“I know,” he said to Panthar. “I can feel it.”

He stepped forward and glanced to both Aaron and Panthar. “Watch this one while the others enter through the portal,” he said, indicating Rykounagin. “We have much to do, much to discuss, and we cannot afford distractions.”

He turned his attention to the flame-haired woman standing by the strange device in the center of the room. He walked to her and paused, holding out his hands.

“Jharmeen,” he said. “It brings me great joy to see you again. I say that with all of my heart, my lady, for I know of the darkness, and I can feel that it is gone. Please, tell me this is true.”

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

"I'd really hate to have another unprovoked attack upon myself and other persons in the area. I'm not fond of being caccooned. Makes me feel claustrophobic, and just a bit hot around the ears." I winked at Shayla, not pressing further on the reference to "split" hairs.

"But what's with the mistrust? All this talk of 'watching me'. I'd almost think you couldn't trust your son-in-law. Or second-son-in-law. Whatever my marriage makes me."

I did not bother to mention our "divorce", still considering ShaRhylla to be mine, and only mine.

[ 09-02-2007 11:33 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Rykounagin ]

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Far more was at stake here...

"Far more is at stake here than such small, petty details," she half-spoke, half-growled. Then she pinned Rykounagin with a cold look. "And you above all should be speaking of unprovoked attacks."

Her eyes remained remarkably inscrutable as she then fell silent, stepping back a bit.

He does not belong here with us, she thought to Graysith, her anger growing.

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

“Your marriage was dissolved,” he announced. “ShaRhylla herself announced this to both Shayla and me, in the same instance admitting it was you who arranged the staged death of the Dark Lady and indeed proclaimed you would kill her for real when given the chance.”

His body turned to face the assassin, but his steps carried him backwards towards Jharmeen until he stood beside her.

“This is a chance you shall never have, Rykounagin. She would turn you inside out before you could blink, and in that same moment you tried to harm her I would be holding your still beating heart in my hands. You hold no station here, lad, choose your words carefully.”

Phalomir glanced at Aelvedaar quickly.

“I suggest he placed under arrest,” he said. Phalomir then turned back to Jharmeen and stepped closer to her.

[ 09-05-2007 10:46 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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She trembled slightly, feeling his proximity... but trembled more when his suggestion to place Rykounagin under arrest came into her ears.

Arrest... he would be placed in the dungeons of Phrinnchatka...

She gasped, one slender hand flying to her lips.

The dungeons! There was one there who deserved not the fate she had dealt him.

As his great fleet deserved not its own.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she ducked her head, allowing her long flaming hair to flow down and cover her face, that none present would see her grief.

For what she had done, she could never, ever make amends. She refused to let that oily Darkness that had resided for so long within her take all the blame...

...for had she not, indeed, willingly allowed it placement there?

As the knowledge of her destruction of General Tarnus' blockade segued at last into visceral reality, her understanding of the Greater Good shivered, slipped millimeters from her understanding.

And deep within her, that shining entity of All wavered in response.

[ 09-05-2007 11:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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"What have I done in the past? I have been locked away, tortured, and beaten by you all for following the beckoning of lesser beings."

I sighed. "I am no innocent man, that is true enough. I am no longer a lord, and though my marriage is disolved, I still deny it. I may not deserve what I take claim to, but I will fight for it all the same." I paused, knowing that there was a distinct chance that this would backfire.

"So, I will attempt to put this away." I conjured the Lotus, and flicked it up into the air, holding it between fingers at the very tip, and extending it forward to no one inparticular.

Not Phalomir, but towards the place between Graysith and Shayla. "Honor is a strong point in Sith society, particularly those who are actually sith. Though this means nothing from one who is born of dishonor, I will give you a choice." I kept the blade level, handle extended forward.

"You have a choice. As you are not actual sith, this choice will hold little weight upon you. I offer you the chance to exact your 'pound of flesh', or you can chose to let this lie and let the past settle. I am not here to fight you, I am here to earn that which I claim."

