"Our trip should take us approximately..."

He paused, calculating again. "Five standard hours."

Saying nothing further than that, Matt keyed in the coordinates to K'eel Doba into the computer, and started the sequence to take them into hyperdrive. In only a few minutes the little transport burst forward into starlines.

Only then did Matt turn to Panthar. "So, what next? We land and head for the Temple and hope we're given entrance to find out Phalomir and Graysith's status?"

Matt paused, arching a brow in Panthar's direction. "I sorta doubt it is going to be that simple," he then admitted. "How much experience with ShaRhylla do you really have?"

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

“I’ve met her,” he said. “As far as I know, she doesn’t have anything against me. Well, beyond the sorts of things she has against anyone else. But yeah, I think we arrive and announce ourselves as friends of Graysith, and are here to check on her status and offer assistance if we can be of use. If she doesn’t kill us, then we might find out where Gray and Phal are, where Tarnus and Thoran are, and even be of some help. Otherwise, I guess we’ll be dead and it won’t matter much to me anyway. Heck, we might even find Phal and Gray there already.”

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

He blinked slowly, drawing himself up to his full height, and it was only with great effort that he refrained from reaching out and grasping Shawn by his throat.

"You overstep your authority here," he muttered ominously, his tone low with a tinge of menace in it. He blinked again, then nodded to a nearby divan.

"He may rest there," he said curtly before moving regally past Shawn and partaking of another goblet of brandy. Ignoring the men then, he retired to the fireplace, before which he came to a stop and into which flames he let his still-stony stare fall.

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

"Well, then...!" Shawn vaguely heard Jasyn mutter beside him.

He shook his head at this, and was in the process of turning to address the other man when he realized he was beginning to make his way towards the sidebar, in the same direction that Aeylmaar had just gone.

"Hold it," he said abruptly, reaching out and stopping Jasyn with a hand on his shoulder. "We need to take a step back here," he then said, nodding in the direction of the side bar, and perhaps elsewhere as well. "He's right, this is his Temple, and we've been traipsing alll over looking for Shayla. And you have had plenty of brandy."

Shawn paused then, seeing the word "but" form on Jasyn's lips but his look broaching no argument on the matter.

"Come on, let's head back over to the divan. Erik's downed that goblet of brandy you gave him, and he's got some decisions to make..."

Shawn trailed then, his mind going back over all that had been happening so recently. "...and unfortunately he's not been thinking too clearly. With the way he's been acting, and the loss of the baby and disappearance of Shayla...

...I'm afraid we are going to have a problem."

Quieting then, Shawn pursed his lips thoughtfully as something registered, something he knew...

...but hadn't quite put together til that moment. His hand still on Jasyn's shoulder, he walked over to the divan where Erik sat staring at the empty goblet he held, his brown eyes distant and dark. "We need to talk," Shawn then said evenly, taking a seat next to Erik. "You need to rest...

...and get a handle on what you are feeling, before it leads you down a path that will do more harm than good. The Sith did all they could for the baby, and Shayla will come back, she always has."

He quieted for a moment then. "Hate will gain you nothing here."

[ 06-30-2008 09:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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

He paused at that, trying to remember the last time he knew where the guy was, for that matter, although he really wasn't sure. "And aside from that, what are we going to do if Graysith and Phalomir aren't on K'eel Doba, and Tarnus is still there imprisoned? He vaguely knows me, so he might trust me, but after being imprisoned in a Sith tempe...

...and since you look mighty sith...

...he might not trust you."

He shrugged then. "I suppose it's something to worry about once we get there. But I must say going in with a do or die plan doesn't exactly thrill me."

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

“It’s not like I exactly asked you to come along. Happy to have you, though, of course. But as for Thoran, Phal had found him an K’eel Doba, I forget how – I think he was with you guys or something, wasn’t he? Anyway, there was something wrong with him, his leg was all injured – something about being stung by a demon. Phal, before leaving with us to what we thought was going to be Dagobah, but turned out to be the Elseness, had left Thoran in the care of the healers there. But I think that the way he phrased it, Thoran might very well be in a mental institution for all I know.”

Panthar leaned back again, placing his hands behind his head.

