They would discover this all too soon....

Although in many ways it seemed as though a lifetime had passed, it was only mere moments before we stepped through the portal and onto the dusty surface of a particular and very much deserted planet. The light about us shone a faint and deep maroon as it's red dwarf star sought surcease beneath the local horizon; there wasn't so much as a winged thing or night creature to stir and bid it farewell. All that moved was the degenerate wind, which sighed as if in dismay that its solitude would be so abruptly curtailed.

I took another step forward, and then yet another. Behind me there was a sigh to mimic the wind; all those with me appeared to take in a fortifying breath of balance and acclimatization as one by one they stepped out behind me and took in our bleak surroundings.

I didn't let them wait long. "Come with me," I commanded and stepped forth without bothering to see if that command was being obeyed. I didn't need to ascertain that; it would be the height of foolhardiness to remain blatantly on the surface of this destitute little spot in the universe, and well I knew everyone with me was keenly cognizant of the fact.

Ahead of us lay a barren and rusted rock face. I pulled my robes regally about me, and headed toward it, trailing in my wake the only Sith supporters in the known universe. Without pause I marched toward a special place, one secreted from that universe for millennia, and in which I had already placed those devices upon which the fate of that universe hung....

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

Welcome home, my Lord....

The ghostly sigh from years past only darkened my mood. I blinked, shaking my horned head in consternation as the events of the past months scrolled quickly through my thoughts.

My Brother, you have always been the impulsive one. But what have you done now, and to what purpose?

Even as the question filled my being, there came upon its heels an immediate answer... and quite suddenly I was fully alarmed for the well-being of Lord Roan.

The Light among us was quenched. New adversaries were afoot. The All always sought balance in the Grand Scheme of the Universe... yet darkness certainly seemed to be gaining the upper hand here.

And who was the new menace coming closer to us with every passing moment, the one to whom Maladius had delivered The Child?

Even I, with all the power at my command, could not as yet determine the correct answer. Master of the All I might be; the future still was always in motion... only this time it seemed to be dragging certain segments of the past along with it on it's merry ride into the myriad worlds of What Might Be.

It was only with the greatest of efforts that I managed to jerk my thoughts away from the dark path upon which they had been wandering. Such fruitless speculations served only to disconcert me further, and cloud my logic. I knew much would be answered when we came to the place toward which we were heading, and once again I would be privy to the many devices which were waiting for me there. Here I hoped to still the fears of my companions; even as that desire raised its head a concerned sort of whine rose from the tuk'ata, which was promptly stilled by a quiet shussh from my Chosen One.

My Chosen One. What pain you have been through... and what you might yet have to endure. If only you could open your eyes to see that which desires to lend you succor, which has throughout these years, and which shall never leave your side....

The tangential thought was obliterated by the realization that at last we had reached the escarpment. There behind a jumbled tangle of scree lay a hidden little frature in the rock. Without so much as turning about or making any comment to those who followed me, I headed directly into it. Soon we were lost in a maze of tunnels, designed to keep at bay whatever curious noses which might conceivably stumble across this place. Without the direction of the All, would-be interlopers would be led astray to succumb within the cold embrace of rock.

That of course didn't happen to us. Ever my willing scout, it led us onward, deeper and deeper into the monocline, deeper and deeper into the very bowels of the planet itself. Bit by bit the temperature began to rise; I knew we were at least a klick beneath the surface. I ignored the sweat beginning to bead on my forehead; likewise I ignored the protesting rumble my Daughter's Beast was now blatting.

I couldn't help but smile. Patience, loyal one, I projected the thought into his feeble brain. Your discomfort shall soon pass.

As indeed, at length it did. An interminable amount of time had passed, uncountable passages and byways travelled through, looping back and up and down but ever onward in the true direction pointed out by the power of the All... and we had arrived. I let a breath escape me as we stepped at last from the final passageway into a surprisingly immense opening, one kept from being crushed over the years by the power of the All...

...and into the remains of Prhinnchatka, once the bustling and powerful capitol city of the Sith.

[ 04-27-2002 12:10 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

Behind her, M'wonBo'o had no such trepidations. He rumbled his concern at suddenly finding himself among standing pillars of stone and walls yet upright, though they had been originally emplaced here more than four thousand years ago. His brief whine cut into the awe of his Mistress; her slim hand shot out to acknowledge the tendril he had quietly wrapped about her waist as he moved up behind her. Quieted by her touch, the great animal moved along in her wake, his pupilless eyes seeking to be everywhere at once, all face-tendrils but one alertly sensing the atmosphere for any unseen dangers to the one he was meant to protect.

Aelvedaar merely kept up his pace, his regal robes breaking the silence of millennia with their silken swoosh as he hurried along. That there was some concrete destination ahead of them could not be denied; with some effort, Graysith pushed aside her rising wonder and simply allowed herself to follow her Sire. She knew that her questions would be answered when they came to the end of the road down which the Sith Lord was leading them with such determination. Nonspeaking, indeed not wishing to break the almost sancrosant atmosphere, she merely hurried on, her footsteps lightly tap-tapping along the ancient stones and sending their echoes to reverberate amidst the hoary and enscripted ones they were passing.

