"K'oth," he croaked, already knowing what had the ansewer, "Is dead?"

The violet eyed woman nodded. Then Naad betrayed him Narcolm reasoned, his mind had been to hardend by loss to display much emotion, he simply added Naad to the list of those who would feel the full force his fiery ire. He looked at the body then, wraping his arms around it, he hoisted it into the air and set it upon the slab. Slowly he undid the armor plate and the belt. He looked down at his own gold trimmed black robes and undid the sash alowing the robe to open up completly and reveal his dark shirt and trowsers. Slowly, with complete lack of emotion, he placed his belt around his waist, leaving Atma's lightsaber next to K'oth. Looking beside the stone he discovered a sword, so he unfastend his blaster and tossed it aside, replacing it with the scabard. Then at long last he turned to the body of K'oth,
"You were a great teacher, and I was overjoyed with you return, I consider it a blessing that we were able to see eachother this once. I have shed my tears for you though and will give you no more. Naad will feal my wrath though, rest assure your death shall not be forgotten." with that he turned back towards the woman.

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Rathal

(I AM turning to the Darkside)

That is hardly likely, she thought, but held her tongue. Then, newly armed with Atma's old sword, "Soul-Crusher," he turned away from the shell of his former body and faced her. No words were spoken, but the question was clearly inherent in his eyes.

"This way," Graysith said smoothly, holding out her hand to indicate direction then turning herself to lead the way. Through the murky catacombs they travelled, to all appearances just as though out for a stroll from which they were now returning. Graysith did not let out that she was using the All now to find their way back; indeed these dank cellars were a place she had never dreamed existed, let alone visited. If it weren't for the steady guidance of all potential in the Universe, she would probably have become quite lost.

At length the maze of corridors and great echoing chambers through which they wended their way opened up into a type of underground foyer from which several hallways spread in a maze. One was well-remembered. Still not speaking any word, she merely turned and continued down the hallway, one which really didn't look anything different from the others. As they progressed, the voice of her Adept came to her ears, bringing with it information of yet more strangers who had descended into their midst.

She almost came to a halt with that, but by sheer dint of effort kept her coolness about her and moved on. The only thing to portray her growing ire and disgust was the way in which she now played with the Claw of S'slan, now permanently affixed to her finger where it belonged, and the way her eyes darkened to the hue just before true night falls.

"Bring them to me in the Receiving Room," she sent the silent directive outward to her sister and Adept. Then she closed off the link, lest in any manner the resurrected one beside her would somehow key in upon it. Through corridors dank and dripping with mosses, up and down hidden flights of stairs, and through series after series of connected rooms they traveled, until they came at length to the hallway which emptied into the back of the Great Receiving Room itself. Graysith stopped, and indicated the set of ornately carved doors ahead of them.

"Through those doors is the room in which you presented yourself to me," she said smoothly. "And beyond is the hall leading to the foyer and outside."

Narcolm came quietly up beside her, standing there and looking down into her face. As he did, the scabbard of Atma's powerful sword brushed lightly against the signature cloak of the Chosen Daughter.

She couldn't repress the brief shudder which raced through her; then getting herself under iron control once again, she began to move toward the doors.

"Unless there is anything else of concern that you may desire to bring to my attention, you may depart this Temple in peace. And once you do, seek it no longer."

She stopped momentarily, sending a look that spoke volumes deeply into the piercing blue eyes once belonging to Darth Atma. Then she continued on and entered the Receiving Room, where she mounted the dias to seat herself once more upon the throne, here to face her Adept and the next in this unexpected string of visitors.

[ 06-21-2002 08:20 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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Terrin shot him a quizzical look, and in response he merely shrugged. "I don't know where she is," he said in reply to the unvoiced question.

"Petrolu, stay out of my--" Terrin started, then he stopped himself mid-sentence. "Nevermind," he said, sighing.

Sensing a grave disturbance in the Force, Shawn sought outward. There was a great Darkness within. A Darkness which was somehow here before...and yet...not.

He frowned despite himself. He didn't know what they'd gotten themselves into, aligning with these Sith. He didn't know if they Shayla's new "Sister" could be trusted to do what she had promised.

What he did know was that there was much darkness afoot, and they probably DIDN'T have any other way to even POSSIBLY get the child. Terrin was right about that.

But still, Shawn just didn't know if these Sith would uphold their promise. After all, they were Sith. The Jedi Council would have a field day with this if he ever got back to them...

