"Our best shot is to find Graysith," she answered. Then she hesitated a moment, realizing she was back to her former problem.

How exactly were they going to do this though?

She looked back to Naad. "You've mentioned you have a couple of possibilities; we also shouldn't necessarily rule K'eel Doba out. But, at the moment, her Force signature or that of Lord Recinis's can't be found here.

What other ideas did you have?" she queried, then fell silent. As she waited she couldn't help but send out another tendril of herself to Graysith, yet uncertain as to the existence of a link at all. But something inside her told her she should keep trying.

I'm not ready to give up on finding you, she thought out to Graysith, hoping she was being "heard." I fear the fate of the galaxy without the help of the Sith, for I know there is yet much evil that lurks and must be stopped. Likewise I know without a doubt the Sith are the only ones who can truly defeat it.

Oh how I desire to do my part to help you do just that...

[ 11-18-2002 08:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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"Lifeforms?" Shayla queried.

"Insufficient data to determine," Erik replied simply. "So far as I can tell there's just the one guy that we left down there."

He paused a moment at that, his brown eyes falling into Shayla's greeny-blues. "You're the one who said there can't be that many people who know where K'eel Doba is. With that guy of Roan's out there, some unsuspecting so-and-so could be headed into alot of trouble..."

..or we could be heading for alot of trouble ourselves if we go back down there towards gods know what, some little voice added. Erik couldn't help but believe Shayla heard it too.

"So what do you think?" The question was directed to Shayla, but he turned to Freedon Naad as well, interested to see what either of them might have to contribute.

[ 11-18-2002 08:23 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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his hand crept out suddenly and yanked galen back a step or two shacking his head "sorry Galen, but i dont trust this guy one lick, and you playing 'fearless' isnt gonna help us through it..."

He then focused his gaze on the man "listen bub, I got no love for you force wielding people... Light or dark it dont matter... You have two choices my friend, go away, and mind your own businis, or prepare to face the concequences... Make your pick now, cause i aint got all day..."

As he spoke his right hand clenched tighter about itself, as if he held something of great value within... But then, perhaps he did...

[ 11-18-2002 10:32 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Flac ]

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"Still," Shayla proceeded with, "I don't much like the idea of leaving someone stranded down there, especially not if they are as close to Roan's hideout as I suspect."

Tapping her fingers on the controls of the YT-2000, Shayla considered her options. "I think we can go for the simple and direct approach. Maybe we can draw them away from the area with some brutal honesty."

With that she flipped a switch on the navboard to a general comm frequency which most ships, and she hoped the ship down on K'eel Doba in particular, should be able to pick up if within range. "This is the Allegiant, piloted by Shayla Stargazer Kartan. You have landed on a unexplored and possibly dangerous planet. Do you need assistance, over?"

She left her message at that, sending it every few seconds and hoping someone responded.

She had a bad feeling about this...

[ 11-19-2002 12:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Force user? You say it like it's a curse, a plague! You'll learn your lesson some day, fool!

Taehun closed his eyes, and ran his hand through his hair, in an attempt to feign his disappointment. Perhaps there still was a way to get Freedon's ship down. Inwardly, Taehun smiled at his own predicament.

"Look, I guess I can understand. After all, you probably didn't expect some stranger to come asking for help, on this desolate planet of all places." Taehun audibly sighed, while sneaking a peek at the two faces before him. They remained emotionless. "Look, can you at least do this for me? If there's any ships around the area, can you at least radio them, and try to get them to help me out here?"

Once again, there was no response.

Taehun sighed again. "I think I saw a ship or satellite orbiting this planet a little while ago. Please just try to establish contact with it for me? I don't want to die here..."

[ 11-20-2002 12:20 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Taehun ]

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"Listen, I may look stupid, but i didnt fall off the fraighter yesterday... You may have a sweet smile, and a pleading voice, but your appearance screams 'dark jedi' buddo... Ill tell ya what though, if you get lose right now, You might make it off this planet alive... well, depending on your luck..."

Flac just shook his head at the man "you force users are all the same... You have some powers that others dont, and you think that means everyone else doesnt have a clue... Well guess what! You arent worth my time buddy, just leave now, you got 2 minutes to get outa my sight, so i suggest you start running, and i mean fast..."

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She halted, a momentary flash of something crossing her features. Then she continued. "...don't have the skills I need to ascertain from this distance any longer.

"But that planet down there is dangerous, and I'm not just going to sit by waiting for someone to get into trouble. And it might be the remaider of the information smuggler in me, but I still can't help but return to the little fact that not too many people should know about this planet at all, let alone its location. I want to know who is down there."

"So keep sending that message," she indicated to Erik, "Meanwhile we're doing a fly-over," she explained further, reaching again for the navboard and taking the Allegiant out of orbit, beginning to guide her back into the atmosphere near the spot where they had landed only a little while before. As they began to see sky once again, Shayla spoke once more to Naad, not looking back. But the words were clearly intended for him. "You spoke of some other places where Graysith and Lord Recinis might have gone. Could you elaborate? I'm getting the feeling we'll want to get out of here soon..."