I looked at those two here who held the greatest grievances against me. "Will you, Shayla forgive me for searing your flesh? And will you-" I felt as though I was speaking a dirty word "-forgive me for daring to seek that which you should hold dearest?"

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

The sheer intensity of the anger coming from Shayla was almost frightening.

But she remained silent, still, thus allowing her Adept to choose her own path in this unexpected confrontation. For indeed, it had been Shayla after all who almost died at the hands of this white-haired Cult Assassin.

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

Let the past lie...

...and let the one who is perfect cast the first stone.

With effort, Shayla began to calm and realize that she no longer was at the center of her own little world, as she had been when the Darkness had taken her. Came to the realization that, while she was angry, more important things needed to be dealt with. And there were others out there with far greater concerns than her own veangance.

Her greeny blue eyes met Rykounagin's, clear and calm. "Small petty details plague not only you, I'm afraid," she began with a sigh. "I cannot honestly forgive you for what you have done...

...but there is more at stake here."

She paused then, looking to Graysith. "There are still others to retrieve, others left in their current predicament at my own...

...devices."

Her greeny-blue eyes clouded in shame, and then she drew some strength from the fact that she indeed was not alone. Not anymore. Feeling Graysith's own pain through their connection, Shayla's anger with Rykounagin faded into the background, and her concern grew steadily. And with a start Shayla realized that, for the first time in quite a while, she could actually...

.... feel again.

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

"Alright then. Then let's leave our differences behind until this is settled." I looked to Phalomir.

"Satisfied?"

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

The word, more of a command really, slipped from her lips, pierced the air, daggered into what was beginning to be a more comfortable atmosphere and electrified it back to its former intensity. She let the word dangle, drawing the attention of everyone but most especially the cult assassin, toward whom after all the command had been directed.

Slowly she raised her head, pinned Rykounagin's eyes with her own.

"I have not yet, as you say, exacted my pound of flesh from this moment."

Pausing to shoot Shayla a somewhat incredulous look, she then approached Rykounagin and came to a halt in front of him. Mere inches from him, she continued to look him straight in the eye, daring him to so much as move one muscle. Obligingly, he remained where he was, his hands yet emptied of any of his weapons, and hopefully as empty of his magicks as well.

"One can put in the past words spoken out of anger, for they are unthinking, being created from a solitary instance. But--"

Here she shot another quick sidelong glance toward Shayla.

"But one cannot as easily dismiss offenses of a more serious nature, such as attempted murder, or bringing actual physical harm to another."

Although her voice was steady, her own anger was slowly beginning to rise, bit by bit filling her eyes with fire, causing her to breathe a bit heavily as she continued.

"What is or was or ever possibly will be between you and my daughter is the affair of you and her; I cannot make up ShaRhylla's mind for her, nor would you ever wish me to do that. But you tried to kill me, you vowed you would, and you almost killed her!"

Her hand shot out, pointing to Shayla.

"This is not a simple bygone, to let settle into the dust of the past, Rykounagin! This is a serious offense, one which not only goes against the mores of our society but against its laws as well. How can you expect me to simply forgive and forget? How can such things go unpunished?

"And how do you expect me to trust what you say now, considering all this? You are, after all, in straits not of your own choosing, are you not? Would you not say anything to protect yourself?"

Still inches from him, she let her arm drop and fell silent.

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

I pulled my deeper wishes into check before replying, letting none of my murderous wishes show upon my visage.

"I just offered you a chance to set this down for now, but if you wish to bring up old past actions, let us look-"

"You have had your minions beat me, you have locked me in that endless hellhole. Phalomir has attempted to have me crushed by my own vessel, and each of my old masters, save one, has attempted to end me in one way or another. Also, take into account that I saved your daughter's life, you have very little to hold against me personally."

I looked at Shayla. "As for my... attack, upon your minion, you cannot deny that it was provoked. And, it seems that your talents have returned her to a healthy and whole state, with little lingering effect."

