I stand in front of my personal viewport, my stance wide, my back rigid, gloved hands clasped behind my armored back, but it isn't the majestic scene of the blockade we have in this mysterious system that I am seeing.

Far from it.

It is the image of a Falleen of regal bearing, nose aquiline and supercilious, sensuous lips smiling, his green skin just beginning to tinge tantalizingly to red about the edges of his jaws, his fingers, down the sides of his neck.

It is an image of one Prince Xizor, deceased, straight from holobank data storage.

Black Sun. Wonderful.

I thought it had died along with him...

Apparently I had been wrong in this assumption, as had been my old mentor Seus. He knew of Xizor, had in fact dealt with him once in his early days as a hunter, before he rose to run the Tavlorian Guild which had trained me and raised me as one of their own.

"This is bad business, Sorben, never you forget that."

How well I remember that day of Seus's reminiscing...

"Black Sun makes us look like Boonta scouts out selling cookies. They have their fingers into everything -- everything! and thus have more power prescribed to their organization than the old Empire had. Well, all right... perhaps I exaggerate.

"But Black Sun is-- was a powerful entity in its day; under Xizor there was no stopping it. It had spread like oil through the galaxy; it's a good thing Vader killed the ol' Prince, because really I think that's all that ever kept it from rising up and taking over when the Empire fell.

"I met Xizor once, when I was young, when Palpatine and Vader were still alive-- and no one has ever put the fear of the gods into me like that man did..."

I sighed again, rising up on my tiptoes and then settling back on my heels to consider further.

I thought they were gone. Apparently, now they were back... if they had indeed ever truly vanished at all.

I frowned behind the T-lens of my Mandalorian helmet. This was a dilemma indeed, an issue far more difficult to deal with than the simple spice-running of the Hutts. For while the Hutts dealt with one illegal form of trafficking, and basically from one world, the Black Sun was more universally spread.

As Seus said, they had their fingers into everything...

But we at least had their flagship, their headquarters, which was something. That thought brightened my day considerably, and I returned to the data Sormontato had sent, to study it a bit further. There was plenty to be seen, and at some point in the near future I expected to see more as Imperial men scoured the taken treasure, seeking to find where the missing data had been hidden.

I do not plan on waiting for all the data to be in before acting, I thought to myself as I took my seat once again. Opening up my comm, I prepared a reply to General Ahem.

"This is Lt. General Sorben Tarnus aboard Relentless," I began."After careful analysis of the information provided, I am putting an official APB out for Aelly Ssyn, CEO of Dark Star Industries -- and probable head of Black Sun.

"All care is to be taken to apprehend her and bring her to me alive for questioning. As far as her accomplices or underlings go, kill only in return fire; I do not wish this to escalate into some kind of war between empires.

"I only wish to shut hers down, and the first step is to cut off the head of the snake.

"This is Lt. General Sorben Tarnus, out."

[ 11-17-2005 10:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

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

It seemed hours had passed before I had finally thought up a plan of attack. At that point I called in my immediate command staff, those next in rank to me. Together we represented a group which lived, by the most part, in whispers and shadows and near-myth.

Tersely, I presented them with everything I had obtained so far, following that with my thoughts as to what I proposed to do. In general eyebrows were raised, but no one ran screaming into the corridors of the ship. Some counter-ideas were offered; we spent several more hours and went through many pots of tea and caf as we toiled to come up with a possible solution, only to pick it apart and devise another.

At length we all agreed on something that just might work.

I rose to my feet, sending them each on their own private errands, each to their own scribes who in turn wrote up the proposals we had come up with--

--proposals to offer systems and/or organizations or corporations listed in the Black Nebula data not only amnesty from dealing with pirates, but thrice whatever Black Sun was paying or providing them. In exchange for this, their strict loyalty to the Federation was requested. Said loyalty, of course, meaning they would have no further dealings with Black Sun whatsoever and would pass along to key Imperial personnel any and all information they might have or would obtain that pertained to the pirate corporation.

Oh yes; we would offer them full protection from possible Black Sun retaliation as well.

It wasn't long before the ether of space was alive with communications sent out to the systems we had found, followed by more slowly moving transports as our representatives took off to follow-up the comms with personal visits.

