After but a fraction of a second of total and somehow ominious silence, Jasyn turned to the medical team still surrounding him. “You can ah...go back,” he said awkwardly, breaking the silence. As they began to respond to this directive, he again turned to Flac, Galen, and Malf, motioning for them to follow. “Com’n, and we’ll get that something to eat,” he said, beginning to lead the way, quirking his brow in the general direction of the large furry creature. Then, “Red Level’s got the best of the best of everything, including quarters and food...and drinks,” he rambled on, as if trying to avoid any break in sound.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he came to a complete halt in the middle of one of the Hornett’s many corridors. “While we are at it, let’s get the Hell out of Sith space for now too. I don’t wanna come back here unless it’s with more ships...

...and more allies,” he added a touch darkly, pressing a button on his wrist-comm. “Hey Aaron, I vote we go to hyperspace now, and come back when we are more... prepared to deal with the situation. Just take us to Endor, we can regroup and make plans on the way there and once we get there as well,” he commented.

“Got it,” Aaron replied. “I’ll be in communication with you shortly—let me know if anything changes before then.”

With that the comm frequency died down, and Jasyn began leading the way once more to Red Level, only stopping to place orders in the Dining Hall, all the while happily noting that the Hornett’s engines were now singing the song of hyperspace travel. Then he took them all to a quiet and private lounge on that same level. Food now placed before them, Jasyn sat back with a nice mug of Whyrene’s Reserve and pursed his lips, considering. At length he spoke up. “Got any ideas on what we’re gonna do about the Sith?” he queried. “Now that they are here, after all the things that happened along the road to get them here, I think I’d rather they go back into history where they belong...”

“...might be time we called a favor or two...”

The sudden break in his practices as a statue ended into silence once more and all life left him.

Alright, what to do, the universe is in need, and all the hero's are gone... Sheesh, whatever happened to the day's of gallant smugglers like myself charging in to save the day?

Well buddy, you COULD take up the call... But are you capable of such a thing?

Hmmm... I donno, Maybe i could, maybe not... What to do what to do...

The sith... Have come back to life, after 4000 years... Now, if they could do it once, why couldnt they do it again? and wouldnt that just cause more pain?

And on top of that... "graysith" didnt seem all that bad...

"Ok, i dont mean to be the odd man out in this conversation, but taken out the sith wont do a thing, they've come back once, they can do it again obviously... Now, On top of that, i know people, maybe not perfect judge, but i know 'em none the less... that 'graysith' lady wasnt all that bad, i know you dont like her galen, but she wasnt as evil seeming as you could thing... And sure the sith guy was dark, and somewhat dangerious looking, but he also had a kind of gentle look to him... Ive seen that look before... My sister had that look Galen... The look that screams a promise of death to any that cross 'em, but a hope of not having to keep that promise...

Now, im not saying the sith belong here... And im not saying i dont agree that they could be the most evil bastards this side of the galaxy... And even more so, im not saying i side with them, or against you... But i think we should look at the facts...

Think about it, It was roan who killed darra... And dont anyone try to convince me otherwise, i saw it with my own eyes, ill never forget that moment in time... And that blame doesnt go anywhere but to him, he's the monster that did it..."

he took a deep breath, as his last sentance had caused his fist to clench tightly in memory...
"Now, i think we should take our time, and think this through... I think we should go after the source of this death... Roan..."

he then turned his gaze to galen, "as for why your sister would turn a one-eighty in personalities, if it could happen with me, it could happen with anyone... And if you dont know what im talking about, think back to the gungan city... "

A little tremor raced through me; my eyes grew even hotter, more vague, darker somehow. Jasyn was saying something; Flac replying in turn. The words of neither one registered in my ears, they were too full of the sounds of another day, another's voice. I really don't know how long I would have remained in the alternate state of reality I suddenly found myself in but for the fact that something on a deep and overlooked level briefly sat up and waggled a finger for attention.

Food Galen, it seemed to say. You need food, and rest, and time to clear your mind, and....

I reached a wooden hand out to a bowl of something hot and steaming and picked it up. It was hot, really hot. I didn't even notice. Hardly acknowledged the searing pain erupting upon the hand holding the bowl. I just sat there, bowl in hand, not even bothering to take up an eating utensil, waiting for...

For something.

For him to walk in that door again, like he did before, laughing and easy and in command and pushing away the obvious idiocies of what's her name, the lady with the green hair, can't quite remember....

The bowl continued to burn my hand. Pain more extensive than I ever knew it was possible to feel continued to burn, hot and dry, in my eyes.

I just sat there, stock-still, shaking like a leaf inside but not allowing one tremor to mar the utter immobility of my body. And at last I forced myself to whisper, the sound raking from my throat like the sere desert winds of Tatooine, the words waging a mighty battle with every former avowal and feeling and gut instinct I yet had operating in my body.

"As much as I yearn to, we can't attack the Sith. They're our only hope of bringing... them... back."

I paused a bit, still holding the bowl. On a nearly unconscious level it struck me that it wasn't as hot anymore... probably because my hand had risen to an equivalent temperature.