I sighed. "I am a terrible, mass murdering, psychopath who hates you. Point and case. I'm also a terrible, mass murdering psychopath who is willing to put his hate aside, and who is willing to attempt to attone for his actions, guided by greater evils or not."

"I am weary of consistantly being pressed up against every faction, and, free-will pending, all I want is one thing." I frowned. "So, are you going to exact the pound of flesh in physical form? Or will you take into account my offer as settling some of my..." I rolled the final word around in my mouth. "-debt?"

I now did something I thought I would likely never do, and raised my hand towards her, though unable to extend the full length as Graysith was in the way. "Now, you can shake my hand and we can put this away for now, or this can become an avoidably ugly situation."

"But hey... you don't have to take my word for it. After all, I am the only coniving, corrupted, and evil person at fault for any wrongs here." I laid weight on those specific words with a mild pleasure.

After all, anyone who could say I was the only person with wrongs in their name here, had a naive streak the length of the Dune Sea.

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

“Enough of this, Rykounagin, your snide defense bears little meaning but to damn yourself,” he said coldly. “You have committed crimes beyond which I had knowledge, and regardless of how you feel you have been treated what you have done is treason and worse. By all rights you should be bound and sent to the executioner, and you should not consider yourself free of this matter in any way.”

Phalomir gave a sidelong glance to Jharmeen, knowing she was fully capable of fighting her own battles but wishing nothing more than to grab this assassin by the throat and rip his head away. It took a great restraint to keep his hands at his side, and the trembling fingers pressed hard into his side gave this away.

“You have been given chance upon chance to show yourself worthy of trust, and every time you have strayed from those who cared enough to give you that chance. If you have any notion at all to delay your execution, you will stay silent and still, unmoving from this spot. Your arrogance and pride will do nothing but harm, put them away and do not move. Discussions must take place of greater import than your past.”

Phalomir backed away a step, eyes still searing down at Rykounagin.

“And look around you at who have crossed. No matter where in the galaxy you try to hide, you will be found, and you will stand accountable. Now be quiet and provoke us no longer.”

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

"Yes, discussions of import must take place," she agreed, completely recovered to all outward appearances but still achingly aware of the enormity of her own crimes against others, be it through her own intentions or not.

"But not at the expense of justice, Lord Phalomir. To dismiss this case -- even for the moment! -- with an admonition that Rykounagin simply remain still, to put off his accountability even as he stands here before us, only lessens our leadership in the eyes of others. Yes, there are matters of most dire importance to discuss, namely the approach of those who once before tried to command this Galaxy and with whom they might now be in league, as well as the subject of how the Sith people are not only to be ruled, but by whom.

"Not to mention that for the most part the People yet believe themselves to be living in what we understand to be four thousand years in the past; the shock that they will face when being presented with the proof that they have been transplanted into their future will undoubtedly be an enormous one."

She paused a moment, letting her eyes drop to study the tips of her toes. Then she stiffened, raised her face, straightened.

"There is one who must be allowed into our confidence: Lt. General Sorben Tarnus. I- I have him unfairly imprisoned within the dungeons of Phrinnchatka; Lord Phalomir, before I can partake of any discussions of so important a meaning as we know lies ahead of us, I must free my heart by freeing this man, allow him knowledge of that which we are made privy to...

"And then release myself to him for the horrendous act I have undertaken against his fleet. It is not up to us to decide my innocence in this matter, just as it is not up to us to decide Rykounagin's."

She fell silent with that, letting her violet eyes flick back to the form of the assassin, just as another Portal whickered into existence and spit Lord Aelvedaar into the echoing expanse of his Sanctum Sanctorum.

[ 09-09-2007 11:18 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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Phalomir shifted slightly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“And though I am not aware of what you did to his fleet, I have an idea. Do not place this upon yourself, what you did was under the direct influence of the darkness, and if he is a reasonable man then this will aid in his decision to work with us.”

[ 09-09-2007 11:17 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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Release herself to Tarnus? Would he not certainly exact a heavy dose of revenge?