The door to my ready room slid closed, releasing me to plop into my command chair. I checked my chrono--

This just might work, I thought to myself.

What other choice had these systems but to comply? After all, they themselves were now implicated in dealing with pirates; logic precluded that they run with the highest bidder...

I smiled a little, thinking of my private spa.

Time to relax a bit.

[ 11-17-2005 10:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

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He considered not for the first time, his fate. To bring unity to the sith... such a great... great accomplishment. A thing that any sith would be proud of.

He closed the book, and sat back for a moment, before heading for his chambers. "Curious how the winds change...." He lay down upon his bed, and pulled one of th emany furs over himself, drifting off quietly.

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

Kalvendar sat still in his seat, unwilling to tempt the gods into creating further turmoil as the ship sped along its course. "How could there be blockades...." Was the only thought that stood in his mind and upon his lips, almost forgetting why he had left in the first place as his destination drew steadily closer.

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

As I step through the portal and into the blessed comfort of my Inner Sanctum, I cannot help but stumble. It is a wonder indeed that I manage to keep to my feet at all, for now as I find myself safe and secure once again the facade of strength I have been maintaining evaporates. Much I have been through for far too great a period of time; I stare down at the stone floor of my great Sanctuary, balancing on one knee, the other foot flat on the floor, one arm holding most of my weight while the other lays limply over the raised knee.

I hear a slight gasp, and the quick rustle of Sith material. Then two hands grasp me firmly, and assist me to my feet. I smile, turning to see my young Chosen Heir, who rakes me with a worried glance before letting his amber eyes stop and rest in my own.

"Thank you, Aeylmaar," I say as I regain my balance and regality. I will not dishonor him by shrugging off such obvious concern, and thus I let his hands remain upon my shoulders, as if yet steadying me.

Indeed, perhaps they are.

For a moment I close my eyes, letting images of the pain and tortures I have been through dance before them. Then as each image rising, gibbering as if to haunt me, I simply reach out and embrace it, taking it into be. Accepting it for what it has been.

And thus do I find the strength to begin healing myself.

Aeylmaar's grip tightens imperceptibly; I let a crooked smile escape me, and turn round to him. He remains standing, close in my space, his hands yet gripping my shoulders. But, seeing my smile, he lets them drop carefully to his sides.

"I have been through much, and I thank you, and the others in absentia, for releasing me from my tribulation. But from pain and anguish there comes a bright spot of light; I have gleaned something of what my brother-- that is, my ex-brother Roan would do."

Aeylmaar's eyes widen in expectation, and he folds his hands afront him. I merely let that ensuing silence spread out a bit, and then break it softly.

"There is much to prepare for; he would yet rule the Sith as One, and has some plan afoot which involves the child of his loins, ShaRhylla. What that plan is exactly, I do not know. I do know that my magicks need to be at their strongest, that I need my devices to ascertain his plans...

"...and that before I can do anything at all I-- I must rest."

The look in Aeylmaar's eye had been starting to relax; now it flashes into worry and concern once again. I wave it away.

"I have been through much, and I am tired, son," I say simply.

"I would go to my private chambers to rest and refresh myself before putting myself fully to the task which faces us."

I see understanding in his gaze as he then lowers it respectfully to the floor. Then he turns and leaves me to gain my bed, from which I have been absent far, far too long.

It is a long while before I manage to fall into slumber, and then one not quite as restful as I had hoped it would be.

[ 12-07-2005 01:10 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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He wasn't sure why, but for the first time he had tossed and turned so violently that he had flung himself out of the bed.

Two meters.

He slowly picked himself up, shaking his head to clear his slightly waterey eyes, and leaned against the wall, feeling a trickle of liquid dripping down his forehead.

"Hit it a bit hard I suppose." he said as he whiped the small spot of blood from his forehead, and slowly picked himself up.

He went to a basin in the corner -full of water- and washed his face, before going to pick up his discarded robes from the previous evening.

He donned them, and went to the door, opening it as he began to proceed down the passage; considering what he might do for the day. To study, wait, or learn of other people.

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

He smirked as the ship drew closer, soon to draw level with the collossal warships.

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

I closed my eyes.

Now what-- I couldn't help but sigh as my fist raised from my private bath to slam against the comm.