A small thought popped into her head. Dad would have loved this... She immediately squelched it, not desiring to fall apart again in the presence of her Sire and her Adept. What was done was done, and all for the greater good; such was the way of the Universe and the All. Unconsciously drawing her signature robe more closely about the training doba she yet wore, she jerked her thoughts into blank banality and merely continued to follow Aelvedaar.

Ar length he came to a halt before what appeared to be a stepped pyramid. Great stone beings outlined the means of climbing to the top, stone beings bearing an uncanny and uncomfortably close resemblance to the demonic Maladius. The gaping maws of the stone demons appeared to threaten all who dared approach, even while their pointed tails indicated the pathway to the top. Graysith shivered briefly, then firmed as after that initial halt Aelvedaar now placed his foot upon the first stone tread and began the arduous climb to the top. Trying to still the multitude of questions now bombarding her, she lifted the skirts of her robe and simply followed.

At length they gained the apex of the great pyramid. There at its top lay an ancient and elaborately carved altar, beyond which there gaped a dark and uncomfortably threatening opening to yet another passageway. The Sith Sorcerer headed directly to it, leading the group now into a confining tunnel which led back down again. It was surprisingly humid within, the walls mildewed and slimy, the steps beneath their feet slippery with condensation brought upon by the cold air which wafted up from the depths.

Ignoring all physical discomforts, Aelvedaar continued to lead the way. Graysith followed, taking small and careful steps so as to not lose her footing on the treacherous rock upon which they were now being led. M'wonBo'o's steadily growing growls clearly indicated his growing claustrophobia; he was essentially a creature of the forest and the night. Stone tunnels leading into the depths of the unknown were as alien to him as was the All to the Lightsiders. His grumble of discontent rose into a whine bordering upon fear; Graysith couldn't so much as lay a calming hand on his head for fear of losing her balance by taking her hand from the wall beside her. All she could do was send a comforting thought into his brain, one which she broadened to send into the minds of every one of her companions.

I feel... we must trust in his leadership, my friends. The thought was a definite oxymoron to her earlier concerns regarding the Sith Sorcerer. However, under the circumstances, there really wasn't any other logical explanation for his actions other than what he was doing was the best for them all. No harm had come to any; in fact, Aelvedaar had been radiating a dire need for alacrity in the face of an even greater and dangerous unknown even as he yanked them from Khar Delba and brought them to this place.

At length the passageway flattened and opened out into a stone foyer of sorts. Ahead of them now lay a great double wooden door, its surface inscribed with Sith lettering and precious inlay and jewels. Aelvedaar reached out a clawed hand, and it creaked obediently open to release a blast of ancient and fetid air.

Once again the Sith Sorcerer ignored the physical discomforts about him, and continued to lead them into yet another unknown. Graysith shivered again, now reaching down to lay a hand upon the tendril M'wonBo'o still had wrapped about her waist. Cognizant of the mingled fears and awe and questions of the others, she followed her Sire, wondering when all would finally be revealed to them.

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

The others with her...

Though her thoughts still remained closely on her teacher and Sister, Shayla's mind was straying slightly to him. She had been clearly aware of his surprise at her presence; she was even more aware that he was slowly wandering closer to her as though he somehow did not believe she was truly there.

Not willing to remove her senses from that which surrounded her and her Sister completely just yet, Shayla afforded him one small movement to confirm that she was truly there, and slipped her hand in his. As they entered the doors following the Sith Sorceror, he squeezed her hand as though to never let it go.

Smiling only a moment to herself, Shayla continued onward, her hand firmly in his. She could feel the relief for her safety as well as the concern for what was yet occuring radiating from him. Likewise, she could feel something else.

Soon, that something else would be acknowledged for what it truly was. But only when the time was right. For the present, Shayla awaited to see just where they were going and what would happen next...

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

I pushed back a shudder born of deep pain, and sought to comfort the shade of my apprentice and friend. Patience, young one, all shall soon come to pass as we foretold.

Then my thoughts were drawn from shadows of the past into the pressing ones of the here and now. I became acutely aware of the shivering and silent group who followed in my wake, concern blasting from them all like the solar wind of a sun, yet deference to the place we were in displayed by their silence and willingness to keep following where I led them. Pushing aside all lingering memories of the final day in this very place, I pressed onward, leading them to where they could rest and gather their wits about themselves.

The welfare of everyone in the group now took precedence. All had to be at their peak: emotionally, mentally and physically. The road ahead of us was still a lengthy one to travel, but after finally returning to my origins it suddenly felt one that we would travel upon with success. This would come, and my civilization would be returned to its glory. But first I had to tend to the needs of the others.

