...lost in memories, her lips responding of their own accord as his brushed hers, now lightly, now fiercely, returning kisses to him in like, responding as his then moved to take possession of her cheeks and hair and forehead and eyelids... lost all the while in memories of their time together, going back, letting the beauty of the notes carry her back, step by wondrous step, all the way through every bit of time she had spent with him, every night and every day as magickal as the first, as soul-swelling as that first time in Phrinnchatka when he placed his hand upon her cheek and she realized how much she loved him...

...and then further back.

Back.

Now her eyes opened and she peered into the emerald depths of his, which had never closed, had remained open throughout, staring deeply upon her all the while, and now deeply into the violet ocean she offerred him. Her hands tightened their grip upon the simple Sith garments he wore beneath his robes, all he yet wore since honoring the body of her niece with his robes as her shroud.

"Where would I be without you, Recinis?" she breathed softly, her voice tinkling musically from the ice walls that surrounding them. Her mind instantly snapped back to the first time she had come to Khar Delba... and to who it was who had so volcanically taken her heart then. A picture of her sitting either at the side... or more than likely at the foot... of Darth Wicked leaped unbidden into her thoughts, the Temple brooding in unceasing darkness all about, Noghri skulking and whispering in the shadows, the echoes of millennia a sephulchre entombing them there.

A Darth and his Mistress... over shadows and designs and dark, dark, dreams....

She shuddered to think of where she could be had events not played out as they had. Her eyes grew moist then, and she blinked into his own steady ones. One slender hand reached up to cup his face; he turned into that hand, kissing its palm, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Life would have no meaning for me if it were not for you, Recinis," she continued softly, swallowing a bit. Her grip tightened a little. "Never had I dreamed a love as this could exist, or that I would be worthy of gaining it. No one could ever hold the place in my heart as you do; indeed, no one ever has. I love you more than you know, my dearest Lord. I can only pray that our dear son will one day find a love as pure as ours, and as true, with the meaning and depth and devotion that I have for you, and you for me. And--"

She cut herself off a little bit then, her thoughts suddenly flashing to one whom the fates had not treated as kindly.

"I hope my sister can one day gain a love such as this; she has suffered much..."

That thought merged into a moment of wonder about Galen; had she landed, found quarters? Was her companion Flac healed? She started to bring this up...

...but the look in Recinis's eyes stopped her, and his hands moved her into other areas of consideration. Her last thought on any other subject was a brief one that all would be dealt with in the morning...

...but for now she and Recinis belonged to the night.

And to each other.

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

As he came to an end, his blade finding it home at his side, he headed back to the temple, taking a deep breath his smile slowly returned as fingered the stone erik had given him, finding comfort in the smooth surfice...

Now within the temple he entered, and turned down little passages, stoping as he heard something, and following it back to where they had sat, looking at the sleeping form of Serke, who had obviously not bothered to take himself to his room...

Jharu's head shook and he looked about for a while untill he located a blanket, and pulled it back to the man, drapping it over his still form before finding his own room and laying down to sleep the night away.

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

The casual discarding of the Kri'faxx family on Khar Delba, and the dishonorable treatments the now-dead Master Rean has been subjected to.

"You say this one claims to be SerKe Kri'faxx, my son?" I ask in the lightest of whispers, shifting my arm from his shoulders and letting it fall before me. I turn to him then, my demeanor calm, but knowing he senses my own rising trepidation.

He nods, lowering his lids before me.

"Aye, my Father," he whispers, nodding again. "This he has claimed; would one make such a claim as this if one could not prove it?"

He raises his head, his eyes anxiously searching my own. A flash of deja vu: I am brought back for a moment to that terrible day when he placed such a look upon me, even as the blades of the Dark Jedi came slicing in to wrench his life from his body.

I purse my lips lightly, then turn back to the Octahedron.

"This shall be easily ascertained, Aeylmaar," I finally reply, trying to soothe away his anxiety by making my own manner even more calm and unflappable.

