"These are children we are talking about, and not weapons," he growled. "I understand their importance, but I cannot agree with you that manipulating their ages to use them to fight against Roan is a good idea, nor is it even humane. It's a matter of not only physical age, but experience. So, to genetically manipulate Darra's age...

...absolutely not," he said.

[ 10-19-2002 12:56 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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Then he simply remained standing, unwilling to give in to this suggestion, refusing to believe they couldn't do this without so drastic a measure.

And ready to do whatever it would take to stop this if anyone dared.

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"You act as though i am heartless... As if i ask you to sacrifice so much for this task... Look beyond your own needs, for once... You wish for galens saftey, i have heard it many a time from your lips... Then act upon it... You are acting more for yourself then anything galen could need... You are being forced to sacrifice so much? What of myself? do you believe i truly would go through with this, if i saw even the smallest of other means? I have not yet even been given a chance to look upon my child... Not once have i held the child which shall be born... This is a sacrifice far beyond the simple one you would make... You have at least seen your daughter... My dear jharmeen... Has yet to even begin to know the wonders of truly being a mother... twice already she has been stripped of the chance... Yet there is no other way... I sacrifice more then you will ever know... yet you speak to me as if i do not care... Can you not see... This is the only way... Find me another path, and gladly will i follow, untill then, Speak not to me of heartlessness... SPeak not to me of sacrifice..."

He suddenly felt very unsure of himself... And in that momment of need he wrapped his arms about jharmeen lovingly... whispering silently to her... "im sorry... Im so sorry..."

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The first child had been lost while yet early in her pregnancy, ripped cruelly from her by the unintending claws of her tuk'ata. The second had been likewise spirited from her body by Roan's use of Sith magicks. And now, if they were to follow through with this idea, yet again would she be cheated from feeling the magick of a growing child's first kicks within her....

Sensing his feelings, she nodded her head in loving response to her Lord's suggestion, knowing in her heart of hearts that he was right, whispering private assurances into his ear. And when she lifted her head, it was to the uncanny sensation that she was being watched.

She turned her head then, to find Darth Wicked's penetrating turquoise eyes staring directly through her, and another pang rushed through her.

It had been his child, The One, that had been torn from her, an act which now seemed to become an endless Mobius loop she was now destined to yet tread upon once again.

She shivered more strongly, then managed to quiet, leaning her head once more against Recinis's broad shoulder for support. Then she rolled her head to look at the young Loban.

"Your suggestion has merit, young one," she whispered softly. "However I really do not think we could all last long emotionally huddled beneath two shields. It is bad enough that we linger as long as we do beneath the one; I even wonder if it should be dropped that the healing rays of the sun should finally be let into Phrinnchatka after so lengthy a time."

She turned her head back to gaze up at Recinis once again.

"Perhaps that would draw Roan to us, and we could then destroy him. But... we assume too much.

"Ankrist Roan is crafty. We cannot dare assume that because he has acted one way in the past, that he would continue to do so. He has done what he has done with my daughter for a purpose of his own making; he knows as well as do we the necessity of having at least two strong---"

Her voice choked off to a strangled whisper, her eyes widening suddenly. Bolting upright then, she whirled to grasp Recinis's arms with both her hands, her eyes searching earnestly into his.

"He is planning something, my dear love," she sent along their private link. "Somehow, I can sense this...."

With that she fell silent, wrapping herself in her husband's arms, trying to still the sudden frissons of ice which were beginning to skate up and down her back.

[ 10-19-2002 01:26 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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He folded his arms against his chest, scowling. "For ultimately it's up to her. Galen's safety is important, but so is her happiness. You would dare use Darra as a weapon and think that she would approve?! I want you to ask her yourself, Sir."

He quieted at that, waiting to see what the Warrior would do.

[ 10-19-2002 01:26 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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he then fell silent... putting his temper in check once more... He could not afford to lose controll....

He wrapped his arms tighter about jharmeen, holding on to her dearly... He could sense that she was losing herself to something... Perhaps another bit of what roan has done to her.... He almost growled at the thought...

[ 10-19-2002 01:47 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Recinis ]

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Lo-Ban quieted, and waited...

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What do you think, my love?

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...to reveal a pair of almost glowing turquoise eyes, huge, towering almost godlike there within her, the rest of her own inner quietude shrinking and shrivelling before them, as though they were close to her, close to her's, bearing down in something approximating a memory coming from somewhere inside her she did not even know existed....