“I met Tarnus once, too, briefly. Hard to tell what kind of person he was, since he was being all General-like. But if he’s as smart as he seemed then, he’ll understand what is happening and will hopefully listen. I guess he’s had some firsthand experience with Gray, so it’s not like he’s oblivious to what’s going on.”

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

Pausing then, Erik's eyes defocused even further. "Even if she comes back...I don't think I can do this anymore. Ever since she was taken from the Praxeum, she comes and goes, comes and goes..."

He trailed, his eyes seeing something other. After a long period of time, he shook his head a bit, eyes yet cloudy. "I just need to bury my son..."

He paused a moment. "Our son ...and perhaps the only thing we had left to bring us together."

[ 07-02-2008 03:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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

Aeylmaar stood in silence, his eyes staring into the cinnabar depths of the hearth where the hottest and bluest fires lurked. The heat from them prompted beads of sweat to form upon his cheek and brow, which trickled unnoticed down the smooth planes of his face, utterly ignored. For he felt no heat, he saw no flame. All that occupied his thoughts were the events which had so rapidly transpired, from his point of view, in too short of a period of time.

We are the Lords, the thought rumbled about his head. We kept them all, took care of them. Why, it was but scarce months ago that I was sent on an errand by my Master, now my Father, to assist one human world in-- what was it?

He frowned with the realization that the specifics seemed to have fled him, overwhelmed by the barrage of events which had ensued since that time.

I had just returned, and Father drew me into his Inner Chambers, and told me of the others, the evil humans, those who were in the process of slaughtering us to a Sith, they with their weapons of light and their souls of dark.

When was that? Not long, mere weeks ago, right?

He sniffed a little, and put a hand atop the mantel to keep himself from overly swaying.

And now... now they run in our Temple again, doing as they wish albeit ever-so-politely... so they think. I yield to Father in welcoming them here, in assisting... but they forget, they forget who they are, who we are, we who have guided and aided for as long as the universe held history.

He cocked his head a bit to the side, and shot a sidelongs glance in the general direction of behind him, where the Jedi sat with the whining human male.

Jedi, how light is your soul, truly?

The thought sprang unbidden to him; his brows bunched into a threatening line atop his flaming eyes. The hand against the mantel fisted, while the other raised his goblet once more to his lips.

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

...sometimes people will only trust so far. The last Tarnus saw her, according to what we know, she blasted the Imperial blockade and threw him in the dungeons. And I know from prior knowledge that hasn't been the first time there has been a conflict."

He paused then, shrugging. "I just think it would be unwise to assume anything just yet. Or to think anything is going to be that simple and straightfoward."

Quieting for a moment, Matt checked the navboard a bit, using the moment to at least gather his thoughts. "And, begging your pardon, while you didn't exactly ask me to go you didn't exactly think through your plan either. At any rate, we've got about four and a half standard hours til we arrive...

...and I think there is little else we can do as far as planning considering there are only two of us. But our assests do now include a blaster and a commlink...

...neither of which you presently have yourself."

Matt gave the navboard a final once-over before leaning back and settling himself a bit. "Might be a good idea to check and see what's aboard this ship while you have the time, I think."

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

Then he turned to Shawn. "So what're we going to do?" he then asked, arching a brow. "We want to give Lord Aeylmaar some space," he then said, holding one finger up to designate his thoughts, "And we need to rejoin with everyone else, somehow. Waiting around doesn't thrill me...

...not in the least. Sitting here and doing nothing certainly doesn't, unless it's going to involve partaking some more brandy. And even if we did have a ship, I'd hate to leave here with some unsettled issues going on, for someone else to step into them unaware."

Falling silent for a moment then, Jasyn turned and looked at Erik, whose eyes were still vague and brooding. "You seemed fine with everything that was going on here until..."

He trailed a moment, "...well, you know. The Sith didn't turn off the powers that were keeping your kid alive, buddy, that was our pal Ole' Googly, I know, I was there."

Jasyn paused then, frowning, his own brown eyes turning a bit distant. "So if you really have to have something or someone to blame..."

[ 07-07-2008 04:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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

...but the general direction of what he was saying was troubling regardless. "You're going to have to let it go, and let him go."

Shawn trailed. Not to mention the fact you might have to let Shayla go too... came the small mental addendum.

He didn't say as much, however. "The healers have been preparing the baby for burial. If anything, we should wait on that."