"If he is imposter, then he becomes a guest in our city, and we quietly discern his reason for being here.

"But if his claims prove to be true...."

I pause, staring deeply into the Octahedron, where Roan's atrocities upon the Sith warrior are now being enacted. I cannot help the shudder which races through me at that; a wave of one clawed hand, and the images fade away into obscurity.

"Then not only is he heir to the title of the Dark Lord of the Weaponry Clan... but his life is truly in great danger. Our opponent is far more dangerous than we first were led to believe, far more cunning...

"...as well as more powerful. I fear to think exactly where he plans to go with his evil actions, but a voice within me tells me he is not simply going to stop with the subjugation of the Sith. We cannot allow him to continue--

"--Come, my son," I finish, replacing my arm about his shoulders, and gently draw him away. The Octahedron reveals only swirls and shadows, yet his eyes are glued upon it, still seeing those last horrible scenes.

"It is time we speak with the others, and determine exactly where it is we shall go from here."

Gently then I lead him from my chambers, and together we hasten to the Dining Hall, there to find the others and have discourse with them, not only regarding the evil still about us, but their own places within the upcoming plans...

...as well as their own places within a galaxy now occupied with nearly 10 billion Sith.

As we walk the corridors of this grand Temple of the Sorcerers, I keep my deeper, darker thoughts to myself. For if this SerKe is indeed who he claims to be, then it is quite obvious he can be no other than a clone.

It is equally as obvious just who has been dealing with cloners far more of late than any of us had even dreamed of...

...as well as it is obvious that warriors need weapons....

[ 01-14-2003 03:20 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

She frowned a bit, heartfelt concern rising in her features. "Did Galen and her companion ever arrive?" she queried aloud, hoping that perhaps she'd only missed their arrival in all the comotion the day before.

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

Then he just nodded in affirmation of his words and returned to his plate...

His smile was as big as could be without actauly showing what it was he was smiling about, politly concealing it within his chewing mouth, drinking down some fruit juice as he returned again to the plate, finaley finishing it and pushing it away giving his tomach a quick little pat through the brillent white robes he now wore, which he had found a way of cleaning upon waking up.

His eyes turned to his parants who had just recently entered the room, having greeted them with a warm hug on arrival, he then turned to aeylmaar, waving to him with a slight smile, not bothering to realize that it was not exactly the most appropriate of greetings he could give at the moment.

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

Now they approuched Aelvedaar, and Recinis gave a curt half-bow, before clasping hands with the great sorcerer lord, "Greetings my brother... it is good to see you once more... It apeares as though the sun has set upon one phase of time, and dawn has come to greet the idea's of another, shall we discuss things here, or have you someplace else in mind?"

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

"Brother, indeed it is good to be in your presence once again," I affirm, then release him. The greeting he has spoken runs through my mind; I nod to him, and reply.

"There is much indeed to discuss, Brother," I state solemnly, directing an even more solemn gaze upon him. "Indeed, this is not the place.

"If you, and my son... and indeed, you..."

Now I turn to the one who has called himself SerKe Kri'faxx, and pin my volcanic eyes upon him. The look I direct into his eyes betrays not a whit of the unease I feel as I take in his form. Indeed, he does not look like the SerKe Kri'faxx I know of; clone he must be, and one quite obviously not only advanced in age, but biologically enhanced as well, if he is indeed who he claims to be.

But by who... and for what purpose? From the foresight of one four thousand years in the past, that past meet future in his odd design? Or by one who delights in the creation of clones, for purposes of his own, enhancing this one to only further strengthen his powers by placing him in our midst as a spy?

This shall be determined....

"You," I continue smoothly, "shall accompany me now to a place where we might discuss matters more privately."

I turn and bow in apology to the others, then depart from the Dining Hall to trace my way back to my Inner Sanctum. I shall lead them into my chambers... but not into the heart of it where my magical devices are held.

And then we shall see what we shall see....

[ 01-14-2003 11:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

"As you wish..."