I didn't care. My eyes darkened to black oil.

"But after...."

I quieted then, still not really registering either Jasyn or Flac, now quite taken up with fantastic visions of revenge and retribution that ousted my former ones of Terrin, clearly displaying that dark portion of my own soul and what it promised to do if circumstances would ever allow it the freedom to do so.

He frowned, glancing over to Flac then with concern. And it was then that her few brief words finally registered in his brain, a sudden and very bright lightbulb turning on somewhere in there.

The only ones who could bring them back...

But did the Sith see enough value in Terrin or Darra’s lives to bring either of them back? Darra, at the very least should be important enough, with her powers...

...wonder how Roan managed to get around those powers to kill her as he did...?

Kriffing hell, the Sith sure thought that they were important enough to be brought back. Why then wasn't one of their allies and the only human with that power of theirs important enough?

Jasyn’s frown darkened for a split second, his need for revenge...or at least his need to do something...almost burning a hole in his psyche. An idea was starting to come to mind, however. “Graysith was sure emphatic that her blood oath was with Terrin and Terrin only,” he commented, not sure if anyone else was following him. He continued on. “Guess she doesn’t see that much importance in the fact that his blood oath gave her a lot of allies which she might need considering how the Universe will probably react to 10 billion Sith suddenly returning to life...

...at the command of Roan...”

He paused at that, biting his lower lip in thought.

Maybe...

Finally Jasyn glanced over once more to Galen, whose hand was looking pretty red from holding that soup bowl. He reached out and took it in his, hoping to draw her attention, all the while looking at the burns with concern. Then, “Hey, let’s get you to the medcenter and get that treated,” he said. “Then I’ll go have a little talk with Aaron and Matt while you get some rest. It’s a good bet Graysith and her cronies are going to be in a dogfight with Roan, and probably then with the Empire as well. I wonder what price they are willing to pay for the alliance which they no longer have...

...for the alliance which they might not even be ready to realize they need.”

He let a slight wind escape from his lips and his head gave a gentle shake, "i donno... It all seems kind of strange... Almost out of place really... This 'power' i keep hearing about... Well, if they are so freaken powerful, how did they die in the first place? maybe this is just some plot to take over the universe..."

"the sith were a complex, and amazing people... ive found such startling information on them... while subtle, it all hints at the possibility, that the sith were not as simple minded, and blood thirsty as the legends depict..."

Ya ya... I remember... You didnt think they were all that bad did'ja? But if he didnt, then how come his daughter holds the complete oposite view of them?

Well DUH, after what Galen's been through, can you blame her? Hmm... So what can we do...

suddenly he blerted out, "you know, we could really use your dad right about now galen..."

Though he had spoken, he didnt realize his thoughts had trailed into words, and there for did not realize when they once again trailed into thought.

What can we do? Lesse... Darra... You were such a cute little kid... I dont want to believe her dead... But... I saw you die... I saw it all... How can i pretend you arent? how can i pretend there is even the slightest chance your alive still? No... Roan assurred the universe that you would never have the chance to grow into the great kid you were destined to be...

he sighed once more, and took a sip of the water at his side. "you know... These sith are a strange lot..." he paused for a moment letting his thoughts run through his head
I dont know much about you, but in your absence, lets go learn about the sith!
he then continued in the time it takes to bat an eye lash.

"... I dont know about you guy's, but i think we gotta go learn about them... And even if they are as bad as most think, well, better then staying cramped up in this ship..."

He then stood and turned to face the two, "I donno what im thinking, but im going back after tonight... if ya wanna come with me, id enjoy the company, but ah... Well, i dont wanna force anything dangerious on you two..."

then he simply turned and left, finding his way to a place were he could catch a few hours of shut eye.

“We’ll get that hand taken care of,” he reiterated, not knowing what else to say. With nothing other than that, then, he walked a still-distant Galen to the medcenter for treatment, then took her to some quarters for the night, carefully avoiding the possibly more “memory-provoking” areas of Red Level.

Was always Terrin’s favorite level, where he opted to keep his own quarters, rather than closer to the command deck...

Jasyn shied away from that thought. “If you need anything, give me a comm,” he said, then, “If not, tomorrow then. If Flac intends on going to Khar Delba, then well I think I just might join him. Depending on what Aaron and Matt say tonight, EE just might have a proposition to make with them...”

With that he then began to turn to go. But a little thought wormed its way upward for attention and he halted mid-move, turning once more to Galen. “You know Graysith and the others always thought that Roan would want the children that would bring back the Sith to be somewhat docile so that he could control them more easily; with that in mind I can’t help but wonder if the same thing happened with little Darra. I mean, is he so self-assured that he would genetically enhance the real Darra and believe that she would fall to his will? Her inherent powers against him were, after all, very strong. At least, they were on Khar Delba.”

He paused then, sighing. “I guess...a part of me just wishes that he killed a genetically-modified clone of Darra...

...and that she was still somewhere out there.”

Which was followed by even darker gloom, that even deeper black which follows such an electrc bolt... only this time it was thoroughly laced with anger. I blinked, and rounded on him like a last-ditch effort by a mother boetay to defend a cub long-fallen.