"Yes?" I asked, trying not to sound overly impatient. Apparently I failed miserably, for a moment of silence followed, one clearly laced with trepidation so thick I could cut it with a vibroblade.

"Sir... there is a ship approaching. That is, we think it is a ship, sensors are having a rather difficult time latching onto it, sir; it's almost like a--"

I didn't let him linger in misery any longer.

"It's a Sith ship, Ensign," I interrupted him.

"What's the trajectory, as near as you can tell?"

More silence, silence finally broken by yet more undeclared apology.

"It seems to be heading toward the planet below, sir, and seems to have come in from the sister world. In fact--"

I slammed my fist against the comm, interrupting him again.

"Yes, I have already received word of this; has the ship tried to make contact with us?"

More silence, then:

"No, sir. There has been no attempt at communication."

I nodded to myself at this, for it was not the least bit unexpected. For a moment I merely remained quiet, rubbing my hands over my eyes and up through my hair, then back down the planes of my face again, letting one finger lightly trace the scar that ran from my brow to my chin. That finger moved to lay alongside my nose as I pondered further.

There had certainly been activity between these two worlds lately, much more than I would have expected considering what few facts I had gleaned about these people through my brief connection to them via my dear ex-wife. That thought brought a gaggle of its friends along with it, ones reminding me of the strange powers held by those beings now occupying the twin worlds of this remote and unsuspected system. In fact, it was only the knowledge of those powers that had kept me from making a formal Imperial presence upon K'eel Doba and Khar Delba to begin with; the fact that we ourselves certainly had to be known to the people below added impetus to my remaining in watchdog mode only.

We haven't done anything to them... and they have made no move against us.

Yet.

Thus existed an uneasy truce, unbeknownst to practically everyone involved.

I let my hands pull down my face before fisting one and slamming it against the comm again.

"Try to ascertain where in particular that ship is going, and tighten tractor beams."

Not that THAT was going to do any good...!

"Remain at station, and send out a yellow alert to all ships.

"Tarnus out."

I slipped into the water, leaned back, picked up my glass... but it was a long time before I even began to come close to relaxing.

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

Yet, now something was different. But the door was not ajar, there were no voices nor the light of a torch to show the way to such suspected intruders.

What could it be?

He observed closely, then as he looked at his own feet, he realized.

More than just his set of footprints sat in the heavily laid dust. At least two now marred and dared to tempt his wrath in the ancient particles.

He looked to the door with a fury, and stormed forth to right whatever wrongs those within might have commited as he forced the doors open with a bang, a growl escaping his lips.

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

The sith fighter let him slide through the nets of the imperials as if he were dust trying to be caught by a rake.

As the ship crossed down through the different spheres of the atmo- he smirked. "Not soldiers, nor stars, nor weakling magickers shall stop me."

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

Which I now recognize for what it truly is.

"Is something wrong? Aeylmaar, is that you, son?" I call out into the dark, a dark brightened only by the dimly glowing embers of the stone fireplace in the corner.

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

He quickly scrambled up and backed from the chamber, torso and head still bowed as he shut the doors.

He has returned! For much longer I do hope...

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

I smile to myself and lay down, soon returning to my slumbers.

[ 12-13-2005 12:32 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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"Aid! I am in need of aid!"

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

His lip curling with disdain, he then opened up a portal into the world of the living, one linking his shadowy existence with that of the Temple of Sorcerers on Khar Delba. Through a long tunnel, darkly, he could see the glint of fire dancing in a hearth, could hear a distant murmur of a voice, could smell the fresh, clean scent of life.

"Rykounagin, my son," he called seductively across the boundless perimeter separating them.

"It is your Father; you must trust me now, my Son, and come to me now.

"Come, Rykounagin, enter into the Portal I have opened up...

"Come hither to me; there is foulness afoot and one who would keep you from your given destiny of greatness..."

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

His father was extravagant in his own ways, but this seemed like overkill for a journey that would only take a hundred paces too his chambers. "Of course father-" He said, walking quickly through the portal.

"Father, why would you not merely-" He looked upon the strange sith who stood before him, for all appearances having been the conjurer of the portal.

In a flash the lotus in hand, Rykounagin stood ready for battle with any fiend who would dare imitate his father. "Who are you? How dare you summon me under the guise of my father!"