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

"You claim to be SerKe Kri'faxx," I state smoothly, calmly. "This is a startling statement indeed, and one needing to be proven. The proof is in the blood...."

Even as I speak I reach out and take up one of his hands, turning it palm up and with a claw make a light incision there upon it. It happens so quickly and painlessly the stranger has no time to do anything save widen his eyes; he appears to realize I mean him no harm then as I motion to my son. Aeylmaar then comes forward, first removing a vial from a nearby cupboard, which he then holds out to catch the small amount of blood now dripping from the wound I have made.

A wave of my hand, and the mysteries of the All respond, completely erasing the wound no sooner had Aeylmaar stoppered the vial.

I speak to my son through the Link I have established, quickly reciting a simple method of creating a map of this fellow's genes. Of course my son has no idea as to what this is all about, for such things were unknown to my peoples four thousand years in the past. But the procedure which I have gleaned from my foray into my own future is simplistic enough; he bows and departs to do my bidding.

"Soon we shall have a foundation of confirmation," I state at length. "But finding the original to use in comparison might not be as easy a task as it would seem.

"Again, your statement is a startling one, stranger, and must be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. You do not realize the implications--"

I fall silent a moment, pondering my own words. Then--

"Tell us of yourself, and your past."

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

"Well, I am 20 years of age. I grew up for the first 10 years of my life on Kamino. Godawful existence, I tell you. Noting but schooling and training in the ways of a mercanary. Then I left with a man by the name of Da'San to the world of Tatooine. I worked with him uner the Hutts to reestablish there hold on the black markets. That's about it. The pariculars are of no interest, mind you. Then...then I was sent this message along with every record of my creation..."

SerKe tapped his forearm apparatus, and a holographic figure stood before him, reiterating that message...
"Hello SerKe Da'San, or should I say Mr. Krif'axx. I have something very hard to say, but I should get to the point immeditately-- you were spawned from the DNA of an old Sith, one who faught in the times of the Dark Jedi. He had himself killed on the planet of Rori, where he was buried and left a will wtih a blood mark carrying his DNA, along with his skeleton that rotted over the time. I, an explorer found the body when working for the Hutts, who you work for now, and used it for scientific matters, as I am a science explorer. Placing it in the Kamino's hand, I beckoned them to work on you, clone you into a being for the Republic Science legion to study upon. Instead of this, the Hutts got a hold of you after their ecnomoical downfall, and they used you as their Hitman. They wanted to use your Sith magickal abilities and your study at a young age in the arts of fighting, in hopes of changing their economical path.

"If you would like to learn anything more of your past, go to Korriban...their are scriptures probably within their soil telling of this man, known as SerKe Krif'axx, that you were conceived from...you may find a new path in Korriban as well...a better life then that of a black-market hitman."

The message blinked off. SerKe then shook out his hair lightly, and continued.

"I happened across the coordinates for the planet of Kahr Delba and Keel Doba...so I came, to find my answers."

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

I return my gaze to this Serke.

"Come."

The word is more command than request; turning I now lead the way into the heart of my Sanctum, coming to a halt in front of the Crystal Octahedron. Casting a quick look at the leonine being, I wave a clawed hand...

...and into the mysteries of its greeny-golden depths images now arise.

Images of the dead Kri'faxx family being dragged to his feet at the behest of Ankrist Roan, images showing his quasi-acquiescence to his peoples. A wave of one hand... there he lies, the young Serke, a lad of no more than thirteen, barely coming into the edge of young adulthood....

They cascade one after another from the apex of the Temple of Warriors on our sister planet, their bodies tumbling almost in slow motion into the waiting hands of the Sith below....

And now, the dishonoring of the Dark Lord of Weaponry himself, and the terrible abuse given to his body....

Throughout this all I speak no word, but merely watch most closely this one claiming to be SerKe Kri'faxx, alleged clone of the only heir to the title of Dark Lord of the Weaponry clan of my people.

For either this one is being deceptive for his own, as yet unknown, purposes...