"How dare you!" I seethed, actually taking a step or two toward him, my trembling hands fisting at my sides. "How dare you make this suggestion, how dare you offer such false hope!

"I've had clones made; don't you think I wouldn't know a clone from my own daughter? I'm her mother!"

I choked to a halt then, the words sticking in my throat as the fires of hell began to suddenly burn in my eyes. I merely gritted my teeth and put up with that furnace-like heat, refusing to raise a fisted hand for fear it might not make it to my eyes but might end up in Jasyn's instead.

For a long moment I simply stared at him -- through him, remembering.

"And in case you've forgotten, he didn't use her to bring his people back. He never planned to. He-- he just... used her instead, a d-damned decoy...!"

Now a veritable volcano was threatening to erupt within me as the dry heat from my eyes rushed down into a tightly explosive ball in my chest. Everything suddenly reduced to a very narrow but infinitely long tunnel, with nothing but blackness at its other end.

I stood where I was, swaying, my nails sinking into my palms. Then before I lost it completely, I whirled, stomped into the room provided me, and headed to the bed. The door was sliding closed in response to my somewhat nongentle request of it; I think I might have cracked the wall around the control button. But that was the least of my cares at the moment.

Dammit, Jasyn, you shoulda kept your mouth shut. God, she should have punched you, you idiot. Like she wouldn’t know her own kid from a clone...

He considered approaching her and apologizing, but at this point Jasyn figured he’d screwed up so bad he should give her some space and let her get some rest. He hadn’t meant to upset her...

...Weren’t thinking, were you, pal?

Mentally kicking himself, he finally departed, heading for Aaron’s office to have a little chat. Hopefully that would go better than what he’d managed to do so far since his return to the Hornett. He sighed, finally reaching Aaron’s office. Aaron glanced up from his desk, his look reading So how is everything going?

Jasyn managed to keep the wince in response to that look down to a bare minimum. “We need to talk,” he then said simply. “I think there still may be a way to save Terrin and little Darra even now, but it might require that we play a little hardball. Just hear me out...

Finally he managed words. “Bring them back...from the dead?” he repeated.

“Look pal,” Jasyn insisted, “Stranger things have happened since this whole Sith ordeal. Kriffing hell, the Sith, 10 billion of them, are alive again.”

Aaron frowned. “I don’t like this Jasyn. Terrin tied us to the Sith, and I know he did it with good intentions, but I was never really...”

Before Aaron could finish his sentence, Jasyn slammed his fist down on the desk. “This has more to do with what we like and what we don’t, dammit! This is about taking a chance, for a friend. I’m not anymore thrilled with the Sith than you are. But the fact remains that this is our only chance... their only chance.”

Aaron sighed at last. He understood Jasyn’s desire to bring Terrin back...who wouldn’t? But this thing with the Sith...

...Aaron just didn’t know.

“I can see you are going to have it no other way,” Aaron said, looking up to Jasyn, who now had his arms folded. “And I suppose I’d rather be on the ‘good Sith’ side if this Roan comes around to take over the universe rather than floating out here all alone; gods know I’d rather be blasted into oblivion than deal with the Empire.”

He paused at that, sighing once more. “You have my permission to go to Khar Delba and talk with the Sith. You can go back with that Flac fellow, but I suggest you take a ship of ours, just in case. And please be careful. We’ve already lost Terrin...I’d hate to lose you too...”

Jasyn merely sighed, his gaze now shifting to yet another ship, one very polished and very classy Lambda-class shuttle...

...one shuttle now minus its original owner.

He bit his lip at the thought, anger and pain now rising within him at the very thought of the things which had happened all-too-recently and all-too-clearly. Jasyn was fully prepared to do something to reverse those events, unwilling to back down and give up despite the impossibility of the situation.

Jerking himself back to reality, Jasyn gave the Eagle one final appraising glance before he moved any further, a sort of unspoken promise somewhere in the depths of his brown eyes. Then, turning on his heel, Jasyn departed the main hanger bay altogether and headed for Red Level towards the quarters he had left Galen to only a few brief hours before.

He didn’t know if she was going to forgive him or not for his thoughtlessness the evening before, but he sure as hell could use a good pilot...

He ate the entire unit, until one jar was left... with one small sweet stuck to the bottom, Malf's enormous hand too big to reach down far enough to snatch it, he instinctively dove snout-first into the jar...

A thing happened next, that even he did not expect... he was stuck himself... he tried, and tried but he could not set himself free... he gave out a few yelps, but they were quieted by the thickness of the jar...

Being known for having a nose for food, he used it to find anything 'familiar'...

Even through this jar, he was able to find a scent that somehow made him feel safe again...

He came to a door, Galen's, and politely knocked...

Jar and all...

Then there came a knock at my door.

I leapt to my feet like an animal, and flew to the door, expecting Jasyn. My mouth was open with a retort, my hand ready to embellish whatever that retort would have been...

...only both died at the completely unexpected guest I found standing there, and his more than unexpected predicament.

