When do these Sith ever quit?

As if to mock his thought, a little shoulder devil popped up and whispered in his head, Never.

Shut up, you, Terrin answered mentally. Then he reminded himself, Nothing has happened to us, not yet. And having Master Rean and Cella Poliani around just might give us some levity to work with if something should happen. Take it one step at a time, buddy. You are doing everything you possibly can at the moment to protect Galen and Jhin'Darra. And Rean is doing his part in trying to find out what exactly is going on. Pal, you'd better keep a level head on your shoulders.

Turning from his thoughts, he looked over at Galen, whose look was fairly unreadable. But somehow he didn't have to see any sort of look at all to know that she was worried. Probably more than that, considering what had happened the last time the Sith popped up.

Dammit all, he just wanted her to feel safe, he wanted her to be calm and at ease. He wanted to provide a good safe home for them to raise little Darra in. Since when were these sort of things too much to want for one's own family? he mused.

One thing at a time, Terrin. One thing at a time, a little voice reminded.

Placing a hand on her knee, he waited a moment until her gaze met his, unable to give voice to the worries she undoubtedly knew he had, let alone the worries of her own.

[ 01-29-2002 08:25 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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

It was just that I was suddenly so deeply angry that I simply had to hit something... and as handy as Terrin's presence was at the moment, I was afraid it was going to be him. Resisting the urge to lash out, I clenched my fists and jaws, pursing my lips tightly together.

It wasn't fair; it just wasn't fair. There was nothing I hated more than being a pawn in some sort of celestial grand scheme, my life under no direction of my own no matter how I strove to manage it. It wasn't fair that this child I carried was destined to be some sort of super-Jedi, forced to that lofty throne by the effects produced when my sister had gone into that cave so long ago, and had done... something. Who was I, to be chosen out of the bajillions of sentients in this galaxy, to bear this kind of yoke? And Terrin, did he deserve such a family? And little Jhin; what about her?

But then... whoever said life was fair. Khaandon knows Dad never once mentioned anything of the sort....

I scowled into middle space, trying to think, my one hand slowly unclenching to top that of Terrin's upon my knee, the other moving to lightly rest upon my bulging stomach. Then my expression lightened as I thought of something. I sat up as quickly as I could, crooking an eyebrow as I wondered to myself if....

"Be right back, love," I murmured hurriedly as I clambered awkwardly to my feet. Then, after kissing the top of Terrin's head, I headed out of the kitchen and back to our room. There I rummaged about in my belongings until I came upon the item I had suddenly thought of. I looked down at it as it lay in my hand, glinting silver and black in the dim light of our room, and shivered. Something within me was urging me to go toss it into the nearest volcano... but instead I closed my fingers about it and placed it carefully in my pocket. Then I headed off to the one person I could think of who might be able to know what to do with this thing.

Master Rean looked up from his position of intense concentration as I burst unceremoniously into his quarters. "Yes, how can I--" he began, before grinding to a halt before the expression I knew was planted on my face. Hurriedly, so as to not let my momentum fade, as well as to try to cover up my rather rude entrance into his quarters, I reached into my pocket and drew out the item. I held it out to him.

He actually shivered to see its lethal beauty laying there against the coolness of my skin, all silvery black, and looking for all the world like some sort of weirdly articulated metal finger. A large and empty opening pocked its surface at its widest, mute testimony to the fact that something had once occupied the place but was now quite obviously missing. A mysteriously deadly aura hung over it, as if to hint to the fact that the missing something had brought unimaginable lethality to this device... but that it was scarcely less lethal without it.

Rean shivered again, his long blond hair flipping back along his back, and he slowly reached out a hand toward the thing. I held it out to him; it was almost as if it were a magnet somehow drawing the two of us together. For a moment we regarded each other over the myriad nasty promises this device was somehow projecting. At last I found my voice.

"I took it off my sis- off of that lady Sith who goes by the name of Graysith," I breathed in a low whisper. "What the hell is it, and can we use this in any way against them?"

I fell silent, my eyes dropping back to the alien weapon. Then they drilled into Rean's pair as I silently waited for his answer.

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

"Out with it, buddy," he said, breaking the silence.

The words snapped Jasyn from his reverie. "What? Oh, I was just thinking."

"About...?"

