I began to crawl and make my way over the rocks, eventually ascending a small rise in their level, observing an almost total blockage save for a break in the barricade towards the top. "There's a hole here. I can probably get through but..."

I looked back at the Master. "Well, unless you'd like to drain yourself a little more to move some of these, I don't think you can make it through."

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

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

...unless maybe I'm getting my facts mixed up. As for where the door actually is, it's underneath the statue."

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This is NOT ACCEPTABLE! They MUST NOT enter.

HE must not find you, for he wants the power within you for himself.

Totally unacceptable.

Stepping awaay from the globe but still keenly aware of the events taking place within its depths, Shayla again looked over the room she now found herself in. Other than the globe in the center, nothijng else seemed to be in the room, just tapestries...

...so many tapestries, in fact, that the room seemed overdone. That darkness within Shayla honed in on something she wasn't even quite aware of, and growled in anticipation. She stepped to the wall, and began running a hand against its perimeter, up and down, carefully, for not so long of a time before she came upon a knot.

Strangely enough, Shayla seemed to know where that knot was.

Or rather, something within her knew where it was.

Pulling the tapestry back slightly, Shayla pressed on what appeared to be nothing more than a small raised notch on the wooden walls of the room. The spot responded to her touch, and an entire portion of the wall slid open to reveal a very small, unadorned room that was just large enough for her to step inside a few steps. Inside was a small greelwood table, with a solitary item in its center:

A Yuuzhan Vong villip.

As Shayla stepped in, the opening to the compartment slid closed, and the villip began to open...

[ 05-24-2007 09:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Then he felt another vibration as he passed his fingers over a stone in the waist area, in synch but different, as if harmonizing with the other magick. Phalomir pressed down upon the stone. A grinding sound filled the room, and Phalomir opened his eyes to see the others standing in amazement, and Aaron looking a bit sheepish as a door in the wall opened.

“It appears we have found it,” said Phalomir.

He stepped forward as the grinding stopped and walked through the door. He immediately encountered a set of steep steps, and descended. Hearing the others eventually following, he flicked his finger and cast a light from it. Eventually the steps ended in a large set of doors, covered in runes.

“The new beginning,” he read aloud. “My friends, what lies beyond these doors was meant to bring about a change – an epic change, to the Sith and beyond. I know nothing of this area, which means the lineage of the Dark Lords knew nothing of this as well – or it was blocked somewhere along the line of succession…”

He exhaled heavily and pushed open the door.

“Perhaps even with Lord Rean,” he said to himself. The door opened easily, almost on its own. Phalomir stood staring as the light fell upon a pair of blocks exactly like the ones that held his clones, except these two were both empty.

“Again?” he asked. He could feel the others close by now, and he turned to face them.

“Another set of the stasis blocks, Yaoksi, but these are empty. Perhaps this is a factory, or staging area that has not yet been used. Aaron, do you recall this place? Where do we go from here?”

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

The villip sent Shayla an evil smile and then turned itself inside out, now presenting to her an incongruous snow white face of darkness, in which there swam a pair of brilliant chrome and electric blue eyes.

"Yes?" came a growl of intense thunder...

[ 05-24-2007 10:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Abaddonis ]

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"We have made the first move, and they do not even know it," Shayla purred darkly. "And now we have also made the second, and the nexus has been infiltrated, completely. The war has begun, and we only await your arrival. In the meantime, there are those who one stand in our way and pose a true threat: One Dark Lord of the Sorcerors Aeolmir, and one Dark Lord of the Armorers Phalomir. The latter may be easily swayed, the former not so easily.

The nexus cannot be restored to its normalcy or we will fail. They must be stopped, now. Suggestions?"

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...with someone who looked very much like you."

Aaron paused, something tingling up and down his back. "So what happened to him?"

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

At what, ya ol' pirate?

I swallowed again, forced my arm down, forced tension to release a little so at least my jaw would work.

"Ahh--" I began somewhat stupidly. "We- we saw a roomful of these frozen doohickies, each with what I'm sure was a clone of Phal here--"

A grimace intended as a smile crossed my features.

"--and he whammied 'em. BUT if THESE frozen doohickies here held two more, were they both of Phal? And where did they go? And who in all the universe could have made 'em disappear?"

Another thought struck me then, one so obvious that it brought my blaster up to waist level once again.

"I thought this place was hidden here so no one could get to it, right? How could someone else have gotten here to-- to-- oh, I dunno, reanimate maybe or just plain steal this presumably Phal clone and whoever else was here with him...

"Not to mention why..."

I trailed off suddenly, paling. From somewhere in the echoing distance there came the slightest of noises, not much of a noise but considering there wasn't supposed to be anybody here but us it was definitely out of place. And judging by how small a noise it was, it wouldn't have been someone simply out for a stroll -- like my Verpine buddy, for example -- no.

This little sound simply oozed forth an aura of stealth.

I turned to the others. "Did you hear something?" I asked.

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

"Goo-oo-ood," he purred in turn, the intensity of his gaze growing even more thunderous until the entire chamber seemed to be filled with a strange ultraviolet glow.

Figuratively speaking, of course...