"M-malf..." I began in a whisper, shaking my head without conscious knowledge as my hand slowly sank to my side. The other gripped the door frame; if it had not, I would have fallen to the deck in a heap.

My jaw worked; I couldn't move. I just stood there, blinking.

"Malf," I said again, for some reason, in case he hadn't heard, I hadn't a clue at that point. He stared up at me guilelessly over the rim of the jar stuck on his muzzle. One immense hairy paw waved helplessly.

"Mmmm," I said, gasping as a great blast of air flung from my lips. I drew in a breath; it flung out again. Again. Faster and faster, over and over, just like the scenes on the ceiling which wouldn't end, onward they came forth from me, great heaving bellows of laughter at the sight of the giant with a jar stuck on his face.

And when they segued into tears of bottled pain and grief, when those bursts of awful, terrible laughter transformed into heaving sobs, I really couldn't say.

Not in search for anything, but to find Galen...

The jar limiting his range of motion along with his above average height, he literally couldn't see her...

Kneeling now, he pawed the floor in search of her limp body...

He found it, and scooped her up into his carpet of fur he called a body...

Realizing she was upside-down in his grasp, Malf delicately turned her right-side-up...

Now hugging her, he held her closer than ever...

He then did the only thing he could think of...

He left the room, in search of the only thing that he thought would ever cheer her up... the only thing he knew that would cheer him up...

food...

The Otana's Rival, once again in real space, began displaying an emergency beacon... a beacon set to EE's frequency, along with the normal distress signal...

Eagle Enterprises, known to take on many ships in need of repairs in the past, was the perfect target...

Cartina was able to create a fictitious life support system failure, she waited for the Hornett to answer her call for help...

...and she was literally bawling. Jasyn’s own features shifted from that first hint of bemusement at Malf’s situation to one of concern. Malf looked at Jasyn a bit desperately, not seeming to know exactly what to do.

Jasyn was at a momentary loss for words himself, but recovered. “Follow me,” he said quietly, then leading the furball to his own quarters, his mind set on something that he hoped could give them all some sort of relief for the anxiety that seemed to be looming about them all. Once inside those quarters, he motioned for Malf to set the still-sobbing Galen down on the couch. He worked his jaw a bit, surprised to find himself fighting with his own rarely revealed emotions. He attempted to cover for this by heading for his own stash of Whyrene’s Reserve, taking a moment to pry the jar lose from Malf’s muzzle then pouring two mugs of the stuff and setting one before Galen, taking one for himself as he sat across from her. He worked his jaw once more, reaching out to place a hand on each of her shoulders, his brown eyes probably more serious than she’d ever seen them. They flitted with a hint of saddness.

“I’m gonna go to Khar Delba to talk with Graysith and that Sith Sorceror,” he said quietly. “If there is any way to bring them back...” he said then trailing, some sort of unspoken promise passing between them as he looked across into her watery brown eyes, suddenly at a total loss for words.

Finally, however, the tears began to staunch. I became gradually aware of the fact that while I was still in quarters, they were not my own. Affirmation of just whose quarters they were hit me when I finally focused a watery gaze on a pair of brown eyes in turn focused right in front of me. They belonged to Jasyn; further casting out and I found Malf hovering anxiously over his shoulder.

I found myself in the somewhat strange position of huddling on a couch, with Jasyn holding my shoulders. He was saying something about the Sith.

I sniffled, and swiped my eyes with my sleeve. Realized there was a mug of something probably very strong sitting there in front of me; it said a good deal about Malf's concern at that moment for the fact that he hadn't swiped it for himself as yet. I let forth another reflexive shudder, and took the mug in my hands. The fire it contained helped wash the last dregs of shadow from my being; I was still heartbroken, still grieving, and very, very empty inside.

But now a least my mind was finally given a bit more freedom to sit up and start running things again. It promptly did so by letting me remember in a more logical manner just what and who we were up against.

Another shudder racked me.

"I- I don't know if I can face those Sith again," I finally gulped, taking another swig of the potent drink. Grimacing then, I set the mug back on the table. "Everytime we cross paths with them...."

I trailed off, not wanting to pry into the still-fresh wounds for fear they would rip me apart again. I just pulled my legs up onto the couch and wrapped my arms around them. Laying my cheek against my knees I dribbled off into silence, my eyes still painful holes in my head, and quite simply wondered what the hell I was going to do with the rest of my life now that a great deal of its meaning had entirely disappeared.

Aaron frowned, for he also clearly remembered that the person to whom he had been selling Otana’s Rival had been seeking a connection with Terrin and Galen. At the time Aaron had believed Galen was dead, and had stated as much to this stranger...

...so it was more than suspicious this ship had popped up yet again, now that Galen had returned to the Hornett and Terrin was...

The look in Aaron’s eyes turned even more vague at that particular thought. Then he considered what to do. Although he didn’t trust whomever was piloting the vessel, he couldn’t just leave them stranded if indeed they were in trouble. Still, by the time the Hornett reached them they’d already be dead if they were truly experiencing a manulfuncition, and aside from that the Hornett was rarely dispatched for rescue operations.