"Do you think that...that maybe we should..." Jasyn halted for a second to collect and word his thoughts. "Is staying holed down here on Sullust the best idea if the Sith may be up to something?"

Terrin sighed a bit, then leaned back. "So, tell me where else we can go," he asked back curiously but not harshly.

"Well...I don't know. I just feel antsy sitting around here while they could be on the move most anywhere."

"I know, I know. And don't think that this very thing hasn't occurred to me. But we are underground here, and that protects us to some extent at least from other possible enemies. We also operate under different IDs here, which adds another level of protection. The way I see it, staying holed up here in the underground of Sullust at least keeps us away from prying eyes and ears. If we move now we'll attract unwanted attention, I think."

Jasyn seemed to mull over this a bit. "Yeah, maybe. But should we have a back up location just in case we have to bust out of here?"

Terrin bit his lower lip a bit as he thought that over. "Yeah, maybe we should. For now, however, I think it best to stay where we are. Not only for the safety reasons, but for the fact that Galen's about to have a baby, and she'll need the most secure and constant environment we can provide. She is, as well as Galen, my main concern. If the situation should arise in which we decide it would be best to move out, however, we will, I promise."

Jasyn nodded. "Allright, I see where you are coming from. But I'll be looking through some data to see if there's a good back-up option, should we need it. Always best to stay a step ahead if possible."

"I agree, completely."

[ 01-30-2002 10:30 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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

"We may be going to the surface soon, depending upon how long it takes me to find Danner's group."

Leev nodded solemnly. "Proteeect you Missstress at all costs, I will."

Shayla smiled at the Noghri with gratitude. "I have no doubts about that, my loyal bodyguard." Then, turning to Izzy, "We must discuss your recent findings."

Izzy warbled in excitment, words scrolling across the datapad at such a rate that Shayla had to back up to read them all once she leaned over to look at the datapad.

"Slow it down, girl," she said grinning. Then, releasing the datapad from her grip and letting it again fall to the R2 unit's side, she cupped her chin in thought. "This I believe could lead us right to them," Shayla at last said. "Although I'm certain I could reach out and find the child's Force-presence, I hesitate to do that because any nuance in the Force may tip them off." Then she added, frowning, "Especially if there are Jedi with them."

The Jedi. You forgot about the stupid Jedi. If they aren't there protecting that kid they're dumber than a dozen drunken Hutts.

They are there. And you will face them if that is what must be done.

And you will succeed. In this, another step towards your True Potential will be complete...

[ 01-31-2002 08:28 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

He turned back to Galen. "Much has been asked of you, and I do not wish to ask more. But now is our time. I can help both of you if you are willing."

[ 02-03-2002 11:45 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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

"What the HELL?!" Jasyn stammered, tripping to his feet as he stood and hurried out of the kitchen before Terrin could get a word out.

Well Hell, he just took the words right out of his mouth!

As the two of them entered the common area, they were met by an altogether eerie and disturbing sight. There, in the chair where Cella Poliani had been sitting, sat no one. Sprawled out on the floor in front of her chair was a needle, haphazardly dropped there, as well as an unfinished baby's dress.

Squatting, Terrin picked up the half-made garment and stared at it, a sudden tingle rising up his spine.

The last time something like THIS happened...

"Terrin?" Jasyn called quietly.

He shuddered as the rest of his thought played itself out.

...Oh GODS please...not AGAIN...not NOW...

Suddenly feeling an urgent need to check on Galen, to make sure she was still there, Terrin snapped to his feet, heading out of the common area without a word to Jasyn. His ears keenly attuned to the voices coming from his office, he immediately recognized the voice of Master Rean. Hurriedly, he followed it.

As he stepped in and saw Galen next to the Jedi Master, Terrin let out the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. As the adrenaline slowed a bit, he stepped in behind Galen, tuning in to Rean's words, and what he had been showing Galen just as he had arrived.

Rean? Rean had done this to Poliani? Who WAS this guy...? Why had he zapped the other Jedi who was here to help them?

...What if, after all this time, they were doomed to find out that this guy had something to do with the Sith that they had been trying to stay away from...?!

Instinctively, he stepped a bit closer to Galen, slitting his eyes at Jedi Master Rean as if looking at someone he'd never seen in his life.