The face within the pod seemed to turn sidewards then, staring down as if in contemplation, or if it was perusing something. It then lifted, pinning Shayla with the same intensity as before.

"There is linkage to this Dark Realm of which I have had some experience? And out again?"

The eyes grew momentarily vague as the Dark Lord recalled his brief experience with Maladius, seeming eternities ago. They brightened; the fleshy, sensuous lips curled in an even more oily smile.

"Your Mistress has those who dwell there under my command? I expect to find it so at my arrival!"

Having anyone else so much as thinking of owning the dark command of the imps was so intolerable to him as to be instinctively dismissed.

"If this is the case, then all is prepared. We shall meet at the designated spot; destroy this villip that none other shall find it."

He paused only for a moment.

"And as for the others, I do not expect them to be looking forward to enjoying a doddering old age. I give you leave to use your ingenuity. Use allies, if need be, but remember--"

He paused, the villip seeming to grow in stature, growing even more formidable.

"All shall owe allegiance to me!"

With that the villip reorganized abruptly reorganized itself into a simple pod, and sat silent and still.

((OOC: Abaddonis "returns" to Standing on the Edge of Forever in the CSWU forums, thank you.))

[ 05-26-2007 12:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Abaddonis ]

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A stillness.

Awareness slowly crept over him, but disoriented and groggy he did not understand where he was. He allowed the memories of recent events to swim into his mind, but the swirl of images and voices in his head prevent a coalescing of sense.

The scrape of the stone from far away caught his attention, and he sat up. He was on a cold stone floor, and the area below and around him was damp. He realized then he was unclothed, and the air around him was cold and damp. His eyes adjusted to the extremely dim light, and he pushed himself next to the wall and away from the damp spot on the floor.

He heard another sound, this one closer, as if someone clicking the lock to a door. He stood shakily and walked backwards, away from the sound. Soon the door opened and a light poured into the room before him. More voices, though he could not see who it was who made them. But they spoke of stasis, of clones, of—

Of a noise.

The light followed towards him, as he realized he had moved and scraped against the wall. Panic struck him, for he was not truly himself in his present state. He gasped and turned, and began to run in the other direction, bare feet padding against the cold stone floor.

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

“The tuk’ata are restless,” he said. He stopped for a moment, listening to the calls from Diffy.

“There is trouble, and they are leaving to aid the bloodpack.”

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

He allowed the youngling to live long enough to send a call for help, and the two older bloodclan members who stood watch over the hut now moved quickly towards him. He let go of the dead tuk’ata’s neck and slipped away into the jungle, then dashed silently for the hut.

Smaller and sleeker than the others, Llarnarlth had no difficulty maneuvering down the spiral stairs, and with an effort squeezed through the secret door before it slid shut. More steps, then the prey would be within reach…

Silently…

Voices, coming from somewhere up ahead...

Although he was not stealthy by character, the surreality of it forced him into such; without thinking he segued himself into the shadows of a nearby niche, becoming one with the small spot of darkness residing there. His keen Verpine ears strained to their utmost, but no matter how hard he focused all he could make out was a single word.

That word, however, was enough to cause him concern. It was all he could do to keep his mandibles from clattering as he then tiptoed silently from his hiding spot to retrace his steps to a secondary corridor he had passed. Once there, he continued moving backward, eyes staring at places he had been occupying seconds before, ready to respond to any threat from that direction.

Thus he was taken utterly by surprise by the sudden and seeming threat coming from his back...

Chattering, he whirled even as he stumbled, finding himself now on the stones of the floor, flat-out face to face with a personage who remained unknown for only a nanosecond or two further...

He paused to collect his wits, drawing himself upright to stand quiet a moment longer. He cocked his head to one side, razed the figure yet on the floor with a steady up and down glance.

"Your garments, relieved yourself of them somehow you have," he observed before falling into a more characteristic, unflappable silence, now holding out a pincer to assist the other to his feet.

[ 05-26-2007 01:49 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by K'kihl ]

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I let out a sigh of frustration, annoyed with myself to see how the tip of my blaster wavered in tiny circles in response. I gripped it more tightly, shot Aaron and Link an admittedly uncertain glance.

"And what would be making the tomatoes restless?" I ventured, hoping against hope that it would be some normal pack squabble they were involved in, and that if we all just stood still and silent long enough they'd leave the area and go about their beastly business.

[ 05-26-2007 01:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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And spoke!

But he was not going to let happen, not again. He was not completely sure of where he was, and why, or where he had been, but he did know WHO he was. And a man of his station and power would not give in to such frailties.

His face set in a scowl, he stood on his own, showing neither fear nor shame of his lack of garments. Power and confidence returned to his face.

“Who are you?” he asked. “What is this place and why am I here? It feels of the Temple, yet… not.”

[ 05-26-2007 01:50 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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"Remember you not I, K'kihl?"

The question was more of an introductory statement, for by now logic had forced him to deduce that someone, he knew not who, presumably their unseen enemies, had somehow overtaken the Dark Lord and had reduced him to this state. Therefore, it fell upon him to attempt to bring him as quickly back up to par as he possibly could.