If the Otana’s Rival was truly in trouble, the most logical thing to do would be to land at the closest outpost possible. So Aaron sent off coordinates to a planet close to where the Rival reported itself being along a scrambling frequency. If the pilot was wise and was telling the truth...

...they’d land. But Aaron wasn’t about to lead them to the Hornett if that bounty hunter...or whomever they were...was just setting up another trap. They’d had enough trauma and despair as of late...

Turning from that particular distress call then, Aaron flipping through messages once more, and his brow shot up yet again.

Shayla Petrolu Kartan, wanting to know if Galen was on the Hornett, stating that she had something very important to communicate to her.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He didn’t know where Galen was at the moment, but he could reach Jasyn. So he dialed in that particular personal comm frequency, then said, “Jasyn, Shayla Kartan just commed me saying she is trying to locate Galen and has very important news. I haven’t commed her back, but you might want to let Galen know about this...

...I haven’t the slightest what Ms. Kartan is up to...”

He trailed a moment then, frowning. But they sure as hell have dealt a swift blow a time or two, haven’t they buddy...? There was Terrin’s arm, back on the Devil-May-Care...

...but that was Roan’s little demonic pet.

There was the rape on Sullust...

...but THAT was Roan himself.

“You know, truthfully it has always been Roan, and not the other Sith or your sister, who have attacked us in the past.”

He sighed. “We just have to try.”

Then falling silent once more, Jasyn took yet another drink from his mug of Whyrene’s Reserve. But it was that moment his comm went off, and Aaron’s message came through clearly. “Jasyn, Shayla Kartan just commed me saying she is trying to locate Galen and has very important news. I haven’t commed her back, but you might want to let Galen know about this...

...I haven’t the slightest what Ms. Kartan is up to...”

Jasyn frowned behind his mug of Whyrene’s Reserve. Shayla Kartan?

But then, here lied an opportunity...

But I was capable of feeling; Roon's Treasure, but that was all I had about now.

I sighed, and rose to my feet. I didn't know where I was going, I just had a great need to move. So I let my feet carry me aimlessly around the room, mimicking my thoughts, until those feelings that had erupted the moment Jasyn started in with all this talk of the Sith simply took over me completely.

I paused and turned to him.

"You know," I said quietly, not a lick of expression on my face to reflect the roaring emotions cascading around inside of me. "If I ever see a Sith again in my entire life, it's going to be damned too soon.

"I-- I don't know what I was thinking of before; it was crazy. Plain crazy. But I do know one thing: I don't want anything to do with the Sith... or anyone involved with them."

I paused a moment, then went on.

"They took my father. They took my husband. They took my child. I'm done with them before they take my life, and that of anyone else around me.

"No more.

"No more."

With that I just walked out of the quarters, heading on an aimless path down corridor after corridor of the immense ship, letting my feet just carry me anywhere they desired.

I just didn't care anymore.

Blindly I went along, down corridor after corridor, past recreation facilities and mess halls and crew's quarters and I don't know what. On and on; it seemed I wandered without seeing for miles and miles and miles...

...until I came to a sudden stop, my attention grasped by sheer recognition. I was in the main docking bay; there before me, a beautiful little lambda-class fighter.

The Officer on Deck came marching over, beginning to demand the reason I was there, but stopped at the look on my face. I guess. Either that or he recognized me. I simply waved him away as I'd wave off a gleeberfly, and continued toward that lambda.

"I'm going for a spin!" I said tersely, finishing with, "and I'm Galen Danner, in case you wondered."

Apparently he hadn't wondered, or else he had recognized me, as well as knew that I was able to pilot my way around space more than just a bit. He backed off, going to a comm to holler something to someone. I didn't care who or what; I wasn't listening. I was merely reacting to sheer animal need, and that was to just go somewhere far away from the hurt.

So I clambered aboard the lambda, fired her up and let her just up and take off. It would be up to the men of Hornett to see that the bay doors opened in time so I wouldn't splash myself all over them... they did, I suppose, for the next thing I knew I was surrounded by the flat-out beauty of space.

Look buddy, something in his head pointed out, You’re in an SSD, they’re in a measly cargo ship. You have the upper hand, should this prove to be something fishy...

Aaron then reached out to comm navigation and tell them to follow the distress signal...

...when an urgent comm popped through, stating that Galen Danner had just taken off with the Eagle.

Aaron frowned worriedly, then punched in Jasyn’s comm frequency once more. “Jasyn get up here to my office. I need you.”

Then he waited for a reply, his hand hovering over the button to comm navigation, waiting for confirmation that his employee was indeed on his way. Aaron didn’t know what, but one thing was certain. If that bounty hunter he’d encountered during his trip to Ord Mantell was trying to make contact with them yet again, something was coming down the spacelanes yet again...

...and he didn’t know if any of them were ready for it.

He almost nearly fell out of his seat when Aaron informed him that Galen was gone with the Eagle. He wondered where she was going, but then had a suspicion she might not even know herself. He'd give her a comm very shortly, after all he knew the frequency to that little Lambdy rather well, and he wanted to make sure she was safe...