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

The tall Healer coughed slightly and bowed, holding the container out in front of him.

“Under normal circumstances, this child’s remains would be preserved indefinitely,” he said quietly as he straightened up. “However, times are far from such. A thousand pardons, but the best we could do is to preserve him with a refrigeration device. His appearance should not alter for at least several years.”

He took a deep, shuddery breath, and with effort gathered himself. Suddenly he knew what he had to do.

And he had to do it alone.

"I need a ship," he then said to no one in particular, almost saying it out loud simply to confirm with the inner demons now trying to take hold of him. "I want to bury my son...

...alone, on my home world. With Shayla gone, I don't belong here anymore."

And I never have, came a final and completely damning thought. Standing, he paused a moment to steady himself, ignoring what either Jasyn or Shawn were doing, and quite frankly not caring. He took a few steps in Aeylmaar's general direction, but did at least take a care not to get too close to his personal space.

"Can I have a ship, please?" he asked before then falling silent, gripping the box which held the remains of Zackary as though they were the only thing he had left in the universe.

Which was, perhaps, precisely what they were.

[ 07-08-2008 12:26 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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No. Requesting-- a ship? Now he too wants a ship?

Aeylmaar's brows thundered a moment longer before the obvious logic of the situation presented itself. Perhaps if he provided this human with another one of Darth Wicked's TIE fighters, he would go away and leave him alone. That would be one more human gone from the world of the Sith.

He nodded crisply, once, shooting one arm out to one side to point at a hovering servant.

"Take this one to the hangar, and provide him with a TIE fighter," he commanded, not bothering to even turn around. He remained thus for awhile, sensing outward until he knew the servant had acquiesed with a bow and had approached Erik. Then he turned round and pinned the dark haired man with a firm look.

"I once stated to you that this is a world of the Sith," he remarked evenly. "I shall refresh your memory in this once again. This is not a place for humans... any humans."

He fell silent, dipping his chin down just a hair to level a too-bright gaze at Erik, his brows still lowering dangerously over the intensity of that look.

[ 07-08-2008 01:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aeylmaar ]

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

He paused, wavering slightly, "But perhaps you should point this out to them as well," he then finished, nodding in a particular direction to indicate both Shawn and Jasyn before then turning to follow the waiting servant out of the dining hall and to the the place where the fighters were berthed, trying his best to keep his mind on the task ahead...

...for it hurt him more and more with each passing moment to look back. Loading the small sith box into a fighter, he got in and prepped it for departure and keyed in the coordinates to his home world of Corellia into the navcomputer.

He wasn't welcome there, but it was the logical place to bury Zackary. And what other place was there to go at the end, than back to the beginning...

[ 07-08-2008 01:30 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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What he has said may indeed be true... but their purpose has been served. We have returned, and no longer need them. In fact, it perhaps would be a danger to have them about in any shape or form, knowing what they do and having done what they have.

Father will see the wisdom in my thoughts; I shall explain it to him upon his return. Until then--

He cut any further conjecture in the bud, unwilling to concede the assistance these humans had indeed provided his race in the recent past. All he could see was what to him was the past, the true past, the past before the Dark Jedi had come bringing terrorizing anger and death.

Now he turned his gaze to the remainder of the men present. He opened his mouth, closed it, kicked the shattered crystals and remained silent. Another ounce or so of brandy took control of his senses in that brief moment of time, making it even more difficult to think, let alone speak.

With a sudden little groan he swayed, then crumpled to the floor, out like a light, completely unresponsive to the servants who scurried to his side in a moot attempt to render assistance. All they could do was carry him off into a tiny room in the back, a hidden room once housing a particularly snooty computer of Darth Wicked's, where they laid him down gently to sleep off his over-indulgence.

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

Quieting then, Jasyn just scowled, realizing with great clarity the sort of trouble they might be in. "You'd better hope like hell that Lord Phalomir, Lord Aelvedaar, or both are found and come back here soon," he then said, eyeballing the quiet Jedi. "Or else hope that when Aeylmaar sobers up he doesn't throw us into the dungeon, or worse."

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

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

Panthar scratched his head and walked to the back panel across from him. Touching a button, he caused the panel to slide open, revealing a stack of three sleek black boxes sitting atop a larger flat box.

