I rose, knowing the ship would not need guidance, always having effectively avoided the blockade, and having found its own way to its charted destination.

I smiled and sat upon a seat across from my lady, and bowed my head in a sense of respect to her. "Are you tired? There is a small sofa of sorts you could rest upon." I said, gesturing to the back of the small cabin the fighter kept.

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

She blinked again, not in conscious recognition of the fact but somehow sensing that an odd, sideways shift in her very nature was gradually coming into being. Not that her former lordliness was anything but aloof... but a gentler side was bit by bit becoming to feel more...

Natural.

The smoke of S'slan roiled and coiled about her heart, but allowed this strange lightness to intrude. She looked up at Rykounagin, smiled wanly.

"Yes, I believe I will," she said, then got to her feet and headed back toward the little sofa he had indicated.

[ 09-04-2006 01:39 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by ShaRhylla ]

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There was no reason for her to see the blockade and worry. I smiled and rose from my seat to sit next to her on the small sofa, and stroked her hair back softly with my hand. "You alright?" I asked softly, looking down at her beautiful face.

"You seem a bit... troubled?" I wasn't quite sure how to word it well, without angering her, and hoped it was the right way of expressing it.

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

She silently worked her jaw a moment or two before words managed to come forth.

"I-- I do not know. I am not certain. It is as if I am not quite myself, somehow..."

Grimacing a little she allowed the words to trail off, now aware that what she was trying to explain was completely evident merely for the fact that she was trying to explain at all.

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

"Is something truely wrong?"

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

...but not a peep of this deeply seated conflict presented itself to Rykounagin. Indeed, so wrapped up in the wrath of S'slan was her Sith half that it now allowed her human half complete freedom to be... a state of existence it cried out for joy to experience, but one which ShaRhylla simply could not begin to understand.

"I don't know," she repeated, her voice an uncharacteristically soft murmur, her body softening even more as she relaxed into the warmth of Rykounagin's chest. For a timeless moment something other than hate and lust and greed and anger held them both; then she twisted her face up to look into his eyes.

"Tell me about the place where we are going," she asked, and fell silent.

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

The question generally answered, I continued. "It is a space station in an asteroid. Well hidden with all the modern comforts I am sure you are used to, so have no worry of living in a barbarian state." I stroked her hair back again. "It is a fine place.... if not made of stone but steel." I said, making a small comparison to her temple back home.

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

"It shall be home then, for however long we feel it necessary to remain there," she said, a bit more of a definite note creeping into the words she spoke. One hand reached up to toy with a tendril of her hair, lightly brushing against Rykounagin's fingers as she did so. The light contact caused her to glance quickly to where she had made contact: there was his hand, so close to her face...

And there the wrist with the once golden tattoo, now reverted completely to the one originally given to him by Roan. She blinked, suddenly discomfited.

"I--" she began, her voice a bit breathy, for the words she was about to speak were normally quite alien to her very nature. Her Sith nature, that is...

"I am sorry, Rykounagin," she finally ended, averting her eyes from his wrist in what now amounted to embarrassment. Another moment ticked past; then--

"How long do you think we will remain upon this ast- aster- asteroid?" she finally asked, her tongue tripping over the unusual syllables for in truth she hadn't heard of the term, much less actually visited one, in her entire short life.

"Are there forests there we might walk in, and lakes in which we might swim?"

[ 09-07-2006 12:47 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by ShaRhylla ]

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I held close to her and continued to speak. "But it will hold a finer treasure than glass lakes and beautiful trees. For you are as beautiful as anything there could ever be... as perfect as one co uld ever hope..."

I kissed her cheek softly. "You should rest though... we will be there soon enough..."

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

Surprised, and not at all unhappy, she bit her lip to hold back her breath. Then she let it out in a soft, prolonged sigh.

"You're right, Rykounagin. I would rest... but not alone.

"Stay here with me? Until I fall asleep...?"