At that he pursed his lips thoughtfully, casting a gaze to the big furball that was Malf, then spoke into the comm. “I have a better idea,” Jasyn said, hoping he wasn’t coming off as too insubordinate. “Give me Shayla Kartan’s comm frequency. I’ll talk to her.”

With that he waited as Aaron seemed to hesitate for but a moment. Then, “Allright then. I’ll hold here until you comm me back and let me know what she wants, but make it fast. I have a distress call to tend to, and it’s gonna take the Hornett.”

Jasyn nodded as though he could be seen. “Gotcha boss.”

With that Aaron exchanged the comm frequency for Shayla with Jasyn, switching out so that he could make the comm. Jasyn hesitated for the briefest of moments, not able to entirely avoid being a bit suspicious, then simply dialed the frequency.

“Ms. Kartan, this is Jasyn Lancaster,” he said. “Galen’s not here...”....well, it wasn’t a lie...

“...but I was hoping to get in contact with you myself. There’s something very important I’d like to discuss with you...”

In hyperspace...

Shayla's brow shot up in surprise both at the voice which now crackled across the comm frequency and at the words themselves. Clearly she could read some shiftiness on Jasyn's part; she suspected he knew more about Galen's whereabouts than he was going to admit. But she wasn't going to push it-- maybe what she had to say would be enough to get him to be more open.

"Look, Jasyn," Shayla finally said, "We have reason to believe that the JhinDarra we found dead on Sullust was a clone, and that the real JhinDarra is but a babe still, and is currently being held on Kamino. If you know where Galen is, now's the time to start speaking up. I have intentions to be of any assistance possible in returning her little girl to her, but that means first and foremost getting in contact with her. So I'll ask you again, Mr. Lancaster. Do you know where Galen is?"

...and hope...

...was trying to shine through the otherwise dark cloud that trailed above his head. "I really can't tell you where Galen is, Shayla," he said frankly. "I can however let her know what's going down...

...but she won't believe it. Not just by word of mouth. If what you say is true, it's going to take finding JhinDarra and physically bringing her to Galen, I believe."

A moment of silence. Then, "Very well, Mr. Lancaster. And what were your intentions for replying to my comm?" she then queried.

Jasyn didn't mince words. "Because I've made a promise to see JhinDarra safely returned to Galen...

...and I've made a promise to do everything possible to bring Terrin back. You know the Sith can do it, Ms. Kartan, you know because there are 10 billion of them sitting on Khar Delba and K'eel Doba right now, 10 billion of them who should be back 4,000 years ago and very dead."

He fell silent for a moment, then. "Surely that Sorceror fellow can bring Terrin back; he's certainly able to do everything else. I'm willing to make a deal to help the Sith via Eagle Enterprises allies...

...but only in exchange for getting my boss back. Got that?"

She hesitated for a moment, "...and I couldn't make you any promises even if things were as they once were. Lord Aelevedaar isn't prone to using the All for the good of one person..."

...unless perhaps if it is for the good of himself...? an insidious voice whispered...

"...and it isn't as simple to bring someone back as you might think."

She paused yet again, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "If you insist that you want this, however, the best I can do is have you redevous with me; currently Graysith is not with us, nor are we are on Khar Delba any longer. I considered going directly to Kamino to ascertain the truth of the claims that JhinDarra is alive, but I think we need more clout than what I have to seek out the truth, even with the connections I might have. I'm going to have to go to Coruscant and see if I can talk to the Hunter Tarnus. He didn't like me much, but if he cares anything about his child, he'll at least look into it, and aside from that there are other issues at hand which I must discuss with him due to some recent events.

"You can choose to rendevous with me now or wait til I have more information concerning JhinDarra, Mr. Lancaster...

...either way, you're gonna have to take it on your own as far as Terrin is concerned. I just can't make you any promises at the moment..."

...and with Terrin, no less.

His frown darkened a bit more. He opened his mouth to turn down the offer for a rendevous...

...then closed it as the other words Shayla had spoken to him clicked.

Things appear to have changed very drastically from what they were before. I can't make you any promises concerning Terrin...and I couldn't make you any promises even if things were as they once were. Lord Aelevedaar isn't prone to using the All for the good of one person..."

Something about those words suddenly sent a shiver of suspicion up and down Jasyn's spine, cause it sure as kriffing Hell sounded like former alliances were again in question. Jasyn didn't like the sounds of it, and he didn't like being in the dark. And one thing was for damn certain: he didn't like the idea of Shayla Stargazer, the Adept of Graysith, going after little JhinDarra if in fact something wasn’t quite right. After all, how else could he be certain she would give JhinDarra back to Galen if she did find her? Aelvedaar didn’t want JhinDarra away from the protection of Prinn’chatka back in the day...

...so who was to say that now he wouldn’t want her released yet again with the way Roan had up and snatched her from Galen? The last thing Galen needed right now was for some Sith to decide to dictate the life of her child. Jasyn would have to make sure JhinDarra was returned to her, even if he couldn’t get the Sith to bring Terrin back.

