He turned to the Dark Lady.

"My lady," he said quietly. "Your powers are vast, as shown by the shield you placed around the ship. Do you not recall how powerful you are?"

He then turned to Shayla.

"Can you use your powers to locate a person, if enhanced somehow by us perhaps?"

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

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

Once more, Shayla pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Perhaps I could, if I can be assisted in targeting this ripple you have referred to. After all, I can't sense this person through the Force on my own abilities...

...but if you could help me feel the ripple, I should be able to track the movement once I know what I'm sensing out for. In fact..."

She trailed, her Force-senses still stretched out and tuned in to all which was around them, "I should be able to zero in on a blank in the Force and track it just as well as I could track a Force-signature. Thus, if the Sith magick which this being is using causes a noticeable blank in the Force which you could direct me to...

...I should be able to get a lock on him. I think it's a very viable option, especially since we are probably running out of time. And--"

She paused once more, turning to eye the still-hovering Jasyn Lancaster, "--If someone can attend to him so that I don't have to, I will be able to attune my Force-senses even more."

Quieting at this, Shayla waited, ready to whatever was necessary.

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

Suddenly, he felt something ripple out towards him. Magick? But what could the purpose be..... no.....

He remembered how on one mission that he had been sent on, and how his force had almost reached their target in their small citidel, only to have their forces counter ambushed. At the time, he had not cared for it, he had assumed their target was using large quantities of magick, and had merely sent out large amounts. But now that he felt something similar again, he wondered.

There had to be a purpose. Could it be a tracking magick? He decided to silence his magick usage, and reappeared to sight. He stood, and began pacing in circles around the circle, waiting, almost like a shark in the water.

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

Phalomir sighed and close his eyes. “I may be able to blend my magick with your abilities, perhaps I can tune to your thoughts. It would be easier, I think, if I had the Eye, but that I fear is lost.”

Phalomir tensed as one of the ripples in his circle of magick diminished. Phalomir's eyes snapped open.

“One of them has stopped using their magick blatantly. I can still sense the faint pulse of the magick within the person, but it is very weak now.”

Outside the protective circle, Phalomir caught the quick movement of something moving back and forth, almost pacing. He brought his hand up and pointed, placing the other hand over his mouth.

[ 09-27-2004 04:21 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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...and they were very nearby. In fact, when Shayla glanced where Phalomir's pointing finger indicated...

"That's him, our pursuer," Shayla then spoke in a whisper. She gathered the Force about herself in preparation for whatever he or she might bring...

...and simultaneously looked to Phalomir. "And as for the Eye...

...it is not lost. You see, back on the warship, when your soul was taken from your body, the Eye spoke to me."

She paused, letting the importance of those words sink in before her final bombshell. "I have it."

[ 09-27-2004 04:27 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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It took every lick of effort I possessed to keep from running up to Phalomir. Dammitall, but Terrin was inside that big red body of his, and now that I had found him I was sure as Khaandon made little green worrts not going to lose him again. However, it was obvious that this was a shared situation, and while the Sith dude was in possession of his faculties, it seemed he had some mighty handy power to assist us with.

No way was I gonna impede that... but I couldn't just stand there not doing anything, not when every hunch I had ever had in my life seemed to be coalescing into one gigantic one, which was now waving its red flag of warning for all it was worth.

"That's him?" I continued, fisting my hands at my sides.

"Watch out guys; doesn't it strike you a touch wee on the weird side that he's suddenly being so obliging to reveal himself to us?

"I don't trust him, not one whit!"

[ 09-27-2004 04:43 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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Ok, why didn't you think of that before?!

"Galen," she started, then continued with, "Now might be a really good time to activate your Sith belt..."

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

"Uhh, yeah."

I could feel my face warm with embarrassment.

Dang, why didn't I think of that?

I shot everyone a rueful sort of grin, then activated the device.

"Well, 'tis a done deal, guys," I whispered then, looking from one to another. For within the little bubble within the larger one woven by my sister, we were all still clearly visible to each other.

From the outside, though...

Well now. That was an entirely different matter.

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

“You have a Sith belt?” he asked Galen. “If that is what I am familiar with, then we are cloaked. We still have the problem of our friends the assassins and how we now get inside the ship without conflict. We have stealth on our side, but we would need to drop both this shield and the chronotic shield. We could try to blast our way, but who knows what powers these assassins have been given, especially if they are aligned with Aelvedaar. Could we use the All to transport us to the inside of the ship? Wait, we would have to travel first to the Darker Realms…”

“I wonder if these assassins lied, and if Aeylmaar is on the planet. If so, perhaps the Eye could be used to contact him. Where is it, Shayla?”

