...please."

He paused, considering further, his mind wandering a bit to darker thoughts.

What had suddenly triggered the Dark Lord to put out this Writ of Abeyance? Although he knew he'd really lost true track of time...

...it seemed he'd been gone far long enough for someone to have already noticed his and Panthar's disappearance.
[i]How long had it been? And in that time, what had happened?

Matt knew he was completely out of the loop. Then, suddenly, something slammed home.

Was RhoHalla wondering why, all the sudden, a Dark Lord put out a Writ of Abeyance for him and Panthar?

"It could be a rescue. I left Khar Delba with Panthar Dantares to come and offer assistance, and in our leaving we left behind some of my best friends on the Sorcerer's world."

Oh Fates, what had happened to everyone?

[ 11-29-2015 09:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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

"That must be it," she announced brightly. "It must be that your friends are being given permission to come fetch you. If they were on the Sorcerer World, it was not without the Great Dark Lord's knowledge. The Writ stated that all should seek your whereabouts; thus it would make no sense that they would come here to take you from one dungeon to another, for there would be no reason in seeking you, would there?"

She paused a moment to let Matt assimilate her somewhat naïve logic, and then went on.

"I believe help is coming your way, whether in the form of these friends of which you speak, or Sith sorcerers who come to bring you back to them. Either way, I feel your troubles will soon be over, and I hope-"

She cut herself off in mid-sentence then, and cast her eyes downward. No matter that her self-esteem was growing in leaps and bounds with each passing day; no matter that she had risked her life in rescuing Matt and bringing him to the somewhat dubious safety of the Temple to S'slaan...

She still couldn't find the courage to ask him outright to take her away from K'eel Doba with him.

She cleared her throat, as if in compensation for truncating her last statement.

"Morning draws nigh; I must return to the Temple. I will go to... my... friend, who has knowledge of such things, and will ask who it is who comes here seeking you, hopefully to take you away from here to where you truly belong."

And hopefully taking me along with you.

Before he could respond, she rose gracefully to her feet.

"I will return as quickly as I can slip away, and will bring you more food and drink, and bedding. The rock here is hard; you need more to cushion you from the floor of this Temple.

"Try not to think of drear thoughts; be aware that it is the Great S'slaan who would take light in all and twist it into dark. I have prayed much to Him, and have even sent him a burnt offering, that he might not just overlook our intrusion into this, his Place of Places, but assist in your healing. For His power is great."

She stopped a moment, reverently closing her eyes before opening them quickly and looking Matt square in the face.

"But he may yet come and bring Darkness with him."

Daringly then, she reached out a small hand and placed it on Matt's arm.

"Stay strong, stay wary, and stay self aware. I suggest you try to sleep; the Great S'slaan cannot harm you in your slumbers, although he may send night demons to haunt your dreams. The dreams may stretch long, if He deigns to assist... as will the days within, days in which you will be healed.

"I will return as soon as I am able, and hopefully will have more news for you, Matt Stanza."

With that she turned on her heel and melted into the shadows, seeking the route she knew that would take her back via underground tunnels to a particular unobtrusive passageway deep in the bowels of the Great Temple of The Warriors. There she planned on trying to make contact with her mysterious benefactor, in the hopes of gaining the information she promised she would bring back to Matt upon her return.

And how long had it been? Weeks? Months? ...a Year or more???

Matt closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to physically push away these thoughts, recalling RhoHalla's warning.

The fact remained that, while they hadn't ocme for him in the past, that his friends now were coming after him. Or at least, someone was...

Not allowing that final thought to grow any darker, Shawn gathered his new Sith robes about himself and settled himself to sleep. Although he was much recovered from his original state just after RhoHalla had rescued him from the dungeons, he was yet somewhat weak, and saw the wisdom in her advise. Clearing his mind with conscious effort to avoid any dismal thoughts, he fell asleep within minutes.

