"...and that I have grown to love him in this here and now, and will do anything in my power to assure his safety and happiness."

Graysith sat up with that, the silken robes Panthar had covered her with falling to her hips in a smooth motion. She blinked the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, then cast an alert look about herself.

"Shayla and Galen-- and young Aeylmaar; they have not yet returned--?"

Dark looks limned with barely concealed worry greeted her in response. Taking up Ragorian's Blade in her hands, she then rose to her feet, replacing the Blade upon her thrimm as she walked to the fire, where she began warming her hands.

"Fear not, my friends," she went on softly. "I have much trust in the abilities of my Adept-- and in my sister as well."

A glower of thunder coming from Terrin's general direction impacted her as surely as a wave upon the shore; she bowed her head a moment, studying the crackling flames a moment through hooded eyes. Then she raised her head and turned to him.

"For what was done to your daughter, I hope you find room in your heart to forgive me.

"It-- it was necessary at the time, and remains thus now. More than ever, in fact."

Saying no more on the subject, but leaving Terrin to stew at the wealth of mysteries those brief statements undoubtedly provoked in him, she turned back again to Panthar.

"All will be put aright, you must trust me in that," she whispered softly.

"As you must trust in the wisdom of my Sire--"

[ 09-04-2005 12:57 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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From Jharmeen’s look, Panthar knew that was not going to happen. He shrugged and poked his stick into the fire.

“I know you don’t care where Phal is from,” he said. “But I think that knowing the truth about him will really unravel this messed-up plot with the Master. I mean, I was pretty convinced that he was from the past, it made perfect sense to me – well, as much sense as an entire civilization jumping from 4000 years in the past, but hey, I guess stranger things have happened – like my first date.”

He shifted his legs and shrugged. He looked to Jharmeen then, a very earnest look on his face.

“But seriously, you really believe what you are saying about Aelvedaar?" Panthar's voice was soft and honest. "I mean, you trust him that much to bet all of our lives on it?”

His eyes widened slightly as he waited for a response.

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

"Yes," she stated, the words simple and flat, their tone brooking no dissuasion.

Then she turned her attention back to the fire, feeling somewhat like a salmon swimming upstream, uncomfortably aware of the feelings the others held toward the Sith whom she had come to regard as a father and a mentor.

A bit of time passed uncomfortably, until the growing weave of gloom was broken by the strange little hum produced by the landing of a Sith fighter. This was soon followed by a more natural sounding roar, as the yacht carrying Shayla and Aeylmaar passed overhead, to come to an expert landing not far from them.

She sighed, waiting for the occupants of the ships to arrive, knowing that, by comparison with what yet lay ahead, the task of persuading her companions to trust in Lord Aelvedaar would be as effortless as the movements of a dianoga which quietly slid through the mists of Dagobah.

[ 08-30-2005 12:36 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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We looked at her with our blank, but frankly curious expression.

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

"Lord Aelvedaar will assist us, I know he will."

But she couldn't keep a slight frown from crossing her face as she watched Aeylmaar walk up to them.

What if the words he had spoken so wildly within the dark Temple of S'slan were true?

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

Aelvedaar had given much to bring the Sith to this time, to reestablish the civilization so they may thrive without pause. He seemed to want to build a legacy, why would he abandon Aeylmaar? What’s more, in all of the dealings he witnessed or heard of with Phalomir, Aelvedaar treated him like a minor inconvenience. Why would he need to form an alliance with the Master to be rid of Phalomir? In fact, what could the Master offer to Aelvedaar that he couldn’t take for himself?

Something indeed was not adding up.

As he stood to help pack the boxes and kick out the fire, he thought of the time with the big eye that stopped time. One single action always leads to more, and there is always a bigger picture, always.

Panthar watched Aeylmaar come to greet the group, followed by Shayla. Erik walked out to meet her, and Terrin watched the Sith fighter in anticipation of Galen. Matt and Jasyn each had a look of relief. Panthar looked to Jharmeen, who shared Aeylmaar’s worry. Panthar stepped to her side and nodded to Aeylmaar, then looked down at Jharmeen.

