I shot a look upwards toward the firm lines of Terrin's chin, then focused on the fallen Panthar. He lay on the ground like a bundle of yesterday's wash, his features half hidden by his shoulders which hulked up over his half-turned face.

I heaved a sigh and stepped out.

"Well-ll... okay, I guess I can give it another shot," I said somewhat dubiously. For though it was true that I had lent to the banishing of the Korriban system the same kind of power Sis and the Sorcerer Lord bandied about, I hadn't a clue as to how exactly I had done it.

I stopped next to Shayla and stared down at Panthar.

"In the for what it's worth department," I finished as I knelt down and laid my hands on Panthar's body. For several long moments I just remained quiet, feeling all kinds of a third wheel, when inspiration struck.

"Darra, you too!"

I twisted about without removing my hands, and centered a steely look upon my daughter. You know, the "mother's kind," the look that Brooks No Disobedience Whatsoever.

"Whatever this is, it's in your aunt, it's in me, and it's really in your cousin ShaRhylla. The way peeps were out to baby-nap you--"

And succeeded, actually, but let's put that little thought aside for the moment, shall we?

"--you must have it in your innards as well. So git yer hiney over here and lend a hand."

With nothing more to be said, I fell quiet, scooching over as Darra glided over to a position next to me. There she too knelt and placed her hands, albeit somewhat hesitantly, upon Panthar's shoulder. She blinked her baby blues, giving me a wide-eyed look.

I know that look too, sweetie. Been there, done that....

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

His body… yes, that was what he had come to accept. He had been through so many strange things involving his “self”, having his consciousness invaded, removed, toyed with… yet he had remained himself though it all. And now he had finally come to terms with his predicament, had accepted his fate and vowed that he would never lose control of his own body again.

But to save himself, he gave an order that now left this body dying.

He felt warmth spreading throughout his body, as the feeling of his surroundings melted away. He no longer felt the hot sticky blood that coated his neck and chest, the coldness of the ground below him, or even the soft touch of hands on his.

Hands? Whose hands?

Why were they helping him? He had been so bad, allowed terrible things to invade his mind, had been tempted by the darkness and even before that… even before that he had been swayed by the Flame, and allowed the dark thoughts in his own heart to rise.

They should let me die… I can’t hide what I feel, can’t change what I am on the inside. I’ve been terrible…

“Shayla…” he whispered. “I’m sorry…”

Panthar gasped for breath, his lungs not able to draw in enough air. But as the healing powers of all combined, his body sank into a relaxed state, and he passed into unconsciousness.

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

Whatever it was they were doing.

But wonder and curiosity were abruptly pushed aside as from out of seeming nowhere there arose within her a deep, caressing warmth. It was as if a tiny ember had burst into life, furious and strong though miniscule. With every passing second it grew exponentially, until mere moments later it filled her completely, like life-giving fire.

She gasped, turning wide eyes to her mother.

Galen only smiled, and shrugged her shoulders, her hands never leaving Panthar.

Now the fire within grew even more fierce, even more full of life, as though it was the very essence of a sun which in reality does just that. The energies swelled, coming together within her torso where they swirled and coiled, only to burst out like birds on the wing to fly down the length of her arms and disappear into their fallen companion.

His skin beneath her hands fairly vibrated from the strength being poured into him.

"Mother, wha-?" she started, but fell silent with a gasp. The effort to speak pulled her focus away from the soaring fires within, which then only flamed the higher, the fiercer. Quickly turning her attentions back to them, she found much to her relief that they banked somewhat, once more able to be tolerated as they roiled and combined, ebbed and flowed, augmenting like lightwaves in phase which continued to pour into Panthar.

Is this what Mo- what my aunt spoke of? she allowed a brief wonder to herself.

Is this what my sister is so aloof, so nonchalant about? Is this that mysterious connection to all that is, the power which drives all that exists in all the universes at hand?

