I couldn't. I was too far gone. There had been too much, too much... and quite suddenly I didn't care anymore. All I knew was that Father, Jharmeen, Sorben, Darra, Terrin, and now Loban had all been loving parts of my life... and were gone. Dangling carrots, one by one, each snatched cruelly from me as I continued plodding forward as if I were but an automaton, only to end up on a planet of nightmare surrounded by all those I had fled in order to protect their lives.

If I wasn't hurting so badly I would have laughed for the sheer irony of it all.

All of it then, all the pain, all the anguish, every lick of it just suddenly coalesced and formed into the dark-coated image of the man who had me by the neck. Whose fingers I could feel digging cruelly into my neck, into my throat. The heat of his fury washing over me like a tidal wave, adding impetus to the grain of logic who waved its figurative arms even harder.

I didn't care. I just didn't care any longer.

Like a runaway machine whose off-switch is broken, I kept kicking and scratching and gouging, tears of mingled rage and agony trailing from my reddened eyes.

You bastard! You cowardly bastard! I wanted to cry but could not, for his grip about my throat was too tight. It tightened further, now cutting off my oxygen supply; that only triggered me to press my attack more strongly.

You won't kill me yet... I'm not ready to die just yet... you're going to pay for what you've done.

My flailing fingers found the front of his trenchcoat, ripped it open to reveal sweat-gleamed flesh beneath, and it was that flesh I now sunk every nail into as deeply as I could... which was to their full extent.

[ 05-27-2003 11:53 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

I let my emotions run freely through my mind and body. I shook slightly, rage welling within me. "You will let her go now!" I roared. I reached out with the Force and began crushing Romanus's larnyx. I would not stop until he let her go. And maybe not even then.

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

Nonetheless, it was something that needed to be dealt with immediately. Anger still flowing through his muscles, and using the assistance of the Force, Romanus turned and throw Galen at the blue-guy. He broke off the Force-choke to try and catch her, but both were still knocked to the ground.

Romanus, rubbing his neck, swiftly backed up again so all three were in his view. He held his right hand behind him, summoning dark side energy into it. He could feel it forming into a ball of electricity.

"Your last warning..." he rasped, still backing up. "One more step, and y'all fry..."

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

A stampeding reek would have been easier to stop at that point. Like I said, all I was aware of was red, and the powerfully dark strength washing from this black-sotted creep, whose dire presence only drew me toward him like a magnet.

I was literally growling in my throat as I launched myself upon him again, this time my nails going for his eye, raking his face, even while the impetus of my small body threw him backward as I exploded against him.

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

You asked for it!

Blood seeping into his eyes, Romanus unleashed dark-side lightning onto Galen. He could feel wave after wave of energy flowing from his hand, but the flashes of light and the blood had clouded his vision. He was unsure of whether he had blasted her back or not, but he summoned more and more of the Force to aid him...

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

Strange it was, something not quite of that which men term real, yet possessing the epitome of such awesome power as to make the raging nuclear fires of a star seem less than the feeble light of a match. It was as if it were a color unsensed, an odor nonexistent, something positively there but not; indeed, it was more as if instead of being aware of a new strangeness, I was suddenly being shown the heart-tearing emptiness of all my previous existence in which it had been not. Even so I didn't really feel this, didn't lend a lick of notice to it; all I knew was that my instinctive lunge to attack this man had turned from something sparked from the purity of righteous anger...

...to something darker than night, something foul and gibbering, which now raised its weird non-ness in cool calculation...

...and took up the blue-white lightning being pumped into my system and sent it back tenfold, straight into the dark one's blood.

The force of that utterly unexpected eruption sent me recoiling head over hiney, where I crashed into someone coming to my assistance. I wasn't sure; on something closer to a conscious level I was still seeing red, only now that red was broken with splotches of shocked incredulity.

What in the name of Hell's Seven Circles was that... and how in the name of all of Roon's Treasure did it come from me?

Then that shock melted beneath a fresh onslaught of sheer dark and evil hatred... and I smiled, leaping to crouch in preparation of yet another launch into Romanus, with the realization that this final emotion was flooding not from him.