“I believe you,” he said quietly. “Where do we start?”

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

Advancing Darra's age had been necessary? What the kriffing hell? Look at the good it had done when ShaRhylla's age had been advanced...

The thundercloud over Terrin's head seemed to crash with the thought. Only when everyone began discussing dealings with Aelvedaar...and the possibility of trusting him...did Terrin find himself having something to say as he waited anxiously for Galen. Arms folded, he turned to regard the others. "Wait," he started. "Lord Aelvedaar has betrayed us before, just when we all thought that would never happen. He kicked us out of Prinnchat'ka..."

He trailed, albeit momentarily, "...and I just don't want to go trusting him at the drop of a hat. I agree he may be the only one powerful enough to come against the Master...

...but we need to consider an out should he change his tune again. What will we do if he agrees to help us then later changes his mind?"

Quieting at that, Terrin simply looked at the others, an eyebrow quirked. Then, something else coming to mind, Terrin turned his blue eyes back to Jharmeen. "And advancing Darra's age was...

... necessary...

for who? For the Universe? For the Sith? I doubt it was for her own good. Or..."

He paused, frowning, the thundercloud booming again, "Or was it necessary for you?"

Even as he finished speaking these things, the hatch of the Sith fighter simply opened, and Terrin turned and headed towards the ship to meet Galen.

[ 08-31-2005 06:11 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"I trust you at least got some rest," she opened with, quietly. "The yacht is not the grandest ship we could have, but she'll do nicely. Seems there may be a little problem with the smoothness of her engines...

...but she travels. She'll hold up to eight passengers...

...and I'm assuming a couple of us will travel in the Sith fighter as well. But, because time is of essence, I suggest we depart as soon as possible."

She paused for a moment, looking towards the Sith fighter, then back to Jharmeen. "How are...

... things?" she queried, suspecting she already knew the answer.

[ 09-01-2005 09:38 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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“Well,” he said. “Things are about the same as when you left, except now we have another ship. I think Jharmeen is right, though, maybe the best thing to do now is to check in with Aelvy and ask for help. I don’t know, it’s just that feeling you get like the back of your neck is being shaved by some unseen razor… or something.”

Panthar scratched at his horns, then realized his hand had begun to hurt once more.

“So, who rides with who?”

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

She raised her face, stared Shayla straight in the eye.

"There is room aboard the fighter for one other to ride in comfort; more than that and conditions are somewhat close. As Terrin has already joined Galen--"

She turned a brief look toward the fighter, watching just in time as Terrin strode aboard. Moments later, the hatch closed.

She turned back to the others, waving them toward the yacht. One by one they began moving in response to her gesture, some with reluctance, others eager to be off.

At length she was left with only Shayla beside her.

"You must know how difficult this is for me, asking all of you to place yourselves in danger for my sake, and for Phalomir's."

She paused, chewing a moment on her lower lip. Seeing Shayla was about to state something, she raised her hand.

"Sister, you know I trust you to the same degree that I trust my Sire; you must believe me when I say he means us no harm, he has never meant any of us any harm. This I know to my very heart--

"You must pay heed to the words Aeylmaar has stated! There is much magick and mischief afoot, I fear; it would not be at all improbable for a doppleganger to be impersonating Lord Aelvedaar. For what ends, I do not yet understand."

Again she paused, to give her adept time to react. The young woman managed to remain silent, but her surprise and consternation was clearly evident in her eyes. Graysith smiled grimly, reaching out to place both hands on Shayla's shoulders.

"This we must discover before we approach he who may or may not be who he appears to be. So I have decided to approach him myself; I trust between you and Aeylmaar and yes, even Galen, and the abilities of the ships given to you to use, that should it be necessary, you will be able to--"

She drew in a steadying breath.

"--to rescue me."