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

"Rest well my rose..." I murmured to her as she shifted to make herself comfortable.

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

Remember-r-rr... it purred seductively, insidiously.

This one would use you... he dismisses your intelligence as you would dismiss a lowling from your sight...

Her human half, however, having been given freedom to react, would not let itself be browbeaten back into the shadows that had repressed it for so long.

And you chastened him for that, did you not ShaRhylla? she asked herself, recalling her divorcing herself from her short-lived spouse. Fidgeting a little uncomfortably at this, she cast a heavy-lidded glance once more at Rykounagin's wrist.

Remain thou still!

Where the odd wording had sprung from, she had no idea. She only knew, or in all honesty felt, that more and more she was becoming balanced inside, and that for once logic was able to rear up and have it's way.

She closed her eyes so as not to look upon the black Tattoo of Roan any longer.

"Thank you," she murmured, and shifted again, snuggling like a youngling in its nest as she drifted off into slumber, focused drowsily upon the growing wonder of how much Rykounagin was beginning to mean to her.

[ 09-07-2006 01:43 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by ShaRhylla ]

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What is it about her? Love? Or command and necessity from father? I sighed quietly again and looked down at her.

True she was beautiful, but in turn she had always been unpredictable and wild. How long would it be before she had another episode? Would the task my father had sent me on even prove possible for me in the end?

I gave another quiet sigh, and let the thoughts rest as I gently began to fall asleep as well.

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

As the shadows began to deepen about Phrinnchatka, Graysith stepped forth from the Portal she had created, returning to her private chambers as quickly and as silently as she had departed. Casting a quick glance about herself to make certain nothing untoward had happened here during her absence, she then left them to head to the Healing Chamber where she had left her Sister and Adept.

Upon reaching this chamber she moved quietly therein so as not to disturb Shayla, who yet needed time for further rest and recuperation. But her timing couldn't have been more impeccable: she arrived in the doorway just as Shayla moaned her self-derogatory utterance.

Graysith, going unnoticed in the doorway to the Healing Chamber, frowned.

What happened to my Adept was of no fault of her own, she couldn't help but think as she cocked her head a little to one side, studying the now-sleeping Shayla in quite another light. For a long moment she stood thus, debating whether or not the issue was important enough to awaken her; shaking her head at length she backed away, entering into the corridor without once more.

This shall wait... what is needed now is a quiet moment with my wayward daughter...

Her eyes darkened with the thought, and she was about to set out to the Reception Hall to summon a temple servant to in turn summon ShaRhylla when she stopped.

None need know of what I wish to do, especially when the outcome may be more than...

Expected.

Nodding to herself, she opened a quick intra-temple Portal back to her chambers, where she quickly dug out and donned her cloak of rune-encrypted smoke. Another quick portal led her to a side street of the city; quickly reversing the cloak and pulling its hood over her head that none would recognize her, she made her way to the Great Library of the Sith. Upon reaching it, she stood a moment at the stairs leading to the entrance, casting quick and furtive glances about herself.

Good. There is no one about...

One final gesture, and a Portal opened in the night, allowing her entrance to the Library, and more importantly, to the Revealer it held within. She approached the magickal device on shadowed feet, and came to an equally silent halt before it.

"Show me the whereabouts of my daughter, ShaRhylla," she commanded of it, then fell into a patient silence as the floating orbs began their stately dance, moving in intricate designs through and about each other until the image she desired came into view.

"How long do you think we will remain upon this ast- aster- asteroid?" she was asking, leaning against the chest of none other than the white-haired Rykounagin. The lack of half his hair gave damning testimony to the fact that he indeed was the one to leave strands of white hair in the close vicinity of the blast which had nearly claimed Shayla.