But from me.

[ 05-27-2003 02:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

He could still breathe, thankfully.

I'm still alive...haha...this sucks...

Finally, he gave up. Romanus laid his head back and slipped into unconsciousness.

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

Trembling, I reached out, lay the back of one hand on his face, moved it with deceptive tenderness down his cheek.

Mine-- something deep and unfathomable growled beneath my soul of souls.

Then the room turned topsy turvy as my eyes rolled in their sockets and I crashed down into unconsciousness....

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

just unconsince. thank goodness. I thought after i took Galen's post. I got up and looked at the others.

"Anybody got any water?" I asked. "and another thing. What do we plan to do here now?"

[ 05-27-2003 05:41 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jebbua Dahutt ]

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

--as if he could really do anything about it--

--when something happened, and something that appeared to come from Galen shoved that blue-white lightning back at Romanus, knocking him flat on his back...

...and Galen as well.

With the greatest concerted effort, Jasyn picked his jaw up from the floor and helped Galen back to her feet. For a moment she stood equally shocked; then suddenly went for Romanus once more, straddling him. Jasyn didn’t have too much sympathy for the downed man...

...that was a fact. But then, he really didn’t want to see Galen get hurt any more than she might already be...

Like she was gonna get hurt after that—that—what WAS that...?!

...but he moved to try to get her to back off. About that time her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell limp. The Jedi moved to check Galen’s pulse, and asked if anyone had any water, then going to Romanus and checking for his pulse as well.

Jasyn scowled. “We ahhh... care if he’s alive or not?” he queried darkly, his pointing finger indicating Mr. Trenchcoat. “I think not...”

Even as he said this, Matt, who had gone off somewhere or other, managed to return with a goblet of water, handing it to the Jedi helpfully then stepping to the side.

Only then did Jebbua’s last query register in Jasyn’s head. “And what do you mean by what we plan to do here now?” he growled. “It’s not up to us anymore, and besides, we make no decisions without Galen’s input.”

At that he knelt beside Galen, who Jebbua had at least rolled off Romanus. He picked her up, sending a look at Romanus that could have killed as he did so, and returned her to the couch where she had been resting before.

Then he whirled and eyed Jebbua. “Leave Mr. Trenchcoat where he is,” he stated darkly. “He can take care of himself..."

[ 05-27-2003 08:21 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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

Finally Shayla shifted, turning once more to the Sith incubator, her look focused on the very small child within. Something deep within her simply ached, every atom in her being longing to simply stay there with him.

But she couldn't. And she suddenly needed something so desperately to fill the hole in her heart...

Turning to Erik, Shayla finally spoke, her greeny-blue eyes leveled with his. "We need to get back to K'eel Doba," she said in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"There is no way we are going back there after she--" Erik started, but Shayla cut him off with a look.

"Things are not always what they appear," Shayla said flatly, her eyes suddenly diverting from Erik's to rove about the Inner Sanctum.

She wasn't even sure they were what they appeared to be here...

"We're going back, and that's final," she reiterated, suddenly realizing that her legs felt like jelly underneath her. "Let's go, while I still have the strength in me to stand at all."

Nodding at that, not saying so much as a word, Erik simply moved to Shayla's side, placing a supportive arm around her and casting one final long glance towards the Sith incubator protecting his son...

...and then leading his wife from the depths of the Temple and beyond to where he had berthed the Supernova.

[ 05-27-2003 09:53 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

However my head was still on straight enough to see about getting this mysterious guy restrained so we didn't have anymore surprises out of him. I searched the luxurios room for something to bind Romanus with. The tie-backs from the posh, velvety, deep purple curtains seemed as if they would do the job. I snatched them up and bound the strangers hands and feet. Then using a short lenght of the "MacGuyvered" bindings, I tied his hands to his feet like a cowboy would "round up" a calf.

"That aught to keep him out of our hair for a little while anyway." I checked everyone over for injuries. Even Jasyn. "Hold still" I told him. "I'm just gona give you a once over to make sure nothing is broken."