...or he himself has been misled. Perhaps the blood was indeed from the young Serke, and not from a Sith old enough to engage in battle.

But if that is the case, why the deception? Who would gain from this? Again my thoughts turn to Ankrist Roan; has he somehow manipulated this event, unbeknownst to us? His mastery of the All comes shudderingly close to that of my own; had he gone back in time at some point to place this insidious gamepiece into play?

How else would the name of "SerKe Kri'faxx" be brought into this time, if not by one from the past who is aware of it?

But then, why the misleading information which follows the revelation?

My frown deepens, and I continue to merely watch this one as he in turn now watches events as they unfold within the Octahedron....

[ 01-15-2003 04:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

His mind quieted then and he gazed at the man claiming to be Serke Krif'axx...Roan is one to weave such things, for the mere enjoyment of having them present... Could this be his work? and if so, for what reason?

"I do not believe this one is roan's plaything... It would not mesh well with what has happened concerning the warrior so far...

But there is one way sure enough to find out the truth... Roan is powerful, but would it truly be possible for him to travel through time for no purpose but to add this to the frey? My Brother, look through this ones memories, as you have done before... If he truly has lived 20 years, then roan had not yet come from the past to weave such things... And therefor would not know of Kamino, and not know of the future, and could not make such plans as for this ones creation..."

He then fell silent, turning his gaze deeply into Serke's as if saying, "Can you stand to your word?"

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

They had spent the day watching as huge stones were brought into the city, had watched as the best sculptures of the planet were gathered to honer there leader.

Also, sketches had been drawn, first of roan, but then it had been decided that she too would be within the marvelous wonder that was the be built, and so they stood together for sometime as the artist drew them from several angles, untill finaly showing the finished pictures, which had utterly pleased her... For this had been the first artist that held not one mistake on that eissile, the first artist ever to have the privledge of drawing her, and not dieing for the mockery of her body which had been made... This one had truly captured both her beauty, and the great pressence of her lord...

Then they had watched as work began, and also were taken to being measured for the statue as well, so all would be perfect...

Some time had also been devoted to her lord answering the feeble minded questions being directed at him from all area's..

But now... Now her lord was leading her through a doorway... She heard the hard click as the door was locked to save them from introsion, and then turned immediatly to wrap her arms about her lord, pulling into him for a long kiss before backing away but an inch, her eyes lidding seductivly as she tossed her long flowing hair about her with a shake of her head, and they pulled together once more...

"Who that danger is directed toward, has yet to be revealed...."

[ 01-15-2003 06:28 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

"Ahh... my lovely Lady," he purred at her, slitting his own eyes in anticipation of what he knew she held in store for him. "I know what fires your blood. It is She, the one I took to my bed... but know this now."

He stopped, directing a gaze into her hot eyes, a gaze which carried truth into the only being he would ever be totally honest with.

"I may have taken her to my bed... but I did not take her into my heart. There is room there for none other than you, my Lady, my desire, my Love and my Life...."

With that he pulled back yet further, for at his words Kreesha could only utter something that was a cross between a growl and a moan, leaning into him to begin showing him her own feelings. His smile deepened, and he laid a clawed finger gently across her lips, shushing them for a moment.

"This I promised you, my love..." Speaking these words, he now reached into a silken bag that an aide had brought to him at some point in their busy day, a bag he had hung upon the sash which now held his royal robes of office loosely upon him. Loosely, that is to say, for the manner in which Kreesha had opened the front, running her hands across his broad chest.

He reached into the bag, and drew out two exquisitely carved armlets. They were the gleaming ivory of highly polished bone, each one sporting an immense and flawless ruby in the middle of its ten-centimeter wide band. Those rubies were held in place by sharp Sith teeth... while two canines were mounted on either side of the ruby itself.

Roan smiled darkly, slipping the armlets onto the perfect flesh of his Lady, kissing their way up the length of her arm from wrist to where they halted three inches from her shoulder. He drew back then, merely holding her by her shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes, before finally whispering,

"And now, my dearest one, you promised me a night like no other...."