She blinked, wondering why she had come to think in such terms. Then the ever-rising heat forced her to concentrate on Panthar once again.

She wasn't even aware of the moment her mother quietly rose to her feet and stepped back, knowing Panthar's fate was well in hand, her own inexperience acting as a possible detriment to the effort of the group.

[ 05-18-2006 03:36 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by JhinDarra ]

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The he felt a cool breeze on his face, and the clamor dimmed slightly. He opened his eyes, and through the parting clouds he saw a figure approaching cautiously. The voices diminished into nothing, and his tears of pain turned to streams of relief. He stood weakly, the clouds now blowing away and a bright light shining behind the figure, now clearly a female. He reached out to touch the face, his own smile set broadly, and recognition slowly came to him.

JhinDarra, wide eyed, looked back.

“Am I dead?” he asked.

The world faded around him once again, and went black.

…

Panthar gasped, then inhaled deeply. He coughed, gagged, then turned to his side. After a brief moment he opened his eyes and looked cautiously around him. Everyone was staring intently. He rolled again to his back and looked up to the sky.

He lifted his head and looked about, then caught the eyes of JhinDarra.

“Whoa,” he said. “What happened? Is it gone?”

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

Startled, Darra immediately stepped back, for a quick moment dropping her eyes as she gathered her composure. Then she raised her head and looked straight at Panthar, bestowing a brilliant white smile upon him.

"I believe so," she said softly before getting to her feet and stepping further back, allowing the others to now rush forward to congratulate him on his survival.

[ 05-19-2006 12:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by JhinDarra ]

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“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I’m not sure what all I did but, well, I can tell you it wasn’t all me. Wow, there are some really scary things out in the universe.”

He shook his head and turned, not wanting to drudge up the dark thoughts that had haunted him since the last trip into the Darker Realms. He turned quickly and was surprised to face JhinDarra. He smiled genuinely.

“Wow,” he said. “I think I owe you my life. All of you! But you were the one I saw… I don’t know if that makes any sense, but… thank you.”

Panthar smiled for a moment longer, then with an effort took his eyes from JhinDarra.

He looked around.

“Where’s Phal?”

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

As he turned to join the others, he felt a slight shudder run through him, causing both pain and joy in one rush. He suddenly felt nauseous, and leaned forward as he went to one knee. Then all at once he felt some invisible string snap, a weight lifted, and he knew at once that the last hold the Master still had upon him was broken.

But it was more than that, something else was gone. He had spent so much time in the Darker Realms, in spirit form, that he had absorbed bits of its power, its evil. That too, was gone.

Steadying himself with one hand on the ground, he looked up to Aelvedaar.

“Did you feel that?” he asked. “I think something has happened in the Darker Realms…”

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

The words are in immediate reply, for I too have felt a distant, mysterious disturbance. It is as if somewhere a mass of epic proportions has been eliminated from existence, allowing neighboring materials to rush in to fill the void, much the same as with the strike of lightning, where air heated to thousands of degrees, expanding, is filled by the rush of cooler surrounding air.

Whether or not this disturbance has created an accompanying thunder I cannot ascertain; I only know that Thoran speaks the truth. There has indeed been a momentous disturbance, its lingering after-effects reverbating now from its origins in the Darker Realms.

I nod toward the blackness I have encapsulated. It lays quiet in its crystalline cell, now limned with streaks of a sickly greenish black.

"But I do not know if what has happened there would effect the spirit of my Chosen Daughter," I state truthfully.

"I fear we must hasten our steps, for too long have we tarried here."

Even as I speak the blackness pales further, filling me with hope that its counterpart within the Darker Realms has somehow been removed, or destroyed. I do not, however, let myself be deceived into thinking that the task ahead of us is any easier: Roan still inhabits that terrible realm, not to mention the demons. And while the dimming of the blackness leads me to hope that the entity Entaris, or at least what he represents, has been eliminated, I cannot say for a certainty that all evil is gone.