She swallowed a bit then, her thoughts straying to her own destruction of the Tempole of the Armorers. And of her actions in the sick chambers here.

She closed her eyes in pain. She remained thus for a few moments before opening them once more and regarding Rykounagin, her Force senses easily reading his dark thoughts regarding them all, no matter how he tried to put them aside.

What was it he thought he would accomplish by remaining here now?

She stepped up to him, her greeny-blue eyes slitting. "And what was it I did to provoke you to do what you did? What physical harm was it I did to you?"

She paused a moment. "You ask for forgiveness for now." You say one thing yet mean another."

Her anger began to rise. "Perhaps you should take Tarnus’s place.” She paused, her eyes narrowing further. ”For now.”

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

"I- I destroyed his fleet, in its entirety," she whispered in in a low voice, her eyes vague for they were no longer reading the lines of his face but seeing the absolute destruction of myriad ships and the thousands upon thousands of souls aboard them.

"While it is true I was under the influence of another, it is still not ours to determine my fate. That right belongs to the aggrieved, just as it should be our people --"

She paused momentarily, wondering if she could ever truly consider herself of the Sith peoples again after what she had done, even though they did at the moment accept her as the Dark Lady of the Warriors. For surely her destruction of Tarnus' fleet would be taken as an open act of aggression, bringing those worlds left of the Sith into direct conflict with the very Galaxy they had only just been "born" into.

She couldn't bear it.

"Just as the right of what to do with Rykounagin belongs to the Sith, for it was by his assassin's tactics and machinations that the transport system was destroyed, and that many people in the city above were hurt or some perhaps killed. And we know what happened to my dear Adept."

Now her eyes flicked to Shayla. The young woman looked a touch discomfited, as if secretly heavy of heart about something. But if what Graysith was reading in the depths of her eyes was factual or not, she didn't say or do anything other than continue to look threateningly at the assassin.

Graysith let a small sigh whisper from her, then straightened further, now aware of the newly arrived presence of Lord Aelvedaar. The Dark Lord of the Sorcerers said nothing, but obviously had arrived in time to overhear much of what was being discussed, for now he proceeded directly to her other side where he placed a comforting, clawed hand upon her small shoulder.

"We must still release the Lt. General, my Lords, and allow him the right to do with me as he feels the situation truly directs."

She fell silent with that, stubbornly insistent if only out of her love for her adopted People.

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

Phalomir squeezed Jharmeen’s shoulder gently, his expression softening. He flicked his eyes to Aelvedaar, then back to Jharmeen, and smiled softly.

“But now is the time to stop the aggression and make peace with the Empire. Our galaxy must be united, for not only are we fighting the invading Vong but it seems we fight the darkness of another realm as well. Surely Tarnus will see the real issues. In any instance, you will not be alone in this.”

He stepped back then, looking at all present.

“We have pressing matters,” he said. “We must locate our missing comrades, Yaoksi and Link. We must place Rykounagin into the hands of those who can serve justice. We must free General Sorben and hold negotiations with him. We should also check the progress of our friends on Dagobah and inform them of what has happened. Do you agree, my Lord and Lady?”

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

I cannot help but stretch out with the talents my magicks afford me, keenly feeling the turmoil of emotions in play between one comrade and the next. From my brother Dark Lord, an overwhelming sense of outrage emanates, one cleverly masked by him but clearly felt by those with the ability nevertheless. From my Chosen One there flows unending grief; I squeeze her shoulder once again, understanding the truth of what she speaks even as I accept the wisdom in that of Lord Phalomir's words. From the slim form of the Cult assassin there comes a certain smugness, a deep and fiery anger, and a particular pain and emptiness I deem important enough to certainly remember and investigate at some future date. And from the human and Verpine--

"I agree, Lord Phalomir," I state, now letting my arm drop as I then move to the side of my chamber, there to take up an ornate bell-pull which I give a single tug. Servants immediately materialize from the shadows, servants standing always at the ready, servants who are loyal unto death and whose ears and tongues none of us present need ever worry. I turn briefly to them, directing them to make quarters ready, and to bring food and drink here that all present might refresh themselves. For indeed they have gone through the gates of Hell and back; simple physical fortification is direly necessary before we continue any further.