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

Jasyn, Terrin here. I don't have the time to explain all of it, but I am shortly on my way to go to Galen, who has gone back to Degobah to do some...

He paused, searching for the right word. Investigation.

He paused again, wincing at his last words...at the understatement in them. He knew Jasyn would be able to figure out what wasn't being said. He'd been on Degobah too, after all.

There is still some possibility she could also be headed to the Sith worlds, so keep an eye out for her...

He trailed again, wishing he had the time to explain further. There's a lot going on, and I can't get into it all. But be vigilant. You are safe where you are...

A pause. Or at least, he thought so.

...and hopefully we'll be able to reunite soon and catch up...

Kriffing hell, how long had it been...???

Let me know how things are progressing where you are and if you've had any luck finding Matt.

[ 01-14-2017 07:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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

Cazun was still dead to the world on a bench across from him in the small lounging area on the Sith ship they were taking in transit to K'eel Doba to hopefully find Matt. He knew they would soon arrive, or at least he hoped, for it seemed like they had been in transit for an eternity.

"Yeah buddy, you could perk up any time now," he growled under his breath, knowing Terrin and the gang would be laughing their asses off at him having handle a drunk.

As if on cue to that thought, Jasyn's comm went off. He pressed it, and listened to the incoming message, his brown eyes darkening at the import of what was being said.

Degobah? As in the place where they had run into That Which Is? Oh bloody hell. And she was alone...

Jasyn knew without being told Terrin was probably losing his mind.

But at least Terrin's message did give him something to do.

He pressed the reply button.

We should arrive at K'eel Doba soon. Hopefully we'll be recieved well and can find Matt.

He sent the message off the encrypted channel, scowling, not liking any of it one bit.

Then he reached over and put a hand on Cazun's shoulder, shaking him a bit. "Hey, pal, you might want to get it together. I think we'll be arriving shortly."

[ 01-14-2017 09:03 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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

Jasyn Lancaster scowled at the half-empty mug of Sith brandy he'd been nursing, his brown eyes darkening.

K'khil had said their ETA to K'eel Doba was 6.48 standard hours. How the bloody hell did hours feel like a couple of years?!?

On the bench nearby, Cazun muttered sleeply, still resting off his intoxicated stupor. Jasyn scowled, taking a drink of brandy, realizing he'd been holding the mug for a seeming eternity while he was lost in introspection. After all, Terrin had communicated with him that Galen had gone off, most likely to Degobah, on her own and he was headed after her, worried sick as to what could possibly happen.

Dammit, he wished he was there to help...

His scowl blackening further, Jasyn realized just how much he missed the companionship of his comrades: Terrin, Matt...

...and Galen. Although he hadn't known Terrin that well prior to her entry into his life, Jasyn knew that she had been the best thing that had ever happened to his Boss. And now they were all separated, and Fates knew if Matt was alive or not. It had been too long...

Cazun muttered once more, jarring Jasyn from his dark thoughts as he glanced over in his direction.

Maybe here was another ally and friend? After all, he's not that different from you. And clearly, he appreciates a good mug of brandy...

Despite himself, Jasyn snorted a bit in bemusement, knowing that he was usually the sleeping drunk, and not the responsible caretaker. If the others knew, he'd never hear the end of it. Maybe soon, they'd be together again, if and when he found out what happened to Matt.

Kriffing hell, how much longer could this trip be?

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

I must help Matt from this place!

The single thought stood as a guiding flame in the forefront of her mind, offering focus and surcease from the daily routines which would beat her into a dull little mote, yet throughout said routines the passage of time seemed to be that of years, so anxious was she to be finished. That beacon egged on another promise she had made the human...

Names. He needs the names of who comes for him. But why--

The addendum triggered another one, one which coming quite out of the blue now blossomed into horrific proportions.

Does it really matter?

Rising up from her bent position polishing a table in one of the warrior's private quarters she paused, and considered her reflection in the gleaming greelwood surface. It presented her face to her, now one creased with sudden worry, eyes opening wide in trepidation.