But for now it appears that our path is cleared somewhat; raising my voice to capture the attention of the others I interject into their joy the need for us to hasten, to seek whatever magickal Sith devices that yet might be hidden within the Temple of the Armorers.

Which is why we have come into the Elseness to begin with.

[ 05-20-2006 01:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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...for she felt within her very soul that this was indeed the case. For, as Aelvedaar had spoken, Roan still inhabited the Darker Realms, despite what might have happened otherwise within. And that was quite enough to deal with. Especially considering how he had used Jharmeen in the past. And how he felt about her last he laid eyes on her, as well.

Unconciously, Shayla shuddered at the thought. "If something has happened to the Master," she opened with, "It is possible that Jharmeen is in more danger than she was even before, with Roan still at large."

Pausing at that, Shayla frowned thoughtfully. "We were planning to use a Sith device against the Master to defeat him. But if we must defeat Roan as well, we have somewhat of a problem, considering he is a soul and no longer has a mortal body. What could we find to stop him, a soul and not a mortal?"

Again she quieted, now getting to her feet. "We should begin looking, although it would be easier if we knew what sort of thing we were looking for." She turned towards Erik. "You and Panthar were here before, and were brought to a room with some devices in it then, were you not? Do you recall the location of that room? Or," she continued, now looking at Panthar, "Could your tuk'ata companion lead us there? It is a start."

Pursing her lips, Shayla then recalled Panthar's one question. "Phalomir is in a safe location, placed there by Lord Aelvedaar to protect him from the Master."

Then Panthar's briefly spoken words in his state of near-unconsciousness struck her. "Panthar, you...

...you told me you were sorry a few moments ago, when we were helping to heal you from the tuk'ata's strike."

She frowned. "Why?"

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

“I, um,” he tried to speak. “Ever since the, um, Flame thing, I had some pretty dark thoughts, and um, I think that’s why that thing got in me so easily. I think I may have said some things or acted contrary to, well, me.”

He coughed and shifted his feet.

“Well, anyway, it’s all gone now. So Phal isn’t going to be with us? Wow. All right, well, I think I can find it again, but I’m sure my buddy can show us, just to be safe. That is, as long as he doesn’t try to eat me.”

Panthar smiled and walked towards the tuk’ata, an action he wouldn’t have ever dreamed of doing not long ago. It stood and met him, its face tentacles winding around Panthar’s face in a show of affection.

Soon it was leading the group through the maze of corridors inside the temple, stopping finally at the battered door of the “armory”. Panthar rubbed at his hand in memory of the wound he received while breaking the door in.

The room was lined with shelves containing various weapons: swords, knives, clubs, and more. Here and there other strange looking items were scattered. Panthar looked at a small table against one wall, and was dismayed to see it empty.

“Someone took it,” he said. “That crystal ball thing that we saw all the Dark Lords through, it’s gone.”

He sighed, looking around the room.

“So,” he said to nobody in particular. “Anybody have the ‘Who’s Who in the Armory’ guide? I wish Phal was here.”

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

He saw her, sitting in the grass on a warm day. Her hair flowed in the breeze, and her eyes widened at the sight of him. But it was not all correct… she was not as he remembered her, she was very small, a mere child! His powers were in such flux that his own strange knowledge of time had interfered! But he had to do this, there was no time to try again, and his powers may fail completely.

“Shayla,” he called out. “Do not be afraid, child. In time, you will know me. Forces in your time shall prevent you from knowing these words, for the evil will know. But I will hide this in your dreams, and when the evil is gone you shall remember. Jharmeen holds you dear, for it is through her I found you. I have done terrible things, I have allowed myself to be used… but it is gone, the evil, and I-- I need you. She needs you! When you remember this, you will know. Come to us, now, before it is too late!”

He inhaled, the strain of this effort draining him further.

“Roan has the Finger”, he wheezed. “He has destroyed the Tower… my powers, too weak. Use your link with her, you have the ability! I can feel it in you. Forget what you think you know, you have to realize your true potential! Come!”