Finally he sighed, answering Shayla. “Allright,” Jasyn commented, “Give me the coordinates and I’ll be there as soon as possible...

...but don’t count on me going down to Coruscant with you; it’s not in my best interests.”

In but a moment those requested coordinates were transferred to him. He stared down at them blankly, then keyed in another much more familiar comm frequency: the one for the Eagle. “Galen, if you are there, I wanted you to know that Shayla Kartan is making claims that your daughter is alive on Kamino and yet a baby. I don’t expect you to believe it; hell, I don’t think I believe it myself. But I’m going to rendevous with her and check out the truth of her claims no less. If it’s a trap, so be, it but at least this way you’ll be safe if it is. Contact me on my personal comm if you want to talk or if you want the rendevous coordinates yourself; currently Ms. Kartan hasn’t any idea that I know anything about your whereabouts and I’ll keep it that way til you say differently. I said it once and I’ll say it again; if there is any way to bring Terrin and Darra back to you, I’ll take the chance.”

With that he fell silent, not knowing if he would recieve a reply or not. Then as an afterthought he briefly commed Aaron and let him know the situation, requesting to use the Raptor. After receiving clearance to do just that and make it speedy, Jasyn stood, took his personal comm, and headed for the main hanger bay, all the while yet waiting to see if Galen would in fact respond...

...then suddenly stopping to turn and glance at the huge walking carpet behind him. "So furball," he said then, still keenly attuned to any replies coming from his comm, "You wanna go for a ride?"

Rule number one: A good bounty hunter is resourceful...

Cartina's instinct was correct, after months of intercepting transmissions from EE, it has finally paid off...

The Otana's Rival's engines were brought to life, as she slipped away into hyperspace...

And, fruit is food...

When Jasyn turned, asking Malf to join him, he had already finish off 3/4's of the bottle...

Not sure what to do... Malf took the bottle away from his horizontal face, the Whyrene’s Reserve dripping down his now discolored beard, placed it on the table, and faced Jasyn...

Malf nodded, slightly raising his shoulders... as if to say, why not...

With that he headed out of his quarters, momentarily reaching down to make sure he had a blaster securely fastened in his weapons belt as well as his personal comm should anyone try to contact him while in transit. After doing so he merely continued through the winding corridors of the massive SSD, very worried that Galen wasn't replying despite the fact he suspected she wouldn't. At length he finally reached the Raptor in the main hanger bay, however: yet another pristine and well-kept Lambda-class shuttle, this one belonging to Aaron.

But now it was on loan to him. Motioning Malf on in, and smiling another smile of amusement as the large furball had to literally duck to get inside, he headed for the controls of the ship and warmed her up, scowling and muttering to himself as he did so.

"I always hated space travel and flying," he mumbled, requesting clearance and then not-so-gracefully bringing the ship out of the docking bay all together. In that moment he keyed in the coordinates which Shayla had given him...

...and in but an instant the Lamby glided gracefully into hyperspace.

I scowled.

First Jasyn starts intimating my daughter was a clone. I pursed my lips at the improbability of that. Why on earth would that-- that demon clone her only to kill her?

And now he's suddenly listening to that what's-her-name; Shayla... the one hanging around Her, some kind of apprentice or something. Claims JhinDarra is alive... Hell's Seven Circles, no.

Trap. It has to be. They want us back, they can't afford that we get away with what we know about them, they know that's the best bait to get us to come back, to entice me to come back....

I shifted into a less comfortless position and sniffed, my gaze turning stony. At length I came to a decision.

I was done. I didn't care if I owned that SSD or not... let them keep it, let them operate it. I had "Eagle" now, which gave me freedom to run. Which, I realized with a start, at this point was all I ever wanted anyway: to run away from the hurt.

Kinda like I had been doing for three years. Running. Running toward something in anger... and now coming full circle to run away in pain.

I pulled back the hand which had been hovering over the comm, ready to open channels and reply to Jasyn, and cradled it to my chest. Then I turned a stony gaze to the siren starstreaks outside and simply let the little ship continue along its present trajectory through them.

((OOC: Follow Galen to Thus Far The Miles Are Measured in the "CSWU" forums, thank you.))

...and of uncertainty of where she was going to go from here.

Finally she forced herself to focus on reality, and turned to look back at her still-sleeping husband and the crumpled form of Loban Kenobi. Seeing him there, his blue eyes strangely innocent, cued Shayla to pay closer attention.

You thought he might be acting out of that evil which had been placed within him before events occurred which affected your son, if only briefly. So why the change? He seems harmless now...

Sighing at this realization, Shayla turned from the navboard to once more kneel beside Loban. Hesitating for a moment or two, she finally reached out a healing hand, drawing the powers of the Force to soothe Loban's wounds. As she did so, her mind returned to thought once more, still uncertain if he had responded with such evil to her simply because he was angry and had snapped, or whether it was because of the evil that had been wrongly yet purposefully placed within him...

...evil placed there by Tyberius?

Shayla froze as the name flashed across her mind's eye.

