"Shayla has the same skills that I do in the Force if not more; although you seem to have taken something from her just moments ago," Shawn spoke up. "And consider just how the Chosen One will react to having Shayla take her place.

"I will take Graysith's place," he insisted.

With that Shawn stood firm, ignoring the unreadable expression Shayla was now sending his direction.

[ 08-19-2002 12:29 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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This must be done to defeat the evil which is bound to enter this galaxy. Graysith must be here.

And it matters not what has been taken from me. Clearly, in not looking deeper into the words Lord Aelvedaar has spoken I revealed that I do not yet understand all that there is to know here.

What I do understand is that there is something I can do for the Greater Good, right here, and right now.

My decision is final. I will be the one to take Graysith's place."

[ 08-19-2002 12:36 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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"Understand this, Jedi!" I allow myself to sneer. "The words you speak are for the wrong reasons, meant for the benefit of the one who has reached true understanding in this matter, and has freely offerred herself in Her stead.

"The All will not let me send you, for you do not offer this for the sake of the Chosen Daughter. Only that your sister should be spared.

"How would Graysith feel to know I exchanged the one she herself has chosen for her very life? I ask you this: how would she feel to know that she has been the cause of unending pain of that same woman, should I send her own brother away from her for what may be eternity?"

Darkness lowers within the corridor, and I can clearly sense this Jedi struggling to not simply grab up his sister and run off with her. She merely turns her head to him, and stares quietly at him in the dim light. I draw in another deep breath.

"The words have been spoken, freely, of her own will, and for the sake of the Chosen Daughter of the Sith. Only via this can I implement the exchange, as long as Graysith remains alive."

Now I let an understanding hand reach out and rest quietly on Shawn's shoulder. It drops like the axe of an executioner as I turn away from him, and with steps filled with even greater heaviness, continue on to the place of my hidden sorceries and magicks.

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[ 08-19-2002 01:02 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Recinis ]

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With that Shayla folded her arms, and waited, ready to do what she knew in her heart she must.

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a slow sigh escaped his lips. "i see you will not back down from this, as much as i would like it to be otherwise..." turning to Aelvedaar. "who shall go then?"

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What have I gotten myself into...

He scanned the room, and those sitting, he came along one face... the man Shayla gave the 'look' towards... Erik...

"Excuse me, Erik... I would like to introduce myself, I am Lo-Ban Kenobi of Tatooine, what the hell is going on... unless someone else would like to shine some light on this subject..."

Lo-Ban waited for a reply...

Then he stood, speaking to the boy, but somehow addressing them all in the statement. "Shayla is taking Graysith's place aboard the Vong ship so that Graysith can return here safely," he said, a touch of sorrow rising onto his features.

Without further word he turned and left the room altogether.

Maybe Shawn had been successful in taking her place. But Erik just couldn't sit around and wait in case he wasn't...

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Then he addressed Terrin,"Shall we get back to our task, or are we beyond that course of action..."

Terrin raked a hand through his blonde hair, watching sympathetically as Erik departed. Now it all made some sense. Graysith wasn't going to allow herself to be used as bait, but that would put her in deadly danger. The switching part didn't exactly make sense at the moment, but then again, what did he know about this Sith stuff?

A voice interrupted his thoughts, and he turned his attention to the question Loban was sending his direction. Beside him, Jasyn continued to grumble.

"I think..." Terrin said, pausing a moment, "That we wait."

Then he stood, realizing they were pretty much at a standstill and not seeing much use in everyone sitting around and staring at each other. Besides,the paranoid part of his brain was telling him to go check on his wife and daughter.

"Everyone just...take it easy..."

Yeah. Right. Like that is going to happen.

"...I'm gonna go check on Galen and Darra."

As he turned to walk away, Jasyn called, "Know where they keep that brandy?"

Terrin turned back and frowned, actually knocking Jasyn across the head. "Lay off the stuff, will you buddy? We're in the middle of something sorta important here, if you haven't noticed."

"Owww!" Jasyn growled, rubbing his head. "Point taken. You didn't have to be so rough! I'll lay off..."

Terrin's look lightened a little at that. "I hope that's a promise. You've been drunk ever since you got here. I know you are nervous, but you aren't helping matters. What's rattling you is not simply going to go away."

"Allright, allright," Jasyn agreed. "It's a promise."

Terrin's look relaxed further. "Glad to hear it. And if you need to talk through something, there are plenty of us around. Got it?"

Jasyn nodded. "Gotcha boss."

"Allright then. You know where I'll be."

With no further word, Terrin turned and left to find his wife and little girl.

[ 08-20-2002 10:47 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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...Aside from One other...

At that, a sudden understanding slammed into her.

"I would have thought that you would have been the first to make offer of yourself!" he had said.

And before then:

"I cannot retrieve her, only replace her. And this must be done through the sorceries of the Sith, and not by use of the All. For she is indeed within a ship of the Yuuzhan Vong, where Force-sense is eradicated, and the wonders of the All strangely impacted."

