Admiral Actar Arrives above Khar Delba. He goes to the bridge of the command ship and says, "General, ready my shuttle, and two of your best men. Have them in common clothing, no uniforms. I'm leaving in 20 minutes." He turns and leaves.
20 Minutes Later......
Admiral Actar and two of troopers land on Khar Delba.

*NOW SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!!* Please....

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Anakin
[monger=ff0000,ffffff]Holonet Jedi Master[/monger]
Forum Administrator

"Mantis." She suddenly needed to be aboard that beautiful ship, surrounded by her newfound companions, the warm memories of her sire Aelvedaar encompassing her there, her faithful tuk'ata's great, sleek head butting tenderly against her side.

She suddenly found she did not have the strength to return, or even to call. The confrontation with Wicked had drained her more deeply than she had realized; she desperately needed somewhere to sit quietly, to focus and calm her energies and her strength as Aelvedaar had taught her, to gather the surrounding SpaceTime about her like a comforting blanket and lose herself in its folds.

But, she discovered, she could not do so while remaining in the Temple. The shadows there only mocked her loss with their empty eyes, the cold hallways and stone floors mimicked the coldness she had found in Lord Wicked's silence, and that corresponding which was slowly beginning to grow in her heart. Unthinking, seeking solace, she fled out of that great building altogether, trying to find the quietude she needed in the surrounding jungle.

Not to be. She had barely exited that great fortress when she was stopped abruptly in her tracks. A strangely uneasy sensation reached out from the foliage beyond, one hauntingly familiar, which fell over her like yet another lengthening shadow.

Sith. It is Sith. It--HE is here again! she thought. And if I can sense him, then he surely can sense me....

No sooner had that thought coalesced in her mind than the rustle of greenery underfoot heralded the arrival of three men. Two in the clothing of commoners: vest, breeches, tall boots, wide leather belts, blasters tightly hugging loosely moving hips. Though dressed in the manner of ordinary smugglers, or perhaps vagabonds, they wore their clothing with the aura of authority. There was an air about them that commanded instant respect, and promised dire results if that command was not instantly obeyed.

But it was the man who strode between and slightly ahead of the other two who so quickly and thoroughly captured her complete attention. If they commanded instantaneous respect, he was the epitome of it. Tall, unruly dark hair falling over his strong but pale forehead, his eyes a strange mixture of green and brown, he was dressed all in black. A long black trenchcoat hid whatever weaponry he might be carrying. He stopped when he spotted her, tensing slightly as if he were some feral beast ready to spring. One strong hand held back his two companions, who likewise tensed, going for their blasters.

For a long moment the four stood in absolute silence, staring at each other. Greeny-brown eyes stared silently into violet ones, their silence speaking volumes.

At last the Chosen Daughter spoke.

"Lord Wicked in in his Temple, if it is he who brings you to this place. Now you must excuse me, for I have business that needs be attended to."

She said no more, but stared steadily into the mysterious eyes of the black-garbed man, wondering if indeed he would sense as well who she was and what it was that she carried within her.

"Why do you wast your time here?" an old stern voice asked within her head."I am waiting for you Chosen Daughter of the Sith. Come and let us talk of a new possible age. I will be waiting for you."

There was a brief pause.

"..and so is your sister."

Graysiths body warmed again to it's normal body temperature. She instantly knew that the man who had just reached out to her was Desolist. She knew the exact location of Desolist temple within seconds as he parted from her mind. She must have shifted her posture ever so slightly as the men stood before her with questioning eyes.

They all remained looking at one another....

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Anakin
[monger=ff0000,ffffff]Holonet Jedi Master[/monger]
Forum Administrator

Every instinct within Graysith's body screamed at the unexpected events that had occurred within mere moments of each other. First she had stumbled upon the unknown Sith Lord she had sensed through M'wonBo'o's earlier reconnoitering of the Temple and it's grounds; now the very Dark Lord she had come to Khar Delba seeking information of had made himself known to her. She trembled with excitement; he had come to her!

Immediately upon the heels of this thought came an answering succinct question: why?

And now this "Admiral Actar," this unknown Sith, who still did not reveal himself willingly to her; now he was causing delay. Asking obvious questions. Didn't he know who she was, what she was? Could not he sense her as well as she could sense him? Perhaps he wasn't as strong as she needed. She had no time for this, perhaps she could overlook dealing with him for the moment.

Unlike Desolist, however. She daren't delay but a moment in answering his summons. Somehow, deep within the core of her being, she knew his next "invitation" would not be as polite. If indeed she received another. She had to get to him, that she knew as well as she knew her own heart.