At length I came to a halt afront another intricate and beautiful door. This opened up into a Great Room, flanked on both sides by doorways leading to halls which in turn led to comfortable living quarters. Though they hadn't been used in millennia, I knew they were still usable. That was the first order of affairs I had implemented so long ago, when this great and daring plan had begun its long road to fruition.

I now led the way through the Great Receiving Room and to one of the side passages. Down a hallway panelled with richly and glowing wood we travelled, the carpet beneath our feet sneering into the face of time by remaining soft and luxurious and pliable. Indeed, everything appeared as it had thousands of years ago, when I had offerred it all into the hands of the All, before falling myself to the disintegrating blast from a Dark Jedi. I silently thanked the Fates those Jedi had never found this place; they had been misled by a smaller Temple from which I liked to operate, and luckily had been working within on that long-ago and fatal day.

Now I came to a halt before a door, which opened to reveal a spacious suite. Indicating my Chosen One should enter, I then waved open the door immediately across the hall from it. This one I presented to her Adept's young love... and with a slightly amused cock of a brow, decided to grant the One my Own had chosen to in turn choose her own accommodations.

I then graced them all with a brief bow. "Enter and rest, refresh yourselves at my expense," I began in a gentle yet deep voice. "There is much ahead of us, and we must be fully prepared to face it."

I lifted a hand to stop the questions I knew were forthcoming. A true smile smoothed the harsh planes of my face, and I closed my eyes. "All will be revealed to you shortly. Let us meet within the Great Receiving Room just behind us in eight standard hours. There we will refresh ourselves with food and drink, and make plans as to how we will achieve that which is certain we will gain."

With those somewhat cryptic words I continued down the hall, seeking my own secreted quarters and the Great Crystal Octahedron I had emplaced there, eager yet somehow fearful to see what it would have to reveal to me now.

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

A gentle tug on his arm pulled Erik back to reality. He looked down into Shayla's greeny-blue eyes, smiling in apology.

"Sorry...thinking about other things..." He stopped mid-speech, for he was suddenly reading something in her eyes that truthfully surprised him regardless of how well he knew her.

Something...something was different. The same, but different...

Suddenly Erik felt as though the seperation they'd shared extended far beyound simply the time that she had been away. That seperation had existed since she had disappeared seemingly eons ago.

And now...

Feeling drawn to her, he took her other hand in his, but moved no further.

The Shayla he knew kept her distance. The Shayla he knew didn't want things to move too fast.

The Shayla he knew was afraid of being hurt.

But that was the Shayla he knew.

Smiling up at him, she batted her eyes and quietly whispered, "Erik, I love you." Then, without further word, she reached a hand up to touch his face and pulled his lips down to hers.

Her touch was electric.

Hundreds of emotions swirled between the two of them and somehow met together to form something Erik couldn't comprehend, something far greater than the sum of their individual parts...

Love, hate.

Joy, sorrow.

Courage, fear.

Anger, sadness.

But above all else, fire and passion.

The very essence of her felt so strong, so bright, so sure. Every emotion was etched within her, each one cherished for what it was and nothing else.

And oh how he suddenly wanted, on a purely gut level, to become entangled in all which she was.

Their lips finally parting, she continued to gaze at him unflinchingly, allowing herself to swim in the depths of his deep brown eyes.

"I love you too," he whispered back to her at length.

Her smile turning a bit lopsided, she answered, "I know." Then, slightly tilting her head to the entrance of the chambers which he had been given, she added, "Shall we?"

Without further word, he nodded and wrapped an arm about her. All questions now pushed to the farest corner of his mind until that time which they could be addressed, Erik simply gave himself over to the warmth and comfort of being with the One he Loved.

And the one who loved him in return.

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

M'wonBo'o clung to her side like the tentacle of a dianoga about it's prey. His body one mass of tensed muscles, he stalked in stiffly beside her, face tendrils questing the air for any hidden dangers. A slight frown of consternation at his behavior crossed Graysith's smooth features, for the tuk'ata had never acted in such a manner before regarding the Sorcerer; her earlier niggle of distrust once more reared its imaginative head and began to whisper taunting suggestions in her ear.

She shivered, trying to ignore that whisper, keenly cognizant of the fact that this did not escape Aelvedaar's notice. He frowned in turn, but whether it was a frown of trepidation, annoyance, or dismay he managed to keep to himself. Graysith dropped her eyes from his with a jerk, and moved beyond the table where she came to a halt beside yet another doorway. The thought of food at this moment repulsed her; she merely waited with her trembling companion to see what Aelvedaar would do next, or where he would lead them now.

She didn't have to wait long. Moments later the room echoed with footsteps as Shayla and Erik entered; behind them a pair of faithful Noghri poked their heads through the doorway to disclose their presence there. Then they withdrew, taking up their customary guardian positions on either side of the entrance through which everyone had just passed.

Aelvedaar moved his fearsomely stately head slowly from one side to the other as his volcanic gaze raked the room. No one seemed to be hungry; now lifting his chin, he tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robes and nodded but once. "So be it," his whisper filled the great room. "It is time.

"Follow me."