(((OOC: Rykounagin steps into "Into the Out of" in this forum, thankyou.)))

[ 12-21-2005 10:58 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Rykounagin ]

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He had been there for nearly six hours, having had too wait for two merely too leave the ship before he was even permitted too go and request an audience with one of the healers or sith available.

The lady could be hurt, sick or dying, and they INSIST upon making me wait? This is an outrage...

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

Now my musings are interrupted by a discreet knock on my door.

"Enter," I say succinctly, and the door opens to reveal my adopted son and heir.

I am quickly told of the arrival of a warrior from K'eel Doba, who is frantically seeking aid for their Dark Lady.

I frown, a stab of pain rushing to fill my chest as I quickly turn back to the Octahedron, seeking answers there. An image rapidly forms within its swirling greeny-golden depths, that of the one I made Graysith laying asleep with Lord Phalomir.

I wave away the image, turning to Aeylmaar with a frown.

"Return to this carrier, and inform him that he must bring the Lady here. I want to have every device we possess at our disposal, for this diagnosis should not be made quickly or haphazardly.

"Then give him free leave to depart to K'eel Doba."

Aeylmaar responds with a respectful bowing of his head, and departs to do my bidding. I turn and make another request of the Octahedron, which quickly obeys.

Another image forms: that of the sleeping ShaRhylla. My eyes darken to see how she sleeps in apparent peace, no retinue of servants surrounding her.

"What is now afoot in K'eel Doba?" I ask myself as I dismiss the image, and turn away from the Octahedron altogether to better apply my mind to this latest quandary.

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

These corridors were solid stone, spotted with candle-bearing wall sconces, so characteristic of the Sith, the floors being made of stone as well. Age-darkened wooden doors passed by in a blur as he hastened back to where Kelvendar had been left to wait.

He entered the waiting room, coming up to the warrior and lowering his head in respectful greeting.

"A thousand pardons for the seeming delay, but the Healers have decreed that you return to K'eel Doba and fetch the Lady here. Being as it is the Dark Lady herself who is ill, we wish to have every healing device at our disposal in the attempt to cure her, not to mention the abilities of each and every Healer we have."

With that he turned sideways and lifted a clawed hand to one side, indicating that the warrior was free to return to his ship, and then to K'eel Doba.

[ 02-03-2006 03:31 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aeylmaar ]

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It comes from nowhere, slamming into me, crippling me, sending my muscles into shocked rictus, my eyes unfocused, the increased beating of my heart an almost deathly thing.

For the Link, that one magnificent Link, is severed with a finality I know to my very soul to be complete.

I double over, the pain flowing, beating at me, striving to trample me to the floor. But gradually thoughts of what has happened segue into thoughts of its inescapable why, in turn followed by thoughts of those remaining, and what it is we all have yet to face.

Tears fill my eyes, unable to evaporate even in the fires of them. I stumble to the Octahedron, stand before it, one clawed hand upon its cool surface, the words forming like dread in my head.

"Show me--"

It obeys, my eyes are not deceived. I close them against the sight, a sight I knew was coming, but not now, not this soon, oh gods why did it have to be so soon...

Even as denial rears its head logic follows on its heels. I know she is human, was human, as did I know this that day I chose her from the myriad who make up the portion of the Universe termed humanity. I know such frail minds cannot handle Sith magicks without rupturing, splitting, in the end going mad.

How could I expect her to handle that which I bestowed upon her for the remainder of a human's natural life?

A sage once intoned that the good of the many far outweighs the good of the one, but such pronouncements do not make this moment any less painful to bear.

I hang my head in sorrow against the the cold serendipity of time, and in letting my hand fall to my robes let the image become lost within returning greeny-golden splendor.

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

The young Adopted Heir nodded to himself in satisfaction, knowing that he had performed the small duty presented to him to the best of his ability. He had seen the Sith warrior Kelvendar back to his ship, and had watched as it blasted off, to return to K'eel Doba with the intent of fetching the ailing young Lady. After making certain the departure was uneventful, Aeylmaar had then returned to the Temple proper, going to partake in a small dinner before seeking his rooms to study a bit more and rest.

A day or so passed in this manner, and all seemed quiet. His father had not contacted him, apparently being busy with the task ahead of them all, and he had not even attempted to intrude upon the Dark Lord's self-imposed hermitage.