A mere blink of the All, and the ambient light quickly dimmed to the fiery glow emitted by a curtain of lava fountaining in the night, appropriate enough for the fires which were rapidly rising into existence within the seclusion of their chambers.

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

"Hey, Flac," I broke the silence. He didn't answer; now I frowned, wondering just how long I had been removed from reality. Had he fallen asleep? Was he still here?

Carefully, I turned my head; other than the forward screen reflecting a change in the direction the hull lenses were aimed, nothing happened. I breathed a sigh of relief, and continued to carefully turn my head. My eyes finally fell upon him; he was half sprawled against the bulkead, his legs out on the deck straight in front of him. His face was white; I grimaced, wondering how hurt he was.

That bastard Roan--

I quickly cut off my thoughts before they started leading me down the lane I had been lost upon, and now focused on my travelling companion. I didn't have a clue as to where Malf had gotten himself off to.

"I-- I can't land, Flac," I began hesitantly. "I-- I just can't bring myself to land on a planet full of-- full of Sith."

I fell quiet then, looking down toward my feet. The outside view promptly rotated to one-eighty, showing the Khar Delban surface directly beneath this odd little ship.

I sighed, then raised my head to look at him again.

"You want to know what's funny, Flac?" I asked at length. I waited a heartbeat, then went on. "It just struck me. I'm a widow...

"...a widow of the half-owner of Eagle Enterprises, and now the full owner of an SSD.

"An entire kriffing super star destroyer, Flac! Can you imagine that?"

I broke off with a little laugh; not the lighthearted joyous type, this laugh was of the icy, mirthless variety, the type which precedes the encroachment of the first black tendrils of insanity. I let my gaze drop to my feet again.

"I'd give it all up just to have him back, Flac. Just to have my daughter...."

I paused again, my jaw clenching so hard my teeth gritted within my head. An indeterminable moment passed, then I managed a somewhat shaky breath. I raised my head quickly, flipping my hair a little to one side by the motion.

"So, where do we go from here? What are your plans?"

Indeed, Galen Jhin'Dar Danner... and what are yours?

I shuddered with the realization that I had nowhere to go, and now that my daughter and husband were dead, no one to tie myself to. Now that my sister had seemingly completed that damned destiny of hers, she was out of the picture too.

No place to go, no goal to strive for, no one to cling to, nothing but a big ol blank... save for the burning ember of avowed revenge which blazed away deep in the very core of my being. And how in Hell's Seven Circles I planned on obtaining that revenge, I really hadn't the foggiest notion.

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

As much as he hated to admit it, the jedi had done a pretty good job on fixing him up... He could barely feel the wounds that had once been mind numbing...

now he walked over to where galen stood piloting the ship, nodding his head, "im sorry you had to lose them galen...

I dont know why it is this all had to happen to you. Your a great person, with a wonderful heart, you dont deserve this..."

He sighed as his head again gave a little shake, "but thats all im gonna say, Words are worthless in times like these, and theres nothing i can really do to make you feel better..."

he wandered over to a little control pannel, hitting a few buttons and activating the screen that was normaly dorment.

He looked at the planet, quietly assessing it, taking out the little piece of sith metal from his pocket and examining it, before tossing it in the air, catching it and returning it to his pocket. "I have no plans really, Right now my plans are to stick with you, Being alone after all that has happened is not a smart move..."

Why do you have to be so... Soo... Why cant you decide on what to do? why cant you help her feel better?

its quite simple, i cant do anything, what should i do? dance around in a monkey suit and sing at the top of my lungs?

Ok, you have a point, but still, You should at least do something...

He sighed to himself once more looking over at galen. "listen galen, I dont know where to go... I dont want to go to the sith anymore then you... And then, i know how you feel about the empire, so that limits a lot of what we can do..."

With another little tap of the control board a map apeared and he looked over it for a moment. "...maybe... How about..."

He sighed and shook his head, "Just pick a direction, and take us wherever the wind may blow..."

