"I would normally believe you for this, but for a few things that cause me not to believe you. One, You have light bending techknowledgy, of which I am familiar."

"Unless you would work for the sith, a possiblility I highly doubt, it is most unlikely you would have such a thing."

"Also, those are the cries of what I know as Tuk'ata, not, common animals. These beasts are often deployed by the sith clans and their dark lords to hunt down escaped charges or prisoners."

"Hence I shall come to the conclusion that you are lying. Now, speak the truth, or I will force my hand."

And as he spoke, he began to wrap his invisible sith magics around the woman, if she lies again or attempts to run, I will force her to speak.

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

...but she had heard Galen's replies. Quickly she turned to Erik and Panthar.

"Galen's in trouble," she spoke up, feeling more and more unease rise in the now-secure link she had with the other woman. "We've gotta move in."

And with no further explanation and without waiting for a reply, Shayla began to move, using her link with Galen as the compass to guide her steps. As she did this, she also felt outward with her Force-senses, and immediately picked up on the life force nearby Galen's, one which seemed to be emitting feelings of desperation and growing ire.

This was not good. Wrapping herself up in a Force-blanket then, she sent a Force-message to Erik, not wanting to attract any attention to their nearing location.

You might want to stay a bit back with Panthar, just in case what I'm up to fails.

Knowing now that the lifeform near Galen was most likely a Sith, Shayla made her final decision regarding what to do. Using her telekenetic abilities, Shayla stretched out, stirring up dirt and dust into the eyes of the Sith confronting Galen. Even as she continued to do this, she also reached out to a large nearby tree, snapping a massive branch from it. She propelled it into the air, directing it right to the Sith. Continuing such distraction, she also reached to Galen, her words short a concise.

Galen, I'm nearby. Run...

[ 06-18-2004 10:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

However, unless his assailant was an expert at hiding their power, they would pose no true threat. He was pleased with himself that he had prepared for this kind of possiblity.

He began to complete the magick he had begun earlier, his eyes burning from the sand, just as the branch smashed into his shoulder, a minor distraction.

In his left hand, a large sword coated in the dried blood of past foes came into existance, his other hand stretching to the ground and finishing the spell.

The ground began to crack in the womans direction, the ancient roots of the near trees comming to his call, jutting up around the legs of the woman and entangling her legs. Not as effective as it would have been, I was aiming for at least the torso. Now for the caster.

[ 06-19-2004 03:26 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cult Master Raelgosh ]

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“We’ve gotta move in?” he repeated. “Well, crap!”

He stood and moved quickly, his powerful Sith legs carrying him to catch up with Shayla. As he neared her, he saw her looking off at a nearby tree just a limb came crashing down from it and into a figure in the distance. He stopped and cocked his head as the person seemed to pull a sword from thin air and use it in some night club ritual, causing the roots of a huge tree to spring from the ground and entangle Galen, who had begun running a few yards away.

“Hey, it’s Galen,” Panthar said.

The sounds of movement from all around them suddenly caught his ears. He glanced around, finally seeing the shapes of little freaky people riding some nasty looking tuk’ata.

“Well,” he said. “I guess you guys weren’t crazy after all. This keeps getting better all the time.”

He glanced around quickly, looking for an escape route. Surrounded by trees, huge flowers, and bushes, the only way through was the garden path that extended from their present location either back to the main temple or to…

“The hangar!” he shouted. “Shayla, we have to get to the hangar!”

Without looking back, he darted past Shayla and bolted for the entangled Galen. He cast a fierce, pointed look at the man standing nearby, barely noticing his Sith features, and began tearing at the roots with his powerful arms.

“If those little freaky dudes are with you,” he cried towards the man, “then you’d better hope they kill me before I get to you. But if they’re not, then help me and get the hell out of here with us!”

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

I hadn't needed Shayla's instruction to get my feet moving. In fact, they were still trying quite valiantly to carry me as far away from this slimeball as possible.

Only for some reason, I didn't seem to be making any headway.

Terror iced my veins and deafened me, narrowing my focus to a desperate scan all about myself. Everything seemed to be in working order, in quite fine working order, actually, an order trandescent to the point that I swore I should be kilometers away from my assailant by now.

But I wasn't.

Strange.

Then my narrowed focus narrowed further, and fell to the tree roots entangling me. Well, almost that is. As if from the very depths of hell they had come, writhing and reaching and quite capably ensnaring one of my feet.