How exactly is he to be rescued? He is not where he should be! He should be in his cell, near death; the Major Domo left in charge should know of this, and when his friends come with their Writ they will discover his absence, and... and...

Her hand flew to her mouth, polishing rag and all. Delicate, pearly claws pressed deeply enough to release small droplets of her blood upon them.

Oh Great S'slaan, what am I to do?

She could only think of one thing, and that was to do precisely what she had been doing: slaving away at her work, counting the minutes to herself until she was finally released...

...so she could go to her special hidden place and seek further wisdom from her mysterious benefactor on Khar Delba.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Her shift came to an end at last, and that could not have been soon enough. It was a good thing that her supervisor had been busy elsewhere in the depths of the Great Temple, for certainly she would have had her dragged from her work and publicly flogged more than once throughout the day. Concern over her predicament had grown by leaps and bounds, slowing her nimble fingers, tripping her light footsteps, and otherwise creating the kind of chaos in her personal work space that only something of monstrous proportions could bring. By the time her day ended, it was to discover she had only finished half of her allotted chores.

Well, it matters not! she told herself stoically as she tossed her cleaning implements willy-nilly into their little closet, calling to S'slaan that he might take pity on her and somehow cause them to be cleaned and dried properly. For now she had no time for such things.

Within a day, I will either be freed from this place...

...or dead.

Indeed, in counting back the hours to when she had been told of the Writ's creation, she calculated that the human male's rescuers were not only on their way, but due to arrive on her world at some point early the following day. How events would transpire from there was something she didn't really want to think about.

I only wanted to help! she thought to herself as, gulping a bit in an attempt to bring descending calm upon her being she invoked the Spell of Subtle Being. It's warm caress blanketed her, bolstering her with courage.

Worse case scenario, I can just lead him someplace, and remain with him until his friends approach. I can then release him from Subtle Being, so he could go greet them with whatever story he can devise concerning how he was freed from his cell.

This thought segued into another, bringing forth memories of a week ago when she herself proved the means of that very act. These in turn led to another small, remembered act, which caused her to brighten.

The keys. I did drop them outside his cell. Who is to say that the guards, in their beating of the prisoner, were inflicting this with such vehemence that the keys fell inside the cell? That he thus somehow managed to free himself?

After all, we know so little about these people, they might very well have hidden strengths of their own, strengths worthy of the Warrior Caste itself, and strengths which would carry him away to hide, and seek sustenance, and otherwise keep him safe from harm...

...all of his own doing.

But of course this would utterly remove her from having contacted him at all. In this scenario, he would have no reason to plead for her freedom.

But he would be free.

She sighed, consigning to further years of drudgery.

There is still my benefactor, she mused as, drawing her spell about her more tightly she hastened off to the Secret Place, there to ask the unknown personage on Khar Delba who it was who was coming in rescue...

As well as if there was any advice they could offer regarding her own predicament.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Her footsteps weren't nearly as light now as she headed off to the drear Temple of her god. This final trip found her hands free but her heart heavy. For the benefactor wasn't able to offer much in the way of assistance.

All that mysterious personage was able to offer was a general description of those coming to seek the man imprisoned so long on the Sister World. One a biped, black in color with an armored surface, much like many beetles which crawled about the equatorial regions of the Magicians World, and two more likewise biped, but softer and with tufts of hair atop their heads. These two were thought to be something once overheard in reference as "human."

No other information was gleaned. The mosses at that time had grown silent, still and brown.

Soon she reached the Temple of S'slaan, and hastened inside. There she quickly retraced her steps to the patiently waiting Matt.

From what she could ascertain in the dimness of the Temple, he looked to be much stronger. His cheeks were ruddier, his eyes clear, and for the first time neither the robes she had brought him nor the bedding were soiled. If ever he was ready to step forth on his own device, unaided by her comparatively great strength, it was this day.