Aside from a few new scrapes and brusies, everyone seemed fine. Seemed fine! Galen had yet to recover from her... well, whatever it is that she had done. And that worried me. "Jebbua, let's see what we can do for her." I sat down in the hopes that Jebbua would follow my lead. Some Padawan I am. I seem to take charge every chance I get!

I began to probe inside Galens unmoving body with the force. Searching for something, anything, I could do to help her recover!

"This may take a while." I informed the others.

[ 05-29-2003 05:12 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Dash Kelderon ]

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

What gives here? One minute this Kelderon guy doesn't seem to give a damn about Galen, and the next he's right on top of things...?

Frowning a bit at that, Jasyn stuck just a little bit closer, all but completely ignoring Dash as he checked over everyone's injuries...

...that was, until he and Jebbua came around to do whatever it was they were doing to help Galen. Jasyn slit his eyes minisculey, keeping a very close eye on the two of them....

...and glancing momentarily at the bound Romanus. "You boys really think that is going to hold this guy back...?" he spoke at last, returning his gaze to Jebbua and Dash, an eyebrow arched in skepticism.

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

"Look Jasyn, I know we don't see eye to eye on most things. But I'm improvising here! If you can think of something better to do with that guy, then go for it!"

I returned to my work, my minor healing abilities somewhat taking affect on Galen. Her breathing coming more and more regular with each passing second.

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

In fact, they were groans... and they were coming from me.

A deep and resonating utterance, originating from somewhere deep between my chest and my throat, put figurative fingers upon lids that felt as heavy and gritty as all the spice Kessel has ever mined, forced them open, and then sat back snickering to itself. Gradually the whirling colors and sounds and smells came to a stop, revealing something blue which hovered over me. Even as the form began to crystallize something whammed into me like a runaway ronto, sending an unwilling heat blazing into my face. I reached out a weakly flailing arm.

Damn those pheromones anyway...!

Now the groan issued from my mouth with a vengeance. I struggled; then my flailing hand connected with Dash's shoulder and I hauled myself up to discover I was once again on the couch and being tended to.

This is getting to be a habit--!

"Wha-- what happened?" I managed groggily, still tottering on the edge of full awareness and that wonderfully fuzzy state which immediately precedes it. My grip on Dash's shoulders tightened then, but it wasn't in an effort to remain upright.

It was that somewhere, somewhere deep inside of me, something hovering just beyond the limits of unconscious recognition drew back with a laugh that was pure Night, coiled into a tiny lump of something, and quietly closed whatever door it was that was hiding beyond so securely in my psyche.

I shivered without really knowing why, and put my arms around myself, for suddenly the room seemed to be filled with ice.

[ 05-29-2003 11:00 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

Turning his attentions to her one brief question, he answered, “Our pal over there,” he started, his look dark at that, “Tried to send some ligtning your way a la the Emperor. I was sure he’d hit you, when suddenly the lightning was somehow...

...pushed right back at him. You managed to knock the bastard out...

...and yourself as well.”

Jasyn quieted at that then, wondering again precisely how this happened. Certainly Galen had to have some Force abilities or...

...or just maybe she had something else as well. Jasyn’s mind flashed back to another time and place, remembering when he’d heard Terrin relate how he and Galen had gotten away from Graysith and Roan in the Temple of Khar Delba....

...and how Terrin always seemed to think what happened had as much to do with Galen as it did the unborn Darra.

That weird power that Graysith and her children and Galen’s children had...

...somewhere, deep down, did Galen have it too? For how could she have kids with this power if she didn’t?

At length, Jasyn snapped from his thoughts, trying to calculate just how to state them. "Galen whatever happened almost looked like...

...like some of that power that your sister has.”

Not knowing what else to say at that, Jasyn simply quieted, eyeing Romanus every so often...

...but keeping the majority of his attention focused on Galen and the others in the room.

[ 05-29-2003 07:21 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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

"Kill him! KILL HIM!"