As if responding to some mysterious cue, Rean addressed Terrin's thoughts immediately as he spoke to he and Galen both. "Please do not consider my actions to be equal to that of the Sith. As I said, the Claw focuses the All to the wearer's wants. I couldn't help but feel frustrated with Cella's poor judgment where you are concerned. I myself momentarily lost sight of just how powerful this weapon can be. Please forgive my momentary loss of senses; I am indeed here to help."

Still feeling suspicious and probably covering it miserably, Terrin mulled over the Master's words. The All? What the HELL was the All? The Force he'd heard of...but the ALL...?

As this very thought passed through his mind, Terrin heard Rean say to Galen, "Much has been asked of you, and I do not wish to ask more. But now is our time. I can help both of you if you are willing."

Now, what was THIS about? Were they going to use...that Claw thing on one of the Sith? And what was it that he wanted to ask of them? Of Galen?

Deciding to give the Jedi Master at least a chance to explain, Terrin cocked a questioning brow, waiting to see just what Rean had in mind.

[ 01-31-2002 10:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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

"Galen," he turned to face her now, "you not only have the use of the force the baby within you will be stronge as well. I can teach you to be more attuned to your surroundings and to what to expect from these sith. As for the claw," he sat the object down on the console, "it must be used by someone of the all. I suggest that it be placed in a very safe place until we can determine the best use for it. They will want to retrieve it as it is something to be used against them." He turned back to face the two standing in front of him placing a hand on both their shoulders. "Time is of the essense now. We must prepare ourselves if we stand a chance against those who would do us harm."

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

No...not through the Force. This was something entirely more encompassing than just that, and it felt very similiar to other experiences Shayla had recently found herself in...with the Sith, no less. The jolt was...through the All?!

Concerned for her Sister and the ones on Khar Delba, Shayla reached out to them, immediately calmed to find that they were all safe. Then she slitted her eyes as something occurred to her.

If that blast hadn't come from something one of them did...

...Did someone else have control of the All who Graysith and the others were not yet aware of? At least someone that she was unaware of? Could it have been the Child? No, no, there was someone else, someone with more control than that the Child possessed at this point in time...

Settling her mind and clearing of questions, Shayla found that she was being lead to the source of that blow, to someone on the very planet she was orbiting. Suddenly it was of great importance to find out who this was and discover if this person would aid the Sith in their quest or if this was one who would stand in the way. A niggling in the back of Shayla’s mind indicated the latter.

How extremely unusual that this one was on Sullust, where Terrin and that woman were. Were they aware of the Child and her potential?

Setting herself to the urgent task now at hand, Shayla prepared to land her ship on Sullust, determined to uncover the source of this disturbing anomaly...

[ 02-01-2002 09:40 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

The ALL??? What in Hell's Seven Circles was THAT? I wondered, my eyes widening in not a little fear. Is that what those... those CREATURES, including my dear ex-sister, have at their disposal? Is THAT how they have so easily managed to thwart us at every turn, to pop in and out of existence so nonchalantly, to so offhandedly throw despair and conflict and anguish and pain at us time and time again? Is THAT what Jharmeen somehow got herself wrapped up in, way back there on that obscure little world in that hidden little cave?

Another thought slammed into me, and my eyes widened further. Is THIS what little Jhin'Darra now has within her as well... and does this mean she is destined to follow in the shoes of the evil that has been chasing us for a seeming eternity?

And why in Hell's Seven Circles can this guy use it as he did? He made Cella disappear just like others in our party had likewise vanished, or had appeared to do so. And he did say that weapon was one of the SITH...

and I had handed it over to him like a child hands his future into the hands of his elders.

Those last few thoughts were enough for me, the final bits of Imperial armor that broke the dewback's back. Without realizing it, I began shaking my head, slowly at first but then picking up momentum. "No," I said softly. "No." I drew in a breath, and released it in a strengthening crescendo of denial.

"No, no, no, no, NO!"

Then, before either Terrin or Rean could react, I leapt forward, my hand flashing out, fingers coming into contact with the menacing device still laying in Rean's hand. Non-thinking, aware only of the potential danger inherent in this device...

IN THE HANDS OF AN ALL-USER. JEDI USED THE FORCE!!!

