"They must be gone by now..."

They would never have made it down to the surface of Khar Delba if not for the lightwings' maneuverability, and Trel's knowledge.....

Lo-Ban left the cold surface of the lightwings floor,"You have dealt with them before... how should we proceed, master?"

"This mission is of the highest importance to the council..."

"I will accompany you this time, but my aid shall be limited, i can not help where the concil is involved, unless i am truly needed, we will see what happens."

Trel then exited the ship and continued the rest of the way on foot, they had landed a little bit further then the crash had been before, the tempe was close.
"no doubt we will soon be greeted by an unwanted friend..."

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

What was with these complete idiots?! Didn't they get the hint the last time, when they were rather KINDLY removed from the planet and deposited elsewhere? Only to return yet again?!

This was unacceptable. And with those present who needed the utmost protection, Shayla couldn't allow this to continue.

Shayla didn't even have to give the order. Al'iya at once moved from her side, and prepared to move to the frozen jungle of Khar Delba. In that instant, a thought emblazoned itself across Shayla's mind: What exactly do THESE Jedi want? In that same instant, Al'iya halted, again not needing to hear a command to know her Mistress's wishes.

Shayla turned to Lord Narcolm, who had remained quietly in the Dining Hall with Terrin's still very much concerned men. "Lord Narcolm," she began, her greeny-blues meeting his, "Matters outside the temple that require a most careful approach have been brought to my attention. I believe they require my personal attention. It would please me to leave you to watch all that progresses within the Temple while I take a momentary--and hopefully very brief leave--of the Temple."

Narcolm nodded just once, accepting the role that had been bestowed upon him. Likewise the man probably also knew that Shayla's awareness would never be completely diverted from that which proceeded in the Temple; rather she desired that someone who possessed Force-abilities be left in charge.

Satisfied, both Shayla and her tuk'ata disappeared from the Dining Hall altogether. In not even a second, she found herself face to face with two very startled Jedi. Folding her arms and drawing an All-shield about herself, Shayla maintained a completely inscrutable look and merely waited for an explanation. Beside her, Al'iya grumbled and licked her fangs in anticipation...

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

"i assume it is you who ordered that creature to ah...retrieveme the last time i was here."

trel then looked at loban and said "your quest, you explain." trel then walked to shayla, ignoring the growly creature that stood next to her, believing the creature would not attack unless its mistress was in danger, or if its mistress comanded it.

"i am trel Kentar, he-" he said pointing at loban "-is my padawan i wish i could provide an explaination for you, but i am really just along for the ride."

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

Since when does the Master let the Learner make the rules?

Beside her, Al'iya grumbled even more, her face-tendrils twitching in anticipation.

Stay back and be mindful, my Companion, Shayla ordered. She looked to the "Master" of this pair for one more curious moment, then turned a rather glacial--and almost disturbing--greeny-blue glare upon his self-assured "apprentice."

"Explain, now," she growled.

[ 07-31-2002 12:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to say you were Luke Skywalker himself," she said in bemusement. Then she turned to his...Master. "I was unaware that part of a padawan's training now included romantic exploits."

She held the older man's gaze momentarily at that, her eyebrow arching in something between amusement and disgust. Then she turned an all-too-sweet smile upon the padawan. "Well, Sir Loban of Tatooine, what Fates determined me to become your damsel in distress?" At that, her look darkened. "And from what and whom do you wish to rescue me?"

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

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

Slipping away from those thoughts, Shayla's attention focused on the words the Jedi Master was speaking.

Ohhh, how very interesting...

"Your words reveal an intelligence you have yet to realize you possess," she observed coolly. Then, turning once again to the padawan. "You would do good to heed the words your Master speaks. And you would have done better not to have ever come here at all. Give me one good reason I shouldn't destroy you right this very moment," she commanded.

Al'iya meanwhile waited all-too-patiently...

[ 07-31-2002 02:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

Then, in just as swift a motion, the animal came to bear on the startled padawan. Shayla didn't send an order to stop the ensuing attack, but rather let the animal land full-force on the young man. The impact was certain to have broken a rib or two. Though the young one tried his best to fight back, the animal's viciousness at the perceived threat was ferocious. She would not back down. Claws tore flesh.

Al'iya backed off momentarily, allowing her prey to stand and back away and reach for what must have been his lightsaber. She wanted a little hunt, Shayla suspected. The poor Padawan--though it was his own fault--was starting to bleed in various places.

He never was able to ignite the lightsaber either--Al'iya didn't give him the opportunity. She again leapt, and knocked it from his hand, this time grasping the weapon in her 10-inch fangs. The pressure crushed the weapon, and it fell harmlessly to the ground in pieces. In the process of all this, she again shoved the padawan to ground and landed on him, her pupiless eyes trained on him, the claws on her feet again touching flesh.

"Enough!" Shayla said at last. Eyeing the undamaged weapon the padawan had begun to hand to his master, Shayla stepped in to eye the pinned Padawan with her glacial greeny-blues. She was still keenly aware of his Master, who hovered in the background...as well as she was of the weapon which still was in question.

"What is the meaning of this?" she hissed to her tuk'ata's prey, motioning at the thing in the snow. "And choose your words very carefully..." she added darkly.