Shawn frowned again as something occurred to him.

The Jedi Council be damned. They hadn't so much as barely lifted a finger to protect that baby when she HAD been in their reach. And when they finally had, they'd sent someone to Terrin and Galen who was more than just a bit questionable.

What they were doing here was just about the best that they could do for the moment, Blood Oaths with the Sith and all.

The Jedi Council be damned indeed.

Still projecting a complete aura of calm Shawn continued to wait for the next development in this quite unpredictable thing that was called life.

[ 06-21-2002 08:10 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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"This one," she said, waving at the Jedi, who still was being gaurded by M'wonBo'o, "Would have us believe that we are in grave danger of being destroyed by a bounty hunter who is...possessed by his dead Apprentice."

Then she leaned a bit forward, as if she were sharing a bit of a secret. "His apprentice who, in studying the All from an ancient book he and that apprentice once found, has turned to the Darkside. I thought that you would find his tale...most intriguing," she ended with, simply stepping back and seeing just what would happen.

[ 06-21-2002 08:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Rathal

(I AM turning to the Darkside)

She turned a powerful gaze to the quiet stranger, who was doing his best to be stalwart. His trepidation and growing fear could be felt squirming within him like a womprat caught within the claws of the sandcat; now she narrowed her eyes and let a bit of the darkness within her own soul peep through.

"Sooo," she hissed in something that was scarcely above a whisper. "You would warn us of one who would use the Darkside in the name of the All, would you?"

She paused a moment, letting the shadows about her grow dim, letting the eerie creaks and rustles from that dimness creep into the mind of this quiet intruder. Then--

"POPPYCOCK!"

She erupted to her feet in a blaze of rage, the Glyph igniting upon her forehead and arrowing into the eyes of the young man. He winced, turning his head aside to avoid that scathing look, but he didn't turn it quickly enough to hide the brief stab of anger which now rose up in his own face.

He remained quiet, whether out of awe, fear, or stubbornness Graysith didn't know. Nor did she truly care. She strode down the steps of the dias, sustained by her rage, and came directly before the silent young Jedi. Pausing there, her hand darted out and grasped him by his chin. The movement inexorable, she jerked his face so that his eyes could not escape hers.

"Where is this book?" she hissed, then drew back with a slow smile as the answer came wafting into her sight. The young man couldn't keep from revealing its destruction; Graysith merely nodded, backing off now to climb back up to the Great Throne.

"It was the Book which was of importance," she murmured. "Thank the Clan no one has penetrated its secrets, although one seems to think he has." Those last words were highly stressed, and she leaned forward now, a sweetly vicious smile coming across her features.

She abruptly pointed an imperial finger toward Paul Arakeen.

"I find it beyond amusing that you should feel the need to warn us of this so-called attempt by your padawan to use the All," she said evenly, her eyes narrowing. "Indeed this is not something the... Jedi Council is so wont to do, assisting the SITH in their affairs and by such warning indicating their willingness to side with us against what perhaps would be a mutual foe.

"No."

Straightening in the throne, she raised her chin and looked down her nose at the jedi.

"I feel there is more here than meets the eye. Until this can be fully revealed to me, I fear, my young friend, that you have come to know more than I feel it desirable for you to know.

"Shayla! Find suitable quarters for our guest!" She ended that command by raising her hand, arrowing the point of the Claw directly between the Jedi's eyes. Before she let that hand fall, however, she momentarily paused to give him one last chance to defend himself.

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

Noticing for the first time his wounds he sat down and began meditating, delvign into the force to heal him at extremly fast speeds...

Heh, funny, for once, i wish i had learned to use these damned healing powers more efficently...

His mind then wandered as the force rapped about him, instantly he sensed the evil that filled the stones of this place, but did his best to shove it from his mind...

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"I am your prisoner."

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NO trel, you must remain focused, you have always been easily reached through the force,even as a child, you musnt alow your light to fall to darkness...

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He surveyed the crash site...

'A damaged droid, lets see what I can do....' he said to the life-less mech droid.

With three quick strokes from his lightsaber, the droid was free from the wreckage.

She frowned, not quite believing the incongruity of the situation.

For years this Temple had withstood being found by the curious eye of outsiders. It was known only to the Sith, its coordinates passed from mouth to mouth, through the generations, never oriented on any map or starchart. Yet in the space of one day, not one, but FOUR disparate strangers had somehow managed not only to find this sacred planet, but had likewise broken through the barrier her Sire had placed about it and had had the audacity to tread upon its very soil.

