"Go!" she screamed, then took off herself, leaping toward them now, running, arms outstretched toward them as if she was a mother reaching to embrace her children. Her arms touched their bodies, her momentum did the rest.

The Portal she opened shrieked once more, then accepted the sacrifice and allowed them entry. Seconds later, after they had passed, it snapped closed, leaving behind no sign they had even been there...

They tumbled out into the Great Throne Room at Khar Delba, flying literally out of thin air. Screams and cries of alarm announced their coming as those few Sith apprentices and underlings who happened to be passing through on one mission or another reacted to their sudden appearance. Then those cries were squelched, and they regained their normal decorum.

For such things, while somewhat rare, were not a completely unnatural occurrence on the World of the Sorcerers.

Graysith landed on her hands and knees, her hair flung all about herself; tossing her head, she blew it from her eyes, and quickly rose to assess what possible damage she may have caused. The Verpine looked as calm as could be, but the two men...

"Please, you must forgive me," she said as with outstretched hand she headed to where they lay together in a tangle of arms and legs.

"I only seconds prior discovered that we were in the greatest of danger, one that demanded I expedite our arrival here on Khar Delba. I am sorry if I shocked you, or caused you harm."

She turned to one of the nearby underlings, drew herself up into Dark Lady mode.

"Please inform Lord Aelvedaar that--"

She stopped a moment, bit her lip. Then--

"...That his Daughter is finally home."

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I let my voice ring out, watch with a growing smile as those Adepts among us immediately bow their collective heads, and move away. In their wake is left a sight that sends tears running from the blaze that is my eyes.

"It is good to see you, Daughter; how I have missed you!"

I move into the Throne Room now, my arms outstretched, the robes covering them sweeping to the floor in velvet and satin glory. And into their folds I now crush my Daughter, my child, and hold her as if never to let her go.

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...and the next minute all bleeping hell had broken lose.

You really should be used to this sort of thing, pal. Really. But you're not, are you...?

As they were pushed through the portal, a mess of bodies and appendanges, Jasyn still managed to scowl, somehow, before he grunted against the sudden impact of the floor on his back and some being or another, Verpine or human, fell atop him.

"Bloody kriffing hell!" Jasyn growled, even as Graysith managed to get to her feet, rather elegantly all things considered, and easily explain away what she had just done.

Well, at least you got rid of the Master, a shoulder devil popped up and snorted.

Jasyn shifted, untangling himself from the heap, at least enough to sit up and look wide-eyed at Graysith. Suddenly he felt very much like a fish out of water. After all, Terriin wasn't here, Galen wasn't here, Shawn wasn't here...

...and neither was Matt. And all Jasyn found himself really wanting, at the moment, was to be back in league with them, and not at the location he suddenly found himself in. And then, as if to make things even more uncomfortable, Lord Aelvedaar stepped in, taking Graysith in his arms.

Now that really did it. "What the hell just happened?" was all he could manage at the moment, however.

For Jasyn was afraid if he said anything further it wasn't going to help them very much.

[ 03-23-2012 12:01 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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He lay, a giant humanoid icicle, then instinct took over. Letting out a yell of pure animal terror, he scrambled backwards in a flurry of arms and legs, crab-walking and slithering across the stone until he smacked up against the sharp edge of something. It was the edge of the dias holding one of the Great Thrones; without even bothering to see what it was he continued his mad scramble until he had clawed his way backward up the steps and slammed against one giant foot of the throne.

He quickly slid up, placing his back against this perceived protection, and then drawing his knees up to his chin held his legs tightly with both arms.

I wave to a nearby Adept.

"See to their needs."

I then turn back to Jharmeen, give her tear-stained cheek a gentle kiss, and place an arm about her slim form.

"Come, my child. While it is rest and food you need, I feel it will do your body no good until your mind is put at ease. I feel your great need to know what is; come, we shall go to the Crystal Octahedron, and let it reveal to us that which is troubling your heart, that it troubles you no more."

I hope.