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

Then she continued with, "So, this being confirmed, why don't we use it, and get out of here? Surely there is some way it can help us get back to the warship without us having to traipse into the Darker Realms..."

[ 09-27-2004 05:37 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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"I believe that will be unnecessary," she stated as the gesture cut off whatever Phalomir might have been ready to answer. She turned to him, and lowered her hand.

"Your suggestion is a valid one," she continued. From off to one side she could feel the prickling sensation emanating from Shayla's rising objections and concerns; clearly her former adept knew exactly where she was heading, and the Chosen Daughter knew it. Her hand raised once more.

"Hear me out, please," she said, sending her a quick look meant to assure. Then she raised the other hand, and indicated the writhing bands of dark and light force which yet surrounded them.

"Within the perimeter of Galen's shield of invisibility, we are cloaked from sight. Within this ball of opposition, we are cloaked from danger. The ship is likewise cloaked against any and all adversaries, for nothing in the universe can cross a chronotic shield."

She paused a moment before going on.

"The only way that we might traverse such a barrier is indeed if I would make a direct connection there via the Darker Realms, which exist outside the universe as we know it. Furthermore, we should not be followed, even if those who plague us could somehow ascertain what we are doing and attempt to come after us through the rift in the Valley; only those with the All can direct their course through those Realms and return to the universe in a specifically chosen spot.

"This we know to be true. And our foes do not possess the All."

She nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Phalomir.

"Lord, the only wrinkle in this otherwise smooth plan is the presence of Roan in the realms through which we must travel. I know he has not hindered our path the latter times we were forced to go this route; should he attempt something now would this Eye be strong enough to protect us? He is powerful in the All...."

And she knew of this... how?

She trailed momentarily, then shook her head and with a slight movement of her fingers strengthened the writhing ball of light and dark until the tendrils closed in upon each other in a tightly woven knot, preventing anyone on the outside from seeing in. Still cloaked in the protective camoflague produced by Galen's Sith belt, she waited, unmoving but prepared to open a portal through the All into those horrid realms, and from them into the protection of their still-shielded warship.

[ 09-27-2004 07:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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He decided that while he sat here, he might as well begin to take some measures against their escape. He knew that he had no chance of stopping them if they did something inside their small space, however, on the outside....

He began to cast into his deep pools of magick, and the ground around the circle began to break, gysers of flame beginning to lick the broken rock from some unknown space. Then he roared another challenge out to the cowards who only staved off their doom for a few moments longer.

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

"We have no time, Phalomir!" she gasped aloud, knitting the bands of light and dark force even more strongly together.

"We must attempt the crossing...now!"

Without waiting for a reply of any kind from anyone, she ripped open a portal through the all and stepped into the Darker Realms. A heartbeat followed, then another and another, ones echoed by muffling footsteps until all were safely by her side in that horrific place.

Then, before the knotting bands could dissipate, she slammed the portal closed, and turned to face the others.

"I must rest a moment and gather my strengths, before opening another portal into the ship," she announced, a bit breathlessly.

"Phalomir, Shayla, keep a sharp eye, and watch out for the sake of the others."

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

He whirled in all directions, looking for any sign of the treacherous beast Roan, and gripped tightly the only weapon that he knew could help him against that monster.

“Everyone be as quiet as you can while the Dark Lady rests,” he said softly. “If we are attacked, I shall defend us.”

He placed a hand on the Dark Lady's cheek.

"Rest well," he whispered. "But if it comes to it, leave while I stave off an attack."

[ 09-27-2004 11:32 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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He waited for a moment, and was suprised to hear no answer. What in the hells is he waiting for? He stood for another moment, snorted, and began making his way back to the ship to report to Aelvedaar.

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

... anxious to gain the Eye, but for the moment she chose to simply let it pass, knowing that there were other things of far greater import occuring. She knew how Usage of the All could tax Graysith...

...but she also knew that the quicker her energy was restored, the sooner they could get out of this place and to safety. And that was something Shayla knew she could help with. So, taking one smooth step towards Graysith, Shayla let her greeny-blue eyes meet the other woman's violet ones. A heartbeat passed, one filled with a strange mingling of longing and slight uncertainty. Then, with very little effort, Shayla pushed the latter aside.

"Allow me to lend you my energies, so that you may recover yours more quickly," Shayla spoke up then in a barely audible whisper, simultaneously reaching out a hand which she rested upon Graysith's shoulder. Then, closing her eyes, Shayla opened a Force-link to the other woman, sending out healing energies to strenghthen her...

...and realizing just how very much every fiber of her being rejoiced in being able to do so.