Until, that is, the unexpected happened.

It slammed into him from nowhere, doubling him over, gasping in pain and anguish.

Wave after wave of sorrow, of anger and denial, then acceptance of a grief almost too terrible to bear...

It seared directly into his soul... and it was coming from the Link established between himself and his Father. It was so overwhelming that it completely washed over a mirrored reflection, coming in from another source.

He fell to the floor, shaking his head, supporting his body with knees and one stiffened arm. The other one moved to press a clawed hand over his heart.

Father, what has happened? he thought out via his link, but received no reply. There was only that tsunami of grief, followed by a drear and frightening blankness. Not as if the Dark Lord had been removed forcibly or terribly from his mind.

But that he had simply withdrawn, if momentarily, from it.

He hurried to his Father's chambers, stopped at the ornate door, knocked upon it.

"F-father, are you all right?" he queried, speaking both verbally and mentally into the great wash of despair that emanated from within.

No answer.

He tried the door; it would not open. It was as if Lord Aelvedaar had experienced something dreadful, something terrible, and had simply withdrawn as if in the attempt to escape a pain too terrible to bear.

And wasn't letting anything in to the protective barrier he had created.

Panic began an insidious rise within the young Sith sorcerer. He knocked again, increased the tempo until he was pounding. Again, no answer; just that awful, empty, despairing silence.

Then into that black sea there came a niggle, a whisper; someone trying to contact him, someone with whom he had made a link with long ago.

"Phalomir, is that you?" he sent back a tentative reply, a deeper rush of dread now filling him.

For his Father's withdrawal combined with the serendipitous contact by the K'eel Doban Sith Lord could certainly bode no good.

[ 03-20-2006 03:25 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aeylmaar ]

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Receiving a reply to his somewhat surprised query, the young sorcerer lifted a clawed hand, and tested whether he had managed to conquer this, the newest task set before him by the Dark Sorcerer Lord.

Apparently, he had. A great, shimmering splotch suddenly formed in front of the grand, stone fireplace in Jharmeen's rooms, and through it stepped forth a somewhat nervous Aeylmaar...

Aeylmaar now leaps into That Which Binds and Breaks, in these forums, thank you.))

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

Phalomir raised an eyebrow at the condensation around the portal, but strode forward and through.

The thin garments Phalomir wore were not suited for the sudden change in climate, and his eyes widened at both the sight of the snow flying around him and the sudden chill that blasted his body. He turned to see the others following through, each with the same surprised look.

“I had thought we might have entered inside the temple”, shouted Phalomir over the wind. “But any portal in a storm.”

He looked around, and through the flying snow made out what appeared to be a wall. He followed the wall with his eyes until he saw a familiar set of large double doors, barely visible in the flying snow. He smiled, memories of the Temple of Sorcerers coming back to him. It was in this temple he remembered serving as Dark Lord, however true those memories may be.

“Well, you were not too far off the mark,” he said. “Come, let us make our way inside before we freeze.”

Phalomir started towards the doors, assuming the others would follow.

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

Terrin conciously made himself focus his thoughts elsewhere, and took Galen by the hand, motioning for Matt and Jasyn to follow along. Matt came along agreeably, and Jasyn fell in step, grumbling about something or other. And though Terrin couldn't feel it himself--this Sith flightsuits really were wonderful--he could have sworn he heard Jasyn complaining about the cold.

Cold? It hadn't been that cold on Khar Delba near to the Temple since...

...well, since before the Sith were brought back he supposed.

Stating as much to Galen, Terrin stepped through the portal cautiously and followed Lord Phalomir and the others already approaching what at least appeared to be the Temple doors.

[ 03-27-2006 10:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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Nodding, Shayla took a few steps back, and felt Erik step away from her, beginning to step through the portal himself.

Pausing a moment longer, Shayla spoke, to no apparent physical source, but to something none the less. "Take care of her," she whispered. "And if this is indeed a card played that is beyond the game, as I believe it is...

...please help us know what to do to right the wrong and restore Life."

Saying nothing other than that, Shayla then stepped through the portal into less-than-desirable conditions on Khar Delba, a shiver surfacing from deep inside the Force to encompass her Force senses as she stepped through.

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