A reassuring arm yet about her, I guide her away, leaving the care of the humans and the Verpine to the more than capable hands of my Adepts.

[ 03-23-2012 12:17 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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Well then!

Finishing the work of disentangling himself from K'kihl...for at this point Cazun had managed to get himself completely out of the heap...Jasyn stood, turning to regard the wide-eyed miner even as the Verpine began to regain his footing as well.

Awww hell, Cazun wasn't ready for this, not at all.

Jasyn moved towards the terrified miner, walking up the steps towards the great throne Cazun was hunered against, and stopped just shy of him. "Com'n pal, it's going to be okay," he said, even as a black little thought raised its ugly head and ammended the statement with: At least for now.

While Jasyn didn't say his final thoughts aloud, they quite possibly could be read in his eyes. After all, he wondered just what would happen if they were to turn down the graces Aelvedaar had mentioned...

...and instead asked if they could simply return to their own kind.

[ 03-23-2012 12:38 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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Okay. Things are going to be... okay?

He clenched his teeth against the shriek that was rising from his gut, gritted his jaw so tightly the effort made a soft, grating sound. Cold beads of perspiration dripped down his face, and he dug his fingers more tightly into the sanity of his own flesh.

Moments ago... mere moments!... they had been moving quietly aboard the man's ship, coming to a group decision as how best to be breaking free from the traitorous Lady and the evil-eyed Master, planning their strategy, deciding what would be the best course of action to take against those horrors that were surely to come...

And then they were here.

He stared blankly at the hand Jasyn was offering him, looked up into the man's eyes. Shuddered to read the expression he found there; the man didn't look the least bit frightened. He didn't act the least bit frightened. Why wasn't he acting as he should, which should be frightened out of his wits?

He only seemed to be slightly annoyed.

Cazun drew in a great, shuddering breath, tightened his grip around his legs, and closed his eyes.

Just kill me now and be done with it, was the mantra now scrolling through his mind, over and over and over.

Or at that, if he had ever actually successfully won one.

He remaned where he was, hand extended, for another moment or two...then realized he was going to have to be more emphatic to get his new-found friend off the ground and moving.

And maybe to some Sith brandy to settle his nerves while you both discuss just what you are gonna do about being on this blasted planet without a ship...

... again? snorted a shoulder devil. Jasyn did his best to ignore it, and finally dropped his hand. Then he got closer to Cazun, and squatted on the ground, right next to him. He wasn't keen on invading someone's personal space, and he was even less keen on the risk he was potentially getting ready to take, on more than one level, but now was the time. Cazun kept his eyes closed, still shaking his head every so often, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Dammit, you remember feeling like this, once. You've gotten entirely too comfortable with it all.

Jasyn lowered his voice to a whisper, and leaned in closer to Cazun. "Look pal, we're gonna do something to get out of this...

...somehow. But I need you to get up and get moving, so we can drink some brandy, eat some food, and place nice for a bit, at least until we can get somewhere else to talk and figure this out. I've been here before, remember? Too many kriffing times. So you've got a friend with some experience...

...and who is gonna stick by you til we get this figured out..."

He trailed again. "Somehow."

Moving away from Cazun then, Jasyn stood once more, and extended his hand again. "Com'n, friend," he reiterated aloud, waiting once more...

...and hoping like hell Cazun listened to what he was saying. After all, he really didn't know how the Sith were going to respond if he just kept sitting there, against one of their blessed thrones, looking as white as a sheet.

Of course, that was assuming they would even notice enough to care at all...

[ 03-25-2012 09:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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...and found it wasn't as terrifying as it had been mere moments before. Well, at least the immediate moment wasn't; Cazun drew in a shuddering breath, and forced himself to open his eyes.

"Y-yeah...?" he faltered, swallowing spittle as thick as honey in the attempt to bring a semblance of moisture into his mouth. It didn't work, and only made his lips more dry. He took another breath, and in the process managed to shift his position against the foot of the throne against which he was glued. The rustle of his own clothing caught his attention, and he froze again, waiting for Something Heinous to come swooping down to finish him off.