This was absolutely intolerable.

"No."

The word sighed from between her lips and hung upon the air before the throne. Even as it fell, she rose to her feet. Her imperial stare passed from person to person.

"This will not be tolerated any longer. There is too much at stake; NO ONE MAY INTERFERE. NO ONE.

"You!" She pointed to the Jedi who wore a humble countenance like a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Your warning has been duly noted. Your presence here is no longer needed."

The action was almost off-handed; holding out her hand, the index and little fingers extended like horns, the others curled loosely beneath her palm, she aimed the Claw at the Jedi...

...and, opening a doorway through the All, sent him into the lower depths of the spice mines on Kessel.

Now she raised her head, noting the approach of the smirking Narcolm, the quiet Atma who looked a bit... concerned. Immediately put two and two together regarding them... and momentarily stayed her hand.

"Your assistance... may be required. Remain still if you wish to live."

Now she closed her violet eyes, reaching out through the All into the bowels of the Temple where yet another jedi languished. Frowning that this sacred place would be so tainted yet again, she gave her head a slight shake... outlined a mysterious sigil in the air afront her...

...and Trel suddenly found himself reunited with Loban and the little droid, sitting in stunned silence aboard their ship in a quite sudden and extremely unexpected orbit about Honoghr. Even if they immediately turned round to return to Khar Delba, it would take them at least three full days to travel across the Galaxy....

Graysith took in a deep breath, now putting every ounce of knowledge she had gained from Aelvedaar into play. Slowly she stretched both hands out to her sides, the fingers widespread as if to grasp the very atoms of the spacetime fabric and tweak them.

Which of course she did.

The great hidden planet of Khar Delba let out a groan that seemed to issue from its very core... and in its entirety slipped quietly and with no ado into that mysterious elseness which exists between one second and the next. To the eyes of the rest of the Galaxy...

...the planet was simply gone. It didn't even leave a gravity signature to mark its passing.

A huge shudder wracked Graysith's small frame as she brought herself out of the trance-like state she had needed to maintain in order to perform this drastic Sith incantation. A rather extreme measure used in the most dire of circumstances... which this most certainly was.

She cast her eyes to her Adept. A great weariness flitted across her face, and her arms slowly lowered to her sides.

Then she crumpled to the dias, completely unconscious...

[ 06-22-2002 01:38 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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"One moment I was putting the finishing touches on the droid I found in the wreckage back on that ice planet, and the next..."

Quietly, she released a life-line of her own energies into her Sister, and simply waited.

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"Oh well. They had their chance...and so did those damn fools who followed me." He heard coming footsteps, no doubt of the miners from Kessel.We will confront each other again, I'm sure of it, but right now Corellia is my mission...

[ 06-22-2002 01:45 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by TheKnot ]

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Yeesh. I must have been tired to be out that deeply!

...I peered out the forward viewport.

There before me was an aching black void. It looked like nothing so much as a shadow against the infinite, its presence revealed simply by the lack of stars within its perimeter. I nodded to myself, and pointed to the blot.

"There's a planet in there, don't worry about it." I cast a quick look at a display; then my pointing finger moved from the port to the monitor. "See...? Gravity signature. It's shielded, that's all.

"But I know how to get in, don't worry. Just--"

With breathtaking suddenness, the blot disappeared. The light of the distant stars which filled its void was almost blinding by comparison; I blinked, my jaw hanging stupidly open as my words were cut off in mid-sentence.

What in Hell's Seven Circles--?

I said as much, turning in disbelief to Rathal. He looked just as stunned as I probably did.

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Still the fact remained, they needed help and he was willing to risk it. So with great trepidation he maneuvered the Deliverance towards the ZZ'whatchamacallit. Life had certainly been interesting the past few weeks.

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad

Under normal circumstances. But these were scarcely that.

Ransacker popped out of hyperspace midway between the orbits of K'eel Doba and Khar Delba like a cork out of a bottle. I immediately did a complete spherical scan of my surroundings...

Bingo.

There ahead was a nice little Ubrikian yacht which coded in as one ZZ'shzq, owned by a Terrin and Galen Danner...

Galen DANNER??

A scowl began to grow on my face and I found my breath caught in my throat. Then anger began to swell within me, fiery and cleansing away every last drop of hesitation I might yet be harboring about taking my wife--

My wife???