Quickly she told him everything: not only what she had gleaned from her mysterious teacher, but her thoughts and fears for both herself and him during the final implementation of his release.

"The only thing I can think of is that I allow you to be discovered, but only by your friends. This can be arranged, even if they are accompanied by warriors... which they will most likely be. Strangers are not allowed free run of Phrinnchatka; they will be under surveillance in seeking you out."

She paused a moment, then repeated herself.

"I can manage to present you to them, alone from me. It will be up to you to then explain how you came to be free. I imagine you can say whatever you like, for a Dark Lord's Formal Writ supersedes all else. Regarding you and your friends, that is."

She sighed heavily before finishing.

"But if I am discovered as the one who freed you to begin with, I will be killed."

She cast her rusty eyes downward then to hide the great disappointment which was now welling up in them. And although she yearned with all her heart and soul and very being to be off of this world and away...

Somewhere! Khar Delba; ANYWHERE!

...she breathed thanks to S'slaan that she hadn't mentioned this to him at any point during their brief association together.

No need for him to worry about me...

Undoubtedly the Sith form of clearing one's throat.

"We are approaching K'eel Doba, and shall be landing soon," he announced in a polite yet somehow sneering voice.

"It is early morning in Phrinnchatka; the bells will be bringing the Awakening. Be prepared for something of a wait upon your arrival."

With no further word he turned back to the controls, satisfied that the emphasis he placed on the word "your" was enough to get it's meaning across. He was, after all, there to pilot these strange peoples, both to and from the Warrior World of the Sith.

Other than that, he had absolutely no obligation, nor did he intend to assume any. All he wanted was to have his ship attended while he visited the Great Dining Hall of the Temple.

An elbow found purchase, and he forced his body to a semi-supine position, even as his free hand reached upward in the attempt of wiping matter from his bleary eyes and remnants of drool from his chin.

"Wh-whazzat?" He mumbled, following this muffled inquiry with a mighty, throat-clearing coughing hack. A short period of eye-blinking brought him into a semblance of wakefulness. Licking his dry lips, he tried again.

"Di- did somebody say something? Are we there yet?"

Groaning now, he placed his free hand on his head and allowed himself to fall backward once again.

Never touching that stuff again! he vowed to himself, wishing for nothing more than a big glass of water and an even bigger pain pill, to if not assuage then to at least lessen the Death Star intensity of the headache that was suddenly pounding behind his eyes.

...and perhaps something other than that too.

She had risked her life to save him when there had been no other. He wasn't about to do nothing to prevent harm...or worse!...from coming to her.

His eyes defocused as he turned his thoughts to this, considering what she had said and how could play things to both get to those who atleast sounded like his commrades...

Terrin and Jasyn maybe? And that Verpine, what was his name?

.... and keep her safe. Certainly, even if he'd stated he somehow managed to get free on his own and she had found him and helped him, unaware that he'd been a prisoner, she'd still be in danger.

Or would they see her as a benefactor, having helped one who had a Formal Writ for his release, and leave her be?

Matt frowned to himself. He wasn't sure of that. He then relayed what he had just been thinking to RhoHolla, wondering if after this she would ever be safe again at all here...

...and another idea crossed his mind. "My friends and I hae worked along with Dark Lord Aelvedaar many times, and it is quite possible that I could say I gained my freedom by means I am not even certain of...

...of magicks and more than that. After all, I was chained and quite incapacitated. I'm not sure at all they would believe I was able to escape all on my own."

He paused, again sensing something from RhoHolla, but then continuing on with his thughts. "I could say that you found me and assisted me....

...or we could simply go with your plan for you to stay out of it entirely."

Matt quieted again, looking RhoHolla's way. Even though it was dim in the Temple of S'slan, he could have sworn a tear nearly glinted her eye. He hadn't forgotten how he'd sensed that perhaps she was not of the highest order within the ranks of the Warriors, and he hated to leave her to it when there was another option.

Hoping he wasn't being too forward, Matt stood, walking more closely to her.

"You have saved my life," he stated, pausing a moment. "I don't know what you have here on K'eel Doba in terms of family or otherwise...

...but you could come with us."

[ 01-02-2019 05:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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

And it was a good probability that they Sith escort wasn't too interested in conversation either.

Jasyn scowled, then lightened up as he looked over to Cazun, who was holding his head. "Well good morning there, sunshine."

As he spoke he stood, finding what he assumed was the Sith equivalent of caf and pouring it into a mug. He then carried it over to Cazun, who really looked like he needed it.

"Our escort said we're almost to Khar Delba," Jasyn then indicated as the other took the mug from him. "Maybe you should drink up and get a bite to eat so that you're ready to go. We've probably got a long day ahead of us."

[ 01-02-2019 06:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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

Yes!

"Yes!" she voiced the affirmation aloud, now leaning forward with a bit more excitement, her horn-charms chiming musically with the small movement.

"The Dark Lord of the Sorcerers, Lord Aelvedaar..."

RhoHalla paused the merest moment, closing her eyes and dipping her head in quick but reverent respect...

"Most certainly could implement your release from your imprisonment. In fact, he even could have gone so far as to heal you from afar; I do not know the exact strength of his magicks, but if there is yet another on that world who reaches out to me here..."

Another momentary pause while the question of whether or not that mysterious person was the Dark Lord himself, quickly squashed...

"It most certainly stands to reason that he himself could reach out to you, once he knew you were here."

Once he knew you were here. Was there a way he could have determined this, and more importantly, would he have bothered to do so? He had, after all, sent the human's own companions out to seek him, and more than likely would have done nothing more than wash his great, clawed hands of the affair after that.

For he was the Dark Lord of his world, and more than likely had things of greater importance to attend to.

Then why the Writ of Abeyance, in which he directed all Sith to cease and desist in their regular activities, and be on immediate lookout for this man? This too was squashed... but only partially, as she strove to find a reasonable explanation for it.

Falling silent, she chewed her lip, now daring to look straight into Matts warm eyes, seeking guidance within them.

And just perhaps, a bit of something more.

He took a sip, relishing the sheer mass of it as the hot liquid streamed down his throat to bounce around in his stomach.

Which gurgles ignominiously at the onslaught.

Ignoring that, he nodded to Jasyn over the rim of his cup.

"Thanks pal," he managed between gulps. He allowed those gulps to come in quicker and quicker succession, as with each draught his headache seemed to pound just a bit less. At length it felt like a normal headache, similar to what one might feel after not getting enough sleep.

"So we're coming in for a landing," he said simply, trying to nod and finish the dregs of his cup all at the same time. By the miracle of whatever heavenly beings watch over Tibanna miners, he managed the feat. Smiling he put the cup down on the nearest surface.

"Where's the Insect?" he asked then, his bloodshot eyes taking a quick glance about the area around him.

The chittering clack of mandibles gave further credence to the words which the Verpine suddenly spoke, seemingly from nowhere...

...but which of course originated from his position sitting directly behind the seat upon which the miner had slouched into brandy induced slumber.

Those mandibles clattered a bit more, though whether in laughter as the Verpine observed the human's over-reaction to the simplicity of his words was something only he himself knew, or would be willing to relay to them all.

His shining, unblinking eyes clearly reflected the image of Cazun who, with a most unmannerly "GAKK!" involuntarily jumped about half a meter to land in the heap on the deck of the little Sith ship.

His mandibles chittered yet again...

[ 01-02-2019 06:49 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by K'kihl ]

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

Ok, so the Dark Lord had issued a Writ of Abeyance to find him and Panthar, after which RhoHolla had released him from his captors, not realizing his connection with the Writ, or perhaps not knowing of the Writ at all then.

