Just like old times, eh? This is gonna be utter Hell...

But Terrin didn't say a word of this. Instead he turned to his men. "Matt, Jasyn, I need your computer minds. Shawn, I think you can stay back on this one, Shayla is more than capable of handling this I'm sure."

Shawn started to argue this, but thought better of it.

Good. No need risking any disagreement between you and Shayla. Besides, leaving you behind and giving Shayla charge will convey a modicum of trust. That's something we need to keep here, if this is going to work.

"I trust you have a ship we can use?" he queried in Graysith's and Shayla's direction, ready to walk out the door that very moment.

--------------------

Some kind of dark shadow seemed to cross her features at Wicked's name, and she fell silent. Her footsteps barely making any sound, she led the way through the Temple back to the ornate and still-opened entryway. There she didn't so much as slow her pace, but continued on into the elements which were beginning to howl again outside. The frown now marring her pale face was one born of pain for what the shield was doing to the planet she loved and had come to call home; now that a near blizzard was revving itself up for a major blow at so early a time in the day was more than cause enough for her consternation. She couldn't help but sigh again, wondering if warmth would ever return to Khar Delba.

So lost was she in her thoughts she almost didn't realize that they had reached their destination. The great stone hangar rose up out of the gray and white gloom like a ghost, bringing memories flashing to the forefront of her mind that she now found herself striving with all her might to forget. She blinked against the wind, not daring to drop a tear lest it lead to others and their freezing upon her lashes; strengthening herself with the thought of finding her daughter, she drew in a breath and stepped forward into the great stone facility.

A light popped on to penetrate the gloom, revealing in its dim blue glow row upon row of TIEs, all sitting in silent patience, waiting to be put to use. Graysith cast a look around, then pointed to a particularly lethal looking and highly modified defender. The little assault craft had been linked to another identical to it; similar to the cloud-vessels of Bespin, this craft now utilized two pilots. In a pinch, four people could be accommodated within its cramped interior.

"This is the only ship here which will hold all of you," Graysith now said, pointing to the ship. "In addition, it bears hyperdrive, so you may go and return with all due haste. Each component bears twin ion cannon and four laser cannon, in the unlikely event someone should try to hinder your progress. It also bears proton torpedoes and concussion missles, but I doubt you will be needing to use those."

Graysith made a quick gesture to the yawning hangar door, then crossed her arms about herself, drawing her cloak more tightly against the ever-present wind. Her hair whipped about her head like M'wonBo'o's face-tendrils.

"I must go back to the Temple, my friends," she said in a louder voice, raising it to top the screech of the wind. "Take care."

With that she turned on her heel, and hastened back to the silently brooding stone Temple of the Sith.

--------------------

"I'm piloting," she ordered rather than asked.

Close quarters with Terrin Danner. Lovely.

Terrin merely shrugged, probably not too surprised at this. Shayla gave him a good measuring look.

He doesn't even seem the least bit bothered by this...

As if this wasn't enough, he had the nerve to speak up. "We should get going," he said.

She slitted her eyes in response, noting the icy determination in his eyes.

Maybe this was some sort of alternate Universe or something. Terrin Danner, concerned about someone else? Weird...

Then she forced herself to get back on track. "I can do a hit and fade," she said. "This'll take no time."

With that she turned and headed for the defender, her charges...her allies?! Sheesh...behind her.

The sooner they got to Sorben Tarnus's ship, the sooner they'd be out of this entirely too small TIE...

--------------------

At that he began letting his mind stray into the space about him, hiding from any that might sense him, he was going to learn what was going on.

--------------------

How typical. How he wished Galen were here piloting instead...

He managed to remain civil and simply let Shayla have her way, however. The goal of their little mission was far more important than who had access to the controls and who didn't.

Carefully boarding the sleek little YT-1500...

...niiiiice ship...

...Terrin and his crew braced themselves for whatever surprise Graysith had mentioned. Shayla, however, didn't even blink.

Terrin and the guys just merely exchanged curious glances and waited to see what she would do.

--------------------

"Someone is lurking nearby trying to catch a spaceslug," she growled. Then she turned to Terrin and his men. "We must hurry, and use caution."

As the men went to work, Shayla reached out into the All, to that place between space and time, tweaking the very particles that made up spacetime to freeze around the Aftershock and protect them from unwanted eyes and ears...