His powers failed, drained. He slumped backwards, exhausted, and did all he could do. Wait.

...only a reply never came. Like a Pandora's box, a key unlocked a door within her mind that suddenly spilled forth images and sounds, not all of them completely unfamiliar to her...

...but some of them very much so. Now unaware of what was occurring around her, Shayla closed her eyes, and put a hand to her forehead, the sounds now morphing into words, words produced by a very familiar voice: The Master.

It was that day again, and she was a child, sitting on the grass, seeing the image of a Sith sorceror beckoning to her.

Only now the words he previously only mouthed were audible.

Her eyes snapped open, and she gasped. "The Master, it was the Master who appeared to me that day, when I was a child, at the Praxeum."

Trailing a moment at that, her eyes still distant and wide, she was oblivious to the reactions of the others. "He says the evil is gone, Roan has the Finger, the Tower is destroyed and he is weakened...

...and that Jharmeen needs me..."

Once more, Shayla trailed, concern and worry flowing through her. Her eyes finally snapped alert as she looked to the others, the looks on their faces far from her primary concern. "He asked me to come to him..."

She paused, correcting herself, "Actually, he says to come to us, now, before it is too late." Her eyes clouded in concern. "Jharmeen must be with him, at least in spirit. Unless this is somehow a trap...

...this may be our only window to saving her..."

[ 05-25-2006 03:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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“Um,” he started. “What are you talking about? How could the Master have spoken with you, and why do you remember it now? This really smells like a trap!”

He paused.

“I mean, I believe you, but this just seems all to convenient. Yet, there's something weird going on, according to Thoran and Aelvedaar, so maybe? What do you feel, deep down?”

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

He paused, looking to Aelvedaar. "Is there a way to determine if the vision is what really happened with Shayla that day in the past, or if it is a manipulation placed in her mind at some other time?"

[ 05-26-2006 12:12 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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I turn a molten look her way.

"That, I fear, is something only Shayla can define," I reply to Erik, my eyes pinioning her own widening pair.

"Tell me, do you sense any difference in the memory now flowing through you, in comparison to what you recall as a child?"

Beside her, Erik opens his mouth to reply for her yet again. I raise a hand, stilling his voice, for it has already begun taking up yet more time, time which I fear we do not have. We must hasten into the Darker Realms, where indeed all our speculations will be laid to rest by the truths we find therein.

But before I open the Rift, I desire to hear what this young jedi should reply to my query to her.

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

She was certain.

"The memories are real, I'm certain," she replied then, her greeny-blues now crystal clear. "The only difference is that I now can recall the words spoken to me, whereas before I could not. But the words spoken match the images I recall verbatim...

...and I specifically remember wandering to the hilltops of Yavin frequently as a child, to...

...get away from the Praxeum. The words the master spoke implies he locked this memory within my mind, only to be recalled at a specific point in time...

... after the evil is gone, he says. And I haven't been able to fully recall or understand this vision, not until now."

Her eyes radiated determination, and loyalty. "We need to do this, for Jharmeen. And perhaps for the entire galaxy as well."

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

I nod to her, once; then raise my face and peer deeply into her greeny-blue eyes. The fingers of my outstretched hand begin to form into a peculiar configuration: the index and little finger extending like horns, the thumb curling beneath my palm to join with the others, likewise curled. Poised to open the Portal, I speak to Shayla one final time.

"Has the vision given you any particular place within these realms where we are to meet? For an endless dimension do they inhabit, and without a specific link to a specific spot, I can only take us there blindly.

"I cannot guarantee that we will find ourselves anywhere near my Chosen lo- that is, my Chosen Daughter."

For a quick moment I drop my face toward the ground, disturbed with myself for the near-slip. Then, my composure regained, I raise my head and once again look Shayla straight in the eye, waiting before finalizing the move that will take us into that dark and drear otherness yet again.