Tyberius: One who clearly did NOT want the Sith civilization to return, who had advised that ShaRhylla be destroyed...

...so whose side was he on? Who was leading the Sith in the future from which he had come...Roan...or Aelvedaar?

Was he friend, or foe?

Shayla knew that she had to find out, for perhaps Tyberius had been judged by them all as a foe when he was truly trying to stop something dire from occurring.

Groggy, he could scarcely make out Shayla, she was asking him something...

He shook his head to knock some sense back into his being...

He could move...

He now focused on what she asked him... something about contacting Tyberius...

His eyes squinted in bemusement, WHY did she want to know that??

He wasn't quite sure about anything at the moment, Lo-Ban decided to trust...

He opened his mouth, and a very dry voice told Shayla that he could probably find a frequency he'd be listening to...

He asked for access to the comm, and a little help up to the nav board...

"You give me the frequencies, and I'll key them in," she said then, her expression completely unreadable. "You may tell Master Tyberius that Shayla Stargazer Kartan seeks an audience with him concerning the rebirth of the Sith."

He gave such to Shayla, and she keyed it in..

Lo-Ban relayed Shayla's message through the speaker...

They waited for reply...

...one coming from the Otana’s Rival, a ship that had been stolen from him by someone looking for Terrin or Galen Danner...

suddenly up and completely disappeared. There could be several explanations for this...

...perhaps the pilot had lost comm control or had been rescued by someone else...

...or worse...

...but then all this was so conveniently occurring right as Jasyn and Galen both left the Hornett.

Aaron frowned, then reached out for his comm unit. Couldn’t hurt to at least send a couple of warnings out along secured frequencies, one to the Eagle, and one to the Raptor...

The message was simple: There was possibly someone out there, some bounty hunter who had approached him looking for Terrin or Galen, whose stolen ship had suddenly sent a distress signal out...

...a distress signal which, after the departure of one said Galen Danner, had strangely disappeared...

"M'lord, we've intercepted a transition from one Lo-Ban Kenobi..., on behalf of one Shayla Petrolu..."

Tyberius was delighted, to say the least, that she sought he out...

But was it wise to put off speaking with Tyberius when he seemed to be openly accepting her request to talk? Or was it more important that she keep her promises and stay in good graces with those in the galaxy whom she somehow knew were literally walking the fence concerning the Sith and anyone associated with them?

The bleeping of the proximity indicator of her Sith warship answered that question for her. They were too close now to back out; Tyberius would have to accept waiting while she kept her word to Mr. Lancaster. Besides, Shayla somehow suspected that Tyberius’s willingness to wait or not might give her a clue as to whose side he was in fact going to take.

She turned to the comm then, not bothering to mediate through Loban Kenobi any longer. This was going to come straight from the ronto’s mouth. “You may meet me at Chandrila in 96 standard hours. I will be in Hanna City in a local cantina known as the Blue Asteroid.”

"As you wish..." was all the message construed of...

Ahhhh yes. The Temple at Khar Delba, and Loban Kenobi. He had come into the room, his eyes ablaze with hate and anger, and had eventually ended up slamming Erik against the wall, all the while threatening death to both he and Shayla...

...but then the next thing he'd known Shayla was by his side, helping him to the warship, taking care of his injuries...

...and Loban...

Suddenly consciousness and clarity of mind came in a flash. In that instant Erik's eyes flew open, and he sat bolt upright, much to the surprise of the two parties sitting at the navboard. Shayla whirled to come to his side immediately, concern in her eyes. She knelt beside him and placed a hand on his knee, but his brown eyes riveted to the young man sitting at the navboard even still.

Loban Kenobi.

He managed to keep the instinct to outright punch the guy from winning over. He turned to Shayla, an inquisitive and concerned look in his eye. "Why is he here again? And..." he paused then, finally truly realizing that they were traveling, "...where are we going, and why?"

She paused, her eyes defocusing, "Apparently things with the Sith are not as we were told," she explained. "The true intentions of Lord Aelvedaar are in question, and I am greatly troubled that Lord Recinis did nothing when Graysith disappeared from our party..."

She raised a hand to stop the question she knew was forthcoming. "Graysith returned from her meeting with Lord Roan safely. But she went away from us again, and said she did not know if she would return..."

Once again Shayla paused, her eyes now clouding with tears despite any effort she might have made to stop them. "We may need Sorben Tarnus's help, if he is willing to give it. Aelvedaar is very wise and very powerful...

...even if he is involved in something dark and very questionable."

Shayla halted at this, frowning as something else slammed home to her.

How strange was it that Loban arrived at that very moment when she was DEMANDING that someone do SOMETHING to help Graysith? How very well timed and planned was that? For indeed, had Loban succeeded in killing her, the blame would have been placed directly on him...

...but was he simply a pawn, troubled by an evil planted within him to use at a very precise moment?

The implications of this were indeed very disturbing to Shayla. But before she could she could speak a word of this, the starlines which were the signs of hyperspace began to fade into stars...

(((OCC: Follow Shayla, Erik, and Loban to Return to Tomorrow in the Empire and New Republic forum. Thank you.)))