Somewhere, there came a wild and primal scream. Whether it was the howling of the Beast, or that of her own lips, she did not even know herself.

She bolted upright in Recinis's arms, her eyes wide and blank, scream after scream ripping from her throat.

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...and another, and another, only then coming to a halt. Something inside of him...which had been triggered by recent events...was waving its hand for attention once again, no matter how much he tried to stop it on a logical level.

Trouble in Prinn'chatka...AGAIN...?

Who knew. But things were looking worse and worse all the time.

[ 10-19-2002 08:54 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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I fought off the urge to sweep her up into my arms, and simply told her what was going on at the meeting I had left, and that I thought she ought to be witness to it since after all it did pertain quite a bit to her and the baby. She didn't say much, but simply nodded and stepped out of the door to join me. We both then returned to the dining area...

...just in time to hear all Hell start to break loose inside.

I froze, whipping my helmet on quicker n' a dianoga strikes in an Impy garbage chute. My blaster flew into my hand of its own accord as, motioning Galen to stay back, I inched up to the door and carefully peered inside.

Her sister was sitting with the shorter Sith, yelling her lungs out, and the look in her eye was not quite what I would call sane.

OK, now that really was enough. I whirled, holstering my blaster and taking Galen by her arms.

"Look, this place isn't safe for you, babes," I began cautiously, peering intently into her big browns.

As if it ever really had been! I wanted to add on the heels of that, but refrained. No need to try to color her thought processes; let her own sister's wild behavior serve to underpoint the words I had spoken, and was about to continue with. My grip tightened on her arms, the look I gave her growing even more serious.

"Look, Galen, let me take you back with me to Coruscant," I began, bracing for what I knew would come. Indeed it did; she started shaking her head, protesting, holding Darra more closely but quieted when I gave her the tiniest of shakes to get her attention.

"Babes, please listen to me," I came as near to begging anyone for anything right then and there as I have never done before. "Look, I know how it must seem; babes you have to trust me. About Actar... well, I'm his top gun, Galen; you don't realize what he wanted you for, it's not what you're thinking; babes, you have got to trust me here.

"He's not going to hurt you; he never had the intention of doing that, ever. And he's got POWER, babes; I can't think of any other place you and our little girl would be safer than in Coruscant under his protection."

I paused, taking in a breath while considering what I had told her. I knew it sounded weak and pitiful and she had no cause to believe me... all I could do was trust that she still trusted me as much as she used to. With that final thought in mind, I decided to go for broke.

I whipped my helmet from my head.

"Babes, please believe me. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you; I know it might look that way but you have got to believe me: I would never hurt you, and I'd die keeping harm from coming to you.

"I love you, Galen, and I always have. Please come with me to Coruscant."

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Dont let it control you... Hold on...

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...and immediately was slammed with an image of turquoise eyes, bearing down on her. She gasped, her heart flying into a panic, while she was unsure of just what exactly was causing this. She didn't know what to do, so she did the only thing she could think of at that very moment.

She reached out and touched Graysith through the link that they shared together.

I am here. And my strength is yours.

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I blinked, considering his words. Fighting down the rising emotions which threatened to block what logic had to say about all this...

To hell with logic.

I gripped Darra tighter, blinking through tears which threatened to water my vision.

"Khaandon help me, but I still love you too, Sorben," I whispered, aching for having to say this, aching for Terrin, aching that I had left Sorben to begin with and thus had to meet Terrin, to then finally lead him into this ungodly triangle.

I didn't know what to do. But then again, maybe I did.

Getting a grip on myself, I sniffed. Before I could change my mind, I nodded.

"Take me out of here, Sorben, if they'll let you."

After all, didn't Actar at first save me from that raven-haired witch? Didn't he first give me opulent quarters, saw to my every need?

I shivered a little at the thought. Thought further, about who was in the room just beyond those doors, who was screaming, and probably why...

"Just take me back to where there are people, Sorben. Take me back to life; I am really getting so tired of anything having to do with the Sith...."

I couldn't go on. I just stood there as Sorben came up to me and put his armored arms around me. Then, together like that, we entered the dining hall to present our case, and fight for it to the death if we had to.

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Something tells me that ain't gonna work, pal...