Graysith's hands tightened into fists at her sides; her eyes darkened to the deepest of midnight purple and she growled, unable to refrain the slight noise from rumbling in her chest. Then--

"Coordinates of this image," she commanded, her eyes widening in something of surprise when the suddenly scrolling values informed her that the pair were no longer on K'eel Doba but somewhere in the surrounding space.

"Trajectory..."

Further values scrolled in mid-air, then faded from view as the Revealer went dark, patiently awaiting its Next Question.

None were forthcoming, at least not at the moment. Her eyes nearly black now, she stood in raging silence, debating.

A perfect time to destroy the silly boy, but not at the cost of my daughter, who I need so badly, she thought darkly, aching to reach out and dissolve every molecular bond within the atoms of the vessel they were traveling in.

If I snatch her from his grasp, I will only have succeeded in angering her, possibly turning her against me; not to mention the fact that he will then be alerted enough to possibly throw up some magicks to thwart whatever I might try to do to destroy him...

Her lips pinched together in a tight line of annoyance then, as with a wave of one hand she opened a final Portal and returned to her private chambers. There she spent a bit of time pacing restlessly back and forth in thought, before an idea struck her at last.

Hastening out, she now hurried down this corridor and that, down several sets of successively danker stone steps, until at last she came to a tiny chamber hidden deeply within the bowels of the Temple. Here lay the private sanctum of the Dark Lord, well-hidden and equally well-protected from anyone who might try to find it. Going to a richly ornate and ancient door, she opened it and moved within. Once inside, she headed to a small door off to the side, and opened it.

There were two entities, neither one of flesh and blood. The 'bot who was companion, long ago, to the then Shayla Stargazer Petrolu, and...

"Jinn, please contact the dreadnought in orbit about our system's space, and inform them that we have a ship fleeing from K'eel Doba. It is carrying personnel dangerous not only to us, but to the Galaxy in general; it would behoove General Tarnus to tractor them in before they are too far removed from this possibility."

"What--?!" exclaimed the computer in a huff, heartily annoyed at being left alone to rot for so long only to then be swept down upon without so much as a "Pretty please."

"Who do you-- what do you think-- Darth Wicked would never treat me in this kind of ill manner!" it snorted, climbing upon its mechanical high horse.

Graysith merely eyed it with disgust.

"Command override Alpha Sith--" she began, but was in turn interrupted by the flighty mechanical.

"Oh you don't have to go off into a long string of nonsense, I understand!" Jinn said, snorting once more. Then it fell into a brief silence before quietly announcing--

"Message is sent."

"Thank you, Jinn. I shall see that you are put to a better use than you have been of late. You must forgive my apparent lack in this regard, for I have been... absent from Phrinnchatka.

"All shall be rectified, however."

Bowing her head to the computer in a semblance of courtesy she turned and left, and hastened back to her own private suites. Once there, she waved a hand, opened a Portal, and with a bit of concentration and much effort managed to move both mechanicals into her suites.

The Portal closed with a snkk.

Graysith stood before Jinn, running her hand over its polished surface, and waited for the reply she knew was soon to come...

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

"Dreadnought in Khar Delban space, please advise your General Tarnus that a ship bearing dangerous criminals is fleeing K'eel Doba; it is likewise advised you tractor them in so we might recover them, thank you.

"Have a nice day..."

The missive fell into a silence as deep and utterly surprised as was every inch of the communications officer who had received it.

Who in all the known hells knows we're up here? he couldn't help but wonder as he passed the communication quickly and efficiently on to his Commander, who then, equally surprised and much more harried, hastened to deliver it personally to General Tarnus.

[ 09-07-2006 03:44 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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I half rose from the chair, anger planted across my non-helmeted features, but relaxed when I saw it was Landarian.

"Yes--?" I asked, sinking back and waving a hand toward a bottle of Walkn'Fall.

"What brings you--"

"We've received a transmission... from K'eel Doba," he said, holding a flimsy out toward me, his stance and expression clearly indicative of the implications this short statement carried with it.