--to Admiral Actar.

No problem there, not anymore, is there buddy? The scowl grew blacker, and I expanded my scan a few hundred thousand klicks further.

There, just as I suspected. There was a Z-95 Headhunter hovering around... well, nothing, actually.

Wha--?

Now the frown deepened, but changed from one of growing rage to more of stunned puzzlement. Where in Hell's Seven Circles was the blasted planet? I was in the correct system, K'eel Doba was in it's proper spatial orientation. But Khar Delba had entirely disappeared.

I shook my head with a snort. First things first....

Thrusting Ransacker into full impulse, I screamed like a banshee over the bow of the little Headhunter, which appeared to be just idling about in the vicinity of the yacht. I didn't want any interference of any kind in what I was about to do; a couple well-placed ion cannon blasts instantly fried the circuitry of both ships, assuring me that their crews would be busy for at least a couple days getting everything repaired and online once again. My YT-2400 soared about glibly, almost laughing for her sheer ability to do just that in the face of the others who couldn't so much as make a left turn.

Allowing myself the luxury of a victory roll, I then bore down upon the helpless Headhunter. There was a slight thunk as my tractor beam latched onto its hull.

"Gotcha, sweetheart!" I sneered, my lip curled in derision. And I'm hauling you in to Actar like this, in disgrace. I'm not going to let you get one by me again! We'll see what he has in mind for you and your buddy....

Still snarling, I ran my hands deftly over my navigational console, and typed in a new set of coordinates. In but a moment more, I disappeared back into the comforting nothing of hyperspace, dragging my reluctant prey with me like a child would drag its favorite toy off to bed.

[ 06-24-2002 12:44 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

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Rathal

(I AM turning to the Darkside)

"Hey old buddy," he sneered over the comlink though deep inside he was shaking with fear, "I'm going to offer you a one shot deal. You will drop out of hyperspace now, then you will land on the nearest habitable planet, whereupon you will remove your armor and weapons and come abord and take your wife, you will leave me and my ship on the planet. If you decline my most generous offer I will shoot your wife."

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad

What? How the-- Then I realized the little worrt probably had a portable commlink on him. I growled, debating to myself just how many other little surprises this aforethought hapless little twit had on his person.

No way in hell would I go aboard his ship. No freaking way....

I reached out and slammed my gloved hand on the console, hitting the tranceiver.

"Look, pal," I snarled. "You just don't seem to understand. You're both marks, and it really doesn't matter in what condition you are when I haul your sorry carcasses in. In fact--"

Now I let a hint of amusement creep into my voice.

"You're already supposed to be dead. You can just consider it a favor that I haven't killed you already. But if you want to begin the rest of the job for me, well then, by all means:

"Go for it."

I ripped my hand from the comm, snarling blackly to the bleeping navigational console.

I swear... when I get these peeps to Actar, one way or another, I'm collecting the bounty and getting my butt as far away from these parts as fast as I can...

...and go off somewhere that the fems know their place, and can truly appreciate the unique qualities of one such as myself.

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"Alright, it is plainly obvious that you could give a damn about your wife, how about you bounty. Surely you will need to return with some proof that you have infact caught us and I have in my pocket a thermal detonator, capable of turning both Galen and I into dust, as this is the fate that certianly awaits me I have no problem loosing my life at my own hands. I will renegotiate however, land us and I will meet you face to face, no weapons or armor, and I will give your merchandise. Just bring us down," Rathal tried once again to bargain. then he slowly began to change into the suit that could protect him for a limited amount of time if he had to go EVA, though such a feat is impossible in hyperspace, perhaps Sorben would agree to his terms or try to negotiate somthing similar."

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad

Did this guy totally flip out of his skull? What in Hell's Seven Circles did he think he was doing? Did he think he could just commit murder like this? Hadn't he ever heard of the old saw, "Where there's life...?"

Apparently not.

I gulped, my own eyes widening in apprehension for the fact that his were completely unreadable. Then I rose to my feet, my hands in the air.

"May I?" I asked carefully, indicating the commlink. "I really kinda know this guy, and I don't know if your approach is going to be one he's going to cave in to. He's really not the type."

Great Khaandon's Ghost, just let me try to talk some sense into Sorben!

[ 06-24-2002 02:32 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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"Sit down woman," he growled

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad