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Lo-Ban came in quite calmly... starting to shimmy with her a bit...

To no avail... he came away, without striking a blow... he quickly flung his cloak from his upper body, underneath a vest like suit appeared...much better...

He turned his neck to each side, and the approached shayla...

His mind was a weapon, he had faced many fencers in his day... and he just about had Shayla licked, right where he wanted her...

He came in mixing up his styles, then.. the first blow to her right shin, he quickly popped up... and dislodged her stick from her hand, the second blow, landing about 10 feet away...

"checkmate...??"

He waited, to see how she might get out of this one...

Then she stepped back, waiting to see how he would respond as Shawn called the four to two.

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Use of anything other than fencing skill, was prohibited where Lo-Ban was taught...

He pushed this thought away... best if he concede, and not make a mockery of the situation...

"Good duel my friend, we must try it again sometime... who is to go next?" He now said to those assembled, for this was merely a duel if others didn't join in on the fun...

Then she turned to Erik, waving for her cloak, He handed it to her then stepped back, clearly waiting for her. She turned and pulled Loban aside again. "You think me unhonorable by the fact that I used the Force to call my weapon?" she cocked her head, waiting a bit before she continued.

"A word for the wise: Life doesn't occur by rules and guidelines. You have to roll with the punches, and learn from your successes...and your failures."

Then she left it at that, turning and stepping up to Erik who in turn wrapped an arm about her shoulders, leading her back to the Temple from whence they came.

[ 09-17-2002 01:59 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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The feelings the term evoked within her were utterly indescribable. As were those feelings she now tried to express with all her being as, her lips still pressed to his, she lightly whispered the rejoining:

"Oh, my Lord...."

She trembled in his arms as they tightened around her, his touch on her beyond electrifying, instead eliciting a response within her that was born of the nuclear fires found in the heart of stars. Every aspect of her: her body, her heart, her mind and her very spirit, all came together in a perfect union completed only by him. And yet, all were not only filled by his being but suddenly were as though newly created, more than perfection: an utterly joyous state of being as now her very essence was not merely unto herself, but measured by his instead.

He was more than life itself to her; indeed he was her universe. And from deep within that nexus in her soul, where they joined as more than one, where the kernel was hidden and cherished, there now rose up a great and soaring yearning to show him that simple fact.

One hand now briefly drifted away from his body, and a mystic rune was traced upon the air. The room immediately darkened, blackened to a dark beyond night as all lights extinguished themselves and the fire guttered and went low. Yet, the darkness was not complete, for suddenly there arose all around them little pinpoints of light; it was as if with each beat of their conjoined hearts a rush of love burst out and formed itself into a tiny star, ever to remember that one particular moment. Another moment, and yet another... and soon they were surrounded in all directions by a panoply of the heavens: stars burning as steadily and as fiercely as their love, now bathed them in their chromatic light.

Now the strength and assured solidity, the stalwart honor and steadfastness she saw in him came into being. Great planetary bodies of ethereal blues and verdant greens came into existence about them, cycling around them in quiet assurance of being, attended by the occasional fiery slash of a comet coming to celebrate with its heavenly fireworks display. These hung all around, eclipsing the suns behind them, which lit them with every color of the rainbow, making them appear more exotically beautiful against their pinpricked velvet backdrop.

Slowly the hand which had traced the rune replaced itself upon his shoulder, and pushed slightly against him so that she drew back a bit from his embrace. Her face was but centimeters from his; she looked deeply into his eyes... to see hers. Her hand now slid around his neck, gently, trembling, and the touch she pressed upon him was as if against her own flesh. Pulled his head down to hers; the kiss now shared joined more than their lips but simply locked their hearts and souls into one.

Her last conscious thought was to repeat the act she had in the park. Joined in a unity which was so very much more than one, she drew him up with her, gently, slowly, their hearts pounding as one, their blood singing in the siren song of the stars, up and up to share with him the universe she had found in him.

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He grinned. "I always loved a lady who could beat the boys," he said lightheartedly.

She smiled, coming to him and wrapping her arms about him, actually looking up and batting her eyelashes at him.

His grin grew lopsided. "How about a little celebration of our own, Madame Duelist?" he kidded.

She just grinned right back. "You wanna duel with me, buster?"

He cocked a brow. "If you'd like, that can be arranged," he said, leaning down to plant a warm kiss on her lips. Then he pulled back, waiting to see what she would do.

[ 09-17-2002 11:52 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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He could make friends with the others... but it would be a hot day on Khar Delba, before he returns a friendly glance with Shayla Petrolu!!

"And come--" he said, now addressing the parties that had wandered outside. "Let us return to the lounge so that we might drink and enjoy each other's company."

With that Shawn removed his hand from Loban's shoulder. If he was going to come along and continue to get to know the others here, that would be his decision, and not Shawn's. As he began to walk he grinned as he heard Jasyn Lancaster in behind him saying: "It's about time we had some more of that Sith brandy..."

[ 09-17-2002 10:25 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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She reached up and pulled Erik to her, brushing her lips with his. Then she pulled back a bit. "I'd like to do that wedding thing with you soon, Mister," she said quietly.

He just smiled back. "Just as soon as the festivities are over regarding the wedding that just happened," he replied, gazing into her eyes.

She tilted her head ever-so-slightly returning his gaze in the sudden quiet and warm moment they were finding themselves. "I've got your word on that?" The question was asked lightly, but the truth of the matter was that Shayla didn't want to wait any longer.

They'd waited far too long already. She had missed out on so much in the past by not seeing him standing there, waiting on her, regardless of what happened. She'd missed so much by staying inside that bubble of herself, unable to trust, unable to give of herself. And meanwhile, he simply waited.

Only when she had been able to accept all of her emotions, both light and dark, had she been able to break the trend of staying to herself. Only then could she truly admit to herself what deep inside her heart already knew: how much she loved this man--her business partner--and her constant friend. And all of this had come to pass after she had become Graysith's Adept.

And people thought that the Sith were merely dark animalistic creatures, with no feelings other than hate?! BAH!

They were merely a race of beings who could experience every emotion to its fullest extent--something that humans by the majority struggled with. For while the Sith could love deeply, hate deeply, despair and experience joy deeply, humans seemed to have a tendency just to question every emotion suspiciously, wondering if they should feel it and how they should feel it rather than how they could both feel the emotion to its fullest and use it to serve a Greater Good.

And that in fact was how Shayla had found herself at a time. But the fact remained that she had found herself, and that she now knew.

With that knowledge came the need to just not waste another second refusing to feel such wonderfully deep emotions, particularly those that she had neglected to accept until recently.

"You have my word," she heard Erik whisper quietly, breaking her thoughts.

She smiled warmly at him then, without any further hesitation, snuggled into him, again pulling his lips down to hers, drowning in his steady and loving aura. When life was so unpredictable it would be foolish waste these quiet moments of great great love and joy.

[ 09-17-2002 11:03 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Perhaps Shawn is correct... but, Shayla would have to make the first move toward friendship...

Lo-Ban then poured himself a glass of water... he raised it, and toasted,"To the undiscovered future..."

How headstrong he tends to be! How quickly can he shift from one emotion to another...and how easily can he deny them completely even when they are easily apparent to everyone else...

Shawn frowned at this thought. He knew that Loban wanted a Master, but he was hesitant to take one into training merely based on their ability in the Force. For with such ability came great responsibility. And it wasn't that Shawn thought Loban might not have the best of intentions necessarily; rather he sensed very much that Loban wanted to, in his heart, help people with the skills he had.

But that meant he'd have to get out of his shell and think outside of himself. Think out of the box, even. For the peoples of the Universe were not always what they appeared to be on the surface.

And even the Jedi themselves didn't seem to have a handle on this fact anymore.

So Shawn would continue to wait...and to watch...

[ 09-17-2002 11:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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This thoughts finished for him.

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The less than feather-light buoyancy now in turn lessened as, bit by bit, Graysith allowed gravity to take hold of them once more. Slowly, ever so slowly, it was as if they came to rest within the soft mossy shadows hiding in a tropical zone of one of the planets she had created for them; there they lay, enwrapped with each other, and there she simply luxuriated in the simple beauty which had finally come into her heart.

Cupping his face, her hands running lovingly across his cheeks, up to his temples, around his ears, behind to toy with his horns, then back again, she simply let her eyes stare into his wonderful green ones, her lips scant millimeters from his, breathing in his breath and with it his very life, giving him hers in turn.

Three simple words, yet they encompassed a universe and beyond it. Three simple words, yet they meant everything to her, and she knew to him as well. And so, although the very feeling expressed by those words was so obviously shared between the two of them, she now repeated them, over and over into his ears, that they become part of his flesh and that he would never, ever forget them.

"My Lord... Recinis. I love you. Forever will I love you. And I will never leave you.

"I love you, I love you...."

The words flowed from her like the cooling life-giving waters of a spring, but one which little by little was heating as if by the very energies of the planet upon whose soft groundcover they lay. They grew quieter and quieter as that warmth grew in intensity, finally snuffing out entirely as Recinis once more laid his lips upon hers.

Even then they continued to flow from her mind, still striving to fill his essence with their purity and conviction, until even that consciousness fell away and with it all thought, before the sudden onrush of something truly wonderful.

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Lo-Ban asked Terrin's men... and Shawn, as well...

"Let's see..." he started, his eyes still closed. "I like to deal with combat things...drink...do a little techie stuff...drink...have a good time...drink..."

He quieted with a breathless Ooph! as Matt punched him in the arm pretty solidly.

"We at Eagle Enterprises also like a good hand of sabaac..." Matt started.

Jasyn's eyes shot open. "That sounds like a fine idea. Excepting I haven't a credit on me. Besides, I think my mental functions are beginning to become slightly impaired due to alcholic consumption."

Matt rolled his eyes. "You're a piece of work, you know that?"

Jasyn just shot him a lopsided grin. "Don't I know it..."

[ 09-18-2002 01:05 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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Not much time for fun these days. In fact, not much time for fun throughout his life. As a child it was training to start padawan-ship, as a teenage it was being a Padawan, and as a young adult it was off to become a full-fledged Jedi.

No, not much time for fun.

Frowning a moment to himself, Shawn suddenly wondered if the "lack of fun" was part of the reason Shayla had never followed through on her route to become a Jedi. But he shrugged that thought off, for the moment.

"I've been known to engage in a little fencing, though I haven't done any of that lately. and I've also been known to play some sabaac, but no one wants to play with a Jedi who lacks any possessions excepting the clothes on his back, the lightsaber on his belt, and perhaps a ship if he's a lucky guy."

Shawn quieted at that, turning a bit introspective.

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These suites, like the home he, Galen and little JhinDarra shared, afforded them with the things they needed to care for their little girl. Upon entering he'd been able to carefully lay Darra inside a cradle very similar to the one he and Galen had found in the city.

Losing all track of time, Terrin remained nearby his sleeping daughter, marveling at how peaceful she was. He knew he probably should be getting a little shut-eye himself, and he had just about dozed off in a chair when he heard the baby stir in her crib. He stood and wandered over to the crib, which through some sort of Sith technology did not allow the infant inside to be disturbed by any one other than her parents. As Terrin stepped up to the crib, the protective mechanism disengaged, allowing him to reach in and scoop up Darra into his arms.

Holding her close, he returned to the chair and sat with her. She raised her head a bit, assessing him with her big blue eyes, her eyelids still heavy from sleep. She cooed just a bit as though she were trying to communicate something in particular then reached a tiny hand up to explore his face.

After a moment of that she took the same hand, fisted it, and tried her best to stick it into her mouth. She let her her head rest on Terrin's chest and he rocked her a bit, recalling a lullaby that he had heard sometime as a child:

Hush little baby don’t say a word,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a white songbird.
If that white song bird won’t sing,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a bright gold ring
If that bright gold ring turns dull,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a shining jewel.
If that shining jewel turns to stone,
Daddy's gonna buy you a honeycomb.
And if that honeycomb from its perch falls down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

Actually singing the words under his breath, Terrin simply savored the quiet moment, his heart longing for Galen to be with them to share it, his mind hoping that the information regarding Darra's safe return would ease her worry even a fraction.

He continued to rock, Darra slowly slipping to slumber once more, his own eyes falling heavy as, still cradling his daughter, Terrin at last drifted to sleep.

[ 09-18-2002 11:33 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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As one of her gentle hands touched gently against his horn, the skin beneath it rippled with a gentle pleasure that flowed through his intire body, as sure as did that feeling have the same, but stonger, affect from her lips upon his.

he could feel the ground about them, though he was not sure where exactly it was, so lost within the volumes of love which where being written with his mind, more and more was his mind consumed...no, joined by her pressence, he fell deeper and deeper within that quiet sanctum he found within her pressence.

Yes graysith, untill the end of the universe, but even then we shall not part... I will stand with you, and protect you, for as long as i can do so, and with your love to strengthen me, no force has the strength to remove that cabability.
his own thoughts crept out in reply to her's.

ever so slowly their lips parted, eyes fluttering open to view the pair before them.
with a slight smile he once again noticed how marvalous a violite her eyes were, how full of love they were...

They were on their sides, in a soft bed of moss, which contured to every incline, and decline of there body's, seeming to simply absorb them so they would not be destracted by even the slightest bit of discomfort.
But how could discomfort even exist in this universe? as long as he was with his love, no such word could ever come into affect.

As they looked deeply into eachothers eyes, the hand that had toyed with her hair now crept down to trace lightly upon her back, the symbole which his finger brushed, ever so gently, was easily recognized as the sybole which had bound them together... though such a simbol was clearly not needed, it had made this joining that much more special, for now it was writen in the universe... their universe... and what a special place that was...

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Shayla's lips brushed softly against his cheek, then she pulled back a bit to look at him more clearly.

"So, Mr. Kartan, what are we gonna name our kids?"

"Depends. How many shall we have? Six or seven?"

She punched him in the shoulder playfully. "No. But you'd best watch yourself, buddy. I am a twin."

Erik grinned. "Diapers times two? Now that's disturbing..." he kidded.

Shayla gave him a puppy dog face. "That hurt, Kartan..."

He wrapped an arm about her, pulling her closer to him. "Hey, a baby for you to carry and a baby for me. We'll have enough babies to populate this place in no time."

Shayla just rolled her eyes. "I'm still waiting for those names, Kartan..." she prompted.

"Boys or girls?" he asked, cocking his brow.

Shayla grinned. "One of each." Then she leaned back on her elbow, waiting to see what he would have to say.

"Let's see..." he started. "How about Daniella for a girl and..."

He paused, thinking.

Shayla's eyes lit up. "Zackary for a boy. Zack for short," Shayla cut in.

"Hmmm..." Erik murmered. "Zack and Danniella."

"Danni for short," she said, grinning.

"Should I be curious since you brought this up?" Erik asked, arching an eyebrow.

She just grinned even further. "Put it in the 'what if department' my love."

He smiled, pulling her to him gently. "Let's hope they have your looks nd my personality."

Shayla kissed him on the nose. "Yeah. Who wants to grow up looking like you, Kartan?"

"Ouch babe, ouch," he muttered.

"I only pick on those I love you know..." she kidded, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Erik just smiled. "Ditto on that, my dear." Then, suddenly turning completely serious, Erik pulled her lips to his, her warm presence radiating into him. He wrapped his arms about her, and again gave himself over to drowning in those eyes of hers...in everything that was her. "Did I mention that I love you?" he whispered.

She kissed him softly and replied. "Once or twice, I think." Then, wrapping her own arms about him, she whispered. "And I love you too..."

[ 09-19-2002 12:47 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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She shivered with the heat, exulted in the chill of the coolness, could not for the life of her decipher their differences, did not wish to, nor did she even think of it. All she could do was respond in part, to give of herself in complete selflessness to the one she now knew with a recognition greater than she saw in and of herself that she would love beyond the end of time. She would do anything, anything with and for him, for to do so was to improve on her own being, so united had they now become. Never in her life had she dreamed a union such as this was possible, could ever exist; indeed in mere human affairs it could not.

For indeed this was written upon the fabric of the universe, the paper being the icy warp and woof of eternity, the script the heated furnace of the stars.

And now there was simply nothing else in existence but that great Book they were writing together, the one she now reached out to devour with a sudden burst of passion which no longer could be denied. Her eager hands took up the pages; closing her eyes, she could still read the words. Losing herself in those wondrous words being penned, she dropped her lips from his to lay a lingering kiss in the hollow of his throat. Then she simply let herself go for and to him, becoming utterly lost in the contrasting beauty of what they were now reading together.

Fires were written upon that star-studded canvas.

Fires, and ice.

[ 09-19-2002 11:59 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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Pursing my lips once again at the unexpected turn of events, I wait then to hear the reply.

[ 09-19-2002 02:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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