Who in Hell's Seven Circles down there even knew we were up here, unless--

I took the flimsy from him, met his gaze with a dark one of my own, then quickly scanned it.

"At first we didn't even notice the ship, but after this alert we went to high definition; yes, there is a ship leaving the planet, Sir."

And so it begins, I couldn't help but think as I then gave the order to tractor in the fleeing ship reinforcing an already standing operating procedure aboard Relentless...

It didn't take long until a somewhat frantic call came to my quarters from the bridge.

"Sir, we-- ahh, we can't tractor the ship. It's too... weird; at first contact it just blew out our primary tractor beam; we strengthened and followed up with secondary, but it just keeps, ahh--

"Slipping off."

The speaker fell into an awkward and somewhat embarrassed silence, a silence heavily laced with equal doses of surprise and not without a touch of consternation.

I thought a moment, well recalling the wonderful properties of the Sith fighter Jester in which I had shared so many adventures with Galen, back in the day before--

"Trajectory?" I asked then; it wasn't long before I was informed that the apparent trajectory was toward this system's small but nevertheless impressive asteroid field.

I closed my eyes in disgust.

"Keep an eye on it, try to send a probe to tail it, and get a squad of interceptors, no two squads, fully armed, ready to follow suit.

"Tarnus out."

Sighing a bit as the connection closed, I then rose to my feet and poured myself a hefty drink.

"Care to join me, Captain?" I asked, turning to greet his look of growing apprehension. He merely nodded mutely, took the drink in hand, and joined me in what turned to be a series of speculative conjectures that would stretch out until morning.

[ 09-07-2006 03:48 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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It appeared that the ship, as programed, had made a hyperspace jump towards their coordinates as planned. "Well, we're on our way." I looked back towards her, and gave a faint smile. "Soon enough... we'll be there." I went and stepped over her form on the couch, laying next to her and wrapping an arm around her side, pulling her against my chest as we gently fell into a slumber.

(((OOC: Rykounagin and ShaRhylla slip into "The Salvation of the Damned" in "CSWU", thankyou.)))

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"Alpha-Quarto, out.

A quick snap of an order, and the six fighters tailing the magnificent little Sith ship paused but a moment to re-orient themselves, before disappearing into the gleaming starstreaks of hyperdriven space...

((OOC: Follow Stealth and her squadron into The Salvation of the Damned in the "CSWU" forums, thank you.))

[ 09-21-2006 04:21 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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A flicker of something oily danced in her eyes as she stared down upon the sleeping young woman. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

He shall pay, and dearly, not only for what he has done to Shayla but for his intolerable seduction of my daughter! she snarled to herself, trembling with the effort to remain completely still, physically. Shayla needed her rest; she didn't want to risk the slightest noise which could possibly awaken her.

That in turn brought her attention back to Shayla. Her Glyph cast a soft purple glow upon Shayla's sprouting, curling hair; cast a pearly illusion to the paleness of her features. Graysith's frown deepened though, in recollection of Shayla's self-recriminations.

She needs to be stronger than that, she growled blackly to herself.

Dark she claims to be, and dark she will be; there is no room in the heart for anything other than that, not if what I seek is to bear fruit...

Finally she let herself loosen a touch, let her stiff shoulders slump the tiniest bit, sighed a mere zephyr of air. Reached out via the Link she maintained with Shayla, and whispered directly into her subconscious.

It was of no fault of your own, the boy shall pay, and you shall assist me in collecting the debt he owes...

[ 09-23-2006 02:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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Indeed, he shall, and dearly.

Even in the depths of slumber, pure, heated anger began to build. He who dared to claim Lordship of the Sith, if only for a time, had shown great cowardice in attacking one who had shown no agression towards him.

He will pay...

Slowly, Shayla's eyes fluttered.

"My sister..." she spoke through dry lips, "When...

A pause for a deep breath and a swallow. "...shall we begin...?"