...I whirled and burst from the common room. It really must be true what they say about desperation lending wings to one's feet; as pregnant as I was, if asked I would have stoutly denied an ability to scarcely waddle along, let alone run. But run I unexpectedly found myself able to do, and run I did, out of our home, out into the streets, unthinking, blind to everything about me but the fact that a terrible weapon was finally in our midst...

AS WAS ONE WHO COULD USE THE ALL. JEDI USED THE FORCE!!!

...a weapon that I had pressed Terrin to take, evoking the even greater ire of my sister and those hellish demons who accompanied her. All I could see was the horrible image of Terrin floating in that bacta tank, one arm gone... all I could think of was the fact that that had happened immediately after we had stolen the Nar Kelba.

I didn't even want to go anywhere near imagining what would happen as a result of our stealing this thing, but obstreperous images persisted in forming in my head. One of which was a smiling and heavenly blond Rean, his manner placid, his robes glowing whitely angelic... the ire of the Sith lurking beneath that humble surface like a wolf in a fold. Whether or not that was true was something I didn't want to gamble this weapon on; it simply had to be destroyed.

Cella. Cella had been sent away. Not Jasyn, or me, or Terrin, but the sole Jedi we truly knew of who was in our midst....

Now I found myself hurrying through the tunnel with which I had already gained such intimacy, my one hand clutching the Claw tightly, the other reaching into my pocket to take my rebreather and place it on my face. In but moments more I burst out of the tunnel's mouth, slamming my body onto the noxious surface of Sullust. Around me the atmosphere was dark with red-bellied clouds of ash and noisome gases; a volcano had apparently erupted somewhere fairly close to us. I didn't let that little detail bother me. This was far too important.

A quick glance behind me assured me that no one else had followed me from the tunnel.

Good. I knew the surface of this area of Sullust in a radius of about two to three kilometers from that tunnel mouth. As far as I knew, Terrin didn't. Lord knows he had had demons of his own to exorcise, but he hadn't been raped by--

That thought gave my feet added impetus. Without even stopping, I flew over the craggy lava flow the tunnel opened to greet, spotted the opening of a lava tube which I already knew led to a veritable underground labyrinth, and flew into it.

Completely unspotted by anyone, I soon lost myself in the splendors of another one of Sullust's underground worlds....

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

Bidding everyone a quiet goodnight, I had then gone to my quarters, only to find sleep elusive. With another sigh leading the way, I had then turned and made my way back to the bridge. All was quiet there; the Devil-May-Care was quite adept at taking care of herself for the most part when left to her own devices. For an extended time-wasting moment, I passed my hand across her navboard, scrutinizing the instruments and readouts to determine that all was indeed as well as it appeared. The revelation that all was green only provoked another sigh from me, and I slumped into my Captain's chair.

The question of what lay ahead of us all quite effectively dampened the joy I should be yet feeling in regard to obtaining a replacement TIE. Scowling, I plopped my head against my fist, elbow on the arm of my chair, and tried to let my mind go blank. Usually such mental exercises resulted in a sort of freeflow of thought, one through which answers to present problems oftentimes presented themselves.

But not this time. I sighed again.

A soft footstep behind me announced the arrival of my gunner; with a little start, I turned to regard her. "You couldn't sleep either, ey?" I offered with a somewhat wan smile. Then it dimmed, and I turned back to my navboard.

There came a hesitant touch... and then the two hands upon my shoulders tightened, and began kneading, poking deftly here and there to eliminate the knots which had formed over the last half hour or so.

"I know I'm tense," I said to the unspoken question. One hand raised to rub my face, coming down to rest lightly atop one of her slender ones. That hand froze where it lay; I was just beginning to turn to her, suddenly quite willing to just not plan or wonder or simply not think any longer, to just let the moment flow of its own device, when an ornery light began to flash on the commboard. I pursed my lips in a wry smile, looking up into Nassy's dark eyes and quite unreadable expression, then turned back and flicked the communications relay switch. Words obediently began scrolling across my data screen.

It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping as, my own eyes now wide, the slowly growing magic of the moment was lost in an instant. I turned back to Nassy.

"Somehow...Master Rean has sent Cella off to Kessel!" I exploded, unable to quite fathom the words which were coming forth from my mouth. "We're to deviate immediately and retrieve her at once."