It was the beginning of her destiny. Perhaps not only for her, but her sister as well...

Summoning all the hauteur she had at her command, she drew herself upright. Tossed her head, the act flinging back the hood to her cloak and revealing the flaming brilliance of her hair. Pinned Actar's greeny-brown eyes with an intense violet stare.

"Who I am is of no concern of yours, Admiral," she announced with an air of barely concealed disdain. "What is of concern is why you are trespassing here. If it is Lord Wicked you seek, then I suggest you get yourself to the Temple and seek him openly, before he decides you are some common thief and sets his minions upon you!

"Now, you really must excuse me. I have pressing business elsewhere that I really must deal with."

She waited no longer, but turned and brushed past the stunned admiral and his guards before they could react, dismissing them as she would a common insect buzzing about her face. If he were as strong as she earlier sensed, he would follow her. Otherwise... he would not be of any use to her or to Aelvedaar.

The thought of her sire provoked a rush of adrenalin through her; a responding growing excitement kept her momentum high. She hurried along a circuitous route which she knew would take her back to the Temple, barely noticing the way before her. While her feet traveled the path as though they had eyes of their own, her thoughts were literally light years distant: Desolist had sought her out! Galen was with him.... How? And more importantly, why?

She shook her head, focusing herself once again. This news had to be gotten to Lady Chee. She knew she did not currently have the strength to send herself back to Mantis; she did however have the link with M'wonBo'o still established. One quick but concentrated mental burst sent this last bit of information winging it's way at the speed of thought itself; she smiled to herself as she received the great tuk'ata's answering mental cries of relief and happiness. Do not sorrow, my friend, she thought as she continued to hurry along. We shall be reunited soon enough. You must let the Lady Gouyen know where it is I go, and how I plan to get there. This was followed by a lengthy pictoral image-list, one so vivid that even the sentient beast would surely have no difficulty in passing the message along.

Sending her faithful blood-hunt companion a final, gentle touch, she severed the link. No time for softness now; now she had to keep her wits about her, if she was to succeed with the plans she had just sent to M'wonBo'o.

There: ahead of her now. Great looming stone shadows arose from the foliage, highlighted by a sleek image the color of blued steel. Still sitting quietly, unattended, it looked for all the world like some beautiful surreal creature of the night.

Lord Wicked's modified TIE Defender.

Though she had but laid eyes on one of these craft only one other time in her life, she suddenly knew to the very core of her being that she was fully capable of flying one. Knew how to set the navcomp with the coordinates of Ploatius, knew how to engage the hyperdrive to get there, knew when to stop and drop, breaking with all four ion engines.

Knew this was right, oh so very right... even as she also knew that Lord Wicked was fully aware of her impending thievery and would not lift a finger to stop her.

Refused to consider why he chose not to lift a finger against her....

Now she was actually within the shadow of the sleek little ship, scrambling upon it. Her hands went to the hatch release as if drawn there by magnets. Within moments she was inside, seating herself, firing up system after system, revving up the navcomp. She checked the weapons system with only half an eye; she would not be needing anything as crude as what this ship bore in the way of weaponry. Double checked life support. All was green.

Moments later the jungles of Khar Delba flared a brilliant incandescent white, as the ship took off from it's shadowy docking space. Another short moment later, it was gone, heading true on a course to the T'lyx system, a moon called Ploatius, and a rendezvous with yet another Dark Lord of the Sith.

When Actar got to his feet, he stood thinking:
What the hell was that. And who the hell was she. If I sensed her, then she must have sensed me. I wonder where she was going. She seemed like she was in a hurry. I feel almost like I should follow, like it's my destiny, but why didn't she say anything. Well, if she needs me, she knows who I am, and will find me.

And with that Admiral Actar walked slowly back to his ship and rejoined with his fleet. When he was back on the bridge of the commanding shuttle (is that what you call it?) he said quietly, "To Yavin IV General."
"Yes, sir" the General said. Actar walked to his private quarters exhausted from the blows he had encountered on Khar Delba. He was asleep and dreaming in no time.

The Dream: Actar was just a boy again. His father stood in front of him. He looked up slowly, up his fathers stomach, his chest, his face, and finally his eyes. A connection made between father and son that would change everything. His father's eyes so evil yet so soothing. Suddenly a voice, a voice Actar had never heard before, "You must regain the power we once had, you will rule over the galaxy, you will be the one to bring it all back, you...

He was awoken suddenly by one of his guards, Colonel Creed, with the other, Colonel Janka, standing at the door. "Admiral, we've arrived at Yavin."

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Anakin
[monger=ff0000,ffffff]Holonet Jedi Master[/monger]
Forum Administrator