his gaze turned back to the symboles emblazened on the wall.
He is however... Capable of loyalty... That is good....

Recinis smiled to himself at the possibilities that could unfold with the sorcerer involved.

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

...and Recinis's apparent lack thereof. Then she proceeded to speak her own mind.

"I was once taught and have always held to the fact that the future is always in motion...

...how can we talk about what should be to come when it hasn't?"

She paused at this, something trying to niggle its way to the forefront of her mind. "All we know thusfar is that Jharu has been taken, and by Lord Aelvedaar. But how can we be certain what Graysith has seen in the "future" is what should be? Aelvedaar has, after all, taken the All unto himself and possibly his Son, and he has manipulated and used people...

...it won't end once he's achieved his final goal."

Again Shayla paused, biting her lip as her thoughts traveled along her final spoken words. "He's manipulating us even now, I'm certain..."

Shayla chewed on her lip, her thoughts slamming into a possibility. As soon as it came to her mind the words slipped from her lips. "He knows we will all run after Jharu...

...he may be a diversion..."

[ 11-19-2003 10:51 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

"and you are right about the future shayla, things change every moment, nothing is final."

he then turned to Jharmeen, "I know you dissagree with this, but i believe the messenger should be heard out... Every possibility must be examined... You said it could not be coincidence... Perhaps it is not."

He then turned to phalomir, eyes narrowed, "Watch yourself sorcerer, your words are not befiting a sith. Do not speak as though pain is the only way to gain what you seek. there is always another way... Always." again he turned away.

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

Do you know what is important to you, my Lady? Have you the balance….

Graysith stood rooted against the pillar as though shell-shocked. But deep inside of her, something new began to stir. It began on a low enough note but bit by bit began rising in timbre, growing louder and stronger with each passing second. Her arms, still wrapped about herself, fell to her sides and she fingered the smooth stone behind her as if it was a lifeline of sorts.

Important? The Sith. The Sith had always been important to her, ever since…

Ever since when?

That day more than three years ago when she went into a newly excavated cavern on a remote and unknown world, and came out of it again but no longer as Jharmeen Jhin’Dar but someone else, something else. Someone to whom one of the most powerful beings she had ever known had come, to assure her of her place in the Grand Scheme of things. A place she had not been given in the truest sense of the word birthright, but indeed by the blood roiling in her veins, by the cells of her body, by the very biological blueprints which made her who she was, which in a manner predestined her to react in the ways in which she did.

Being born a human of Daros IV, she could not have been more Sith if she were the very daughter of a Dark Lord himself. Recinis was right; and in being Sith, in learning as she had of the All and the balance necessary to use it, of the great need to always look beyond one’s own nose and see the greater needs of others in that Grand Scheme, she suddenly not only saw the need but deeply understood the necessity of having to act in a manner not acceptable to the circumstance.

The necessity of her killing her father hit her hard enough to make her stagger.

One life to let One go… to start traveling along the road leading to the rejuvenation of an entire civilization. One versus the many; even her father would have seen the imbalance of his existence at that moment, for had she wavered and softened, that small speck of balance would have snuffed into obsolescence and she…

She.

Would have remained Jharmeen Jhin’Dar.

Who would never had started a particular coil of time to unravel.

And a crazed Darth would have remained in secluded dominion of an empty planet.

And an entire people would have remained bereft of life.

She gasped, suddenly growing limp and sliding down the pillar to puddle on the floor of the Library. Around her the muted, hollow sounds from those around her grew even more distant, overcome by that rising strong note within.

It was the Beast. But more… not His which had been emplaced within her to protect her from herself; no. This was that Beast within which was her, which slammed into her soul with its own brand of understanding and taking hold of that quivering mote forced it/her to look upon the deed she had been perchance forced into committing.

And thereby forced her into taking pride for the strength and persistence she had to use to do it.

Suddenly she threw back her head and screamed as with the rush of an unstoppable geyser something burst forth from every cell of her being, coalesced into a mighty flame, and burst in incandescent triumph from the Glyph.

"Do I know what is important to me?" she finally cried, her words carried upon the suddenly wild beating of her heart.

"The fact that I am yet the Dark Lady of the Warriors! I rule the warriors; this has been given unto me, and I shall not fail them! And in that vow, I shall neither fail all the Sith!