Nassy's hands tightened in consternation upon my shoulders as I turned back, plotting a new course into the cyberbrain of my wonderful ship. Space shuddered into real-time as we dropped from hyperdrive; then Devil-May-Care nosed about for a bit and in a motion reminiscent of a podracer's leap from the start, took space and stretched it about herself once again.

Still scarcely believing this unexpected transmission... not to mention the undercurrent of trepidation it carried with it... I sat back in my chair again, my eyes glued unseeing to the viewscreen ahead of me. Nassy's hands merely tightened on my shoulders once more, and we headed off on our unexpected mission of mercy.

[ 02-02-2002 04:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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

Something doesn't fly here. And so long as Galen isn't trusting this guy, neither am I, regardless of what he's done to help us. Some might call that betrayal, I call it acting in one's own best interests. Sometimes you gotta go with your gut no matter how harsh the reaction may seem.

"You stay here," Terrin said coolly.

As he said that, Jasyn appeared in the doorway. Terrin turned to his employee and friend. "You keep Master Rean company. I've gotta contact Matt. I'll explain later. We'll have alot of talking to do."

Jasyn gave Terrin a short nod to indicate understanding.

Needing no further indication, Terrin left for his and Galen's room where he commed Matt. In moments, his assistant was on the line.

"Matt Stanza of Eagle Enterprises. How may I help you?"

"Matt, this is Terrin."

Matt hesitated a moment, sensing unease. "What is it?"

"We have a big problem pal, a big problem. I'll explain more later, but Galen's gone with the Claw. I'm guessing she intends to destroy it, but I couldn't follow her in time to know. I was...behind with Rean."

"Can't Rean help you locate her?" Matt asked.

"I don't want Rean's help," Terrin replied darkly. "We have a huge problem, and there's no other way around this than I need you back here as soon as possible. And I've gotta find Galen, I'm worried about her."

"Okay, here's what we'll do. You work on finding Galen. I'll talk to Yaoksi right now and comm you as soon as we have a plan. Allright?"

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

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

"Terrin just commed. Galen's missing, and something's happened with Rean that's really got him worried. He wants us to come back ASAP, but I'm thinking we need a plan, since this was our trip to go get the TIE fighter. However, I want to get back to him with something very soon, so we need to think fast. Suggestions, anyone?"

Leaning back on the bulkhead, Matt waited for someone to reply.

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

Yet again I found my hands up to my face, trying to rub some semblance of normalcy into my head. It wasn't working very well; Matt's surprising announcement only served to strengthen a sneaky suspicion that our little universe was beginning to unravel at a rapidly quickening rate.

I blew out my cheeks, and after glancing quickly at Nassy, turned to Matt.

"I just received communication from Master Rean that he somehow has sent--yeah, that's what I said, SENT!-- Cella off to Kessel. Somehow; don't ask me what THAT entails. But he did implore us nicely enough to go retrieve her asap. I only just now plotted our new course."

I paused for a moment, as the full impact of the latest information from Sullust hit me.

Rean sends the only other Jedi off to Kessel, then asks us to go get her, adding to the time of our trip and ETA back on Sullust. Meanwhile, Terrin has informed Matt that something of a highly suspicious nature is revolving about said Master Rean... and in the middle of all this, Galen has disappeared.

Now... what was wrong with this picture?

Slowly I removed my hands from my face, and cast a quick glance at the navboard. Every instinct within me was screaming to turn tail and hotfoot it back to Sullust. Thank the gods of the universe for the one logical portion that insisted we get another Jedi back into our happy little crowd.

Knight Errant rushing to rescue Faiyre Damsel in distress....

Forcing myself to act like a Captain, I settled back into my seat. "The TIE is just going to have to wait," I found myself saying, totally eradicating the last remnants of joy I still harbored about it. "We'll go pick up Jedi Poliani; something tells me we're going to be needing her. Then we'll get back to Sullust in all due haste."

Without waiting for any reply, I turned to the navboard and played it like an instrument. The blizzard of starstreaks stretched further into physical impossibilities as with no further ado, Devil-May-Care doubled her velocity. I glanced at my chrono; with luck we ought to be back beneath the volcanic surface of the resort planet in only a couple of cycles.

I reached toward the commboard, to inform Captain Danner of the fact.