It felt like a dianoga, crushing me there.

I chilled further, and did the only other thing I could do. I tugged and pulled and strained... and finally gave the blasted thing a resounding kick with my free foot.

Then I tore into it like a sandcat, trying to physically shred it with my nails.

I couldn't, of course.

Now, that really just set me off. Terror turned one-eighty, and I flipped an angry glare at my captor.

"You let me go!" I seethed, when from nowhere Big Red came leaping in to my defense, lending his strength to mine....

...while all around us an army of Noghri came thrashing in, hauled behind a veritable flock of the nastiest beasties I'd ever want to meet.

Oh hell, Shayla, you'd better make yourself scarce.... I thought, and tugged harder at the roots, tossing the hair from my face to glare at the still silent mystery standing nearby, when Big Red's words wormed into my ears.

I poured a look of pure astonishment his way.

"What the hell are you doing; that's the guy who did his magick whatsis and made these blasted roots grab me; ya want him to come along with us and knit doilies or something??? Sheesh!"

Then I turned another defiant look back to my captor, and just glared daggers at him.

[ 06-19-2004 05:02 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

Panthar chanced a glance around as he tore at the roots. From all around, little freaky people were closing. He hoped Shayla and Erik had been able to get somewhere, and as he waited to see what the other Sith-type person would do, he suddenly feared the worse.

“Dang roots, anyway” he grunted. Pulling one root free, he grimaced and grabbed at another. They were rigid and strong, and Panthar felt like he was prying up heavy metal rods rather than living wood.

“Hey, Little Red,” he panted. “If we don’t make out of this alive, I just want you to know something... I... I think you have nice boots.”

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

Raelgosh severed the energies holding the woman, loosening them into a natural state. "I'm not finished with any of you, run."

He then turned towards the fast approaching Tuk'ata. I can't loose them now, I'll have to protect them, damn it all.

He crouched into a cerimonial position, and began tracing lines in the ground, using the sword to suport him.
"By that hells that spawned us, by the hells that spawned me, by the hells that consumed me, and by the hells that returned me, consume my foes, consume those whom I dispise, and may they fall into eternity..."

He could sense they had begun to flee behind him, all the better that they were not close, he doubted any of their frail bodies, save the sith, could survive this.

He finished the last few words of the enchantment, and felt every last bit of mental resolve and physical energy drain from him as it surged forth into the power of the destructive spell.

He felt the ground before him tremble mightily, then suddenly in a great explosion, spliting the rock before him, a line of fire burst from the ground stretching as far as the eye could see to each side.

He saw the Tuk'ata and their strange masters halt before the flame, beholding the sith that stood upon the other side.

"Flee back to your master, and plea his forgiveness for your failure, and deliver him this message. The Cult of the Assassins will rise again, and once again, it will serve it's rightful purpose."

With that, he stalked off in the direction they had fled, feigning strength while actually struggling to keep moving. He hoped that they would retreat, he knew that the line of fire would only last for a short while, but he hoped by then, that the creatures would have left by then.

He could only hope....

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

BOOTS....

I didn't bother to speak. Even as the mystery dude was off muttering futher intentional abuse, I just up and yanked my foot as hard as I could... completely out of my boot. The momentum of my effort sent me tumbling backward, but that didn't stop me one whit. I kept it up by a nice backward somersault, ending up in a ready crouch.

"Let's sky!"

With no further ado I slapped the light-bending device on, took off, grabbed Red's massive hand, and continued running as fast as I could, yelling like a banshee.

It worked.

The Noghri paused. The beasts snarled and whined.

And we barreled right through flame and bursting rock and yowling beasts and snarling Noghri and in all the confusion managed by some incredible luck to actually get through them all, disappearing like shadows into the woods...

...and all the while I kept up a persistent mental cry to Shayla:

"Where in Hell's Seven Circles are you??? Find us, find us and find the hanger and gods above get me the hell off this blasted rock!"

[ 06-19-2004 05:19 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

Raelgosh knew he had already drained most of his energy, and knew that the flame that encircled the Tuk'ata and their masters would wear away soon.

He stopped moving after them, and let out a gutteral roar of fury and frustration. Why did they all fight against him, why would none aid him?

He knew he could not give into a self pitious state. He had to think upon how he could catch up those he had fought and saved.