He then fell silent quietly looking at the planet once more.
The sith are back? but... they are dead... They dont belong here... changing the course of history? no one has that right... Your fate is your fate... And if they are allowed a second chance... Then Damn it, So should Galen... She lost her husband, her daughter... All because of there stupid selfishness... All because they thought they were to important to stay dead...

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

a wall, therin drawing a sword and tossing it to him, before drawing her own sword, the smile

on her face wicked.
She noted the somewhat surprised look on her lords face, but to her utter pride she saw to

that he quickly conqured that surprise, and his eyes gleamed with readieness...

And so, without even a "ready" or a "begin" they engaged in combat, sword clashign against

sword, steel challanging steel... It was easy to see that neither held anything back, the

only difference from true combat was that rather then striking with a sharpened point, the

one who failed to keep there guard in perfect unison with the other, recieved merly a full

forced slap from the others blade...

But even with this, each only failed once, Kreesha had failed first, but had instantly

countered and returned the blow to her lord, afterwhich neither made a mistake to the others

skill. This continued onward for some time, untill they each held beads of glistning sweat

running down there faces, arms and chests.

Finaly after parrying a final blow, Kreesha sheathed her sword, before throwing her belt to

the side, nodding that roan do the same... When he had dissarmed himself she approuched,

taking hold of him with a gently sweep of her hand, and guiding him into another room, where

she had prepared, by having a large basin of warm water placed within.

Again her smile was a wicked one as she stripped from him his robes and pushed him into the

large tub. She looked at him with a dark grin, before she went to work wiping away the sweat

from his face, and arms, then joining him to cleans herself...

With them now clean, she lead him again into the main portion of there room, and laid him

down on the floor, begining to rub away at his back muscles, feeling him slowly loosen...
Now with him utterly free of stress, at the very edge of fallign asleep from the total

relaxed state she had put him in, she now turned him,her smile turning sweet and innocent for

a moment before she lowered herself to his lips, and simply lost herself in his strength,

Recinis shook his head again, "It becomes so difficult... Roan seems to grasp evertything so tightly, with plots and plants that twist and turn..."

his head shook and he focused again upon serke, waiting for the man to put in his own words towards his fate.

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

The Hornett glided gracefully out of hyperspace some distance from the primary, establishing orbit. As she did so, Aaron Barnes merely stared out of the viewport, his mouth suddenly too dry for words. He shoved them out. “Scan the system for ships...

...and lifeforms.”

“There’s one ship in system orbitting the Khar Delba,” came the crisp reply, “Life form readings are in the billions...”

Aaron gulped, then frowned.

Who was orbitting Khar Delba?

“What kind of ship is out there?” he said aloud.

“Just a weird looking little fighter, not much. Would you like to have a look sir?”

“Indeed,” he said, coming up to the computer monitor. Behind him, Matt and Jasyn stepped up as well.

“I know that ship,” Jasyn said. “Galen was flying her.”

Aaron turned and cocked a brow. “You wanna handle the comm before they think we are the Empire after them?”

Jasyn nodded but once, headed over to the comm and wasted no time in opening a secured frequency with the ship which was probably being piloted by Galen still. “Hey, this is Jasyn Lancaster aboard the Hornett,” he said calmly. Then, “If you’d like a lift the kriffing hell out of here, I’d be happy to oblige and tractor you in, considering this ship is now your property anyway...”

He trailed a moment at that, a pain flicking in the depths of his eyes. Then, “Just say the word...”

[ 01-16-2003 11:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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

I cease communicating then, and turn yet again to the one who calls himself after the nephew of the Dark Lord of Weaponry, watching him closely as the events unfold within the Crystal Octahedron.

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

I remained frozen.

Speak of the devil....

"Uhh... Flac?" I said in a low voice, carefully turning to him now. "We've got company...." I quickly informed him of the presence of the SSD.

My SSD....