[ 06-11-2002 12:15 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Graysith sighed from her position on the balcony. Her grip tightened painfully on the stone railing which ran its perimeter.

This must cease, she thought, closing her eyes against the sounds which made her heart positively ache. Danner is correct: there are too many adversaries, rising in too many directions at once. While the most unsettling of the lot is Lord Roan, the others can only...

Complicate matters.

She dropped her face down, hiding behind her hair which whipped freely in the howling wind, wishing she could reach out and sense the presence of the one who had once filled her with joy... but one thoughts of whom now filled her with a pain so deep as to border upon mindless rage.

She scowled now, her eyes growing vague and blackening as she considered.

What options were open to her?

Now she beat back the rising crescendo of her inner Beast, focusing her thoughts back to the days when Roan was with her, straining to remember everything he had ever said to her, every little nuance hidden in each word.

"You have always known me."

Shivering with a cold not produced by the wind, she whitened her knuckles against the stone, and thought.

You have always known me....

Always known him.

Suddenly her head snapped up, her violet eyes widening before visions suddenly presenting themselves to her. Faces swam before her inner eye, blurry and segueing one into the other, faces bearing a singular and common backdrop of dreary stone, grating sand, and dim red light.

My father, it was here you brought me to face your death.

My Sire, it was here you brought me to renew your life.

My dearest Dark Heart, it was here you brought me to face your adversary... only indeed it was not you!

...and it is here the Sith have maintained their silent and hidden stronghold throughout the four thousand years of their death.

It couldn't be! How could the coordinates from one place in spacetime lead to another? Yet, knowing the capabilities of the Ancient Ones as she did, she knew she was foolish to even question this apparent discrepency.

Graysith whirled, her cloak flying about her as backing up a step or two, she then leaped lithely forward to catapault entirely over the railing and land in the cold and bitter snow beneath. "M'wonBo'o!" she cried out as she moved out quickly, aiming in a direct line to where Shayla had landed the Sith ship when they had first returned to this place. Mere moments passed before she heard heavy breathing in her wake, felt the face tendrils of her Beast reaching out to touch her with the assured protection of his presence.

Though she didn't bother to turn about and look, she could clearly feel the dismay of an utterly stunned Shawn Petrolu, who by happenstance had entered the room to speak with her even as she had departed from it in so abrupt a manner. For a moment longer she ignored him completely; then, out of respect for her newly developed alliance sent a quick probing tendril of her essence into his mind.

"Hurry."

Then, gritting her teeth, she hurried on, soon gaining the Sith ship, it's hatch flying open at her merest thought, flying inside to take quick command of its pilot's seat and in moments more send it blasting into the utter gloom of the Khar Delban atmosphere, her tuk'ata scrambling to find a place to lay, jerking his tail in even as the hatch slammed closed behind them as they soared up toward the impossibility of non-stars above them.

Upward and outward they flew, heading toward the tiniest of openings which existed over the northern magnetic pole of Khar Delba, her heart quickening in her chest with the sudden realization that her sister and party were at that moment quite probably poking about in the ship a certain bounty hunter had left behind him, one in orbit about the very planet she needed so badly to reach.

One which, if her suspicions were correct, was a planet she had visited on more occasions in her life than she earlier believed... for if there was one battle tactic she had learned from the Dark Lord that long ago day they had fled here to face Sorben Tarnus, it was that a good tactician never spreads his resources too thinly.

Hides them well. Yes. Well enough, perhaps, that in the case of a degenerating and distrustful race one hand may not indeed realize exactly what the other one is holding.

But held near enough to one another that he who holds knowledge of both may use their strengths to protect each other if necessary. Close enough that revered capitol city and even more revered shadow-laden temple were not beyond the auspices of each other....

Clenching her teeth, her eyes bright with the knowledge that she just had to be right, the Glyph flaring with the realization that her Adept might be in danger completely unbeknownst to her, she guided the little greeny-gold enigma through the tiny portal and zoomed out into the freedom of the stars. Beneath her lurked a black void in space, yet one which reached out with eager fingers to draw her back against its surface.

She would have none of that. Yanking the controls to full throttle, within the space of less than a second she had the ship accelerating to maximum velocity. Now beyond the blanketing influence of the chronotic shield, she drew a smaller one of her own about the ship, and thus protected from prying eyes and ears and psychical senses headed full-bore to K'eel Doba.