Anyone who would have secured his release via magick or something other would have logically taken it a step further and gotten him the hell off K'eel Doba...

...after all, similar things had happened before. So what was a logical explantion for him having been rescued but then left, to be found by RhoHolla later...?

...unless...

"Perhaps there is a logical explanation for why the Dark Lord may have helped release me, only to then leave me here. Much darkness has been afoot..."

He paused, for this was in fact no lie.

"Something could have come about to halt his ability to release me and notify others that the Writ was no longer needed."

Matt trailed, frowning, not certain this was the best explanation but not being able to think of anything better. Then something that he hadn't thought of, something that he realized with a start he might should have recognized sooner, registered in his mind.

He directed his green eyes in RhoHolla's direction, arching an eyebrow. "How did you get me out of the dungeons, out of the Temple, and here without being noticed? I was in absolutely no shape to help you, so you did the majority of the work."

He paused one final time, something else registering. "You said someone from the Sorcerer's World reaches out to you here...?"

He wasn't sure, but if this was true...

[ 01-02-2019 07:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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

"Yes," she admitted freely. "There is one there who has been... well, teaching me magicks. I do not know who this one is, or why they do as they do. I don't know if I was chosen to be the recipient of their teachings, or if this was due to the sheer happenstance of my accidentally finding the Mosses."

She paused a moment, now lifting her face to look directly into Matt's own. Her features creased with earnestness.

"I found The Place by accident one day," she repeated. "I was wandering about the Temple and brushed up against them. They are in a... a hidden spot not much frequented by others."

She paused yet again, choosing what words with which to continue, and quickly did so, not willing to let Matt wonder what made her wander about has she had been doing. She did not want to bring up her brief acquaintanceship with Freedon Naad, for his very name did nothing but provoke a feeling of failure in her.

SHE had failed HIM somehow; that had to be why he fell out of contact, it just had to be...

And she quite simply did not wish even the tiniest mention of this to somehow, well... curse the relationship she was now developing with this human.

Whatever that happened to be.

She continued quickly. "I brushed against The Mosses, and words formed. I was told that they could teach me things that could... could help me, and they did.

"It was by implementing these few magicks that I learned that I managed to free you from your prison. I used the Magick of Life-breathing to bring warmth to your body, and used the Art of Subtle Being to mask us both from prying eyes. I was able to free you altogether due to the stupidity of your gaolers, who did not even know I was there as I plucked the keys from the belt of one of them.

"And then I took you here, to the Temple of S'slaan. That was the only safe place I could think of to hide you, where I could then come throughout the day with food and drink and clothing."

For yet a third time she paused briefly, before continuing with, "I apologize if S'slaan brought you discomfort or ailments of your sleep while you were under the auspices of his Place of Places. He does tend to bring nightmares and dark thoughts, and has been known to drive men quite mad."

Leaning forward, she dared to reach out one delicate finger, which traced a light line down the planes of Matt's rugged features. She stared deeply into his eyes, as if seeking something there.

At length she sat back, let her arm drop.

"I do not think he brought madness upon you," she finally said. "For although he is a Great and Demanding and Selfish god, he also has been known to harbor something akin to kindness. I do believe he recognized the fact you had already been through enough madness, and through that of his own helped me to hide you from the rest of our people."

He paused for a moment then, his green eyes meeting hers and perhaps a moment of something not quite tangible passing between them. Then he let his hand move back to his side, furrowing his brow and cocking his head as he once more thought of the best and safest course of action.

"My friends and I have been intertwined with the Sith for quite some time, which is the simplest and most logical explanation for the Writ of Abeyance. When I first arrived here, I had come with Panthar Dantares because all magicks and powers had disappeared.

Thanks to 'Ole Googly, came a dark thought. Haven't thought about that in a while, have you budddy?