In a whirl of rich and rune-encrypted robes the Sorceror turned and headed toward the door near which Graysith waited in silence. He paused briefly beside her, shooting her a look filled with myriad emotions as he stood there, one hand reaching out to open the door. The Chosen Daughter, her earlier distrust growing in leaps and bounds, remained silent. It took all her strength to keep from shaking in response to the strength of the feelings now welling up to rack her slight frame.

The Dark Lord of the Sith Clan blinked his blazing eyes but once... then the door opened before his command and he led the group from the room. The last to come was his Chosen One and her tuk'ata. Her movements seemed both hesitant and eager, as though she knew what lay at the end of this particular road they now travelled... and she did not wish to accept that revelation. Her trepidation grew with every step they took down yet another darkened corridor; with another great burst of effort she managed to hide her growing fears beneath an icy mask of apparent nonchalance. Upon her forehead however, the Glyph belied ber efforts by growing in brightness with every passing second until its radiance engulfed the shadows beyond in a harsh, ultraviolet glow. It revealed what seemed like an endless passageway lined with uncountable doors. At length there seemed to be a stopping point in the distance; it grew to the form of yet another richly carved doorway which enlarged steadily as they approached it. At length they came to a brief halt before it; Aelvedaar merely waved his clawed hand and that door slid into a hidden recess, revealing another chamber hidden deeply in the rock of this undiscovered little world.

Within lay an answer of sorts. Graysith, coming in behind the others, halted in her tracks, her eyes widening and filling with tears as they glued themselves to one of the many mysterious objects this chamber contained. Then she could hold herself in check no longer. A quick sob escaped her lips as she rushed past the others and came to a halt directly afront the transparent and cylindrical incubator which dominated the room. Trembling, she reached out one hand to lay it against the cool duraglass, as though by that one move she could link herself to the flame-headed babe which slept peacefully within.

"My daughter..." she sighed in a choked voice. Then she quieted, not turning about but clearly waiting to hear what explanation Aelvedaar would now offer.

[ 04-28-2002 03:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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

I came up behind her now, quietly reached out and placed both my clawed hands on either of her shoulders. She didn't turn around, didn't so much as flinch beneath my touch. She merely stood there in joyous wonderment at how the daughter she thought to be lost had now apparently been so easily found.

I tightened my grip, gently turned her about, unheeding to the others who remained in an almost deferent silence. "No, my sweet," the statement came out harshly, although that was far from my intention. "Not your daughter... your niece."

Now her eyes grew moist yet again as the words penetrated the barrier of denial she had raised. Somehow deep within herself she had known this all along, that much was evident. While I could scarcely deny her her initial reaction, it was time she faced her inner truths and strengthened herself for the trials ahead. Yet even as I opened my mouth to begin an explanation, I could see in her eyes that she was starting to do just that. Something deep within her hardened; the only physical movement to betray this was a slight working of her jaw as she gritted her teeth in preparation.

I drew in a great breath and continued. "Not all the Truth has been presented to you, my sweet," I began without lengthy preamble. "Now it must, or all that we have worked for-- all that I have strived to achieve-- will be for naught."

Now I turned to take in the pair who stood in wide-eyed silence behind us. Placing my one arm about Graysith's rock-hard shoulders, I reached out my other to indicate they approach us as well.

"All I have revealed to you about my Brothers and the Sith is indeed fact. But indeed, Roan himself is not who you thought him to be." I turned my head down, boring my eyes into the violet ones of my Chosen Daughter, bidding her remain silent and listen for I could already feel her instinctive reaction growing, one which was in turn telling her to disregard my words and flee. I tightened my grip about her; she shuddered once, then quieted.

Now I turned her about to face the incubator, which glowed with a strange greeny-golden light. A wave of my hand and the circuit to another device was opened; the fluids within the incubator grew hazy, rippling and shadowing, masking the sleeping infant and at length covering her with other images which flashed before our eyes revealing other truths to all who were present in the chamber. Graysith stiffened further beneath my touch when the first image coalesced.

He stood within as though he owned the universe: hair the deep blue-black of the darkest interstellar void, his face strong and planed and handsome, robed in garments the rich hues of scarlet and royal blue and black, the brilliance of his turquoise eyes flaring out in a command of such strength that all within the room couldn't help but tremble briefly in response. This was Darth Wicked, he who this woman loved with a passion that would never end, a passion I had foreseen from a distance of four thousand years, and one whose depth still pierced my own heart with anguish. I shook that off, and pointed.

"Your love, he to whom you have bonded, the completor of the circuit, the true Dark to complete your Light, the trigger of the All within you ," I pointed to the imposing image rippling in the fluids of the incubator. "The Father of the Child upon which so much depends--

"--depended."

Now I cut myself off, my eyes closing in pain as memories of that fatal day washed through me. How well I recalled my anguish, knowing that not only was this Dark One dead, but so was that oh so important child he had conceived. How I had filled with despair, until the suggestion of my Brother had raised me from that state with the thought that there may yet be another way....