He then laughed at himself. Long had he gone without using any of his magicks or other powers, that he had forgotten many of the powers he had often used before the change.

He let himself flow into the river of magicks that fueled him, and called upon one of the first ones he had ever learned off.

Suddenly, everything moved slowly to his perception, and he smiled wickedly.

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

...and finding herself on the other side of flame from the others, excepting Erik. He ran up behind her even as Galen's cry registered clearly in her mind.

"We have got to get out of here," she whispered, feeling the chill of death through the Force. She could feel along its paths rising anger, along with tendrils of panic. Erik took her hand, his brown eyes falling into hers as he stepped in front of her. "We've got to get away from them first," he stated, pointing in the direction of approaching Noghri, tuk'ata with them.
That grabbed Shayla's attention. She nodded once, gripping Erik's hand. "Hang on tight and help me," she stated, closing her eyes. Even as they rose from the ground she felt him connect with her...

...and in moments they were back on the side with the others. And as Shayla's feet touched the ground, her now widely open Force senses slammed into a closeby non-ness approxamitely the size of a large building.

"Oh my gods," she whispered then, her eyes snapping open and shooting to Erik, "I think I know where the hangar is."

Even as she stated this, she thought the same thing across the link she shared with Galen.

We're right behind you, she then thought, throwing caution to the wind with one final glance to her husband. He read the look in her eye clearly, and they took off, the added aid of the Force giving wings to their feet. They didn't have to run far or long before they caught up with Galen and Panthar.

"Don't stop!" Shayla then stated aloud, anticipation and hope ringing clear in her voice. "Whatever it is I'm sensing...

...or not sensing...

...is not far in front of us."

She paused to take a few breaths. "We better there quick," she then added, "We haven't quite gotten rid of whoever that was back there...

...but we still stand a chance."

Even as the words fell from her lips, their surroundings began to look familiar to her, and the tree bearing the branch Panthar had earlier been holding out as if it were a door stood tall as though it were a lifeline...

...and by all means, it most certainly was.

Pulling away from Erik, Shayla ran for it, taking hold of it and pulling it forward as Panthar had done. Even as she did this the images she had been seeing again shifted, and the cold of a metal door latch in her hand wafted into her senses. And she could finally see the hangar into which that door lead.

"Don't be fooled by what you might see," she then stated to the others, motioning them inside, "The Sith and the Noghri and the tuk'ata are most definitely real...

...but I am coming to believe that you can only see the hangar we are about to enter in if you believe it is there..."

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

He could sense them ahead, along with, something else. Then suddenly, he saw two of them soar overhead.

It wasn't as though he was running on a deadline. But best not to tarry, he continued to walk/sprint towards them, closing the distance swiftly. Then it seemed as though their presences were consumed by the void ahead.

He stopped to quickly ponder this anomally, then decided to move on.

He could understand why they would flee the Tuk'ata and their masters, but why would they flee him? True he had attacked, but he had heeded the other sith's words, and in turn released the red haired woman. Yet they fled him like children, fleeing a monster from their bedtime story in a bad dream.

He could only ponder as he moved on.

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

I nearly fell over as Big Red slammed bodily into me, but managed to keep my feet.

"Shayla answered me... finally," I whispered through my teeth; nevermind the poor dude probably hadn't a clue as to what I was referring to.

"It's this way."

Without further preamble I took off in a direction about one-thirty-seven from the line we had been running along, plunging deeper and deeper into the lush forest.

All around me the cries and yeeps and chirps of the local fauna told me there were yet others nearby, urging me to greater speed and greater silence.

Finally: a break in the green. There ahead, hidden in the dappling shadows was a flicker of ghostly gold. I beelined after that glint of moonlight on hair, and soon found myself coming upon the others. The tiny hairs rose on my neck again as Shayla turned to face me before I had turned off the device, then settled with my following thought that we were probably sounding like a herd of feral bantha.

I slapped the control, and Big Red and I popped into sight like a seed squirted from between one's teeth.

"All right, where is it?" I panted, tugging Red along behind me to come to a halt in front of Shayla. I cast a quick look around.

"I'll believe anything you want me to believe, but sure as there's Treasure on Roon all I see are plants and trees."

I concentrated harder, willing that damnably elusive hanger to come into being.

"Where did you say it was? I don't think we have much time."

[ 06-20-2004 05:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

She paused, glancing down once more to the glistening metal latch in her hand, "It's right in front of you. Apparently it's ahhh...