Now her hands gripped Shayla's shoulders with a veritable death's hold, the pressure she exerted clearly reminding her adept just who was in charge, and whose commands would not be disobeyed. A final squeeze... and then one drifted lightly upward to lay against the young woman's temple. Graysith closed her eyes, reaching inward, seeking...

...and, finding herself yet unable to re-establish so much as a mote's worth of understanding as to how to use the All, she settled for the next best she could do. Now reaching deeper, shoving aside the growling Beast within, who was beginning to gain his feet, she created a Link between their two minds. Not merely the type of link by which Shayla would be able to sense whether or not she yet breathed, and perhaps could communicate from a distance; no.

This was a doorway between the pair of them, mind to mind, sight to sight, heart to heart. Through this Shayla would be able to see what she saw, feel what she felt.

Would know what she knew.

Graysith let her hands drop and took a step backward.

"Now we are never parted, Sister. I shall see you in Choyapenthe."

She nodded with that, drew in one final steadying breath, and before Shayla could do anything but make a brief but truncated movement toward her, she ripped open a Portal between herself and the Temple of the Sorcerers.

For a moment voices seemed to sound upon the air, as if from a great distance. Then the Portal closed, leaving Shayla standing alone.

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[ 09-04-2005 01:01 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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The Eye of R'lous. Panthar had said it had transferred he and Phalomir from Panthar's human body (The Sith was, apparently, human as well) and into their Sith ones.

It certainly seemed likely that it could do the very same for Ragorian. That it could provide the power he so desperately coveted to escape his prison.

Ragorian's mind had begun to spark with possibilities, which were somewhat quencehd when Panthar mentioned he had no idea where the Eye was.

Dissappointing, yes, but that little tidbit would certainly be stored away and remembered. Just in case.

As Graysith awoke and took up his blade again, Ragorian again had fallen silent, listening and considering.

Now, after Graysith had spoken to Shayla, had established their link, and had gone through a portal alone, and closed it on the rest of the group, leaving she and he in what he recognized as Aelvedaar's Temple of Sorcerers, he felt a need to speak. To remind her of his presence, if nothing else.

"I admire your trust in Lord Aelvedaar, milady. You two must share a special connection indeed to have forged such an infallible bond."

"However, there is something I must ask. If what you believe is true, and Lord Aelvedaar is being impersonated by some sort of other being, it would seem logical to me that this being would need to be extrmely powerful, enough so to impersonate Lord Aelvedaar's own might. Are we two to face that being alone, if it comes down to a confrontation?"

"Of course, I have no doubt in your great power with the All, milady. And my own abilities with magick are, if I may say so, considerable. And I am prepared to lend all my might to you and fight by your side if need be."

"But our...ah...backup is more than somewhat distant from us. Should we not keep them at a more accessible distance if we require rescue?"

Ragorian paused a moment to gather his thoughts, then continued.

"Nevertheless, I am curious as to our next course. Are we to proceed directly to Aelvedaar's chambers and request an audience? Or shall we attempt to discover the reason behind Aelvedaar's apparent personality change? Such as who..."

"Or, perhaps, what..."

"...Is impersonating him?"

Again Ragorian fell silent, then spoke up a third time as that strange feeling of compassion filled him.

"Regardless of our course of action, milady, know that I am more than ready to offer you my aid in whatever way I can. I promised to aid you in your cause, and I mean to live up to that promise."

At this rate, he commented amusedly to himself, My "insidiously nasty dark sorcerer" reputation shall be completely tarnished before we are through with this adventure.

Considering this possibility, Ragorian realized that it did not seem at all undesireable to him.

[ 09-04-2005 01:11 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Blade of Chaos ]

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

This was going from a rescue mission to rescue Phalomir to a rescue mission to save both Jharmeen and Phalomir both...

...perhaps.

Frowning to herself, Shayla considered the thoughts suddenly growing in her mind.

What if all was not, in fact, as it seemed. What if Aelvedaar was indeed not the betrayer that so many believed him to be? Two sides to every coin...

...and why would Aelvedaar, with his powers, send assasins to kill Jharmeen when he could easily do it himself? What if the said "betrayal" of the Dark Lord was indeed somehow a protection of sorts for them all?