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

Well, Logan was no longer here, that was for certain. Cella was nearly positive that he, Jeroc, and Thea were back on Yavin IV. Her thoughts wandered wryly to the Sith weapon that had flung her unwillingly across the seas of space and time. Seems like every time we get rid of one of those pesky Sith relics, another one pops up. I think they made enough nasty little "suprises" to fill the Senate building on Coruscant...they just haven't been all found yet.

Then her thoughts took a darker, more brooding turn. Why am I here? I am supposed to be--I was MEANT to be with Galen, tending her and protecting her baby. But that meddlesome, holier-than-thou so-called Jedi Master plays around with a Sith toy and puts me here!

Anger seeped into her mind like a red wine stain spreading across a white table cloth. Make him pay, said the darkness. You can, you know. You always could. You just never had the courage to use the power that was rightfully yours.
Shut up, Cella told the voices. But they persisted.
Make him pay. Open yourself to the darkness! You wouldn't have to keep using it. And it would feel so good. Quick, easy. Kill him and have done with it. And then go about your life as if nothing ever happened. Easy...You could do it...Revenge.

"Shut UP!!!" screamed Cella, slamming her head against the wall she leaned on. The cry echoed weakly across the arid plains. The throbbing pain in her head distracted her, but only briefly.
You would not have to sit here banging your head on a wall like a wild woman if it weren't for Rean. Face it, Cella Poliani, HE did this to you. And he meant to. He wanted you out of his way so he could have Galen's baby for her own. The only way to protect that child is to kill him.

He should have gone with his gut instincts to begin with. He should have known better.

And now she'd gone somewhere and he had no clue where she was.

He'd seriously entertained the notion of heading out and looking for her himself, the fact remained he didn't know where she'd gone. In the labrinyths surrounding them, she could be just about anywhere. And what if he wandered off after her and she came back? Jasyn would be here with Rean. But he'd be here with Rean.

What were they going to do about this guy? Someone he'd trusted for so long, but now was unsure of more than just a little bit?

What, just exactly what, were they going to do?

His thoughts were interrupted by a comm signal. Surprisingly, the voice on the other end of the connection was not Matt, but Yaoksi Joao himself, informing him that they'd be back in about two cycles, just as soon as they picked up Cella Poliani.

Two days? Something would have to be done way before then. Something needed to be done NOW, if he had to go out on his own to find her.

"Okay, I have to admit I agree with the logic of picking up Poliani first. But my fiancee is missing, and it is of great importance to me that I find her. I have an idea what she's doing, but with all that has happened, having her go missing like this really worries me. So, if you, or anyone onboard for that matter, have ideas of where she might have run to, I'd like to hear them."

[ 02-02-2002 11:12 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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

Sending out her questions about proceeding upon this mission alone, Shayla awaited Graysith's reply...

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

"Please Terrin, we have wasted enough time already. Do with me what you will after we have found her but we must find her safe."

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

I picked my way carefully, not paying a lick of attention to the twists and turns I was travelling through. I had stumbled across this system the first day I had dragged myself from the morass of despair I had been wallowing in, and had gone within seeking... exactly what at that time, I hesitated to say. Point being that I had found what existed at the end of a particular tunnel deep beneath the surface, and had been there often afterwards. It proved a perfect place for contemplation, considering what I had gone through, as well as those who had come to be associated with me.

A dim red glow in the distance began to brighten as I finally approached that which I now was seeking yet again. The craggy rocks about me began to take on a deeply reddish hue as that glow reflected off of their oxidized walls, intensifying their rusty tones with an outline of fire. Those walls were practically glowing as I came to an end to this particular lava tube: my footsteps delicate and determined, I stepped over a basalt projection and onto the lip of what at first appeared to be a cliff. Cliff it was not, however: I stood on the edge of an open fracture in the tube I was in, one which was probably created by on-going seismic activity, and one which revealed the presence of a second, deeper, and very much still-occupied lava tube that ran about 120 meters beneath the very one I had been travelling through. Clutching the circular rim of a nearby vesicle, I leaned carefully forward.