Still gripping his blaster, Terrin's blue eyes darted suspiciously from the scene with Graysith to some of the others who were sitting around looking more than just concerned, then over to Wicked. He then glanced down at his men who were, surprisingly enough, looking a little oddly at him.

Terrin frowned. If you'd been standing there when that hell-spawned teenager popped up and grabbed Darra, after suspecting she would do something of that nature without anyone listening to you, then perhaps you'd be a little more shifty now that everyone is not listening to you and all Hell is breaking lose AGAIN.

Terrin began inching back a few more steps when, out of the corner of his eye, Sorben Tarnus and Galen appeared in the room, the former's arms about his wife...

...his wife...

...and the later's arms around little Darra.

Oh Hell, Darra...

As the screaming persisted, Terrin actually backed up a few more steps, waiting til he was close enough to Sorben and Galen so that he sincerely hoped no one would hear him but them; maybe the pell-mell would help him out. Terrin turned his blues into Galen's big brown eyes, trying to deny the look that he was seeing in them.

Besides, at the moment, there was something MUCH more important he had to get out.

The look in his own eyes dead serious and the tone in his voice urgent, he whispered, "The Sith want to manipulate Darra's age as was done with ShaRhylla so they can use her as a weapon to go against Roan." He paused at that a moment, pursing his lips and wondering if he just might be digging his own grave.

Then so be it.

He was bound to the Sith; he'd promised to help them in return for Galen and Darra's safety, and he still had absolutely no qualms in helping them out against Roan. But admittedly using Darra as a weapon was pushing things too far. While she wouldn't be physically harmed through genetic manipulation, there wasn't any chance in Hell Terrin was gonna go along with this unless he was a dead man. There simply had to be another way to beat Roan that they hadn't considered fully yet, even if it meant waiting til the children grew up naturally; in Terrin's opinion this was the only real way they would have the knowledge base and experience in life to fullfill their said "destinies".

He then continued with his line of thought, actually meeting Sorben Tarnus's blue eyes with his own. "You've gotta get Galen and Darra out of here but, so help me, you've gotta keep them away from Admiral Actar too; I'd trust a rancor before I trusted him. Regardless you've just gotta get them out of here. I'll..."

He hesitated, then went on. "...I'll deal with the Sith."

[ 10-20-2002 02:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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He turned her to face him, shaking her roughly for a moment, before speaking slowly "its ok, Jharmeen... You will be ok... Calm down" After which he gave her another shake, hoping that somehow he would reach her...

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I nodded toward him, my grip tightening around Galen, who still hadn't peeped a word. Then after a quick look around, I guided her to the Sith who was trying to calm her screaming sister. I came to a stop in front of him, and nodded once to him, a bit tersely. Then I spoke up, my words not nearly as succinct.

"We are not Sith," I whispered in a soft tone, yet one which cut directly through Graysith's screams and arrowed into his ears. "I don't know what all this is about these babies and whatnot, but I do know this. We are not Sith, and we are not meant to live like this. Galen and her child need people, they need human contact, more than the little group you have assembled here. My daughter needs playmates. She does not need to be used for whatever purpose you are intending."

I paused, cocking my head toward Galen's sister to underscore the unspoken meaning in those words. Then I straightened up, finishing with, "Give us a Sith ship, and I'll get her to a safe place where no one will harm her. I promise you that, and everyone here. She wants to go...."

Now I fell silent to see if how this Sith would react, Galen nodding mutely in my embrace all the while.

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He then spoke, not completly sure of himself "The children are vital... This you must understand... But i do indeed understand your needs and desires... You will be allowed to leave... By my wishes...But i am afraid you must speak to Lord Aelvedaar, it is he who controls the shield..." he paused for but a moment before continuing "you might take Galen, and your daughter to saftey.. But you must understand this... Darra is bound to the sith, and this can not be changed, her destiny will be fulfilled, when the time comes, you will be sought out, and i do hope you are all prepared to cooporate when it is needed..."

He then shook his head for a moment, returning his attention to Jharmeen.

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Then Graysith began screaming... And his mind virtualy split in two.... On one hand, he had his love for the woman... And his hope that nothing happened to her... But on the other hand, those screams were drivign him crazy... they were filled with such emotion... deep down, he knew the cause of those screams, and something seemed to strengthen with the knowledge...

Suddenly he stood, and though he still felt the same, he was not sure if his next actions were of good, or of evil...

His hand shot forth to slap graysith once, with amazing force, causing a reddened mark to blaze upon her cheek.