...enchanted...

...or something like that."

Even as she said this, she caught the glint of humor in her husband's eye. "Sith voodoo, eh?" he commented then, smirking. "I sure as hell haven't seen a hangar yet either, but if you say it's there it must..."

He paused, gaping. "...ok, so it is there."

Shayla alloted him the barest of return looks, then turned back to the task at hand. "Allright everybody," she then said, "Follow me."

With no further ado than that, Shayla lead the way inside, her senses highly tuned to all that surrounded her. No sooner had she stepped inside then did her eyes fall on the blessedly welcome sight of a Sith fighter. She turned to Galen, cocking her head slightly.

"Do you see the hangar and the fighter now?" she queried, the look in her eyes hopeful, and entirely earnest. "Looks like you're finally gonna get out of here."

Quieting at that she awaited Galen's response...

...and prayed to the gods that fate was finally going to play a hand in their favor.

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

He ran his hands over what he thought to be DuraSteel. The tracks pooled here, but they've disappeared.

He dragged his claws along the side of it, feeling for a crack. There it is, now where is the access pannel. Ah, there it is.

He found a part of the wall that pressed in, and there they stood. "I told you, I wasn't done."

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

No way, there just ain't no way in heaven or hell that I'm going to let him stop us now!

I gritted my teeth, and shot Shayla a glance.

"Lead on, MacDuff... and do it quickly!" I shot into her mind along the link she had opened with me. My eyes fell to her hand, then, and widened with a growing certainty.

Sure as Hell's Seven Circles looks like she's grabbing hold of something... like maybe a latch to a ship? Like maybe the door is open?

The sheer probability of that thought lent my inspiration wings. Before bozo could press any further attack, I made my move, shooting forward toward Shayla and running directly past her. To me it looked like I was running between a couple of peculiarly straight trees, but with a glance I saw that I was on the right track.

Her growing smile told me I was at least entering into the invisible ship, and booted footsteps assured me that I wasn't the only one moving now. Suddenly there came a ringing clang, as if a hatch had been secured.

I let a sigh of air escape my lips, and slid down against a handy tree... which wavered and misted and suddenly segued into a shining bulkhead of something not quite metal. The blessed familiarity of this fighter sent a grateful smile flickering about my own lips, and I ran a hand through my hair.

"You know how to pilot gnarltree?" I quipped to Shayla, then shot a grin at Big Red, who was looking particularly confused about it all.

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

But they seem not to wish for my aid, and deny me their own. Perhaps I am to walk alone along my path, never to find the truths? No, I will not accept that.

"Would you take me with you to be your friend and ally, or would you deny the plea I give?" He continued to scream.

[ 06-21-2004 04:17 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cult Master Raelgosh ]

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

...and Sith cloak would be highly helpful. Everyone sit and strap in."

Even as she said the words, everyone agreeably complied, and Shayla quickly activated the Sith ship's engines. Flying the ship came back to her as if she could do it in her sleep, and in moments the engines were at full capacity.

"Sit tight everyone," she then said, "We're about to blow this joint."

Looking towards a particularly inviting glowing sigil on the navboard then, Shayla stretched out and punched it...

...and in an instant the fighter went from motionless to something approximating a smoothly gliding speeding bullet, and Khar Delban sky registered in the viewscreen in the barest of moments.

Shayla only then spared a glance in Galen's direction. "Sith belt activated?" she queried then, not letting down as they continued to kiss Khar Delban moonlight.

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

He stalked out of the hanger and began to move towards the Tuk'ata and their masters, of whom had just arrived.

The made a half circle around him, his back towards the now empty hanger. "Take me to your master, Aelvedaar."

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

“See, I told you there was a hanger there.”

Panthar looked out at the planet’s topography as it shot past underneath the ship.

“Hey, what about the Sith-type guy back there? What was he shouting, something about allies? And what was with that tree thing? And the fire ring? And the little freaky dudes on big nasty things? And… and… hey, L’il Red, you can probably let go of my hand now.”

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

I reach out and gently take it into mine. It's blade is quicksilver sharp beneath my questing thumb.

"And so it begins--" I murmur to no one in particular, then set the knofe down carefully in its place.

I lift my eyes to my Chosen Son, and with some amusement read the disapproval storming within his amber eyes. They fairly glow with his effort to mask this; my smile broadens in direct proportion to his ire.