"I can only assume based on your ability to use magick that said powers are accessible once more. There is logically enough going on that the Warriors would be aware of that would in turn interrupt Aelvedaar--or others surrounding him who might do it--from fully rescuing me.

Occum's Razor, eh?

"I'm not certain it would be a good thing for others to know that you found the Mosses you speak of, if they were hidden in the way it sounds...

...but it definitely sounds as though you should come to the Sorcerer's World with us. But I will not put you at risk, and like you said my rescuers will most likely have an escort not only here, but have one who has broght them here and will return them. We need a reasonable explanation for your being with us...

...and the most logical one is that you found me later and took me in, only to later hear of the Writ."

He paused, one final piece of an idea falling into place. "In fact, maybe you should bring me back to the Temple now, and once they arrive and request me with the Writ, I can then ask for you to join us and to come along to Khar Delba as the one who took care of me after my partial release."

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

And it frightened her down to her very soul of souls. For now all words, all wishes, all thoughts and vows of some day and one day all fell by the wayside, trampled beneath the great rolling wheel of action.

It was happening. It was really happening!

She shivered a little, just once, as with the greatest of efforts she pushed away the rising fear, shoved it down and away; closing her eyes, she brought upon her own self the Ritual of Life-Breathing, in this case bringing warmth to that descended upon her in a velvet cloud, to cover and extinguish the coldness of that rising and irrational fear.

It shall be all right. He will be with me. For I sense a great kindness in his spirit; I aided him, now he aids me in turn.

A little smile washed across her lips.

"I believe that might work," she at length said softly. "I had no idea you had as much power with out people as you do. I thank you for the kindness you are now extending to me, and place my life with yours."

"Please, Matt."

There, she finally dared speak his name!

"Take me with you. Take me from this world, to Khar Delba or-"

"No matter how this all plays out, I will," e he promised, not intending to do anything other than exactly what he said.

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

Seriously, laughing!

At his surprise and following actions.

Jasyn's lips slipped into a bemused lopsided grin as something internally was thankful for the comic relief, at some level just beyond his conscious awareness.

He was gonna like the Verpine.

"Well there's your answer," Jasyn then said in Cazun's general direction, his lopsided grin growing impossibly more lopsided as he then sat back down, mug still in hand before turning a ittle more serious. "And really, maybe you should get something to eat. You've never been on a Sith world before, at least not for any length of time while you've been sober."

Jasyn paused, the smirk returning slightly before fading once more. "It can be kinda intense."

Wow, understatement of the century...

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

"I believe you," she said simply. Then drawing a breath she rose gracefully to her feet. Her horn charms made the motion into one of sheer musical charm. For a moment she paused, wondering if she should extend her hand to him.

Deciding that might seem a bit too forward, she contented herself with bestowing upon him her most entrancing smile.

"Come," she said as she extended her hand now in the direction that would lead them from this dark Temple and back to Phrinnchatka proper. Not waiting to see his reaction, for in fact she was rather embarrassed by the smile she had just given him, she quickly turned and headed off into the shadows, one sharp ear cocked to ascertain that he was indeed following her and keeping up with the rapidity of the pace she set.

...instead of having rescued him from the depths of the Temple then hidden him until he was well, knowing all along that he was being sought out. Matt wondered if his plan would work, for certainly this could all go an entirely different way despite how he and RhoHolla had thought things out.

After all, he wasn't entirely sure who was calling the shots for the Warriors. If it was still ShaRhylla...

Matt frowned, troubled by the thought. Would she head the Writ of Abeyance? And what of whoever was incoming for him, especially if it was some of his own friends?

Maybe this was a bad idea after all...

"Wait," Matt suddenly said in RhoHolla's direction, her keen ears hearing him immediately as she stopped and turned towards him. "Who is currently in control at the Temple, and of the Warriors?"

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

The Dark Lady ShaRhylla was certainly not known for her compassion for others, after all. And she had the quickest temper RhoHalla had ever seen in a Lord or Lady, even quicker to flare than her own supervisor whom in the privacy of her own tiny room she referred to as "d'kane ri-bf'ye," or "one with the flaming tongue..."