[ 09-28-2004 04:14 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Sa'kal also noticed Raelgosh leaving for their ship. Why is he leaving, our job is not finished? questioned Sa'kal. I better find the warship they were in, as he noticed that it had dissapeared shortly before their confrontaion with Graysith and her companions. She must have hidden it with her powers he thought, and sent out a force beacon to search for it, assuming it was cloaked with a simple cloaking device found on most sith starships. Surprisinly, he found a large gap in the Force in an area near him. Damn, she's good, and Sa'kal quickly rushed to Raelgosh to deliver the news.

Her eyes opened slowly, to find a pair of greeny-blue ones directly in front of her.

"Thank you," she said warmly, while deep within herself the Beast rose up on its haunches and whined. From somewhere in the abyssal distance, a gibbering sort of howling whimper emanated; the Beast now lowered its head and growled, deep in its throat.

She turned to the others then, her Glyph alight.

"I feel it is time to depart from this awful place, before they--"

One hand indicated the rapid approach of a roiling mass: demons.

"--are upon us."

Without waiting for any others to make a reply, she turned the raised hand palm down, extending the pointer and little fingers like horns, allowing the others to curl under to meet her thumb. A blackness ripped the black around them, widening jaggedly, expanding slowly, as if with great reluctance. She twisted her wrist, and the Portal snapped fully open, through which she could see the blessed security of the warship's bridge.

"Shall we?" she said, then stepped through the rift, knowing without having to look that the others were right on her heels. Once the final member had boarded the ship, she fisted that hand, and the portal disappeared with a disappointed sort of slobbering cry.

She paid it no heed, but turned to the others.

"We must drop our protective shield in order to depart, else the energies from our thrust be dissipated along the corridors of time. Our vulnerability will only be momentary, however, and since we are safely within our ship, really of only some slight concern anyway."

With that she closed her eyes, focusing her abilities as hard as she could. The Glyph flared into incandescence before escalating beyond the gamma wavelength of the spectrum; from somewhere off to her left she felt a corresponding warmth as the Eye now held by Phalomir burst into fiery life as well.

"Shayla, if you would..." she said, not taking time to question exactly how it was she knew this young woman was capable of piloting a Sith ship.

Outside the warship, the chronotic shield disappeared, dissolving back into the energies held within the very essence of space and time from which it had been taken.

[ 09-29-2004 06:05 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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"There is no sign of the warship, save the single life form. I believe we should go ahead and invesitgate it. It may be Aelmaar or someone else who can lead us to our prey."

[ 09-30-2004 02:41 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cult Master Raelgosh ]

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Sa'kal took the controls of the ship and set the engines to maximum power. "Hold on," Sa'kal told Ralgosh as he switched on the atmospheric thrusters, "this is going to be a rough ride."

"I think we might be in for some uninvited company," she stated aloud, the movements of her fingers then bringing the warship forward and through the atmosphere til at length space began to show herself in the forward viewscreen. "Still, with Galen's Sith belt activated, we should be safely hidden from prying eyes. I don't know where everyone is planning to go from here...

...but I have to mention that there was another lifesign back there on Korriban, and that might be something we need to look into. Still we've got to shake these guys...

...so what's our next move going to be?"

[ 09-30-2004 01:05 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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But for now it was over.

Except for the lingering dark feeling of malice that always made its way into his thoughts every time he found himself in the Darker Realms. What he wanted to say to Shayla was a plan to turn the guns on the assassins and blow them into oblivion. What he said instead was less murderous.

“There is a chance that the other life sign is Aeylmaar,” he said flatly. “If so, we owe it to him to find him and tell him of our encounter. He risked much to warn us, presumably.”

Phalomir glanced down at the glowing Eye in his hands.

“Perhaps I can communicate with him.”

Phalomir focused on the Eye, allowing its strange connection with the All to open up to him. As it had done in the past, the Eye channeled the All power it been gathering slowly from the Dark Lady and allowed Phalomir to touch it. It searched, trying to find the object of Phalomir’s queries.

Aelymaar, Phalomir thought. Aelymaar, it is Phalomir. Can you hear me?

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

"Maybe we can then shake these guys on our tail," she continued with. "And after all, since we're in a Sith warship, we'll be able to change our course once in hyperspace without ever dropping out. I have the coordinates for a short jump set and locked in, so everybody...

...sit tight."

That said then, Shayla reached gracefully out to the controls of the warship and pushed down a sigil, which in turn made the stars turn into the starlines of hyperspace.

[ 09-30-2004 02:50 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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They reached the location and set down. Raelgosh exited the ship, and walked out. He sniffed the air. All those who are not sith, bah. Accursed beasts, all of them.

He walked a few meters, and found a being laying upon the ground. His skin was blue, and he had a strange look. Raelgosh kicked him roughly, his sword to his throat.

"Get up. Who are you?"

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