[ 07-31-2002 03:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

Trel then ignighted his own metalic handle and charged at unbelievable speeds twoards al'iya one thought blazing in his mind

-Save loban-

[ 07-31-2002 03:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Trel kentar ]

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

The lightsaber fizzled into a lump of coal that sifted through the fingers of the startled Jedi Master.

Shayla then waited to see what else he would dare to do.

[ 07-31-2002 03:41 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

"It is a metaphasic pulse inhibitor... It led me to find you... The council told me you would know what to do with it... Why did your animal attack me as if it were a weapon?"

Lo-Ban awaited an explanation...

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

In a moment which seemed frozen in time she sprang, her massive yet sleek body slamming on top of the Jedi and forcing him into the ground. There she stayed atop his form, and as Shayla looked at the sight, she realized there was an entirely too large pool of blood seeping from under the animal's body to mar the freshly-fallen snow...

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

"Take your Jedi Master, return to your ship, and depart immediately. See that he gains the rest he will need from his injuries, and be certain that you never return here again."

Saying this, she stood and looked the Padawan over measuringly. "Depart at once, lest you revoke the gift which I have bestowed upon you and your Master both."

With that Shayla disappeared with her tuk'ata, back into the depths of the Sith Temple, taking the Padawan's curious device along with her.

[ 07-31-2002 10:36 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

"I will find my ship, if that is all..."

Lo-Ban added one last remark,"I shall search for another to teach me, I thank you for your guidence."

Lo-Ban stood and awaited Trel's response, while contemplating how he had been fooled, and gave thought towards the words that had been spoken by the angel called Shayla only moments ago...

He hit the sigil which Graysith had informed him controlled the comm. "Hang on to all you hold near and dear!" he said, "Reversion in...ten standards seconds, Khar Delban primary."

Keeping an eye on his controls, he pushed the reversion sigil when the counter hit zero, and the Sith ship's viewscreen was changed from the blur of hyperspace, to starlines, to stars. Making sure the cloak was about the ship, Erik commed once again as the Ship establish orbit. "We have arrived, my friends."

Then, he simply waited.

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

"im sorry loban...You really were a wonderful student... You probably would be better suited with a better teacher though."

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

If only the remainder of our journey will be as quiet, she thought to herself as she got to her feet from where she had been sitting chatting with Recinis, the little JhinDarra still held in her arms. Recinis immediately followed suit, as did her ever-present tuk'ata, who had been hovering at her side the entire trip.

She smiled to them both.

"Be calm, my protectors," she said, motioning them both to sit once again. "I shall soon return."

Then she made her way to the command center, where she found Erik calmly waiting his next instruction. Her one arm tightened its grip about the little child as she came over to the seat he possessed, reaching past his shoulder to lightly tap a sigil on the arm of his chair. A viewscreen immediately coalesced from thin air before them; its holographic image revealing the form of Khar Delba floating in obscured mystery before them.

She pointed to a spot in its northern hemisphere.

"Take us there, and take care not to touch the shielding about the planet," she said. "Once there, maintain a geosynchronous position directly over the opening there. I shall channel myself through the All and enter the planet through that place, but I need you to hold the ship's position exactly so as to find you when I return with the mother of this babe. I cannot drop the shield my Sire has created here.

"Otherwise, I believe this vessel contains an escape pod small enough for two people, and which by skilled piloting may slip to the planet surface via the opening I have showed you. Using this, you may go and retrieve Galen Danner and bring her back here to the ship, that we may continue on to Korriban.

"In either case, this child does not leave my arms; there is too much at stake to risk her being taken.

"Which are you most comfortable with?" Drawing to a close she spoke no more, but gently began to stroke the baby's cheek with one finger.

[ 08-01-2002 01:38 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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

He needed to do this himself, to find his own way...

Lo-Ban reached down into the pile of saber parts and extracted a blaster...

"I hope you find what you are looking for, may the force be with you..."

Lo-Ban placed his hands under his arms, and started his journey to find his ship...

"Might be risky to move about too much with the child," Erik thought aloud. "Although I'll also admit that I'm at a loss as to what exactly to tell Terrin since I it's logical he'll be a little less than thrilled to be seperated from Galen again. And it might be a bit...odd to him for me to suddenly pop up and take Galen..."

He trailed, biting his lip as he considered. Something then occurred to him. "I assume Shayla is on-planet?" he asked.

Shayla could explain things to Terrin. At least, she should be the one in charge down there. It'd probably serve as good strategy to let Graysith stay here with the baby. Made much more sense in terms keeping two able All-users on both sides.

"I think the best decision is for me to take the pod down. Just makes more sense from a tactical and strategical prospective. So, if you have nothing further, I'll be on my way..."

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

She smiled at Erik, holding out a hand to him as he rose to his feet.

"Yes, my Adept is on the surface; I am certain you shall be more than... pleased ...to be reunited with her."

For a moment her face clouded as memories of a particular reunion of her own flashed through her mind. She clenched her jaw... then relaxed and smiled once again.

"The Sith go with you, my friend," she uttered in a soft voice. "We shall be here awaiting your swift return. Tell Mr. Danner he has my permission to take any of the fighters in Lord Wicked's-- in my hangar, if he wishes to follow you and return to this ship. My Adept may likewise assist us if she desires; indeed, this may be necessary if we are to attain the goal we seek.

"There is much danger yet ahead of us, I fear. Go swiftly."

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