[ 11-20-2002 11:25 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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He wants us to... RADIO FOR HELP FOR HIM? Now, what is wrong with this picture...?

I gave my head a barely perceptible shake, now actively raising my blaster up and pointing it directly between "Desolist's" almost glowing eyes.

"This guy LOOKS like Desolist... but he doesn't SOUND like him," I whispered out of the side of my mouth to Flac.

"Why in Hell's Seven Circles would a dark user want that kind of help from us? Unless he doesn't have any force powers. There ARE skilled cloners in this galaxy, you know.... "

I paused, not loosening my hold on the blaster in the least, but cocked my head to one side in consideration. I didn't know what was going on here, but there was just something that didn't smell right, and as sure as Roon's Treasure it wasn't us.

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"Force user? Who said anything about that crackpot religion?"

Luckily, Desolist's lightsaber was hidden within the folds of his robes. If it wasn't, they would have quickly seen right through his lie.

"Look, I'm not asking for a lot." Taehun glanced at Galen, and returned his gaze to Flac. Evidently something was troubling Galen. "It's pretty evident you don't want to be around me. If you'll just do what I ask you to, I'll be on my merry way and leave you two alone!"

...and if you even pull out some kind of barbaric blaster...well, we'll see whether your opinion changes about those "force users"...

[ 11-20-2002 03:17 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Taehun ]

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By the time he had announced his findings, the Allegiant had already passed over the lifeforms below, and although they were quite a ways up, it was possible the ship might have been spotted by those on the surface.

He sure hoped someone down there was friendly, especially if they'd been seen.

"Any of those guys Roan's lackey?" he queried, then waited to see what either Freedon or Shayla might say.

[ 11-20-2002 03:52 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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I let my eyes slit, and took another threatening step forward.

"Umm... let's see now, how to say this-- ahhh...

"No."

With that I fell silent, clearly aware of Flac's incredulous stare pushing its way through the flock of geese on my back, and just tightened my grip on the blaster.

C'mon pal, make my millenium....

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She turned and looked at Freedon and Erik. "I'm gonna take us down about 300 meters from the other ship," she said. "I know we took off to get away from here, but that was when it was just us."

She turned and looked at Erik directly even as she started the landing cycle. "Give me your lightsaber."

He looked over to her, his eyebrows shooting up in shock. "Shayla you aren't going to...you can't..."

She cut him off with a look. "Watch me," she growled. As she did so, the Allegiant gently glided to the ground. Shayla stood and turned to Erik, her hand extended. He sighed, unclipped the saber from his belt, and handed to her. Then he cocked a brow as if to ask her what she intended. "I don't want our friend here placed in any more danger than he's already been," Shayla explained, sending Naad an understanding look. Then she directed her gaze back to Erik. "You take over the controls and fly low. I'm going to head out there and see what is going on," she stated, clipping his lightsaber to her belt.

He looked at her worriedly. She shook her head, responding to what she just kne he was thinking. "I'm a month or so pregnant, not dying of some incurable disease. I'm the most qualified of all of us to do this," she stated.

This was not an argument, it was nothing more than an explanation. "You cover my back. I'm counting on you."

With that she turned and headed for the hatch of her ship, her mind intent on what she might be headed off to face.

[ 11-20-2002 09:55 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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"hmmm... Force user... Who mentioned that religion? well...lessy, who do i know of that walks around wearing black robes...on second thought, who wears robes period? I tell ya man, ive only seen um worn by force users, so stop playing me like im as stupid as you sound..."

out of the corner of his eye he caught a shadow pass along the ground... Someone was flying overhead...

Jeez flac, how come everyone knew about this planet except for you?

Flac's smile grew somewant funny, as though he had just found the secret to life, and wasnt going to tell a soul. "And besides... Who else would know about this planet, save some lacky of a crazy man?"

he gave taehun a firm looking over and nodded "Yep, you fit the role... By the way... Have a nice christmas, Ill catcha later, sweet heart"

His right hand opened suddenly, letting a small button of sorts fall from his grasp...

With a hiss that poll shuddered to life, and in but a split second of the buttons release, a pulse of super-sonic energy was sent rushing towards the idiot that thought he was fooling someone, sending him flying backwards to lay on the floor of the planet, unconcious...

Flac then sighed and walked over to the bieng, leaning down to examin his robes...

He pulled out a metalic shaft of sorts and examined it... with a slight hiss a redd-ish blade extended from that handle, flac's eyes wandering down to the unconcious man "'Force user? who said anything about that crackpot religion' well mr. 'i think im slick as oil' i do believe this betray's you... Dumbass..."

Pressing the button again the blade extinguished, and flac placed it in a small holder on his jacket... His head turned to galen "ill just err... Hold on to this for him..."