Shayla pursed her lips, blinked, and then began moving, following the others aboard the yacht and quickly filling them in regarding Jharmeen's step to proceed them to Khar Delba. Along with this information, Shayla communicated her own thoughts regarding Dark Lord Aelvedaar's perceived betrayal.

She finished by advising that everyone take a seat, and headed to the navboard of the already warmed ship. Her fingers playing about it, she found the comm, and sent a message via a semi-secure channel to Galen's Sith fighter.

"Galen, this is Shayla, can you read me?" she queried, then filling both the red-headed woman and Terrin in on Jharmeen's move. "We need to get moving, and fast. It is very likely..."

Shayla trailed a moment, sensing something Jharmeen was feeling from the link they now shared, "...is walking into a trap."

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

Now, there's a stupid question, piped up a shoulder devil. Of course she isn't allright.

Then, as if sensing something that hadn't been spoken, he continued with, "We'll get Darra back, and safely, I promise you that. I want to be certain, in the meantime, that the others of those--aside from just Graysith--who would use her in ways you do not want are...

...taken care of."

Even as Terrin finished the words and his look darkened, a strange green sigil began glowing insistently for attention.

[ 09-04-2005 11:29 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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“She did WHAT?” he shouted. “I thought we were ALL going together?”

He plopped back in the seat once more, letting out a long sigh.

“So I guess the plan is to fly there now, and be ready to rescue her? I don’t quite understand how we would do that, since she is the one with both the All and the magick of that blade thing. I mean, if she can’t manage with that going for her then what the heck would we do to get her out? We should have all gone together. We’re supposed to be a team, right? I mean, Phal is my friend too.”

Panthar shook his head and muttered.

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

...this I am certain of. And while we are still a team, a team seperated gives us one particular advantage. It gives us the back-up plan some of us were wanting should something turn up amiss with Lord Aelvedaar. And we can find Jharmeen once we arrive there. I have a direct link with her. I see what she sees..."

Shayla trailed momentarily, stretching out.

I feel what she feels...

"Also to our advantage is that a large majority of us--myself, Erik, Terrin, Galen, Jasyn, and Matt know the lay of Khar Delba very well. Along with that, we know the Temple. Erik and I have the Force...

...and I will not fail in getting back with Jharmeen once we arrive. It's simply not an option."

Saying that, Shayla turned back to the navboard, sending another comm message. "Galen? Terrin? The yacht is ready for take-off..."

...and we haven't a moment to lose...

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

My brows raised in surprise, then lowered. I shot a dark look to Terrin again.

"She's-- gone off to Khar Delba on her own?"

Thunder swelled in my heart; as there were no real controls to grip, per se, all I could do was make an abortive clenching of my fists.

"Is this going to turn out to be some kind of a trap?"

Then the second comm came in, yanking my attention away from thoughts I was finding entirely too dark for my liking. I leaned forward, tapped a sigil.

"Yeah, we're departing now--"

I shot a final look at my husband, pursed my lips, then let my fingers do the walking on the console in front of me. The tiniest of vibrations seemed to ripple through the air within the little fighter then--

--and I knew we were away from the surface of K'eel Doba.

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

He trailed, looking to Galen again, "At least we've got the fighter, and Matt and Jasyn are on the yacht with the others. I trust that Matt will know if and when a trap might be in the works. He'll keep an eye out. In the meantime...

...at least we've got just a bit of time away from everyone else before all hell breaks lose..."

...one way or another.

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

...and she served her purpose. "Our ETA is about 38 standard hours," Shayla spoke up over her shoulder. "Everyone get some rest and..."

She trailed, frowning, as the older sensors on the yacht picked up on something...

...something that wasn't all that far away, and big.

Very big.

Shayla gasped. "Oh FATES!!! There's an Imperial blockade just ahead of us!"

Stating this, Shayla's hands went to the navboard once more, and she moved the ship to an orbit close to K'eel Doba.