I firmed, yanking my thoughts from the even greater pain of having had to put my Chosen One through this deception. Actually sent a quick prayer to our ancient gods that she would understand.... I cleared my throat and continued.

"When the first babe was destroyed, I despaired that the Sith would be likewise destroyed forever. My despair was deeper than you might think, my One, for it was in part due to my actions that Sith were put to death."

That disclosing germ of information penetrated Graysith's despair completely; her head jerked and her eyes widened as her jaw actually dropped in apparent disbelief. I closed my eyes, remembering that day now, the day in which I placed the ultimate sacrifice before the altar of the belief I had in This One and the future she would bring to us. My voice now a byway through which ancient shades could reveal themselves, I continued on in the quietest of whispers. It was as though I shouted with all my strength, so silent had the chamber grown.

"Have you not wondered why this place was untouched, why there are no marks of ravaging Dark Jedi? Do you not question why, in thus a manner the stones are untouched, that there is no one here yet alive and well? Or perhaps you already have perceived that by my act of using that All I had just begun to command, by placing its blanketing shield about this place to keep it intact throughout time until needed by us again... I had in this manner condemned thousands of my brethren who inhabited this city to death by my own hand."

My eyes flew open, and I grasped Graysith with a strength born almost of despair. "All depended on you and the birth of that child!" My voice rose in timbre, my eyes flaring to melt into her own. "Not only the rebirth of my world, but vindication of my own transgressions. To condemn them to death, knowingly and willingly; such faith displayed by my brothers and sisters here!"

Now I paused, calming myself so I could continue the narrative. All was in absolute silence about me; even the tuk'ata had stilled his rumblings and proceeded to quietly lay himself down at the feet of his mistress.

I continued....

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

Even so, I certain grain of logic was beginning to form. Thousands had died in this one act. But in preserving this place, even at the expense of destroying lives, how many lives might, in the long run, be saved?

Shayla certainly could not see the future, but she did believe with all her heart that the rule of the Old Sith, brought by the return of their civilization, would put an end to the corruption that was so evident in the currently ruling figures of the galaxy.

And regarding the baby...

Shayla afforded herself a moment to frown, then wiped all reactions to any of this from her face. Even so, a certain brand of Hell was starting to rage within her.

She had gone to Sullust to snatch...this baby. What she hadn't known was that, if she had snatched the child that was really there, she would have taken Graysith's child, which had been carried by her blood sister.

But Lord Roan had snatched her from Sullust before she could ever do any of this. Shortly thereafter, the child was born and snatched by the evil Maladius, who just so happened to be brought to them by the aforementioned Roan.

So just who was Dark Lord Roan, really?

Unable to supress a shudder, Shayla unconsciously took a step back. As if sensing her unease, Erik placed both hands on her shoulders. She snuggled into him, every one of her senses on full alert as her widening gaze penetrated the Sith Sorceror's back.

Shayla expected she'd have an answer to this disturbing question all too soon.

[ 04-28-2002 04:43 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

"Indeed, this one was a clone as revealed to you by my brother, Lord Roan," I pressed on, indicating the handsome image still floating before us with a wave of my hand, then quickly raising it before the questions I sensed were imminent. The move stilled them before they were voiced, and once more I continued. "But clone or not, the fact remains that in every manner conceivable: biologically, genetically, even to some extent in the depth of his ability to use the Dark Force inherent in him, he truly was the Dark Lord of the Sith he was meant to pretend.

"For the purposes which I had intended, he was enough. Through him Light could merge with Dark, and indeed a true darkness had to be bonded."

Now I reached out and took a gentle hold of Graysith's chin. That touch seemed to electrify her with the sensation of the touch of another; she began trembling like a bride on her wedding night and didn't seem able to stop. I allowed my fingers to now spread upward along her face in the closest thing to a caress I dared give her at the time.

"I am aware of the words spoken to you by the Prophet on Tyrene," I whispered, losing myself briefly in the depth of her eyes. "Know them to be true indeed: he did truly love you as much as his dark heart could."

Now I straightened, drawing in a fortifying breath as the personally most painful disclosures had passed. I went on.

"When the child was destroyed, I truly thought all was lost. Then my brother, Lord Roan, approached me with the suggestion that there might yet be a way to save all. Though that first babe, the result of the joining of unbalanced dark with unbalanced light, and in thus a manner being the Balancing One in whom the All was inherent; though this Babe alone was destined to be the one to bring forth the Resurrection, perhaps a combination of others might serve that same purpose. We were well aware of the pregnancy of your sister, Galen, and the fact that her body had been washed with the fringes of the All when I placed its dormancy within you. Well we were aware of the fact that this child, which could very well also be naturally strong in the All, was probably a child whose natural tendencies also leaned toward the Light. This due to the humanity of her parents."

Now I stopped; how could I not? All the teachings I had given unto Graysith about balance, and those which she in turn had passed on to her own Adept; all appeared totally conflicted by that last statement. Once more I lifted a clawed hand so that I could continue uninterrupted. Yet I could not keep the expression of growing pain from my face as I did so.