I then move to the Crystal Octahedron, and laying a clawed hand against its octahedral surface present it with a command.

The splendid greeny-goldness within it roils and tumbles, whirls in patterns reminiscent of convection yet somehow not. And then from those roiling billows there forms an image: that of an auburn-haired man stretched upon the ground in the shadow of what looks to be a Sith fighter. At his one side is a furry white form; off a bit to his other is a figure clad in Mandalorian armor.

I frown, recalling what I know of Sorben Tarnus.

"Here is your Captain Joao," I state simply, now tapping the crystalline face with one claw. That claw moves to the armored one, where it stops a moment, then begins to tap significantly.

"Is this man Sorben Tarnus?" I ask aloud; nevermind the obvious question of how he became partnered with Joao and the youngster, as odd as that might appear. For this is what is, the Crystal does not lie.

I peer at the image a moment, then lean a bit closer and peer again. A wave of my hand, and the image zooms out, revealing a nondescript planet against a vivid field of stars.

"Who knows this system?" I then ask. "For this is unfamiliar to me; in order to retrieve Captain Joao we must travel there by ship. Does anyone here recognize the starfield we are looking upon?"

[ 09-09-2007 12:37 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

Panthar stared at the stars in the crystal, tracing a line with his eyes from one to another. It was an off pattern, a constellation of strange shape that vaguely reminded him of a skyline he once saw on a planet long ago. But he knew he that had seen that pattern before elsewhere, but where?

“Wait!” he exclaimed. “I HAVE seen this pattern before, but it was on a wall. In a cave system, on Planet Alpha-761.. um, 9. It was where I was researching signs of an ancient civilization. I was an archeologist, you know, and my life’s work had turned into tracking down this ancient star-faring race that had left their mark on the galaxy, and I had run into the biggest find so far on that little desert planet. Boy, little did I know that I’d coming face to face with that race itself. But anyway, that was the planet I found the crystal – the Eye of R’lous – and ‘met’ Phal and Thoran. That pattern was inscribed on the walls there. Damn, if only I had my notebook from back then, I could maybe help find Yaoksi and Link.”

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

"And where is this notebook, Mr. Dantares?" I ask him pointedly.

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

She paused, frowning. "This doesn't look like any pattern I've ever seen before." She shook her head. "IThis planet may be in the far reaches of our galaxy...

...or not in it at all."

[ 09-09-2007 01:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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"It is a very large Galaxy," I state, nodding to acknowledge her efforts in assisting us.

"Simply because you have not been to this star system does not mean that it is not here. We too used to operate under that misconception, until our ships got better and better and carried us farther and farther into the unknown corners about us. Each time we found wonders at which to marvel anew; each time we placed more and more star configurations in our maps..."

I suddenly trail, an idea niggling across the back of my mind.

"If Mr. Dantares cannot recall the location of his notebook, perhaps there is a means of finding this system after all. If we as a people have traveled there, it will be in our navigation logs. These are aboard every Sith ship, every one; just because I do not recognize these stars does not necessarily mean that there are not others of our people who do, simply for the fact that they have visited them at some point in the past."

I smile at Shayla for this small commonality we now find ourselves sharing, although it trembles a bit at the edges. There is yet something coming from her which I find disquieting, to say the least.

[ 09-09-2007 01:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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“Yes,” he said, that was a strange time indeed, for both of us. I think Thoran may have had taken control of you, for I recall watching as we boarded a ship and took off from a dusty ground. There was equipment lying on the ground, that is all I remember of that. I went black as well, and the next thing I remember was waking up on Sullust.”

Phalomir glanced back at the others, and was comforted to see Aaron still attentively holding his blaster to Rykounagin. He then turned back to the others.

“But if the logs of the ships hold this information, that may be easier. If not, then perhaps this device can locate the notebook as well, if it remains intact after so long on that planet.”

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