"I will have my seat here amongst them! I will have my son again! I will have my Adept, who will again know that which I have decided that I shall teach her...

"And I shall have my Lord!"

Then she silenced, her eyes cutting between Recinis and Phalomir, and let her Glyph speak for her. Clearly, it ravened for blood, for revenge…

And for the Sith.

[ 11-19-2003 11:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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

He spoke deliberately, a smile traversing his face. “The Dark Lady has returned.”

He swung his head around quickly to face Recinis, catching his eyes, and growled a low, guttural sound, the sneer returning.

“And you are wrong, Recinis. Who are you to tell me what is becoming of a Sith? Go back to where you ran, the true leader of the warriors is with us, and she is strong. Are you?”

His fangs dripped darkly in anticipation, his claws moving rapidly. A bright red glow emanated from his skin, and the tattoo upon his head flared.

[ 11-19-2003 11:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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

He then smiled to himself, "I will go back to where i ran from, just as soon as you provide me passage to the past. Oh, but i can not return, furthermore i will be with Jharmeen untill my last breath. You are not worthy of speaking to me in such a manor, you do not know my existence. you speak of matters you do not understand."

his gaze then turned to Jharmeen and he nodded but once. "Jharmeen... remember... You are the chosen daughter, not the glyph. Your strength givse the glyph power, the glyphs power does not give you strength."

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

"Indeed, is Phalomir not worthy?" Shayla queried, her eyes slitted slightly. "Then why was it he who rose to the occasion when your wife was in despair? Why was it he who comforted her and called her to the task at hand?"

She fell silent a moment at this, then continued on. "Indeed, the glyph is not what gives Graysith strength, but she that gives it strength. We have already seen that, for the All was taken from her...

...and yet the glyph is silent no more. And it is that strength alone which we need to recover Jharu. Why is it you do not see this...

...or perhaps is it that you see this, and you are yet too afraid of the Dark Lord of the Sorcerors to believe it...?"

[ 11-19-2003 11:43 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

When Phalomir spoke, his deep voice resounded in the small room as if he intended to emblazon their meaning upon the very walls.

“Your time here as Dark Lord is over,” he pronounced. “The Warriors have their Lady, and she has no need of you.”

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

“I think it is time you and I had a little talk….”

[ 11-19-2003 11:49 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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He then laughed at phalomir's glare, "your eyes do not scare my sorcerer, and know this... if i am to be declared unneeding, i will have it from my lady's mouth, not yours. You speak constantly, babling on and on about how it is she that rules the warriors. Then let her rule, fool. I have not challanged anything, it is you who have gone against her wishes, she said she required me to lead the warriors, i complied, it was her desire i assume my former position, and i shall immediatly drop that stance as soon as she tells me i am no longer needed, but you, you are not the lord of warriors, i have no need of your words."

He then turned a soft regretful smile to shayla. "you are right... I am not deserving of the grace given to me shayla... But you must know... I have realized that i have protected Jharmeen to much. Look at what has happened in my absense... She has grown... No matter how strong of will she was before, she still was submissive at my side. My pressence restrained her, limited her... Though it pains me that i have left her, seeign the strength she now possesses, posseses of her determination, with no aid from any other... Given the choice, i would do it again, i do not seek to limit those i love..."

He then turned a glance at Jharmeen and back to shayla, "it was not Phalomir who made her rise to the occation, you are mistaken... She came to that by her own will and being, with no aid from him. You belittle her if you believe she required help to regain that which she lost..."

he then turned and looked at jharmeen, still speaking to shayla though, "Shayla, you hold love within yourself... Even when he you love is not near, is he not with you? i dont pretend to know the boundries of the human heart and soul, but that much i know must be shared between us...
im not blind shayla, i see what the all can do... And i am not afraid... What i am is catious... I am a trained warrior, i am trained to not put reliances on a single power, especialy one that the enemy holds just as equaly""

his eyes then shot back to phalomir, "you... You have claimed so great a place in her heart... You know nothing. You claimed that you lost your wife and child, that the pain is unbearable... And yet you are so little as to not even understand the power of the heart. You are never away from your love sorcerer... never, time can not seperate you.
Then recinis sneered as venomously as phalomir had before, "when i took claim to the warrior title you stated with confidence that there was another that could take my place... You are right, his name is Jharu Q'utaro... Next in line of the title of warriors... granted the title by his mother, Dark lady Jharmeen of the warrior clan... Granted that title by his father. Recinis Q'utaro, lord of the warrior clan. You have no right to that title, no matter what you think. My son does..."