Then she turned directly to Aeylmaar. "This ship is not equipped to dodge these guys; I could only do so in a Sith fighter or warship. I doubt I can dupe them via the Force; we need something much more powerful than that. Now, Phalomir was able to trip the Imperials up with some of his magickal abilities...

...can you do the same? Because, otherwise...

...we have a huge problem, and we've gotta figure out now how we're going to solve it."

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

"We suppose we shall sound ignorant. But why is there a blockade in place?"

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

...could they buy us a way through this thing, somehow?"

[ 09-04-2005 06:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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Panthar again closed his eyes.

“And next time we really should think about that stupid blockade before we take off. I mean, wasn’t the reason we needed a ship in the first place is because Jharmeen was too tired to open a portal for us?”

His eyes snapped open.

“Hey, we could contact them first and tell Sorben who we are, and we are following a lead on his daughter... ya think?”

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

I jerked my full attention back to what my boards were telling me in that charmingly exotic way they had.

A blockade loomed ahead, stark and grinning.

Further investigation told me of the laced tractor beams, an inconsequential thing, really, when it came to this marvelous little fighter. But the more mundane yachts of the type produced by Corellia, whether now or in the past, didn't have a prayer.

Especially those produced 4,000 years ago...

I grimaced, trying to think. Then--

"Hang on," I said, although the warning was entirely superfluous. This ship and inertia were two entirely different animals, never to face each other or even tread upon the same path; one slight tap of my finger, and we were backtracking exactly the way we had come.

I popped open a view screen, and there she was. A davidian speck against the goliath blockade.

"Coming to the rescue, Shayla!" I said into empty air; Khaandon knows I didn't want to risk a comm between us that they could break into. All I could do was sidle up mere meters alongside the little yacht, and then by adjusting the strength of the field emanating from my Sith belt I covered us both by the invisibility shield.

Of course Shayla wouldn't have a clue, visual or sensor-wise as to what I had done.

"C'mon, c'mon..." I spoke between my clenched teeth, now flipping us in a neat little circle around the yacht until we were both heading in the same direction.

"Keep up with me here, lady..."

Hoping like hell Shayla was quick enough on the draw to figure things out from what she could gain from her sensors, I looped and whirled away from our position, seeking any kind of opening in the lacy energy beams that I thought might be large enough to sneak us through.

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

She trailed, "We do have information concerning his daughter. But if he actually knew what we did..."

Shaking her head once more, Shayla turned back to the navboard, her thoughts whirling. "As for the Sith fighter somehow helping us..."

Shayla's words dropped off, and something dawned on her. "They might be able to sneak us through via the Sith belt. I think it would be able to cover us. I dare not risk a comm though. But maybe..."

Shayla quieted, beginning to stretch out...

..and coming up almost immediately on a strange "bubble" very close to them in the Force. Along with that came a tingle in her senses.

Shayla's hands immediately went to the navbaord, and she followed the bubble that she could now sense just ahead of them."

"Uhhh, Shayla?" she heard Erik query.

"It's going to be okay," she answered him, her eyes never straying as she kept her eyes on the viewport. Easily could she sense the Sith fighter, now that she was certain of her location.

As she continued to follow, she went to work on the navboard, scanning the laced tractor beam blockade just ahead.

There it was, a nice little hole, just about the right size...

Even as the yacht found the gap, Shayla sensed the bubble of the Sith fighter easily slide through her...

...and Shayla followed right behind. And they were once more on their way towards Khar Delba.

"Shayla?" Shayla heard Erik query again, this time more insistently as they began travelling away from the blockade. "You remember we have the signal to have the blockade lowered, back from when you and I, Panthar and Phalomir had dealings with Tarnus?"

Shayla turned to regard her husband, her eyes going wide. "Oh, curse the Fates, I'd forgotten about that..."

She trailed then, frowning, looking back to the now revived blockade. Strange, that the gap had appeared just in time for them. "And you know," she then stated, "I don't know how they knew where we were...

... but I think they let us go. That was just entirely too easy..."

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