But Panthar's words made sense, though they had to fight their way into my head for assimilation.

The thought of whacking Jharmeen... just once... for all she had done to me and those who had followed long the carousel I had been riding over the past years...

I knocked the image which waited at the end of that particular path from my head, and sighed. Then I blinked, realizing my heart felt, absurdly enough, suddenly light.

Hey, hope always springs eternal, don't ya know.

"Yeah, Panthar's right," I admitted. "Maybe we're just too caught up in speculation; you have to agree that our thought processes might be just a tad wee, ahh... warped at the moment, considering what we have just gone through."

I paused a moment to give the nav-boards one final once-over, than rose to my feet. Smiling, I went over to Terrin, passing Panthar en route and giving his shoulder a comradely squeeze.

"In the meantime, we have a couple days to kill before we hit K'eel Doba. Anyone for games-- assuming, that is, that this vessel has the Sith equivalent of them aboard?"

My mouth still blazing out an overly innocent smile, I then darted to Jasyn and yanked the bottle from his hand. Capping it, I turned to the others, doing my best to refrain from fidgeting while I waited.

For no matter how eternally hope was springing forth, there was still that uncomfortable little nch deep within my soul which persisted in telling me that all wasn't quite jolly roses on Coruscant.

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

...and focused on Galen. This was all it took, at least for the moment, to change his thoughts as she suggested possible games.

"I bet the guys can rig up some sabaac, somehow," he mused. "I'd place a bet that one of the two of them have some cards on them right now," he continued. "If not, a little exploration of the ship might be in order. After all, the Sith had to have included some entertainment options on this thing..."

He trailed, his mind lapsing into another time.

It's a pretty big galaxy out there, and I'm sure you've seen plenty. Anything you can suggest for entertainment that you've found along the way?

He couldn't help but grin a little at the recollection as he stepped in and wrapped an arm around Galen.

"The Captain would like a little one on one time with you too," he whispered into her ear for only her to hear.

[ 02-16-2005 09:58 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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“Aren’t you getting tired of holding her?” he asked. “And where the heck would there be another door to the rest of the ship?”

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“I am making up for lost time,” he replied flatly. “And I have lost her too many times to let her go now.”

He then lowered his head, stiffened his muscles, and stood from where he sat, his powerful legs lifting his enormous frame almost effortlessly. His back slid up along the wall as he came to his full height. Jharmeen, still sleeping, stirred slightly and then went silent again.

“As for a door…”

He looked around at the same things Panthar had studied earlier. Then his eyes came to rest on the control panel. He walked to the panel, glanced over the dials and buttons, and wrinkled his nose. He selected a button and pushed it, and a large section of the far wall immediately fell into the floor, revealing a dim corridor beyond.

“… I believe this may suffice.”

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

"And I seem to somehow have forgotten to pack my sabaac cards for the trip," he muttered irritably. "What we really need is a damn good meal. I'm starved."

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Fates, but it had been... how long since we'd all sat down to a meal, let alone grabbed something on the run?

I cast a curious glance through the opened bulkhead, then turned to Phalomir. That worthy merely stood with an insufferably woe-filled look planted upon his tattoed face, looking for all the world like all the worries of the universe were likewise planted upon his broad, be-robed shoulders.

Jharmeen snoozed like a baby in his arms.

I couldn't stand it.

"You know," I started, pulling away a bit reluctantly from the blessed warmth of Terrin's side.

Hell's Seven Circles, but I'd missed that....

"She isn't gonna die if you set her down somewhere and join us. Unless, of course, you don't like our company...."

I let the end of that statement roll off into whatever possible conclusion his mind could come up with, and just stood before him giving him the ol' once-over. I couldn't help but shake my head; dang, but he hung onto my sister like a limpet. If Terrin ever hovered over me like that, I'd hit him, sure as there's Treasure on Roon!

I let a puff of exasperated air escape my lips.

"You managed to figure out how to open this bulkhead; maybe you'd be so kind as to find us the local galley? Assuming, of course, that this ship was meant for travel distance far enough to warrant a stocked larder..."

And ye gods, let's hope they understood how to preserve whatever foodstuffs that might yet be here. 4,000+ years is a mighty long shelf life for anything, much less something my nagging stomach truly hoped would prove to be edible.

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

But then, how could he prevent it from happening even now? Standing here as he was, holding on to her as if she would vanish if he took his eyes off of her. Even if the beast once again tried to stifle her spirit, how could he defend her better than the power of the Eye that now inhabited her? And if she was somehow whisked away from him, what could he do to prevent it? He could not match the power of the All, and his Sith magick was not greater than Aelvedaar’s. If a confrontation took place here, he would place everyone’s lives in jeopardy. And, although he felt as if could, he could not hold her forever.