He then took forth his wrist, revealing the softly glowing tatoo of gold that was before hidden beneath his robes.

"do you desire this to be removed from me phalomir? do you want me dead? your jealousy of the past is most unbeffiting a lord. You want me away... Are you so enthralled by my wife, that you can not take the chance that she will someday find the love she has sacrificed? What if she should some day regain that which she pushed from herself, that she should love her husband once more... Does that possibility shatter the hope you have so blindly stacked up?"

he then turned to Jharmeen, "jharmeen... The all is with you... You could take back the love... Ive sensed your wonderment at it often... I have felt the slight twinges of pain as you remember what you have done... it is within your power to take back that which you have pushed away... There is nothing keeping it from you... Not even pain, that much is done with, i can see..."

He then laughed somewhat, "but something i learned from you... is that just because you have the capability to do something, does not mean you should... One day you must tell me where you have banished that which you once felt... It is no doubt an extremly important situation that requires it..."

his eyes shot back to phalomir, ignighting into a blazing emerald flame.

"I warn you of this right now... And i will warn you of it never again. You do not understand the situation as well as you think you do... There are many sides to every thought... Do not meddle in a situation you are blind to... You have said it yourself, you have feelings for Jharmeen... That in itself blinds you to the truth, just as much as my own feelings blind me... the differences is... I know i am blind, and therefor use my other senses... You go on thinking you see..."

He then lifted the sleeves of his wrist to reveal a golden tatoo emblazened there on.

"My blood is the true line of warriors... it is my choice to accept or denie my title as dark lord... That i Jharmeen saying i am no longer lord, is by my will, and no one elses... My line is the line of ancient sith phalomir... My line is the line that was first given the tatoo... And so with roans death, all compitition for the position is gone, i am the dark lord... For all to see... Like it or not... The tatoo is one forged of magic, I am dark lord of warriors, not you, and should you try to remove me from this position, i can, by right and law, take your life without shame or disshonor... Let it be clear to you now... Whatever rules apply in your existence, do not apply here, for it is my blood that holds this title, and no one elses... Jharmeen was given the rulership of the sith, because her blood is my blood, and my blood is her blood, so instated by the fusing of our lines. And then my friend she was given my blood, and given that claim to the warriors, because i place within her my absolute loyalty, trust, and love. And now that that title is hers, i know i have chosen wisely, for there is no other i would ever give up my title to..."

"And i do mean that... For if there ever comes a day when you gain the title of dark lord, while my son yet lives and breaths... And while i am in fit condition to rule... Your life will end. There shall be one blood to each clan. You have the title of armorors emblazened on your body... Yet you are a sorcerer at heart... If you claim more then one title, you break every law set in place through the universe... Convince me now of why YOU should be trusted... You speak for the dark lady as though she is yours... You attempt to remove me from the picture as though it is your discision to be had. How can we know that this is not just a part of your plan, to come back from the future, and secure rulership of all the sith?"

Then he turned and looked at jharmeen, "the answer is because you are loyal. If to no one aside from Jharmeen, you are loyal... And for that reason, i would trust you with my life if i had to..."

His eyes then turned back, "but of yet, i do not have to, and i will not... You dont have to like me phalomir, you dont even have to pretend to... But you do have to show me respect untill i sacrifice my title... And you do have to trust me... Because if you do not trust me... Jharmeen can not rely on us..."

[ 11-20-2003 12:33 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Recinis ]

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His shaded form glided accross the non-existence that his realm presented.
"Speak to me my...friend" he said the word just as he had once said to roan... Filled with the knowledge that he knew not the meaning of the word... the world about him flexed at his dark desire, as he wrapped a tendril of his essence around the sorcerer.

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

She shushed it, struggling, letting her fighting ire diminish enough that that part of her which was Jharmeen could yet rise to the fore.