The heat blasting up from that lower tube was incredible; I gasped as it struck my face, carrying with it the blindingly gagging odor of rotten eggs. The lava river was moving quickly, too quickly for any sort of crust to form upon it; it's varying shades of orange and red and yellow writhed and twined together, then broke apart, then whirled and swirled in an continuous molten dance. I coughed a bit, gripping the little vesicle's sharp edge even tighter, as the cooler air of the tunnel behind me rushed back in a kamikaze desire to join with the raging fumes below.

For a moment I stood there, my mind flashing back to that one day of despair, that one day when I knew that my life, the lives of my companions, and the life of my baby girl would never belong to us again. That day when I felt there would be no way we would ever be free of the evil that sought us, that day when I realized that I had brought to these people the exact danger I had left Sorben for... that day when I had come so very, very close to leaping into that river of lava and just ending it all, right then and there.

Thank Khaandon a focusing kick from little Jhin'Darra had brought me to my senses.

I drew in a deep breath, and immediately coughed. OK, no better time than the present, I thought to myself. This Sullustan fire goddess didn't get me, but she's gonna get a much better sacrifice....

I took one last look at the thing in my hand, and threw it out over the river of 2,000 degree molten rock.

It soared out and down, lit up by the fires below, a symbol of one small victory over the pervasive Evil we would be followed by forever, arcing away like a small meteor seeking death in the planetary atmosphere it was racing through, now glowing a deep pinkish orange as the temperatures began to play their heated dirges upon it...

...and came to an abrupt halt about two meters from the surface of the lava. There it hung, defying physics, defying common sense, defying gravity... and defying me.

"Wha--?" I began, but got no further. As fast as a dianoga strikes, Sullust came alive beneath my feet. It was as though its fire goddess was angered that the sacrifice not only had not been made, but was taunting her out of sheer delight. A deep rumble came into my ears as a subterranean fault moved mere millimeters; not much in the grand scheme of things, but enough to cause the lava tube system to vibrate in reply. To my horror, I found my fingers losing their grip on their precarious hold on that little vesicle; I found my free arm pinwheeling as I tottered, my balance threatened, the certainty of the ground beneath my feet certain no longer.

A scream of primal terror ripped through my throat and pushed through my clenched teeth as I toppled from the edge of the fracture and tumbled toward the molten lava rushing hungrily below. It didn't echo long, but was literally blasted from my lungs as I came to a sudden and bone-shaking halt upon a tiny projection of basalt about eight feet below the place where I had stood. Instinct took over, and my scrabbling hands found something to hold on to, gripping for all they were worth, and slowly I came to the realization that I wasn't going to die in the lava after all. I'd probably choke to death on the fumes instead, which were strong enough to overpower the laboring rebreather I still managed to grip between my teeth. Shakily, I got to my feet to examine my little haven, wincing at the pain in my side produced by the impact. I chose to ignore the sharper and more insistent pains which began flaring occasionally and far, far deeper inside me.

The projection was only about four meters long, and perhaps two and a half meters wide. The basalt wall rose up behind me in a concave curve, one that I hadn't a chance in hell of scaling. Curved as it was, it effectively formed a little pocket of trapped air which was heated by the proximity of the lava. I cringed away from it, and carefully sat down.

I was trapped. There wasn't a thing I could do. All I could do was put my head in my hands and wonder if I'd ever be found, or if I should just go back to my original plan about this hellish place and leap out into the embrace of the lava after all.

[ 02-03-2002 11:27 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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Maybe you are losing your mind. Maybe you ARE wasting time. But there's a reason Galen ran from this guy, and you still have to trust HER over Rean. She comes first. Not this guy.

Closing his eyes a moment, Terrin answered Rean softly. "I can't trust you right now. I just can't. If something happens to her as a result of this..."

He sighed, the very idea sending a tingle up his spine. If something happened to her that would just kill him...

"...then I'll take the full responsibility for it. I trust her and I love her, and I've got do what I feel she would want. You've just got to understand that, if you are who you say you are."

Turning back to the comm in his hand, Terrin spoke into the device. "Yaoksi? Anyone come up with anything? Time is ticking..."

[ 02-03-2002 03:21 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"Terrin your fiance is in distress, I can feel it through the force. We must move now she can wait no longer."

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I snapped my mouth shut, and glanced a touch worriedly over to Nassy. To my utter surprise, she was frowning at me, her arms and lekku crossed.

It was as if she knew....