I was about to make reply, when I froze yet again, considering. Suddenly the thought of facing them, the sympathetic faces, the hugs and offerred comfort juxtapositioned amidst the wary looks, the discomfort, the sense of what to say? How to say it? There are no words....

It all hit me like a runaway ronto. I didn't think I could bear it.

Not now. I didn't know if ever.

But-- but dammit Galen, think about it. It's a kriffing SSD. There's enough firepower there to go a long way towards reducing both these blighted planets to slag...

And it's all yours.

I shuddered. DJ shimmied.

I simply couldn't decide. I didn't know if I even wanted to decide.

I knew I didn't want to have the decision to make in the first place....

Slowly I reached a hand forward, fingers outspread. I turned my head to Flac.

"Wherever the wind blows?" I asked him softly, then fell into icy silence, the simultaneous revelation of the two paths ahead of me erupting in my thoughts along with what I suddenly knew I would do in either event.

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

"Whoever it is having the audacity to thus divert his Lord from creating his lineage, I shall disembowel before your eyes, and make him devour his own entrails!"

He growled again, latching onto Kreesha's luscious lips with his fangs and holding them as his tongue snaked out in a parting tease. Then, her flawless and newly decorated arms trailing from him, he drew back from her embrace from where they lay on the floor. He did not even deign to cover his body; still growling he gained the door in but a few powerful strides.

It flew open at his touch, to reveal a Sith aide kneeling humbly without, his horns bowed to him in respect, a shaking hand holding something out to him.

"A thousand pardons my Lord, for this interruption. My sorry hide is not worthy of the retribution you shall now enact upon it... but before I give my life to you to do as you will with it, I also would give you this. It is most urgent."

The Sith fell silent, still not looking up, his hand outstretched and holding a small device.

Ankrist stood over him like a thundercloud looming on some dark horizon. "You shall indeed die slowly, and most horribly, if this does not please me," he promised in an even darker voice; in one swift movement his clawed hand reached out and he yanked the device from the hand of the aide. It was a recording instrument, an eerie combination of ancient Sith technology and magick.

His thumb stabbed a button; the crystal imbedded in the mechanism glowed into life, revealing the image of an SSD coming out of hyperdrive.

Roan stood in utter silence at the sight. Then a slow and cruel smile crept across his face. He flipped the image off, then leaned down and grasped the aide by the throat. That unfortunage courier was yanked unceremoniously to his feet... and then completely off of them as the towering Dark Lord drew him up into his face. His hot breath blasted the aide's face.

"Indeed, remember this day and this time!" His whisper, though soft, seemed no less than a nuclear explosion in the ears of the Sith. "For it marks the Beginning... as well as the remainder of your life."

With those somewhat cryptic words he threw the messenger from his hold like so much garbage. Then, his powerful muscles rippling and gleaming in the dim light, he returned to his Queen and the wonders she had been bestowing upon him.

Utterly inspired by what he had seen, he now reached out for her, pulling her up from the floor and into an embrace as strong as the pull of the sun, and as hot. Then taking step by carefully measured step, he slowly moved her back, taking her back, until he had backed her against the side of the great stone fireplace. He pinned her there with his body, not letting her move.

"It will soon begin, my Love," he whispered hotly in her ear, running his lips around it, kissing and nibbling upon it. Then, his body heated by more than the proximity of the fire blazing away right next to them, he held her upright against the cold stones and began to return to her the favors and delights she had only moments before given unto him.

His plan would see fruition... his lineage would be The One... and the implementation of both would begin this very night....

[ 01-17-2003 12:06 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Dark Lord Roan ]

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"I shall stay, and find the answers to my heritage."

Then he looked to the one named Rencinis.

"And I am good to my word. My word is my bond."

[ 01-17-2003 12:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by SerKe Da'San ]

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A slight growl rushes from my lips; my son comes hurriedly to me, concern creasing his smooth face. I shake my head, and reach out to him.

"I shall not lose you again, my son," I whisper to him as I grasp him by his shoulders.

"Nor shall I lose that which I have worked so hard, and waited so long, to finally achieve."

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