"Remember, your name is Romanus..."

"...carrying cargo of foods and medical supplies to Coruscant..."

"Welcome to the Imperial Army."

"She's mine, Corporal! GET BACK!"

"Corporal Romanus, you have been dishonorably discharged..."

"If you are reading this now, then you are Number 19..."

"Figure out the machines, and you'll be immortal..."

Romanus opened his eyes, but quickly shut them. His dreams have come again, bringing him back to consciousness a lot quicker than he thought. The last glimpse he had was that they were still in the room...

And they hadn't dragged me out yet.

He tried moving his hands and feet, and found them to be bound. There was nothing he can do about it...for now anyway. Instead, Romanus concentrated the Force in easing the pain throughout his body and healing (what happens to be) the many wounds he had. To the others, it would seem as if he's having a bad dream...

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

I walked over to Alex is who was staning to the side wacthing everything.

"Could you go find a blanket for Galen? She is cold, and needs to be warmed up." I said to Alexis making sure that only she heard. She hurried off to find one.

Then I headed back over to the couch and on my way back I noticed that the guy in the trenchcoat looked like he was having nightmares or something the way he kept struggling on the floor.

"Looks like he is awake. Or something like that." I said as I pointed towards the guy on the ground.

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

That said then, Jasyn returned his full attention to Galen, wondering if anyone had even heard the words he had spoken concerning whatever had happened between Galen and Romanus only minutes before.

Well, apparently not Mr. Jedi Master over there, some shoulder-devil snickered.

Jasyn did his utmost best to ignore it. Now is not the time for that...!

So instead he simply placed a hand on Galen's shoulder, concerned. "Galen?" he queried, then simply fell silent without moving so much as a milimeter.

[ 05-30-2003 06:36 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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

"That wasn't me...!" I whispered, shaking my head in something approximating denial and wonder. "It- it couldn't have been me...."

Jasyn started to reply when he was abruptly cut off. The door to our room opened as silently as the wings of some night bird, revealing in its frame the ominous outline of an aquamarine-eyed Sith. He bowed his horned head to us in a somewhat perfunctory manner; then turning a bit to the side he indicated the corridor without.

I turned a wide-eyed glance from Jasyn to Dash to Jebbua, then ended that sweeping look back upon the one who had been sent to retrieve us. He waited while we trooped into the corridor... then went into the room to unbind the trenchcloaked slimebag and shake him into somewhat rude wakefulness.

Romanus in tow, he returned to where we were waiting. Then he led us to the oh-too familiar Dining Hall, where a glossy black table was waiting for us. She sat at one end, looking calm and self-assured... while the opposite seat from her was occupied by the looming form of the lowering Lord Roan.

Only the sounds of our shuffling footsteps marred the electric silence as we were led forward and ushered into seats, with me finding myself near one end with my sister on my right and Romanus on my left. On his other side was Jebbua; across from Jebbua was Jasyn, then Alexis across from Romanus, and finally Dash's blue-skinned form was placed across from me.

When all were present, Roan lifted a clawed hand; upon closer scrutiny I saw it contained a wine goblet completely dwarfed in his grasp.

He said nothing, but held that goblet high, waiting....

[ 05-31-2003 11:35 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

We entered the grand dining hall. The large black table looked quite imposing. The room was a bit dark and dreary for my likeing, but I could tell that it was quite lavishly decorated. We were seated. Galen accross from me, with Alexis on my right, and Graysith on the end to my left. Jasyn on the other side of Alexis; Jebbua across from him, the trouble making trenchcoated guy across from Alexis.
How I was beginning to hate that trenchcoated guy!!!

The gargantuan looking Sith held up a goblet of some sort, waiting for something.

I didn't want to do anything to upset our hosts so I waited for Galens lead. She had been here before.

[ 06-01-2003 08:17 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Dash Kelderon ]

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

...well, it had always been Terrin. Good thing Matt was here...

...this drink was gonna be needed. So, with no further ado than that, Jasyn reached for his own glass, more interested in its contents than in the "toast" Lord Roan seemed to be waiting for. As he glanced at it, the demon liquor raised its head and snickered.