He suddenly began to laugh almost uncontrollably as he turned back to taehun "your right, you cant be a jedi... Jedi are smarter then you... Ha....."

sighing to himself he took out the patch once more, and placed it over his eye "i aint taken no more chances, you stay on buddy..."

he turned his gaze about them, and nodded. "theres a woman approuching us... from that direction..."

he then reached into his little pouch and withdrew a small "medical" bottle of something, along with a little needle... coating the needle in the substance he pocked taehuns legs with it a few times and put it away. "when he wakes up...well... His legs are gonna be numb as hell..."

He then stepped back, picking up the little button once more, and resetting the trap. "lets see who's next on the list, shall we? i dont think we have to worry about him for a few hours, at least..."

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...and I didn't even get a chance to tangle with this bozo....

Then I shook that sense of disappointment from me and started listening to what Flac was saying to me.

There was a... woman??? Heading our way...?

The probable choices to the unformed question following on the heels of that disclosure popped immediately into my head. As far as I knew, there were only two other fems who had a clue about anything regarding this miserable hell-hole of a planet:

My sister and that blonde she called her Adept.

I immediately went into a crouch, my hands gripping the blaster even more tightly.

"Take a gander through that eye-thingy, if you will, and tell me what hair-color is heading our way."

I fell silent, every muscle pulled trip-wire taut, as I warred the desire to connect with my sister against the even greater one to remain absolutely invisible to her and that assistant of hers.

That wire suddenly snapped.

"You take it from here, okay? And you don't know me; you've never seen me, ok?"

I turned on my heel at that, and fled into the comparative safety of DJ's strange interior, pausing only long enough to snatch the lightsaber from Flac and take it into hiding along with me.

[ 11-20-2002 11:07 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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Blonde... about 4'10-5'1... thin....

As she came into normal vision he removed the patch and waited...

a moment later she was close enough to hear him and he shouted. "err... the show's over honey, i think it best if you move on and have a nice day"

He almost laughed out loud as he spoke.

Seriously flac... Who do you expect to buy that one?

Good point... Oh well...

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Took Roan's underling out? Not bad...

Then she looked back at the guy. Didn't Naad say he saw THREE people out here before?

She shrugged it off. Maybe he had been wrong. Either way, this fellow didn't know what he might be getting himself into by landing on this planet. "I thought you all might need some help with him," she said, indicating the motionless Taehun, "But I see you've taken care of it." She paused at that, her greeny-blues radiating a small amount of curiosity. "You wouldn't mind telling me how you managed to find yourself on this planet?" she queried, her look returning to completely unreadable. Even so, she sensed there was something this guy was trying to hide...

[ 11-20-2002 11:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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He grinned a bit and chuckled to himself. "and what do you mean 'you all' ? Im sorry to burst your bubble about that..."

he then looked down at the unconcious man "ya, i took care of him... He was only a jedi..."

as he spoke he took her in and nodded. "by the way, i dont happen to like people who play dumb, Your both force wielders, so tell me, why is it i should consider your a friend, when he did the same thing, and i know he was an enemy? maybe i should do you a favor now, and send you two day's from next tuesday... What do you say? You wanna dance?"

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Something stabbed in Shayla's heart, but she didn't let a lick of it show. She just quietly listened to this man's words, not making one move. To his final words she held her hands out, palms facing the sky. ""This planet's coordinates aren't on any known starcharts, so that is why I'm wondering precisely how you found the place," she started with.

Then, "Look, I mean you no harm. But this planet...isn't safe. There are some ugly dark forces nearby, and I don't see any sense in someone getting hurt here. And yes, I am a Force-user," she admitted.

All the while she couldn't help but think, I used to be alot more than simply that...

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His hand strayed to tap his blaster hip lightly. "if you mean me no harm as you say, then i suggest you yourself start explainen... Cause i tell ya, i dont much like taking chances.... as the nice young fellow right over there learned quite well..."

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I snorted to myself, hands stealthily reaching out in readiness for immediate departure if necessary. But watching Flac's smooth moves, I had a feeling that it was a precaution that was extraneous at best.

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Then she hesitated a moment, debating on how much she should elaborate, yet sensing she needed to be as open and honest with this man as possible, feeling that there might be something he was fishing for. At least, she hoped so. "I'm searching for someone here by the name of Graysith," she finished, waiting to see what this guy might do in response.

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Flac shruged to himself and stretched. "You meet some wierd people on these planets... First a dark jedi that thought he was fooling someone, and now a GOOD force user, who seems to be looking for a BAD force user... Jeez...what will you find next flac? a cat the size of a cuger?"

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I drew in something just shy of a gasp as Shayla's disclosure whispered into DJ.

She was searching for my sister? What gives here; I thought they were pals or something...?

Very slowly, so as not to awaken this deceptively powerful giant who yet slumbered literally beneath my feet, I reached to the controls for the one blaster she had. Then I settled into waiting mode again.

[ 11-21-2002 12:16 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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At that she turned, her senses still trained on the man behind her as she flipped a comm link from her belt, "Erik, land her. We're getting out of here."

Then she simply continued to walk, still wondering just how in the Universe someone had come to find this planet.

[ 11-21-2002 12:24 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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