"With you and Aaron Barnes have I come, with the young ones," he went on.

"Here purportedly by Dark Lady of Warriors sent in lieu of Dagobah. Tricked have we been, and toward Shayla are we on guard.

"Against the assassin on guard are we as well, as with your father. Loves you, does he."

He paused, cocking his head again, ready to assess Lord Phalomir's reaction to this information.

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

A momentary flicker of sadness washed over Phalomir’s face, but it quickly replaced by a harder expression.

“Speak well of her when you deign mention her name or title,” he said. “She is deserving of all the respect the galaxy has to offer, and holds station not only within the Warriors, but over all of the Sith. As do I.”

Phalomir stepped closer, his confidence and demeanor returning, despite his lack of clothing.

“And speak not of my father, lest you be in league with him. He is dead, banished to the realms of darkness, never to be seen or spoken of again. Now, again, who are you and why am I here? Speak quickly.”

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

...then paused mid-motion as something other seared up hot and heated. Whether or not this new thing was something of Shayla or something completely other was indiscernable. But the fact remained that it was.

He believes that he will have control! it snarled, hot and bitter. If he only knew...

This otherness dissapated at that, as quickly as it had come, Shayla's eyes their true greeny-blue for a bare moment before oiling over once more. And with that she stretched out once more, her fingers extended, and destroyed the villip in its entirity, returning it to nothing more than molecules. Only then did the compartment's sliding door slide open once more, allowing her to step out and back into the room with the globe.

She cocked her head and considered the scene it now revealed: one of Rykounagin makig his way through destroyed portions of the tunnels below. A dark little smile danced upon Shayla's features, something about it totally unnatural. She stretched out to Llarnalth.

Retrieve the prey, my dear, dear companion...

...but do not destroy them completely. That pleasure I desire for myself alone...

Sending out this thought, she returned her thoughts to the Master and Rykounagin...

...and dismissed Rykounagin for the moment entirely. Instead she stepped up to the globe, eyed the Master's image contemplatively...

...and reached her hand out to the globe. Something peculiar hapened, and without really knowing how or why but simply knowing that she could Shayla reached through the globe with her Force powers and channeled Dark Force through it, sending the already wounded Master to his knees with the force of ozone and knocking him completely unconcious for at least the moment.

And it was in that instant that the globe, strangely somehow linked to that which was within Shayla responded to "her" thoughts and desires. As Rykounagin whirled to discover just what sort of commotion was occuring behind him, the Master had disappeared entirely...

...and lay crumpled and unconscious at the feet of one gloating Shayla Stargazer Petrolu as oil danced deeply within her eyes before fading into obscurity.

[ 05-27-2007 10:42 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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But that was not what Fate had dealt him; forcing his mandibles to silence he drew in a great draught of air through his spiracles and plunged ahead.

"Missing our compatriots, Shawn Petrolu and Galen and Terrin Danner, and then Dark Lord Aelvedaar -- among others -- were we. To Khar Delba, there to meet with Lords Aelvedaar and Aeylmaar went we; to K'eel Doba did the Sith Thoran instead take us, there to gain help? Know not this I, only that through Darker Realms to avoid Imperial blockade traveled we."

He paused for effect, raising a pincer to his eye to wipe away an imaginary tear.

"Lost Boss-Captain Yaoksi's ship there did we; into K'eel Doba did we then escape. Hurt was Aaron Barnes, into Healing Chambers placed was he, so told was I. Heard I of attack of Shayla, killing many did she. Meeting with Dark Lady Graysith, did we, seeking help in finding friends needed we. On Dagobah are they, to Dagobah opened she portal.

"Only portal leading us here did; this is Dagobah not."

He waved a pincer, cocked his head more deeply to one side.

"Remember you not this, Phalomir? Remember you not meeting us in Healing Chamber, with us meeting the Lady, the Dark Lady of the Sith? Recall you not her making portal? Her sending us; Shayla too? Here come we, where Shayla again attacks, your father, assistance gives he did, now unconscious and beneath twining vines?"

He paused again, mandibles beginning to clatter as deep within his soul there began to grow a dark suspicion that, in regard to the Dark Lord Phalomir, something truly was rotten in Alderaan.

[ 05-27-2007 10:50 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by K'kihl ]

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“What you say makes no sense. I do not know most of the people you have mentioned, and of those that I do know, most are dead. Only the great Captain Yaoksi and my wife are the ones you could have possibly been speaking of. And why do you call her Graysith? Jharmeen has not gone by ‘Graysith’ since we were married, and had vowed that name would never again despoil our lives. So tell me again, and this time choose your words more carefully, for my patience grows thin, where am I and why am I here? If you cannot answer me, then take me to someone who can.”

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Phalomir led the group down the hall, coming to a fork in the passages.

“Which way?” he asked.

[ 05-27-2007 11:12 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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“Shayla?” he questioned himself out loud. Realization came to him, and he quickly forced himself to his feet. A force of Sith magic instantly blanketed him, and as he still fought to regain his full composure the magick formed into an instinctive defense. He then tried to organize his thoughts enough to call upon the All, but he knew he was not yet ready for this.