[ 09-27-2006 09:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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She caressed Shayla's face with a slender finger, toying for a bit with the newly grown curls now ringing half her head. Her gaze darkened further.

"We shall begin when you are strong enough to face that which we must, as well as that which you must choose to do," she purred in a whisper so cold nothing but Death itself could speak it more clearly.

"You do understand that you have a choice yet before you, don't you my Sister?"

Her finger's touch grew even softer, yet traced an inexplicably iron-hard line upon the coolness of Shayla's skin.

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

The powerful shall reign, and in that power shall take foolishness from no one.

Shayla took a deep breath then, her eyes never leaving Graysith's.

"I sense the time for recovery...

...is now. Strength comes to those who...

...seek and claim it...not to those who wait."

Even as she made her last statement, Shayla began to rise from her bed, albeit it slowly, determination...

...and something completely other...

...swimming in the depths of her greeny blue eyes.

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

"Goo-oo-ood," she breathed, allowing the word to hiss out in one low, drawn-out sigh as she watched Shayla rise of her own accord from her sickbed. Nodding, she took a step back, not doing one thing to assist the young lady but instead standing quietly, watching her intently. When Shayla finally came to a shaky but upright position she nodded once more, turning away to walk a few steps off across the room.

"It is good to see you are growing stronger, my Sister," she said, her back still to Shayla.

"While Lord Aelvedaar has taken steps to block your learning of the intricacies of the All, you still do have that Force within you which sent you to the Praxeum those many years ago. This strength you are finding within yourself can only amplify those abilities already inherent to you."

Coming to a stop, she whirled in place, fixed Shayla with eyes that glittered like a serpent's. For a long moment no sound at all passed between them; then Graysith nodded one last time and raised her head, letting her shoulders and her entire demeanor loosen a bit.

"There is much that we must do, Shayla," she began, now moving about the room once more and lifting slender fingers to tick off her list of priorities.

"We must unravel the growing bonds which might exist between my silly daughter and that heinous Rykounagin; we must deal with those who would stand in my path, these being those on Khar Delba as well as those now on the swamp world; you must be taught to use your Force abilities in a manner in which you never have done so before, so as to be strong enough to assist me in dealing with the others; we must unite all the Sith with the idea of being ruled by a new, more logical and totally feminine Triad.

"And finally, we must eliminate the continued threat of Ankrist Roan."

Coming to a halt, she cocked her head, peering intently into Shayla's face once again. The young woman hadn't moved or whispered so much as one peep during this little soliloquy; Graysith nodded her approval again, then smiled.

"As my Sister and Adept, and soon to be Second, I shall leave the first course of action to you. What shall we do first, my dear?"

Falling silent then, she waited to hear Shayla's reply, all the while letting her mind drift to images of the Larger Picture that filled it. Like distant shadowy ghosts they whispered insistently to her that no matter what most of those she knew might be thinking, the path she was choosing to follow was indeed one aimed in the direction of the Greater Good.

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

"Rykounagin. It is the desire of the Lords Aelvedaar and Phalomir that you come to Khar Delba. Your assistance is necessary.

"Come"

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

Just as the ship came out of hyperspace, my eyes opened. I had rested quietly in the seat at the controls, which seemed to soften in the fashion I had hoped for. I sat up, and began to direct my course towards the planet I had almost begun to call "home" when I felt a familiar voice penetrate my mind.

I paused, hands still over the controls of which would send me to my intended destination. I had never met the real sith my father had masquaraded as, though the voice was the same. I considered, hands still holding their respective places.

"Why would they want me now?" I wondered. What did they owe me, or what did I owe them for such a calling, at such a convenient time. Could this perhaps be a trap? As I recalled, Phalomir had ever dogged at Graysith's heels, her dutiful consort. What had irked a change?

"Alright then... lets see what you want." I murmured, adjusting the coordinates and tapping the glyph. "Lets just see what my old home has to say..."

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