"You must remember that while we had suspected the great power of the All for nearly a century before our death, it wasn't until literally the final moments that I was able to finally achieve the balance necessary to utilize it. Neither did my two brothers, Clan Lords both.

"All three of us knew what was required to break through into the command of the All. All three of us had our own demons to lay to rest. All three of us had our own personal essences which had to be overcome; I found it the easiest to do so, for in the art of Sith Sorcery one must operate from the standpoint of both good and evil.

"But my brother Rean found it necessary to to learn to hate... while Roan found it necessary to learn to love."

I paused after that, glancing with unfocused eyes into the depths of the fluids before me. The handsome features of the Sith Lord now swirled and pirhouetted, gradually darkening and becoming more alien as great dancing shadows of purple and black spread across the face, and horns sprouted atop the head. At length the image of Darth Wicked had been totally replaced by that of Lord Roan.

Now it was Graysith's turn to shudder and avert her eyes. She somehow seemed to sense, and correctly, where this was leading....

[ 04-28-2002 04:48 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

"My brother Roan was always the Dark One; how well it suited him to rise to the head of the Warrior's Clan," I went on in apparent non sequiteur. "Yet now how great a concern his natural strengths have become to me, for it is this inherent darkness that, though overcome enough by him to enable him to embrace the All, I fear has now been passed down into the daughter he conceived within you, aided by my magicks so that you could once again bear a child."

Again I turned Graysith's face up to mine, lowering my voice to soften the words I knew I had to speak. "How easy it was for him to enter into your thoughts, and deceive you into seeing that which you truly wished to see."

Now I closed my eyes, not wishing to see the accusations I knew were growing in the eyes of the others, especially that within a certain and brilliantly violet pair. I could clearly feel the heat flaring from them now as their flash of insight joined into the heated one from the Glyph. I hurried on.

"This child was... switched for that of your sister, for both were needed lest our plans not achieve fruition. It was felt that by the time Roan's familiar had taken your true daughter back from her surrogate mother, the trail to their own flesh and blood would have chilled enough that your sister and her companions would not be able to seek us out. We could then raise both infants as sisters, both with the strength of the All naturally inherent to each, and when the time was right use them together to bring my civilization back into life once again. From that point, the Sith Triad would be complete: I as Sorcerer, Lord Rean trained in the ways of weaponry... and Roan the Dark Lord of the Warrior Clan, perhaps training the new little dark one to be the first female in that regard while we led the others in the ways of the All.

"But..." I cut myself off momentarily as I sighed, my shoulders briefly slumping before I managed to find strength in myself to straighten them. "But... my Brother Rean is dead at the hands of this one."

Now the image of Roan segued into that of a visage far more terrifying: one pure white with silver hair and eyes electric blue and chrome. His masquer cloak hung from thorns embedded deeply into his shoulders, thorns which were repeated at his knuckles and wrists. In the background, beings whose flesh was purposefully scarred and torn moved in shadowy obedience to his power... even I could feel the pure and dark Evil which washed from him in great, overbearing waves. That evil seemed to cackle in utter pleasure as the image of Maladius popped up, holding out yet another red-haired babe to the terrifying Lord, a babe who was practically twin to the one before us save for the tiny pearly horns which sprouted delicately from her brow.

" I fear my Brother's natural tendencies have come to the front again." I hurried on, trying to supplant that final horrifying image with the cool sanity of words. "The Darkness in him has overwhelmed him; I fear he is not only acting from an agenda he has secretly withheld from me, but one he had actively planned for far longer than I ever realized.

"I fear we have not seen the last of him... and he has a truly natural Dark One in hand, and one who has the All naturally within her, as part of her genetic make-up.

"Not only will my civilization not arise unless we get her back... but I fear for the safety of the multitude alive in this timeline as well. With one naturally strong yet naturally dark in the All, and dark as he himself is along with his familiar, and as dark as is this new menace which even now approaches us, I do not think even the All at our command could destroy them without there being grave repurcussions upon every living thing currently in existence."

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

Maladius...

...Roan...

...the baby.

Another child destined to be the pivotal point of a Sith ressurection, snatched from them. There was another, yet there needed to be three. THREE.

There was always the chance of another baby, but Shayla was uncertain that Graysith had the willingness to love another, given the events of history, in order to concieve.

And it wasn't like there were that many Sith, or Darths for that matter, floating around to conceive a child with tendencies towards the dark.

As that thought settled, something else slammed home. Yet there is a way.

Shayla's blue-green gaze focused outward and locked on the figure of her Sister and on the form of the Sith Sorceror who stood with her, a certain amount of curiosity radiating from her. She shoved that aside for the moment as something else occurred to her.

This evil one could be coming any moment. Roan could be returning. While they would all have to await the aging of the children before the Sith could truly be reborn or anything else of that nature could happen, something needed to be done NOW.

Roan could do something even now. And that imp of his. Or he who now had the other babe...