And this circle of threat, response, and running away would go on and on. There was no answer to this problem, no end in sight. And it involved not only this small group of individuals, it impacted the Sith race, and the galaxy itself. The Vong were involved, and possibly Aelvedaar with them. Aelvedaar needed to be dealt with. If he would not listen to reason, then other means must be employed.

And only one thought pushed its way to the forefront, only one image made itself clear as the way to a solution. A small, jewel-ringed device that seemed to call to him from his memories.

The channeler…

He looked down at Jharmeen’s peaceful face once more, and smiled. Yes, she would be safe at last.

“No,” he said, looking up to Galen. “You are correct. There is nothing more I can do for her here. She will be safe with the power of the Eye within her.”

He shifted her from arm to arm and removed his long robes. He let the luxurious cloth fall to the floor and spread it with his foot, then set her down gently on the makeshift bed. He waved his hand over her head, establishing a magickal watch over her that would alert him if she moved. He stood, dressed in a thin black satiny shirt and pants that outlined his muscular body.

“But if she is gone when I return,” he said, winking at Galen, “I blame you.”

He then straightened his clothing and walked through the doorway, pausing inside the entrance. He felt a slight tug in his heart, suddenly reluctant to leave Jharmeen alone. He fought it down, took a deep breath, and began walking again.

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

He glanced over to where Jharmeen lay sleeping, snuggled up in Phalomr’s robes. He regarded her for a moment and cocked his head.

“I guess in a way, I can’t blame him too much. I mean, she actually is kinda cute.”

Yeah, she has a certain charm and beauty, in that evil, psychotic, schizoid, out-to-rule-the-universe-and-kill-her-sister sort of way.

“I really hope she has changed, you know, for his sake, and she really is the woman he thinks she is. Because if she screws us up again, or hurts him…”

I’ll kill her myself…

“I’ll really be mad.”

He looked back down the hallway.

“I’m going to go with him, anyone else going?”

With that he started into the hall to catch up with Phalomir.

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

"I...I can't leave her," Shayla said simply, turning to her eagerly waiting husband.

He frowned. "It won't do any good to just sit here, Shayla," he replied simply, his brown eyes not leaving her greeny-blue pair. "And we can always come back every once in a while and check on her."

Shayla was about to argue the point, her first instinct leading her to assume he was thinking of himself, without her while she waited on her friend. But the look in his eye stopped that thought...

...and the reality of the situation took shape.

He wasn't thinking of himself. He was thinking of her, sitting here alone, trying to battle something she wouldn't be able to face alone.

She closed her eyes a moment, then took his offered hand as he helped her up. "Allright," she said. "Let's go."

And with nothing more than that, Erik lead her into the corridors beyond.

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

...at least health-wise. Now, how in the dark she was about things she had been up to since he had been gone...

His thought processes trailed a moment as he heard Erik and Shayla's exchange, and he frowned.

Kriffing hell, but Shayla sure hung all over Graysith like she held the universe in her hands...

But then Terrin's thoughts were totally interrupted, and he was jarred back into reality with, "Yeah buddy, we're right behind ya!" from Jasyn as the other man fairly trotted by him add began off with the others. Matt walked past right behind him, momentarily pausing and shrugging to Terrin as if to say "Some things don't ever change!" before he too followed the others. Terrin's lip quirked into a smile, and then he turned to Galen.

"Hey, we'd better get going before Jasyn finds the food first. Gods know he has a rather hearty appetite, especially when he's not paying for anything. Shall we?" he then ended with, quirking his arm and waiting for her.

[ 02-20-2005 10:36 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"Let it never be said that I stood in the way of a man's stomach!" I quipped as I took his arm and hugged it tightly. Then I followed where he led, unable to cast just one more dark look Jharmeen's way as we left her snoozing alone, wrapped up in Phalomir's robes like a would-be butterfly in a silken cocoon.

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

"Ahhhh, hey there Sith dude, when will we get where we're going?"

He trailed, his eyebrow momentarily arched, wondering if Phalomir even heard him, let alone whether he would respond or not.

Jasyn then shot a sidelong glance to Panthar. "I sure hope he knows where the kriffing hell he's taking us..."

[ 02-24-2005 10:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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“On the contrary,” he said. “I am not taking you anywhere, I am exploring. I have never before been on this ship, and know no more than you do about what lies ahead of us. I personally am hoping for a supply of brandy, but I fear that may be too much to ask for.”

Phalomir turned and once again clicked his boots down the hallway. The hall was long, dim, and smelled slightly musty. The hallway eventually ended at a white door with dark stains running down from the handle.

