."

And if his daughter and the creature in wickeds body have the eternal flame... He indeed has all he needs to complete this puzzle, and end all that she has strived for... could this be our weakness? what happens with the sith return? will all this power, of which we have become so reliant... vanish? or will it continue to grant us its suport, as long as the cause is one which follows the greater good? and if roan knows this answer... is he ready to actauly give up the power he has obtained through the simple need of such a power in the universe?

Quite suddenly he felt something tug the sleeve of his robes, breaking from his thought he turned to regard his son, whom spoke to him with a soft voice.

"Father...What has happened, is in the past, and what will happen is in the future... neither of these things may tresspass on the present, if you hope to fulfill your desires."

...but still, Shayla had a good edge on piloting, and she was well experienced. But she would wait; no use in presuming your place before you've been given it. Still, that navboard almost seemed to be calling to her...

"I fear I do not know exactly where Roan is going with JhinDarra and the-- the others," she admitted slowly, her eyes darkening in distaste. "I merely have a link established; when we use it to 'home in' on his trajectory, then we may be able to deduce what his destination is. However--"

She broke off abruptly, and now looked searchingly into Recinis's emerald eyes. She still read a question there, a question repeated in her own pair.

"My Lord," she murmured in a lower tone of voice. "You expressed a desire to return to K'eel Doba. While at the time it was to see if any clues were left behind which might lead us to Roan, clues we really do not need as I now have a link with his ship, perhaps we should not fly away in pursuit quite so quickly. The young boetay, although possessing the strength and vigor of youth, quite often misses his prey as he leaps out without thought or plan; it is the older, wiser one which brings home the meal after careful deliberation of his victim's movements."

She paused a moment, thinking.

"Perhaps there are yet clues there which might not only reveal to us where it is he is heading, but why. Perhaps my sense of urgency was triggered by my short foray into the Dark Realms; being forewarned is forearmed. I actually do not think he will abandon the ship he now has, nor do I really believe he will transport himself and the others with the All. This is wearying and draining; a ship is much more practical, especially a Sith fighter, and as long as he travels in it I can easily determine his location."

She nodded her head, giving Recinis a loving hug. Then after repeating the gesture with her son, she pulled away from them entirely and went to the control center of the great warship. There she sought out a particular compartment, and from that hidden storage place withdrew a Sith flightsuit belt. She latched this about her waist above her low-hanging thrimm, casually flicking the sigil upon it which enabled the unique light bending device. The Sith warship was large, but the Weapon's Master who had designed the device had taken this into consideration. The field of invisibility was just large enough to encompass the warship in its entirety, re-routing around it the photons which would otherwise strike it, that none would hit and reflect in any direction. In essence, the ship acted like an extremely dense gravity well.

She informed the others of this action she had taken, then seated herself at the controls. Even as she did she could feel two sets of eyes boring into her, two sets filled with longing and itching to pilot, one of them being urged onward by a deeply rooted desire for revenge.

"Perhaps we should return to K'eel Doba if for no other purpose than to obtain another ship," she commented softly, trying to lighten the suddenly foreboding atmosphere. She turned in her seat, arrowing her gaze past the hovering Shayla and Galen and directly into Recinis's eyes once again.

"Perhaps it would be to our advantage to have more than one ship, although I would only be able to make the one I was on at the time invisible. Galen however, has a belt--" She paused, her eyes flicking to her sister and then back again. "Perhaps having a tiny fleet might act to our advantage?"

Then she paused altogether and fell silent, her hand hovering over the sigil to send the ship on its way, waiting to lay in the final coordinates that it would know where it was going.

Which, contrarily, was really more than she could say for the lot of them at the moment.

With a deep breath he spoke, ending the sudden silence with cutting clearity. "let us go to K'eel doba... Search the surfice for a ship... The man... Flac had a ship, which assisted jharu and Terrin to follow after Galen... So it would be close to the temple... And indeed a multitude of ships would be helpful in our course of actions."

Soon the ship was in hyperspace and all was set in motion.

Gazing outward at the blurs of stars passing by them in the wonder of hyperspace...

Recinis brought himself from his quiet reviery to look at his son with a quiet little smile.
His eyes wandered slowly to find themselves upon a familiar looking sword... for the first time recinis realized his son had claimed a sword, smiling he nodded. "i see you have found a weapon my son... But remember, it is not the weapon that will win battles... it is the mind... Always remember to think before you strike... In anything in life, even aside from battle."

His son nodded slowly, and recinis watched as the boys gaze drifted to the sword to regard it questioningly before returning his gaze to his fathers.

Slowly recinis came to his feet and walked to sit beside jharmeen.
He smiled softly and wrapped her in a little hug.
holding on to her gently and just enjoying the time with her... Time which of late, with the training of thier son, and the recient events, had been kept to a minimum...

Leaning closer he whispered to her. "Time is growing so scarce, its hard to find some to enjoy the things which we try so valiantly to preserve..."

Reaching to his side he removed the sheathed sword from its place at his belt, before he sat down on the floor, the lights turning low at his silent command...

he set the sword down in front of him and gazed at it, attempting with all of his might to understand why it was he still had that weapon... a weapon which could quite easily kill... So easily another might die... And by his hand? could he stand such a thing?The answer is quite simple... While i can use the blade easily to kill... and such things i dont want to face, ever... It has proven to also be used in a way that can save... save the lives of those i wish to help...

His wide eyes turned away from the blade slowly, now taking in the sight of his hands...These two can be used in such a way... Ive seen it... Something has helped me... Just as my mother said it would that night... What is it thats inside me? I can feel it...its there... waiting...
waiting for danger... for a chance... But why? it...

his mind returned to reality with a sudden bolt as he felt an icy tear hit his hand, he blinked as he felt another hit it...If i have both these strengths... If i have the power to help... If that power was within me to help aunt galen... then...

Then why is terrin dead? why didnt it help him? why didnt it... Why didnt I have the strength to help... why?

his breath escaped him as he curled upon the floor, looking at his hands, for a moment, losing himself in the feelings of hopelessnes...

in a moment however, he stopped and sat upright, looking from himself, to the sword beside him, back and forth before he nodded.

I did not have the strength to help before... But i can learn...i WILL learn...
IM sorry uncle terrin... Im sorry that i was not able to help you... But i will honor your memory, by using my inability to help you... As a reminder to always be ready... always ready to learn... to help... Always ready to accept both victory, and failure with an open mind...

his hand moved akwardly to wipe a tear from his eyes. "thank you Uncle terrin..."

He stood then, taking up the sheathed weapon and placing it at his side with only a moments hesitation and turning away to return to the others.

he returned the the room just in time to see shayla sitting at the controls, bringing the ship from hyperspace, and then to land upon the surfice planet of k'eel doba, after a few sweeps to locate the ship he terrin had flown in...

jharu paused for a moment.

What about?

he ran quickly over to his mother and father, who were preparing to exit the ship.

"There was something else in the ship! something big and hairy! he stayed guard when we left... We need to tell him that flac isnt coming back!"

((OOC:Please continue onward in "Deep Are The Shadows " in the jedi praxeum/sith temple, Thank you))