...but what other options did they have, than to wait?

[ 04-28-2002 06:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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The image of Maladius holding the horned infant up to the sneering Abaddonis still floated within, taunting her. Her hands fisted at her sides as she sought all the strength she had at her disposal; then one slim hand reached out and in a movement repetitive of her earlier one she laid a steady hand upon the cool duraglass before her. She remained thus for a long moment more, silently surveying the scene in front of her, knowing it to be true, drinking in the sight of her little yet somehow not entirely helpless daughter...

...and then in one graceful and completely controlled movement turned back to face the others. Yet she had eyes only for Aelvedaar. "You are tellimg me that this is my daughter, taken here to this... this dark soul, who comes our way from an unknown origin. That she was taken to him by the familiar of my Dark-- of he who I was led to believe was my Dark Heart, and who is indeed father to her."

She paused another moment, drawing in a deep breath as she cocked her head to one side, her eyes arrowing unflinchingly into the volcanic ones of Aelvedaar. Shayla and Erik seemed all but forgotten, so intense was the look she delivered to the Sith Sorcerer. One slim hand indicated the incubator now behind her.

"You reveal that this one here, flesh to my blood-sister and thus to me as well, is half of a pair now needed to replace the first child I bore, one killed due to the action of that very blood-sister. Very well then; thus flesh of my own blood and in payment for the one I lost at her hand, I claim this child as daughter to me now. I expect to be informed of her birth.

"But to continue, Lord Aelvedaar." She purposefully put as much loathing and hauteur as she could into the title; it would be up to the Fates as to how long she would regard him thus. "You and your... brothers have deceived me yet again; well I am aware of how this is somehow of importance for the good of all that is. Thus is the way of the All, and thus have you taught me well.

"But you have deceived me, and by doing so showed exactly how little you must trust in me or in my actions. How you assumed... Did you really think so little of yourself and your teachings that I would cower away if told the truth? That I would not be able to understand the necessity that this child be born?"

Her eyes drilled violet holes into the volcanic ones of Aelvedaar, which seemed to dim their fires a bit in response. Ruthless now, she pressed heartlessly on.

"Do you not believe I have the strength, nor the ability to assist you in seeking solution when all appeared lost to you? Indeed, have I truly been no more than milk-cow, to breed and create the stock you deemed necessary for your own little plans to be successfully achieved?

"I AM THE NEW DAUGHTER OF THE SITH, CHOSEN BY YOUR OWN HAND!" Now her breast heaved as she let out a great blast of anger, one thankfully cleansing the deep recesses of her heart and soul and allowing her true strengths to come to the forefront once again. She pointed an imperial finger at him.

"I am the one upon whom you have depended, and have yet to depend. For I am the only one to bear forth another, should my daughter remain beyond our reach. Search deeply within yourself, My Lord; you know this to be true."

She paused a moment, her eyes fairly blazing with righteous anger. "Your machinations and deceptions have brought dire threat to this universe, as well as to that of the Sith who yet wait to take back the life stolen from them. Think you I should now feel sorry for you, after what you have done to me and mine, and all for what? To assist the Darkness which is now even more blatantly pressing upon us all, and from inconceivable directions!"

Trembling, she forced herself to quiet. Only the Glyph remained active, flaring into intense radiations beyond gamma, radiations hurtful if not impossible to look upon. If she thought to provoke a response from the Sith Sorcerer, however, she had misread the All in that regard. He stood in absolute silence, his face utterly blank, standing strong before her anger, his eyes never leaving her own.

She utterly ignored the depth of feeling he now let flood from his eyes, and spoke up in a deceptively quiet voice.

"Even you do not see that which I do, Lord Aelvedaar. That this was meant to be... for who could withstand the dark coming but those who augmented it? Who but Sith with the strength of the All can fight themselves and that very strength?

"Either the child must be retrieved... or she must be replaced. Be careful, Lord, in how you treat me further."

With those darkly threatening words Graysith fell silent, shooting one last flaring look deeply into the soul of the one who had brought her into existence. Then she turned, snapping her fingers to bring her tuk'ata with her, and with even footsteps and head held high departed from the presence of the Sith Lord, her Adept, and the young and gaping Jedi. Her unseeing eyes led her onward, her ears unhearing if any called out to her.

All she could think was: the original Wicked was still alive somewhere in the galaxy. And if his clone had loved her, then perhaps in time he too would come to feel the same way, to love her as much as she still loved him...

...and hated the one called Lord Roan, who dared to impersonate him in her eyes and in her heart.

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

Better get used to it, my Love, she thought in a whisper.

Her thoughts turning inward, she indeed wondered how the very one who had chosen Graysith and evidenced so much confidence in her in doing so could then turn around and decieve her to accomplish goals unexplained.

But then, that was the crux of the matter. If the Sith could not trust each other, how could their civilization survive? And it could never be reborn until trust was restored.

A trust which, unfortunately with the current events, would be further destroyed rather than rebuilt.