Nothing happened other than Jasyn drew back a little, as if to give him room to gain his senses and his feet. Taking yet another breath he obliged the man, and with one hand braced against he rich wood of the throne hauled himself upright.

With some serious effort, Jasyn managed to stifle his blackening scowl. At least, mostly.

"Yeah," he then said, deciding the moment the word left his lips that it sounded pretty stupid. After all, they really had no good reason to ask to depart so suddenly, seeing as he was well accustomed to popping in and out with the Sith after this amount of time. If they asked if they could leave for absolutely no reason this quickly...

...well, it just wouldn't bode well. Jasyn shook his head unconsciously, much to Cazun's probable chagrin. And that was when he realized they did have a more than logical reason to skedaddle, and soon.

Matt had been missing for far, far too long. Hell, for all they knew he wasn't even alive anymore.

Jasyn's look only darkened further, but this time with something much more meaningful than mere annoyance or even worry.

Sincere alarm.

"An associate and very close commrade has not been heard from for quite some time after heading off to another Sith world," Jasyn then spoke up in normal voice. He hoped Cazun was going to follow what he was doing. "I'd like to find out if we can get a ship and go after him." Jasyn paused, frowning once more. "it's been too long."

And aside from being a really good potential way out of his and Cazun's current predicament, he was far too good of a friend for his welfare to have been left on the back burner for this long...

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"I am to see to your needs," she opened with, her voice a rich alto that fell upon the ear like honeyed water. Smiling then, but being careful not to show her fangs, she unclasped her hands and held one out to the side.

"There is food and drink if you so desire, or if you need more with which to refresh yourselves there is a chamber ready and waiting for you."

Time aboard Insidious passed as expected: smoothly, efficiently, and quickly. At least as quickly as one would expect it to do in the light of crew proficiency and plenty of hyperdrive to power the vessel along. The Hunter spent most of it in his quarters or ready room, seeing no one, waiting to see when his new "crewmember" would approach him, and under what circumstances.

But the Jedi remained absent, ostensibly continuing in his self-training per Seus's instruction. All reports provided by staff who subtly watched the man's progress by carefully hidden remote devices proved alleged actions to be factual; Seus smiled when he considered just how much to heart Mr. Kartan was taking this strange alliance he had proposed.

I do believe he is going to prove very useful to us after all, he mused as he clicked off his desk monitor, efficiently snipping off yet another report about the man by yet another crew member.

He doesn't appear to have left off his "work-out" since he began it.

No sooner had the one image faded than another one appeared, this one coming in from the Bridge.

"Sir, we are approaching the Unknown Sector, and are due to drop from hyperdrive in approximately ten standard minutes," came the crisply delivered information.

Seus nodded, his thoughts segueing smoothly from one issue to another.

"Very well; please contact Mr. Kartan and inform him of this," he ordered benignly enough. Sitting back in his seat, he let the nerfhide leather creak a moment or two as he let the chair rotate slightly from one side to another, thinking, his legs crossed while he pondered the best course of action to take. Well did he remember what Sorben had reported to him of these worlds, before the man had gone off to work with the Empire.

A momentary frown creased his face. Then he allowed the tiny muscles to smooth out again.

"Drop us in along the Z-axial, mister," he ordered lightly. "And see if you can find a moon or something to hide behind. Keep me informed."

He flipped off the connection, and just sat, swiveling his chair back and forth, back and forth, one ankle propped on the other leg's knee, his eyes unfocused but the thoughts running though his head anything but.

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

As the crew member entered, Erik opened his eyes, uncrossed his legs, and got to his feet. Now on his weapons belt were two items: a simple blaster and the lightsaber his Father had trained him with as a small boy. Without a word he nodded once in deference to the other crewmember, allowing him to take the lead as they then left the training room behind.

What Erik had begun learning while within its walls, however, would remain in his heart and soul to develop further.

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