“Well, our options seem to be limited. Shall we?”

Phalomir reached for the handle and turned it. It snapped off in his hand. He held it up to the others and raised his eyebrows.

“Any other ideas?”

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

Nope. That didn't work... as neither did the useless gesture I then followed that glare with.

I sighed, looking down at my empty hand, which had instinctively flown to where I used to hang my blaster.

"Ummm... anyone here have a weapon or a prybar or--"

I paused, then cut a calculating glance toward Panthar.

"Or hulking brute strength?" I finished with.

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

Panthar let loose with a blow that shuddered the floor as his fist hit the door. The sound of splintering resounded through the hallway, followed by the loud howl of a creature in severe pain. Panthar fell to his knees, holding his hand close to his chest. He put his head down and yelled some more, then rolled until his back leaned against the perfectly intact door.

“It-worked-in-the-temple!” he gritted out between gasps. Blood poured through the fingers of his good hand as he gripped his right.

“OH BLOODY DAMN KRIFFING POO!”

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

"Here, I can help," she stated then, not waiting, reached out to place her hand atop Panthar's bleeding one. As she did that, she immediately closed her eyes and stretched out with the Force, channeling healing energies into the wound as she had many times before. Granted, this wouldn't make the wound disappear, but it would help to stop the bleeding more quickly.

[ 02-24-2005 11:26 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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"Well," I said, crossing my arms.

"If we can't go this way, maybe another direction?

"Did anyone pay any attention as to whether or not we passed any other corridors? For that matter, is there another direction from the central command area that we can follow? Perhaps our good Dark Lord here--"

I quirked an eyebrow.

"--can ravage another wall or something?"

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

“There were no other doors, no other windows, no other anythings.”

He leaned against the wall and folded his arms.

“And I am bit old to be ravaging walls,” he quipped. “But perhaps a little common physics would save the day. You see, a closer inspection of these hinges would suggest to a Sith that perhaps this door opens inward. Let us try this theory, shall we?”

Phalomir reached his hand outward as if grabbing at something in the air. A wave of Sith magick flowed from him, pulling at the door. It opened slowly, swinging inward on it’s hinges, pushing Panthar along with it. Panthar looked up at Phalomir, now standing right in front of him, a pained expression still on his face, his eyes shouting “Why didn’t you say something before I did that?”

Phalomir stepped to the side and peered inside the dimly lit room beyond. He turned back to Galen.

“Ladies first?” he asked.

Or perhaps you, Galen? he thought.

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

“Uhh,” he managed, “can someone help me wrap this first, maybe?”

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She trailed, something catching her eye, "Or perhaps maybe even some Sith robes."

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...why don't you, Phalomir, since we haven't any clue in hell what might be ahead of us, and you would be prepared to deal with things more than any of us would?"

[ 02-28-2005 10:13 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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"You guys are cold!" I said with cold disapproval of my own. Leaving Terrin, I went to Panthar and took his hand. I couldn't help but grimace; he had done quite a number on himself at that.

"Sorry," I murmured, trying to think what I could do to help. Nothing much was coming to mind; I found myself trotting alongside him somewhat awkwardly, his wounded hand held between mine.

"I guess I shouldn't have made that wiseass comment that I did. I didn't know anyone would take it seriously."

I cut an apologetic glance up to his eyes, then turned away.

"Shayla, I thought you were a healer. And Jasyn, can't you rip off a part of your shirt or something; we're in unfamiliar waters here, and this hand really needs something to hold it together until it can be properly attended to."

Shayla's last comment came to mind; I called out to the Sith Lord.

"Hey buddy, ya wouldn't mind losing a couple centimeters of your hem there, would ya?"

[ 02-28-2005 10:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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[ 02-28-2005 10:40 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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“Hold his hand out,” he said, knowing that if Panthar decided to flinch, there was no strength among them that could hold him down.

Still, Panthar did not know this, and his bravery was more apparent every day, so perhaps…

Phalomir quickly wrapped the scrap around the severely wounded hand and tied it tightly. Panthar flinched but kept still, then let out a long breath when Phalomir was done.

“You need not prove your bravery, Panthar,” he said. “As no-one here need prove anything to any of the rest of us. The recent journeys have taken their tolls on our patience and sanity, and I for one apologize for my behavior.”

He began to roll his sleeves.

“But we have a long journey still, and we must find whatever supplies are here.”

[ 02-28-2005 10:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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...but he could make out several stacks of what looked to be storage bins.

"Hey guys," he then called, "I think I've found some storage containers, but it's hard to see in here. Anyone got a light, or something that could substitute for one?"

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