I blew out my cheeks again. OK, so Galen's privacy was no longer an issue. Giving Nass a wan little smile, I turned back to the comm.

"Ahh, there is one place I can think of where she might have gone," I began hesitantly. "After- after what had happened to her, she would often sneak out in the wee hours and go up to the surface. I, ahh... I would follow behind, you know, not letting her know I was there, ummm.... just to make sure that nothing happened to her again."

I paused a moment, uncomfortably aware of what nuances might be read into that statement. Then I pressed on.

"She would just go out a bit from Tunnel 43-G and stand on an edge of rock, looking at the landscape. I'd hang behind her, hiding. I never saw her go anywhere other than that, so I don't know if this information is going to be of any use to you or not."

Frowning, I pursed my lips. "We'll get there as quickly as we can, Terrin. Devil-May-Care out."

[ 02-03-2002 04:46 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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...and what about the incident in the kitchen from earlier about the Sith? What if they move when she's all alone? At least if you are WITH Rean, you'll know what's going on. Not knowing is just utter Hell...

"Allright," he said at length. "We're all going. I don't want anybody left behind because I don't know who to truly trust at the moment. But if Galen's in trouble, we've absolutely got to find her. Rean--leave your weapons. Jasyn, get a pack in case we need some supplies."

"Done," Jasyn said, slinging a pack on his back.

"Okay, lead the way, Master Rean. And if Galen's not at the end of the path you take us on...

...well I guess you can pretty much figure out the rest of that one for yourself, Master Rean."

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"Is it just me, or do both of you boys smell a big fat vrelt here?" I raised my brows, drumming my fingertips on the bulkhead I was leaning against. "Cella is gone, Galen is gone...and all of this was set in motion when Master Rean showed up. Maybe he isn't exactly evil, but there's something pretty funny about all this."

I continued speaking, seeing that I had the attention of both Matt and Yaoksi. "Cella was there to help us. I didn't know her too well, but I knew for a fact she was there to protect Galen and the little one...not snatch the baby as soon as it was born and cart it off to Yavin IV. She cared about Galen. Maybe she made some mistakes before, but she honestly cared about Galen and the baby."

"And I don't know what to make of Rean. I don't know what his real purpose was in coming to Sullust...and he convieniently got rid of the only person who could possibly tell us." I frowned.

Not to deny the implications of this little situation either. Rean had conveniently zapped the one other Jedi in their midst, and he had sent them to find her, thus delaying their return. There was something going on that was peculiar.

Truthfully, what happened between Master Rean and Galen laid at the sole discretion of Galen herself. Obviously, she nor Terrin trusted the man at the moment. But then, Matt knew how Terrin was too. He wasn't too inclined to trust a soul, and particularly not after an incident such as this.

Even so, Matt sensed sincerity in the Jedi Master, even in light of what had happened. He trusted his instincts, they served him well. Although the situation certainly rose some warning flags in his mind, he felt it necessary to let Rean explain what had happened before making a snap judgement, for the fact remained that the Jedi had come to Galen's aid that horrible night. As well as the fact that he had remained as a source of aid, just as Cella Poliani had.

Matt had sensed the friction between the two Jedi. And Cella had made mistakes; even Jedi were subject to a mistake now and again. And the same was true for a Jedi Master. He was entitled to make a mistake or two as well.

And again, the fact remained that aside from this incident, Rean had remained in their midst as a protective force.

Matt refused to make any conclusions just yet. Other things were more important at the moment, such as finding Poliani and returning to Sullust to help Terrin find Galen.

"You aren't just a dumb gunner," Matt finally interjected, moving out of his thoughts into the reality at hand. "But I do think whether Galen is near Master Rean or not is her choice and not ours. I also think we shouldn't let this split us apart; the man could have made some sort of honest mistake, and I think it's not fair for us to decide if he meant harm or not til we know all the details. Although I know the situation leaves little to be desired, I have never sensed any deception or insincerity from the Jedi Master, and I'm a perceptive sort of guy, it's part of my job.

"At any rate, we absolutely cannot let this blow our group apart. Cella Poliani and Galen both need us now, and for the time being, until we can get any explanations from each other, we are going to have to bear the load together. Squabbling will get us no where, except perhaps leading us into the clutches of the Sith while we argue amongst ourselves."

[ 02-03-2002 07:20 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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