((OOC: Follow Graysith into the Morniie Alantiie thread in the "Complete SW Universe" forums, thank you.))

[ 06-12-2002 10:45 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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"I'm not alone."

[ 06-11-2002 01:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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"Must of been one mother of a worm programmed into this computer," Jasyn said, breaking the silence. "You think Galen programmed it in?"

To get away from Gravin Dark's clutches? Certainly she had.

Terrin turned, spreading his arms out as he spoke. "What can I say, she's good. Very good." His look turned wistful.

Jasyn turned and eyed him a moment, grinning. Then his look turned serious to mirror Terrin's. "I'm sure we'll find her. Or she'll find us."

Terrin nodded, then spoke, shifting the topic only a fraction. "No luck with that computer system, huh?"

"Like I said, it's pretty bad. Maybe I can unscramble it enough to get the last known destination, but that could have been K'eel Doba. There's an even smaller chance of finding the previous destination before that. And it might have never even been logged. Or could have been erased, to prevent tamperers such as ourselves from finding anything."

"Doesn't sound encouraging. I wonder if Matt or Shayla have found anything."

As if on cue, Matt returned to the bridge, sitting down disgustedly in the copilot's seat before saying a word.

"I guess that's a no on finding anything on your end," Terrin said frowning.

"Yeah, not much. Just a Force cage. And two missing escape pods, which isn't a surprise."

Terrin scowled a moment then his look suddenly lightened as an idea dawned on him. He was just about to open his mouth and say what he'd just thought of when Shayla appeared on bridge, holding up something in one hand as if it were a trophy.

Each man turned, curious looks forming on their faces as they waited for her to explain how her find could be at all significant...

[ 06-11-2002 06:59 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"What the Sam Hell do you have that for?"

Shayla turned a greeny-blue gaze to the man at the navboard. "Because the simplest clues can be taken for granted," she said.

"So Sorben Tarnus had some incomplete rock-climbing gear. Wahoo." Jasyn muttered. "Most bounty hunters probably would."

"Yes, indeed they would. Rock climbing equipment that might have a piece of rock here, a piece of dirt there..." She trailed, waiting for the others to catch on. Another long, silent moment passed before understanding lit Jasyn's features.

"Might not be much, but could tell us where he's been," Terrin said, fully comprehending where Shayla was going with this. "But how does that really give us anything? He could have used that equipment at any time."

"I highly doubt that he has a spare kit," Shayla said. "Besides, parts of it are missing. That would indicate he's probably using some of it right at this moment."

"So maybe he never used that either," Matt said.

"But then why is it here?" Shayla countered. "A little analysis can't hurt."

Terrin nodded. "Ok. So count it among our possible assests, and we'll keep digging. I'd like something a little more obvious...if we can find it."

[ 06-11-2002 10:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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He turned to Matt. "We need to stop by the ZZ'Shzq before we go back to Khar Delba."

Matt arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Why, perchance?"

"Remember what you told me when I decided we should go to Khar Delba and look for the baby before going after Galen?"

Then Terrin simply waited for Matt to process this. Jasyn crooked a brow. He was about to say something when Matt, who was clearly thinking back, said, "Ahhhh yes. Yes we should. And soon..."

[ 06-11-2002 10:59 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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This place is dangerous. He has no idea what he's up against...

[ 06-12-2002 03:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by TheKnot ]

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Terrin turned from navigation, where he'd been muddling through any computer logs, to regard him. "What's that?"

"Another bit of a communication. Could be nothing...but might be something."

As Jasyn said this, Terrin got up to have a better view of the comm monitor. "Play it."

Although the conversation that followed was mostly garbage, enough of an image of the speaker presented itself for Terrin to recognize him.

"Admiral Actar?!" he blurted.

Jasyn whirled. "That's him?"

"Yeah, it most certainly is." Terrin confirmed.

Now why would a bounty hunter who was working for a bunch of Sith have contacts with an Imperial Admiral, hmmm buddy?

Something was niggling in the back of Terrin's brain...a memory of sorts, trying to act as a clue...

"Not your turn, yet," he'd said.

Terrin frowned. Now who would want you for something you've done that would really make them angry?

Let's see...

The Moff. Not likely.

The Sith. Possibly.