Brandy. Is that...

...Sith brandy...?!

Almost instinctively, Jasyn now reached for the glass, picked it up, and started to raise it to his lips without so much as a toast...

...when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a warning...

...yet extremely calm...

...look from Matt Stanza.

Damn. Some things never change. Here we go again...

As these thoughts sped through Jasyn's mind Matt, most certainly keenly interested in the actions of all present and particularly the Sith, simply raised his glass, his green eyes revealing nothing of an emotion whatsoever. Jasyn's eyes grew a bit vague.

He always hated this stuff...

...after all, Dark Lord Roan...?!

And if HE hated it, he couldn't imagine how Galen must be feeling. Why if Terrin was here, he would...

Jasyn forced himself away from these thoughts, something distant in his eyes darkening. Then, a bad feeling worming its way into the forefront of his psyche, Jasyn raised his glass...

...and with much effort, forced himself to wait.

[ 05-31-2003 12:58 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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

After quite a bit of a debate, Erik had managed to convince Shayla that they should return to K'eel Doba in standard rather than hyperdrive so she could get some rest. As he sat there alone, staring at the controls, again Erik hesitated in returning to K'eel Doba at all. Shayla had already experienced enough hurt for the past few hours...

...how could he take her back there again to experience more...? Even now, she still didn't believe him concerning Graysith...

,..at least not entirely; this was evident in her demand to return to K'eel Doba even after what he had told her.

Was it that she just didn't trust him, or did she simply need to see for herself? Then again, was it something else entirely?

Erik frowned at that, knowing somewhere deep down that it wasn't a trust issue...

...but still somewhat discomfitted by it. Unconsciously one of his hands strayed to the navboard...

"Don't even think about it," a level, if still somewhat tired, voice spoke, breaking his thoughts.

Erik turned to look at Shayla, but she wasn't looking at him; rather, her greeny-blue eyes stared dead ahead into space towards a nearing K'eel Doba, the look in them somehow distant.

"How much longer?" she asked.

For a moment he simply gazed at her, then diverted his own eyes to the planet looming in front of them. "Just a few more minutes and we'll start the landing cycle," he started, then turning back to her. "How do you feel?"

For an instant, Shayla's eyes grew impossibly more vague. Then, "As well as can be expected, for a mother who has given birth and had to leave her child somewhere for his own good."

Erik pursed his lips, a small hurt of his own running somewhere down deep. He reached out a hand to lay on her arm supportively, and let a few moments pass by in silence which was only broken by a proximity indicator. For another moment, Erik remained quiet then, "Have a seat," he said softly to his wife, his hand slipping down her arm and around her own hand as she then moved to the coplilot's chair of the Supernova. Only then did he let her go, and return his attention to the navboard. After establishing orbit around K'eel Doba, he reached to pull up the coordinates for Char'lingua...

...and again frowned, looking up and directing wide brown eyes in Shayla's direction. She merely arched a brow in question.

"The spaceport," he started, "It's not there..."

[ 05-31-2003 02:00 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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

It just isn't going to happen....

I squirmed a bit in my seat, cutting my eyes from one to another seated around the table, sending a furtive glance to where the horned Sith Lord sat smirking before I focused on middle space somewhere in front of me and sat in silence, waiting.

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

...at least not properly, anyway. Jasyn seemed ready to simply dive in, unheeding to any toast whatsoever. Everyone else...

...was just simply waiting.

Well, there's one way to fix that. Make a toast, and see what happens from there.

With quite an amount of nerve, Matt then let his green eyes sweep across every person sitting at the table. Then he made the toast:

short, simple, and right to the point.

"To whatever lies ahead," he said, raising his glass once then taking a drink.

Nearby Jasyn nodded once, rose his own glass...

...and took a good drink before lowering the glass once more. Matt tilted his head slightly, his green eyes sending yet another warning glance in his buddy's direction.

Take it easy there, pal. Take it easy.

And then he waited for anyone else at the table to react.

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