She turned to Recinis, her eyes wide and suddenly moist. But though her lip trembled just the slightest, she kept the tone of her voice firm.

"I took my love for you to protect a son which would be born of us; it was... prematurely brought into life and the only way I could save him from death was to take him into the Elseness..."

She trailed, knowing he would immediately understand why she had done what she had. Just as she understood now what she herself had done so long ago.

She suddenly straightened.

"But Shayla's words do have bearing, Recinis. You returned, you say I have been submissive to you, yet it is my strength which you are gladdened to see. You speak of the love I have taken and put aside as if it were a mere possession to be played with and then found another use for.

"But you do not try to ignite that within me again... and I wonder why that is so, Recinis."

Again she fell silent, her mind flashing back to many days, happier days when all was well in K'eel Doba, when she had found happiness in the being of this Sith and she thought he had found the same with her.

Yet indeed he remained removed from her, as no loving husband truly ought to remain....

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

I smile more broadly, and let my fangs peep out as I wait with expectation to hear his response.

[ 11-20-2003 12:55 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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He took a step forward, placing a hand gently on her shoulder and looking into her eyes, "Jharmeen..." his hand came upward to brush away the moister that had formed there.

His gazed passed over her as though suddenly seeing something for the first time, his gaze became yet softer as he gave her a brief embrace. "I've hurt you more then i ever dreamed possible, havnt i... of course... I never dreamed hurting you as a possible thing i could do..." Though he spoke to her, his words were clearly towards himself.
"what have i done?" his own eyes moistened then and his head shook slowly.

As a tear rolled down his cheek he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, dispite the fact that she now stood straight before him, and then he pulled back slightly.
"Im sorry Jharmeen... Please.... Forgive me for not seeing you..."

His eyes then looked into hers as his mind prepared for her to destroy him... He deserved as much... Nay... Destruction would bring to much relief...

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

"Yes, no sooner had you arrived but our son had been stripped from us. And at what other time, I pray you tell me now, would be one more desperate, one in which I would need that love from you more, than that?"

She shook her head and looked quickly down to the floor again, letting her hair tumble down to hide her face so none present would see the tears suddenly forming in her eyes. For indeed had she given away her former love of Recinis, in order that their defenseless offspring would be protected from all evil...

...but that did not mean that she was incapable of loving again. Ever since Recinis had returned logic had reminded her of this over and over again... enough to raise the specter of hurt and bewilderment, even though those gibbering entities had remained hidden from her until this very moment.

Deep within her soul, the snarling Beast would brook no such intruders. It hissed, bared its teeth, and descended threateningly while Jharmeen Q'utaro waited to see how events would then play out.

She broke her uneasy silence with a final observation.

"You were always adept with words, Recinis, but did we not once speak of how one's actions speak so very much louder?

"Yours indeed did hurt me, Recinis... more than I ever realized until this very moment."

She fell silent again, her face lifted to his, her eyes boring wetly into his own as the memory of her vision within the gnarltree grove on Dagobah rushed forth to taunt her, pushing logic and cool self-assurance to the side just long enough for a fresh infusion of tears to come trickling down her cheeks.

She swiped at them, angry to be dealing with such things when her son was in so very much danger. Deep within herself, the Beast let out another warning rumble.

[ 11-20-2003 03:20 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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“My trust does not come automatically, warrior, as most certainly hers does not. You may be from the original line of Warriors. Know this, I AM FROM THE LAST!”

Phalomir pointed to the tattoos on his cheeks, the gold in the center of his forehead illuminating them. A large stone door somewhere within his mind shattered, allowing a flood of memories to emerge from the depths.

“I was Dark Lord of all before coming here, brought here to save the Sith from their future, a fate most terrible. It was mistakes of the earlier lines that led to that fate, and though I bow to the ruling Lords, allowing the gold in my blood to hide in the shadows, it is lackluster imbalance such as yours which drives my desire to act.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“And I find the parallels of this time to my own most disturbing.”

He shifted slightly.

“Keep the Warriors as far as I am concerned, place your fate in the hands of the Dark Lady. But, Recinis, you shall not have the Dark Lady.”

His eyes softened a fraction.

“Recinis, I have come here to take actions to save the Sith. Unlike with others, killing you is not a necessary action. But having her as my Lady is necessary, and one I am willing to take great steps to achieve.”