Something niggled and prodded in Shayla's mind, dancing about to gain her attention. And suddenly, that something had reached the outermost parts of her psyche, absolutely demanding that attention.

She had misunderstood him. While he had been asking for someone willing to swap places with Graysith all along, she had initially thought that he simply saw no way to reach Graysith. That he had given up on her.

She should have known better, based on how much she knew Aelvedaar cared about Graysith, but at the moment that he'd originally spoken the words, all Shayla had understood, based on his sorrow, was that he believed they had been defeated. That the only solution to counter this defeat was to find a new Chosen Daughter of the Sith. Only later, when she'd been stripped of...whatever that was...did she realize he was talking about a trade in places rather than a complete replacement. Realized that she had been very wrong.

But he had also misunderstood her. While she had not been willing to give up on Graysith, believing that he had, he'd believed she was refusing to accept his only possible solution. That she wasn't willing to risk herself, no matter the cost, to save Graysith.

And that wasn't the truth of the matter. She'd lay down her life, right now, if that would bring her back. In fact, that's exactly what she intended to do now. But then, she also trusted that, if at all possible, the Sith would save her.

But then again, if it wasn't possible...so be it. The Greater Good was far more important. And the life of the One who had Chosen her as well.

"I am the only one who can go, for I am the only one who loves her enough to willingly take her place, aside from One other who cannot," Shayla finally responded to Recinis's question, turning to gaze at the red-skinned Sith Sorceror.

[ 08-19-2002 03:00 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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I reach out to her, place a hand alongside her face.

"You will need defense where you are going, and your Jedi force abilites will not work."

With that one motion, I remove the block I had placed in her mind, and replace all the teachings Graysith had given her. I hope the ability to manipulate the environment will act in good stead for her, for I know she will not be able to step through so tremendous a dimensional space, nor erect the all-protective chronotic shield.

And with the next movement, one in which I tilt my head back, reaching one hand to her and the other toward the Octahedron, fingers loosely curled, my being reaching out to seek permission of the All to accomplish that which I know I am able to do...

...I send this one away from this place.

[ 08-19-2002 09:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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There can be no joining without separation.

There can be no good without evil.

All the elements making up all in creation, all come together in unity blazing in sunlit brilliance for their differences. For opposites cannot exists without their counterparts to bring measure, and thus cannot unite without being first perceived as being two.

In this manner is perfection of balance achieved in the unity of all. And balance is what maintains all that is, and slows the encroachment of entropy.

Here in this place, a balance is offered, another is sought... and both are in agreement.

One being now returns to its own... and another into a new reality, one having existed in balance throughout the entirety of the reason its opposing balance has been maintained.

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I quickly kneel beside her, touching her with Life, and will her to return to us, praying to all the gods that her wounds have only been physical ones....

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Shayla was gone. He knew it. And he'd just sat by and let her go.

But why had he done that? Why had he let her tell him to back off in the matter?

He sank to the ground, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. He leaned against a wall behind him, and simply let this question sink in for several minutes.

Could it be, that after all this time, he was now understanding that she trusted the Sith? Was he learning to trust them too?

With the knowledge of all that he'd seen and done since he'd been with Shayla, and since he'd been with the Sith, the answer was obvious.

Yes, he trusted them. And with his Beloved now gone into the darkness of intergalactic space, he knew he had to trust.

He was learning.

Erik sighed again, another realization slamming home.

He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Oh how he loved all that she was--her light-hearted humor, her quck wit; her loyalty, her assurety; her fire and passion...

Would he ever be able to see those wonderful things in her again?

He simply had to believe that he would.

Suddenly, he was jarred from his thoughts with the knowledge that someone had placed a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked into the equally concerned ones of Shawn Petrolu.

"She won't give up..." was all that he said, his eyes belying the true import of those words despite his otherwise calm demeanor.

"I know," Erik replied quietly. "I know..."

[ 08-20-2002 12:02 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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With that, Lo-Ban exited the room, and headed out towards the sith city... not sure what he was looking for, he went for a walk...

He was about to turn a corner... he spotted Shawn and Erik a block away, he didn't wish to interupt... he would wait until he was alone, to approach Shawn...

"Fear not for the adept; she is well-armed to withstand the short time she must remain in her confinement."

Saying no more, I turn back to the too-silent form laying beneath my gentle touch. I dare not cease in my ministrations, not even to retrieve her Adept, lest I risk losing her to the shadows which linger entirely too close to her soul.

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Shawn squatted. "I think there is someone who wishes to speak with me. I'll should be back shortly."

With that he stood, and headed to where he found the young Loban silently waiting, clearly wanting to say something.

Shawn tilted his head and cocked a brow. "Yes?"

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"And I believe I understand what he intends to do. We need not fear for her. She would not desire us to do so. Besides, I firmly believe she will be returned to us shortly."

[ 08-20-2002 01:02 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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Then, beginning to walk, Shawn addressed yet another question in Loban's direction, curious as to what his answer might be. "What is it exactly that you believe you understand, and why would it be more than you wished for?"

[ 08-20-2002 01:17 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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