Intrigued, he removed the top box and opened it. Inside was white blaster, set in a cushioned niche that seemed to be made just for it. Below the barrel, also set in its own niche, was a com-link. Panthar smiled and checked the next box. Finding rations in this box, he removed the other identical box and set both aside.

Truly curious now, he took out the larger box and peeked inside. His face lit with delight and he whirled to return to the cockpit.

“You will never guess what I found!” he exclaimed as he sat. Matt returned a curious look to Panthar’s beaming face. Unable to control his excitement further, Panthar lifted the top off of the large box.

“Holo-chess!” he shouted.

Four standard hours later, Panthar finished a last game of solitaire chess and placed the lid on the box. Matt had been dozing for some time, and Panthar cleared his throat loudly to wake Matt.

“We’ll be entering normal space pretty soon, I think,” he said as Matt stirred. “Do you want another game before we do?”

(((***OOC: Hear Matt’s answer in Creep of Shadow in this forum. Thank you!***)))

[ 07-19-2008 12:18 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Panthar Dantares ]

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If only they had gone with Terrin and Galen instead of with Stargazer and the others. He always hated being on the Sith worlds.

Unable to take anymore of the waiting and the Jedi's silence, Jasyn whirled to face him on the divan. "Look!" he then blurted. "Something is very wrong here, and you and I both know it, so we should quit pretending. Graysith and Phalomir should have been back by now with Tarnus, they've had more than enough time to free him and come back here, even via a ship...

...which they have access to in Prinn'chatka. So stay here and meditate all that you want...

...but I'm gonna see what I can do to get off this world, now."

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

"So what happened to not wanting to leave here and let anyone walk into a mess?" Shawn asked, sighing. "Still, you have a point, something seems wrong with the fact the others haven't returned. But you have commlink communications with Mr. Stanza, correct?"

Shawn paused, arching an eyebrow. "Maybe you ought to give him a comm and see if they've found out anything yet before doing anything else."

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

"Matt, this is Jasyn. Checking in to see if you and Panthar have come up with anything. Let us know; Graysith and Lord Phalomir still haven't returned here, and Shawn and I agree it's been too long. Might be time to do something else if they aren't on K'eel Doba for some reason."

Finishing the message, Jasyn sent it off, and waited.

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

"Allright, that's well more than enough of this," Jasyn growled, keying in another freqency into his commlink to send a message to Eagle II.

"Terrin and Galen, this is Jasyn. Shawn and I are still sitting here on Khar Delba, mood unfriendly. No sign of Graysith or Lord Phalomir...

...and Matt and Panthar have gone off to K'eel Doba to assess the situation there and now I'm not getting a reply from him via commlink either. I don't know what is going on here, exactly, but Shawn and I are without a ship, and the overall climate with us and Aeylmaar seems to have suddenly turned sour. Unless you object, and soon, I"m getting the kriffing hell off this rock."

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

I chose a seldom used text option to reply to him.

"Jasyn, this is Galen. I am answering in lieu of Terrin, but will clear with him and send further information if there is any.

"Unless your life is under immediate threat, sit tight and play it cool, buddy. If the Sith are suddenly going predatory on ya, running might induce them to chase.

"I'll inform Terrin of your situation as stated; meanwhile, I'm sure he'd appreciate a bit more information than Aeylmaar 'turning sour.' If you possibly can, send a little more detail. Use personal comm-links; we're due to debark on Hornett in a few minutes, and won't be aboard Eagle II to receive your reply.

"Watch your back, and wait for further contact.

"Galen on Eagle II, out."

[ 09-02-2008 12:17 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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Such was the case here. He turned and took a rather abrupt seat on the divan next to Shawn, who arched an eyebrow at him, seeming to already know what the incoming response had said. Jasyn sighed, and opened a new comm message box to respond to Terrin's personal comm frequency.

After the death of the Kartan infant, Stargazer took sudden leave. After a search for her we determined she has left the planet; in the process Erik was hostile and seems to have angered Aeylmaar. He too has departed with his son's body, but Aeylmaar remains aloof, telling those who have left to not return and not wanting us to speak with him or make any requests. He has fainted from a drinking spell and has been removed from the Dining area. We have not seen him since. For the moment, we sit here and wait.

Satisfied with this message, Jasyn sent it off on its way, reluctantly waiting once more.

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