He stepped towards the Dark Lady and reached for her, his eyes burning. He lifted her face towards his.

“Great steps indeed,” he said intently yet softly, his eyes searching for the spark he was hoping beyond hope to find, waiting to ignite that which transcended time.

[ 11-20-2003 01:23 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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"My love is not a thing to be bandied about lightly, to be considered as a possession, as I said," she said at length, staring heavily at Recinis.

"And neither am I." This to the growling Phalomir.

She took another step backward, sliding past the pillar until she came to a halt against a strange piece of machinery hulking there in the room. Her arms rose to hug herself; then she stopped, letting the inner Beast guide her once again.

It seemed delighted to be freed from the shackles which had once bound it.

"My son is yet missing, and a Dark Lord of Sorcerers threatens us," she reminded everyone present. "So far we have gained nothing but apparent and mutual irritation, at the very least."

She drew in a steadying breath, then continued.

"I find this... most displeasing, for it gains us nothing and only distances us from my son. I will now retire with one I feel I may truly speak; perhaps tomorrow after we have rested we may meet to break our fast and behave in a civil manner towards each other once again.

"Shayla?" she ended then, stepping forward and taking up her Adept's hand. Giving her a smile and with no further ado, she strode out of the little room and departed the Library altogether, hand in hand with Shayla, heading back to the Temple, letting the marvel of the Glyph warm the path ahead of them.

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

Yes... Actions speak louder then words... I truly am i fool.... One day though... One day i will be that which i must... Untill then though, i may only do my best to meet that standard...

His gaze turned to phalomir and he allowed a slight bow, smiling somewhat, "Trust may not come easy phalomir... But it must come. I am not one that strives to create enemies, no matter how it may appear... You character is strong, and i respect yoru words more then you think... But i will let no one push me from the path i must take... Just as you must do what you are hear for. So must i do what i am hear for."

He then turned and went off to find a quiet place to meditate. As he searched he came to the small park where he and jharmeen had danced upon the sky's. Sitting down he allowed the tears for flow from him as he sought an inner peace.
Actions speak louder then words.... Indeed, i will remember that i hope...

I hope one day you see though jharmeen, that i do not see your love, or yourself, as something that may be possessed... There are not words to describe those feelings... So i supose for that to happen... My actions will have to speak louder then my words...

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

Having been severed, it was of course no longer there. Though she had hoped that it would have been restored along with her reunion with the All, deep down she really knew that would be illogical, and probably would not have happened. To regain that link, she would have to find her son. It was a simple as that.

These thoughts brought others concerning loved ones to mind; her pace didn’t lessen a whit as she suddenly spoke up in the quiet.

“I have missed you, Shayla,” she finally opened, quieting for a moment. “I—I could not keep you away from the assurance of protection by being away from me, but now I wonder if you were the one in danger all along. They spoke that she had to die; perhaps it was not you but that part of me which is Graysith… or perhaps the Dark Lady.”

She paused in her musing, ignoring the fact that Shayla probably hadn’t a wisp of an idea of what she was talking about. For a long moment all that broke the silence was the tap of their footsteps; then she cocked her head a bit to the side, and gave Shayla a soft look.

“You must miss those who love you as well, Shayla,” she said then. “You have come here so… abruptly.”

At that she paused altogether, implications of Shayla’s mere presence finally hitting her. She turned to face her.

“Were you yet with Erik when— when you came here?” she asked, concern rising in the violet depths of her eyes. “What happened? Where is he?”

She quieted, wondering after the well-being of Shayla’s husband and love, and putting aside for the moment all conflict regarding her own.

[ 11-20-2003 02:21 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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His hood dipped but once before he withdrew his reaching tendrils unto himself once more, eyes burning into Aelvedaars.

Darkness quaked as his voice came forth.
"This body is one i indeed desire... But when offered by one such as yourself, it hardly seems fitting a payment... Perhaps you could be so kind as to accompany this transation with a few... Modifications to this childs being... Perhaps you could make him a more suitable age... Perhaps inprint within his mind knowledge of that which you know i seek... I seek full usage... Not some budding knowledge... Nor some reflexive wielding as i have sensed in others i have come upon... My black roses brother... He came to me once... I could feel his insecurity of his powers... That is by no means what i seek... "

He laughed again, "yes, you most likely knew i would ask this of you. Why else would you offer this body among all else... I seek to wield the power that by definition, i can not touch... Through her blood i can though, that is my understanding... Have you the power to give me what i desire? if you do... I will assist you in anyway you wish...."