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

"He says I should use my link with Jharmeen to find them."

She paused, pursing her lips thoughtfully for a moment. "She and I have an All link that should, so far as I know, still be in tact when connected to the realm where her soul exists."

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

Without waiting for she or any other to reply, and utterly ignoring Erik's somewhat alarmed look at my actions, I reach out my free hand and place it entirely over Shayla's face. The fingers curve up over her brow and onto the top of her head, while the thumb and little finger seek the joint where her jaw meets her throat. In this manner I have totally encompassed every nerve ganglion in her brain and nearby vicinity; closing my eyes, I send a gentle tendril of my essence into her own, following the pathways within her mind, brilliant violet bolts of energy crackling about me like fantastic lightning, ever onward and onward until after passing through a particularly dark passage I come upon yet another violet light.

This light, however, is not that of the energies by which nervous impulses generate and travel. This one originates from a sigil I placed upon a certain pale forehead, seemingly eons ago.

Brilliant violet eyes stare at me with gentle calm, a testimony to how the adept considers her teacher. Without, my features break into a calm smile of my own.

"And now we go."

The configured hand twists just so, and before us there opens a rift from one impossible realm into another. I pause at the threshold, calling out to the others in our party.

"We go to a place beyond that which Man terms real. We go into danger, and the likelihood of entrapment. We may find ourselves in battle; there is a great probability not all of us shall return.

"If you do not wish to follow, there will be no disgrace or dishonor upon you for this. For wisdom does indeed often raise its head at unexpected times."

With that I simply step forth into the rift, following the beacon Shayla's link has laid out before me.

((OOC: Follow Aelvedaar and whoever follows into The Siege of a Soul in the "Jedi/Sith" forums, thank you.))

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

Strangely enough, though Shayla had been seperated from him from quite some time she still knew from their sibling bond what concerns were flowing underneath his Jedi calm. Her greeny-blues now shifted to JhinDarra's wide blue pair.

"You are, perhaps, the only other who may have an All link with Jharmeen," Shayla then stated simply, softly, "And you are the only other here with inherent All abilities."

Pausing at that, Shayla couldn't help but think of another time, and the child of her own she so desperately wanted protection for, and a life for. The words she spoke then were nothing more than a product of the motherly instinct she kept buried safely within herself. As she spoke, her look encompassed the entire group. "She is the hope of the future, and her safety is imperative."

Leaving her words at nothing further than that, Shayla exchanged the look of a mother to a mother with Galen Danner then turned and stepped into the yawning portal before her, her husband at her heels without so much as a word.

(((OCC: Follow Shayla and Erik into The Seige of a Soul in this same forum, thank you.)))

[ 05-26-2006 11:18 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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I turned my face up to Terrin, squeezed his hand.

"Yeah, let's go," I affirmed and with him by my side followed my daughter and the others into who in Hell's Seven Circles knew what...

((OOC: Galen and Terrin step forth into The Siege of a Soul in the "Jedi/Sith" forums, thank you.))

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Quieting a moment at that, Jasyn then looked towards Matt, who was already headed to the portal. "Another day, another bad feeling," he then quipped, albeit rather darkly. And then he followed Matt into the portal.

(((OCC: Jasyn joins the other into [i]Seige of a Soul in this same forum.)))

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Truthfully, more was haunting him than perhaps his sister was aware of. There was something that he couldn't even quite put his finger on.

But then, worrying about the future was not the Jedi way, so Shawn focused on the present and what he was heading for. Mentally preparing himself for the utter darkeness he knew he was about to be surrounded with, Shawn stepped into the portal...

...and stepped once more into a realm that probably no other Jedi knew existed.

(((OCC: Follow Shawn into Seige of a Soul in this same forum.))

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“We shouldn’t go empty-handed,” he said. He glanced around, grabbed a small device that resembled an ice-cream cone, and stepped through the portal.

(((OCC: Follow Panthar and Thoran into Seige of a Soul in this same forum.))

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