He stood there, hand held frozen in the air, as if considering his actions, before he turned and exited... his mind spinning, demonic gears trying hard to regain working statis...yet that bit of wicked would not allow them... Could not allow them... he fought on.

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Echoing silence deafened them all as, blinking, her chest heaving with great gasping pants for air, Graysith suddenly found herself aware of the others around her once again. Her hand flailed instinctively out, as though seeking something solid to hold on to; then it fisted, and came to a shaky rest against her forehead where the Glyph remained screaming the loudest of all.

For a long moment she remained thus, every fiber of her being shaking and trembling as at last the floodgates of repressed memory flew open and images she had refused to recall came out to play and haunt her. A finger slipped to her mouth, and she bit upon it with the effort to keep from hiding once again.

Then she remembered, not only what had happened to her, but indeed who she was.

The Glyph never ceased its blazing proclamations but somehow segued from terror and anguish nonstop into heated rage and a deep desire for killing revenge. She leapt to her feet and gritted her teeth, her jaw working to keep herself under a modicum of control.

"Kamino," she whispered suddenly, her tone deadly quiet. "He-- Roan, he took me there, he--"

Once more she bit off her words, but it was not because they were too painful to bear. It was simply due to the great uprush of sheer hatred and evil within, all the evil she had taken unto herself in the Dark Realms when she had faced the Dark One therein, all of it now exploding up inside of her, channeling into one narrow direction.

And that was the simply yearning to tear Roan's throat out with her own teeth, to sink her nails deeply into his sockets and gouge out his eyes, to take the Claw and--

One final shudder wracked her frame, and she abruptly turned her gaze outward. Her words came out in a near monotone, flat and cold.

"I remember," she began simply. "He took me to Kamino; there, with the assistance of the scientists, he assured that he too would have children of the All available to him, children who were not clones."

Then she fell silent, not really caring how her Lord or her Sire or indeed anyone else in that room reacted to her words. For her heart and her mind and her eyes and her ears, indeed, her very soul, was filled with one thing and one thing only, that being the death of Ankrist Roan at her hands, as well as the utter defeat of his plan.

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...and indeed with her Sister. And for the first blessed and wonderful time, Shayla Stargazer Petrolu was angry, righteously angry, and not a speck of it caused an uprush of despair in turn.

I am by your side, my Sister, she spoke through her link with Graysith.

Then, aloud, "How shall we find him?" she asked quietly, waiting to see what anyone would have to say.

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Indeed, perhaps things have gotten entirely out of hand. Although my Chosen One has come a long way, even she can err... as can I for agreeing to something that from the very beginning held nothing but elements of folly within it. I raise my hand to them all, bidding them silence themselves, that I might speak and pronounce my wishes in this matter.

"The hunter is correct," I begin without preamble, nodding toward him and indicating his freedom to leave. He does not hesitate, but departs the room, presumably to seek transport to Ch'arlingua that he might leave this planet altogether. They are dismissed from my mind the moment he is gone, for there are other matters which press forward for resolution.

"The difficulty now facing us is of the concern of none other than Sith," I speak out, making a motion with my hand that the protests I sense rising will remain stilled. "Of the Sith has it originated, and by the Sith will it be solved. While your joining with us has been appreciated, in the long run all that will occur will be that harm will continue to come to all. We have been breached, Khar Delba has been breached. There is no place in this galaxy safer than any other; thus among a crowd shall you be safe.

"You need your kind; you cannot remain here beneath our auspices any longer, for the health of all of you. Thus, this is my decree: all save for my Chosen One shall depart from Phrinnchatka, and return to their own. Among your kind you shall remain safe from harm; Ankrist Roan no longer has his demon answering to his beck and call, and as for the evil one within our midst...

"That problem shall be rectified as well.

"Now." I pause a moment, letting my molten eyes sweep the room, looking for the sparks of protest those unwise enough to press on with try to let fall from their lips.

"Leave now, of your own wills, lest I need find means to more appropriately persuade you.... And that the secrecy of the All does not threaten to let slip before any others are ready to face it..."

I wave a hand, and as once before remove from the mind of the Adept any of her abilities or teachings she had gained regarding it. For the All has already caused me much consternation; until the situation at hand has found a solution, I do not need worry about anything else regarding it.

[ 10-20-2002 09:08 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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[ 10-21-2002 01:02 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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