As he spoke a tendril of darkness escaped his form and touched itself upon Aelvedaar.
"You must of course realize two things... By giving me what i want, you insure yourself a powerful ally... and also... If you should lie to me, by my very nature, i will know it... The darkness in you will scream it to me..."

He withdrew his outreached tendril and took a step forward, offering a gloved hand
"now i must ask... What say you. Shall we be allies? Can you grant my desires?"

[ 11-20-2003 05:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Entaris ]

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"Yes," she then spoke aloud, "I was with my husband before I came to be with you. We had been on Korr'isan, where Phalomir sought and found the Finger of R'lous. Shortly thereafter Thoran appeared; he came with the apparent desire to destroy us. There was an altercation, first between Thoran and Phalomir and then between Thoran and Panthar and I. Eventually Thoran took me into Elseness, leaving my husband and Panthar back on Korri'sian," she explained, frowning then as she continued with, "They probably have no clue what has become of me..."

She paused at that, her thoughts then shifting to the things Thoran had told her. And although she most certainly did not trust him, Shayla couldn't escape the fact that Thoran's "predictions" concerning Phalomir appeared to be fairly accurate thusfar. She looked to Graysith. "I must tell you the things Thoran said in the Elseness regarding Phalomir, and soon. I most certainly do not believe we can trust him but...

...his words hinted at a threat to you, a threat in the form of Phalomir. Be it an intentional threat or not, I fear it may be possible."

At this Shayla quieted, once more beginning to walk. As she did so a thought...

...and more than that a deep down feeling...

...pulled at her heart. "And I have missed you too, my sister," she stated, "You hold a place in my heart that no other could ever fill. I am prepared to do everything I can to aid you in finding the son who has so wrongfully been taken from you."

Saying no more then, a painful emotion sprang up momentarily in the depths of her eyes as the thought of her own son within a Sith incubator somewhere in the Khar Delban Temple haunted her...

[ 11-20-2003 10:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

He turned the small stone over in his hand. It was a chiseled rectangular block, smooth and worn. He gripped it tightly and ran his thumb up and down its surface.

He tried to relax and let the energies inside of him subside. It was a difficult task, for his mind was ablaze with feelings he had not known he could have felt. Until very recently he was bent on discovery of his memories, his purpose, his past. Now he had been presented with the trigger to those memories and he was no longer sure he wanted to pull it.

Jharmeen had inspired him to action, he had been prepared to do battle and if Recinis would have flinched physically at all then Phalomir would have sprung upon him. Right or wrong, he would have -- and all it took was mere message from Jharmeen, a message that was at first loud and clear to him, but was then rescinded when he made his intentions clear. In his life with her -- or his version of her -- she had never been so fluid in her emotions, so apt to change her moods at the drop of a hat. She indeed had lived a different life than his version of her, a harder life.

So what was he to do now? He had surely made an enemy in Recinis, whether outright or in lack of trust. This would not do. He had surely alienated both Jharmeen and Shayla with his outbursts, and he needed them both. He needed all of them. And Panthar, where had he gone?

He placed the stone between his hands and stood. He must first seek Recinis and make amends, try to explain his actions. His own anger over the lack of leadership from Recinis had led to poor judgment on Phalomir’s own account. He tossed the stone into the air, caught it in his palm, and walked out of the door into the night.

He strolled the grounds randomly, rubbing the stone between his fingers. The stars peered from their perches in the sky, winking their mockery at his questions, his search for an answer. Every tree held her image, every pool of water reflected her eyes, every night bird called to him with her voice. But she was only in his head – whas that truly where she now lived, only within his head? Was this the Jharmeen he loved?

She shall have her Lord, she had said, looking between himself and Recinis. He had taken that as a call for him to challenge Recinis, and the challenge was not answered. Recinis loved her, but so did Phalomir. Though all of his memory loss, his four thousand years in the prison of the Eye, the ensuing internal struggles, the one thing that remained constant and steadfast was his love for his wife.