She shot Matt a little smile, one meant to reassure him that their chances of this ruse working were greater than they would have been, had Dark Lady ShaRhylla been running the show.

"I believe the Dark Lord Aelvedaar is in power on Khar Delba, while here The Dark Lady has gone off on a personal errand," she said simply.

"The Major Domo, He Who Is Not Named, is sitting for the Dark Lady at the moment."

There really wasn't anything mysterious in that this Sith's title bore no name. According to Sith tradition when the Major Domo, or in fact any other, took temporary command, none would call him by his own name. In fact, he himself was encouraged to try to forget he even had a name to call his own. This subtle degradation served as reminder that he was not Dark Lord, but merely a stand-in. Not having a name helped assure he would not develop a following, which could end in one of two possible ways:

Either he would be elevated to the Dark Lordship, or elevated even further by his martyrdom.

In either case, transpiring events would be messy due to the discord creating them, and if there was one thing the Sith civilization disliked, it was discord.

He couldn't quite remember or maybe never even knew why she'd done that???

--and leaving him to rot while she, Panther, and Shayla Stargazer to do Fates knew what.

Let alone what she might have done to RhoHolla, Matt thought, surpressing a shudder at the thought. Still, Matt found it quite strange that ShaRhylla was gone, and that a Maor Domo was instead in control.

He was pretty sure the whole lot of them that had left him to imprisonment had been going off somewhere, but had they never returned...?

Realizing he'd lost himself in his thoughts, Matt's eyes snapped alert, looking to RhoHolla, who was probably wondering if he was in fact backing out on the plan they'd made.

No, it was still the most logical approach, as far as he could figure anyway...

"The...Dark Lady is in fact the one who imprisoned me to begin with, telling everyone I was Lieutenant General Sorben Tarnus," he then stated. "Her reaction to the Writ of Abeyance, let alone my escape, could have been uncertain," he then said simply, something of his concern for RhoHolla's well being floating in the depths of his clear green eyes. "You said the Dark Lady has been away on a personal errand. How long has she been away?"

[ 01-08-2019 07:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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That air wasn't giving them the welcome the pilot had hoped it would. The troposphere is known as the "layer of weather" on many a world, and was proving itself to be just that in this one small spot on this particular planet. The fighter bumped and bounced, jouncing it's passengers back and forth, up and down, as without brilliant streaks of lightning leapt between demonic clouds as if in the attempt of plucking them from the very air to dash against the hard ground below.

The pilot merely yawned, while rather distressed noises floated into his ears from the aft. He smiled then, letting his lip curl juuuuuust a touch as he wiggled the controls just so. The ship, reading his mind, smirked in reply and side-slipped even as the electric roar of thunder provided it with music to dance by.

A thud came from the rear. The pilot's lip curled further.

Then steadying his grip upon the controls, mind-to-mind with the biomechanics of the fighter, the two of them held an intimate conversation between themselves until the ship at last came down to an ice-smooth landing on the tarmac of the Phrinnchatka spaceport Ch'arlingua.

The pilot did not waste any time. He merely stood, directed instructions. The ship responded, powering down amid the hissing of gasses and the ticking of metals impacted by so sudden a temperature change. Another sound came into his ears, one silent to the ears of a human:

The hatch opened.

Reaching under his seat, the pilot grabbed his small kit.

"I will be in the Dining Hall of the Great Temple," he said succinctly. "The Receiving Room is there as well. A transportation system will take you to Phrinnchatka.

"Enjoy your stay."

He didn't so much as look at the little group which was displayed in varying positions on the seats and deck in the aft of the fighter. His long legs carried him swiftly the short distance from the pilot's seat, through the open hatch, down the gangway, and onto the tarmac when he soon disappeared into the myriad Sith who were milling about there.