"You do not think I should have sent my Noghri after them?" I chide his look gently.

"You believe I should just have... let them go...."

As he so transparently has; I wonder why...

I shake the thought from my head, and turning, dismiss Aeylmaar for the moment. A single thought, and a mystic aide is at my side, bowing.

"There is one coming to me; see that he finds me here."

The aide says nothing but his bow shows his obedience. I follow his egress with an amused gaze, then turn it back to my Son.

"Perhaps the game is not yet over, my dear boy."

I silence with that, and quietly await the introduction of the assassin who skulks without my gates.

[ 06-21-2004 07:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

He suddenly found them at an abrupt halt, and felt himself being roughly led up a long flight of stairs.

Up ahead, he could see more of the short two legged beasts that held him, and another figure who didn't quite match their discription.

That figure stood before the gates, his long white hair reaching to his lower back, and his red eyes piercing Raelgosh's as they met. But the most curious thing that made the man draw all Raelgosh's attention, was the heavy taint of sith magicks about him.
He's one of mine! But I do not ever remember seeing him! What's happened? Before he could summon the ability to speak to the man, he was dragged through the gates of the Temple, of the Sith Clan of Sorceries.

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

4,000 years ago, to be exact.

"What is it you seek from me, Cult Master?"

I place heavy emphasis on the title-which-is-not, showing my scorn for those who would join with the Ruling Clans and lead the Sith, but who the people in their wisdom had denounced.

Across the table, my Chosen Son straightens in his seat, but remains silent. That too shows great wisdom; I taught him well, after all.

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

I smiled, leaning my head back and rolling it to one side to send a relieved gaze Shayla's way. My estimations of her raised a trifle more:

She doesn't seem as... well, uppity as some of those blasted jedi can be, I thought to myself as I watched her manipulate the navigation panels. Her fingers flew from one mysterious sigil as swiftly and surely as my own; it was with this observation that a slight frown creased my growing comfort.

"Hey, where did you learn to fly a Sith ship?" I asked, curious. "These babies aren't just out and around for general flyer's ed, you know."

With that I quieted, but not before yanking my hand from Big Red's massive paw.

"Very funny," I whispered out of the side of my mouth, but let humor carry those words into his ears. I was simply too happy to be where I was, and going where we were...

Wherever in Hell's Seven Circles that was.

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

"But even though I have spoken that I seek nothing, this is a Facade. I wish to know what has happened. Things have changed. One of my assassins stands outside your gates, he carries all the appropriate signs, yet I have never before seen him. All my other assassins have disappeared, and I have seen many things in the past three years that have disturbed and confused me in my unworthy and pointless existence."

"Now I ask only a trade, though I can asure you the better end of the bargain. As you know, and have used, the Cults services have and always will be of the highest quality for your lordship. All we ask in return is your acknowledgement, and to know what has happened."

With that, he continued to lay himself low, hopping he had not been to bold.

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

It is simply that I wish not to sully myself with it.

"I believe you may be of benefit to me, Cult Master," I reply without preamble. Rising, I leave the table, ignoring the growing curiosity and consternation upon Aeylmaar's face, and lead all from the Dining Hall. Travelling deep into the bowels of this wondrous temple, I lead them to my Inner Sanctum; with a wave of one hand I drop the chronotic shield I have placed about it, and wave the pair into my chambers.

Therein, the incubator glimmers in green-golden beauty, yet holding the embryonic son of the Stargazer.

Beside it, my Crystal Octahedron awaits my bidding.

It is to the latter that I now proceed. A wave of my clawed hand... and a particular blot against the fabric of space and time is revealed. Another slight motion...

And that blot writhes, shimmers, and crawls in upon itself to disappear against the backdrop of stars. In its wake there hovers a beautiful Sith warship.

Yet another wave... and the interior is shown. I smile to see her and the one who would be Lord, and indicate the pair to the Cult Master standing respectfully behind me.

"You may begin with these two, I have no need of them," I say calmly, noticing but choosing to ignore the protest flying upon Aeylmaar's face. I turn to the Cult assassin.

"Take care, the female uses a power strange to you, one that Sith magicks alone might have some... difficulties with. But be heartened; she is young in their usage.

"I trust you are adept in your chosen profession, are you not?"

I smile, letting his eyes linger upon the distant pair as I await his reply.

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