But THIS Jharmeen was not his wife...

He cursed himself for attempting this folly, to travel to a different time to save his future, only to miss the mark and lose the past he held so dear. He cursed his memories for their sudden return, causing him great pain. He cursed Roan for betraying him to the Master and the secret society he represented. He cursed Aelvedaar for his involvement, whatever that may be. And mostly he cursed the Vong for destroying all he ever knew, giving him the urgency to even try such a foolish, desperate act.

Ah, yes. There was the answer. His life, all he ever knew, was gone. All that was left to him was the present of this timeline, and its hope for a future. He was Dark Lord of the Armorers, a title apparently carrying with it a great deal of work to be done. Why could he not live out a happy existence here?

The reasons bore down upon him like a mountain falling into the sea. What reasons, indeed? Jharmeen was here, her but not her, his but not his. Thoran was now surely trapped in this timeline with his master, no doubt. Aelvedaar was implementing some nefarious plan of his own that somehow would certainly cross paths with Phalomir’s quest. And, above all, the Vong were surely on their way.

Lost in thought, Phalomir nearly stumbled over a large rock on the dimly lit path. He quickly struck his leg out for balance, but when his foot came down it landed on a patch of slick mud and he tumbled sideways into the bushes. Embarrassed, he rose to his knee and looked around himself.

He was in a small clearing obscured by many tall bushes and flowers. Here the leaves and grass were brown on the ground, except for one spot where a dark ooze soaked the brush. Near the ooze lay a body of a human. Phalomir cautiously approached the body and gently rolled it over, exposing the severely mutilated face of Panthar Dantares. Phalomir checked for a pulse, knowing he would find none.

[ 11-21-2003 04:12 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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Pushing the coordinates into the navigational panel as he grabbed at the control rods. They were set in the same fashion that an old school pod racer was, horizitionally away from one another. They were perfectly set for any pilot, for they could be manipulated into any form of control rod.

A great job, dad, the young man mused as he pushed the two controllers forward, the thrust of the engines making a shaking sound that boomed through the cockpit.

A smile widened on his face as the ship was thrown into high gear and came closer and closer to the nearest unreadable location. It was going to be a treasure of a moment indeed, even though the young Za'in knew very little about the situation.

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...then his hand shot out to stop Za'in from continuing his approach. Jasyn hadn't a kriffing clue what was out there, but he suddenly had the suspicion he didn't want to get any closer til he did know more. "Don't get any closer," he warned, his eyes still only for that eerie black patch somewhere in front of them, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Za'in shot him a curious look. Jasyn's eyes darkened slightly as he turned to the younger man. "You said you father was a Jedi or something like that, right?" he queried in seeming nonsequeiter. "Any chance you inherited some of his Force abilities and can get a reading on that thing out there...

...a Force reading? Cause I'd sure like to know if that is one of the planetary Force-blanks Kelderon mentioned..."

Jasyn quieted at that and waited to hear just what Za'in might reply.

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...not that he spoke a word of this whatsoever. He didn't know much of these Sith, but from what he could surmise they respected strength and fortitude. So he'd just have to be certain he gained that respect...

...and complaining about discomfort, exhaustion, and hunger didn't fall under any of the above. But he couldn't have been more relieved when at last they cleared the last of the peaks and he began to see something that looked like inviting green jungle ahead of them. He breathed a sigh of relieve without thinking of it, and glanced back, unsurprised to see several of the Sith warriors behind him. It had been that way from the very beginning of his capture but...

...he truthfully was disturbed he hadn't seen Kelderon at all. Their Sith escort was admittedly large, however, and perhaps Kelderon was being lead further back...

...but Matt was uncomfortably aware of the fact that when they had left the smaller Sith city Dash had been not too far behind him.

What had happened to him? Was he still with them, or had some ill befallen him...?

Matt frowned worriedly as he continued to follow the escort party in front of him, hoping that he'd not be met with the worst case scenario when they reached their destination and the answer to his concern was at last made evident. After all, their entire mission here on K'eel Doba had already started on the wrong foot and he dreaded the possibility of a casuality...

...and whatever else might be to come, for that matter...

[ 11-22-2003 11:30 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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