The Admiral? Yes.

After all, you did help Galen escape from him not once, but twice.

But then, if the Admiral was after you...

...he'd still be after Galen too.

"Helloooooo???" Jasyn said curiously, breaking the silence.

"Got anything to save that message with so you can work on unscrambling it?"

"I can save it, yes. Unscramble it though, I can't say. I can give it a shot."

"Okay, do it. Can you tell how old that conversation is?"

"Not too recent, but within the past few weeks, at least. Probably was a contact Mr. Tarnus was keeping up, just in case he needed it. I doubt he's working both the Admiral and the Sith at the same time. If he is, he's crazy."

"Allright, keep looking for a bit longer. If we don't find anything else soon I say we get to the ZZ'Shzq then Khar Delba. I don't much like being out here in a dead ship."

"Yeah," Jasyn said his look turning glum. "Me neither."

As Jasyn turned back to his work, Terrin scowled at the words his shoulder devil hissed at him. Add one Imperial Admiral to your list of enemies that never seem to go away, buddy. Not that he has a chance in Hell of getting a hold of Galen or Darra, with Roan and his buddies lurking...

[ 06-12-2002 08:05 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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Which wasn't much, considering.

Getting back into their little Defender, Shayla made quick calculations for yet another hit and fade. In minutes they were in parallel orbit with the ZZ'Shzq. Shayla smiled to herself, happy to be in something more closely approximating a fighter for a while. She was so happy about this, in fact, she managed to get over the fact that she was in entirely too close a proximity to...other people.

"Please don't tell me we are going to go EVA," Jasyn muttered.

Shayla cocked a brow, grinning. Actually had to keep a little snicker from escaping at the comment.

Buddy, you are gonna LOVE this! she thought.

But she didn't bother to tell them a thing about how they were going to get over to Terrin's little yacht...

...yacht? What the heck had he done with the Eagle? She thought he'd never get rid of it. Sheesh...it was like the guy had traded in his sporty little ship for something more accomadating to a family transport.

This WAS an alternate Universe.

Leaving those thoughts she focused her eyes past the viewport of the Defender, ignoring Jasyn's grumblings. Opening a door in the All, she quite simply moved them out of their little Defender and into the cabin of the ZZ'Shzq.

Jasyn ogled at his surroundings a bit. "Wha--???" he started.

Shayla grinned. "You said you didn't want to go EVA," she commented.

"But--" he started. Then he realized he really had nothing to complain about, and closed his mouth, folding his arms.

That only made Shayla's grin widen. For a moment even Terrin and Matt, whom Shayla actually knew from back in her smuggling days with Terrin, shot the other man a bemused look.

The humor lasted only a moment, however. Terrin got over to the controls and went about doing what he'd suggested to her aboard the Aftershock. Granted, Shayla was skeptical of this idea, but as it was with everything so far, it couldn't hurt. So, she stood to the side and waited to see just what might develop...

[ 06-12-2002 11:24 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Jasyn merely cocked a brow at him. "You sure this will work?"

"Well, it'll lead us somewhere anyway. We'll have to use a little logic...and whatever else...to determine if the information is of any use. I mean, logically, if Galen has been captured by someone they had to do something with the escape pod she took. We can hope they took it with them, and didn't just up and blast it," he said, his eyes defocusing a moment as he thought of her, possibly in that situation he'd seen in his head only a little while ago.

If only they could get a good lead...

"You're telling me this ship tracks its escape pods?" Shayla said, still clearly not believing it.

"Top of the line yacht, Shayla," he said. "If you're gonna put escape pods with hyperdrives in a baby like this you're gonna devise a way to keep tabs on them."

Shayla simply nodded. But before she could say a word, something on the navboard began to blink.

"A return already?" Matt asked curiously.

Terrin turned back to the navboard and keyed in something. "Yeah..." he started thoughtfully, his eyes widening in surprise at the results of the search. "I think we just might have that lead we were looking for..."

--------------------

One of the Universe's best tactics was to hide right under the nose of those who might be looking for you.

Shayla just knew this was it. Which meant that, according to Terrin's tracking device, his wife was probably already there.

Something had to be done immediately.

Shayla knew she didn't have to say as much to Terrin. He'd already turned back to regard her as if to wait to see what she would do. And quite truthfully, what she read in his eyes was still surprising to her, even though she'd seen it well enough more than once the past day or so on Khar Delba.

The truth was that she'd read the same thing before in Erik's eyes. And while she'd known that Terrin could fall in love she'd never really believed it would ever happen.

Until now.

"We should go back to Khar Delba at once," Shayla said. With a simple embrace of the All, they found themselves back in their places aboard the Defender. Shayla immediately made it her business to get them back to the Temple.

[ 06-13-2002 03:26 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Not to mention how distraught he was about the information he now had.

"That's not going to pass the time any better," Matt said from a seat at the Dining Hall table.

Terrin stopped a moment to turn and look at his assistant and friend. "I can't just sit around. I can't stand to let my mind be still enough to think of all the things that could be happening right now..." he trailed.

"Like you haven't thought of all of that already?" Matt queried.

Terrin just scowled and went back to pacing.

"At least we know the baby is safe," the other man interjected, trying to find something positive out of all of this.

"Yeah...for now," Terrin said skeptically while he continued to walk back and forth.

"The baby will be protected at all costs," Shayla said, stepping into the Dining Hall with that beast of hers.

Terrin whirled. "And what about Galen?" he asked suddenly. "At all costs?"

The question dropped dead on the floor of the Temple for a long moment as he awaited Shayla's reply.

[ 06-13-2002 06:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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Like you trust him any more than he trusts any of you? This is going to take some time and some proof via everyone's actions.

"You must learn to understand and trust that the Blood Oath you took works both ways," Shayla said simply.

And that was all she would reply. Calmly regarding him, she waited to see just what he might say next.

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His story seems truthful enough to me...the Force hasn't seen any false claims so far. But, still, I have a job to do... he thought. He then closed his eyes and started to meditate, in the middle of space in the eyes of a stranger...

[ 06-13-2002 06:52 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by TheKnot ]

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About this time Jasyn wandered in, a few mugs of something-or-other in his hands.

"Hey, drinks on the house!" he said.

Shayla simply rolled her eyes, and Matt accepted a mug. Terrin continued to pace.

"Terrin, you gotta do something to pass the time aside from wearing a dent in the floor," Jasyn commented.

At that, Terrin turned and cocked a brow. "After my little experience with Whyrene's last night, I think I'll pass."

Matt meanwhile took a sip, then eyed the mug curiously, a strange look crossing his face. "What the hell is this and where the hell did you get it?" he questioned, grimacing.

Jasyn grinned rather impishly. "It's called Walk'nFall. Got it from Tarnus's ship."

"This is strong enough to knock someone out for a week!" Matt exclaimed, taking one more assessing sip. "I think I'll pass too."

"And you'd better pass as well, my friend," Terrin said, eyeing Jasyn. "Some action could be coming down the pike really soon, and I don't think you'll be too helpful in a drunken stupor."

Jasyn pushed the mug away. "Allright, fine. But there's more where this came from..."

Terrin merely shook his head, then began pacing again. If Graysith or Shawn didn't show up soon, this was going to be one very long wait...

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At her side, her tuk'ata whined, shifting his great paws as he tried to get comfortable. These drops from hyperspace always seemed to somehow...tweak the animal's innards; he growled again, a tendril snaking around Graysith's ankle for reassurance.

The Chosen Daughter reached a slim hand down to rub his head with affection. "Be still, my friend," she soothed in a calming voice. "We are almost home, and all shall be well..."

...at least, I hope it shall be thus. The remainder of that sentence remained unspoken, and she turned her glowing eyes outward toward the approaching black void ahead.

Plans had to be devised as to the best way to approach K'eel Doba, if what she suspected to be hidden somewhere beneath its harsh surface really was there.

She raised her hand in front of her face now, the Glyph on her forehead flaring to life to bathe the Claw of S'slan in its eerie radiance. It appeared to flare in turn, reflecting that ultraviolet glow back into the violet one of her eyes.

She smiled grimly, seeminly hypnotized by that speck of radiance shining upon the metal of the Claw; then she settled back into her seat, and waited as the little ship continued along its final route to Khar Delba....

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"Tell me then friend, where im i to go? i have no place to go truly, unless you can point me where darkness dwells. perhaps i should just follow you for a while..."

Hmm, this guy is a little edgy...

he then flipped a switch to prepar his quantum shielding, just in case...

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