As Graysith ended her response to all which had been revealed and snapped her fingers, summoning her loyal tukata to her side and thus departing, Shayla felt the need to depart as well.

And be by her Sister's side.

In one swift motion, she removed herself from the arms of Erik and turned to him. "I will be back," she said calmly. Then, looking at no one else and not uttering so much as one word of her thoughts...Shayla knew she didn't have to for them to be read clearly...she left the room altogether, leaving a startled love behind to stand in the room with the Sith Sorceror.

[ 04-28-2002 09:02 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Touch this she with mind is being, hurting, oh-so-hard is being! Tendrils now to face is being, panting in my mind is being, words too hard, too heavy being, crash against the silence being.

"Misss-tressss... she hurt-hurt, empty-hurt, not-you-hurt, leave-not-you-hurt... not-leave-you-hurt..."

Snarl I... snarl I....

"She leave you-not leave... you not-hurt-leave... going She... going She... empty-heart-hurting being... anger-not-you-filling being... hurry-coming hurry being...."

Yowl I... yowl I.

Now to this she I am being, reaching being, grasping being. Pressing out and touching being, holding being, grasping being... tendrils to soft one is being, claws so silent light are being... pulling she in hurry being...see you not the words are being, see you not the image being???

"Come... stop... not-not... pain-not pain."

Now a breath am drawing being... panting now in heat am being... so hurting-hard is image being, listen to what I am being!!!

"Ssssheee... will... die...."

Turning now am going being... to Her side am running being... far away in going being, far to place in darkness being... follow I in pain am being... follow I in silence being.

Run I... run I.

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"Guided blindly by ambition, the republic slowly crumbles from within. Masquerading about, a blatant display of power."

A light smirk played acrossed his lips.

"Another... a false prophet. Loyalty isn't what it used to be. How quaint. How quickly they try to take his place. Oh how they fail.

"Quite the little group they have... shadows driven into hiding once more. They feel the might of the new age will bring a new beginning. Only time will tell. Many have tried, many have failed.

"As I have forseen. Another false prophet, another dead end. She must return to her roots to find the truth. But her past will blind her eyes to the future. Oh how tangled the web has become. Not even a Hutt could slither it's way through this one.

"The story shall have a new revelation. Malevolence is playing its tune in the background amidst all of this..."

Gliding off the ship and coming to a quiet stop on his feet, Azrakel tucked his bag behind him and began to walk into the nothingness of the planet.

[ 04-30-2002 02:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Azrakel Verastin ]

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He didn't have to push her further. Letting him take the lead, Shayla followed the loyal animal at an ever-quickening pace.

All she could see before her was a deep and overwhelming sadness blacker than the night.

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

...and to find where it was exactly that she did indeed fit into the grand scheme of things.

Nowhere here! the thought rose viciously within her, its origins within the Beast which yet curled within. The shadowy essence of her deepest self grinned in black delight as it reached out to rake in the even blacker emotions tumbling about her being. Gritting her teeth, her pace never slackening, she let her inner Beast play with the fodder she gave it, and hurried on.

Onward, ahead, her feet having twin minds of their own: she instinctively burst through the Great Receiving Room, into the foyer, through the wooden door, and into the stone tunnel beyond. Her footsteps echoed hollowly off the walls as she continued on, finally reaching the steep upward slope leading her to the top of the ancient pyramid at the center of the dead city of the Sith. Without her conscious effort, the All led her way, making each footstep sure as she rushed along the treacherous and slippery rock, at length gaining the top and bursting out at the apex of the pyramid. There she paused briefly, looking out into the shadows of the centuries, for a moment hearing the haunting pleas of the shadowy essences yet somehow linked to this place. That realization brought her own position regarding them slamming home with greater strength; gritting her teeth, her eyes flaring in renewed anger, she continued moving down the sides of the great stepped pyramid and into the deserted streets of Prhinnchatka.

Through the streets then, retracing the steps of the group as they first came to this place, her mind awhirl with even more questions, she continued her mad pace. Every step she took away from the Sith Sorcerer brought her closer to the recognition of who indeed she really was until by the time she had swept out from behind the rocky scree at the base of the escarpment she was once more filled with her old elan and self-assurance.

She was once Jharmeen Jhin'Dar... and now Graysith. Chosen Daughter by the hand of the Sith, but altered with the powers of that which they needed. Transformed by an act she somehow felt had occurred at another place upon this very world now stretched out before her, she was suddenly able to fully face a realization which had been held back from her:

As did her children, both alive and dead, she had the All within her very being. Balance or no, it was there for her to use as she saw fit.

Indeed she was feeling far from balanced as, her brow lowering with purpose she stepped forth upon the dusty sands of this dim little world. Somewhere ahead was the place where she, Jharmeen, had been reborn as she, Graysith; she knew this as clearly as if it that particular little spot was right in front of her.

It was there that I began, she told herself. And it shall be there that I find the direction in which I now go.

Full circle: the Daugher of the Sith headed out across the bleak landscape, choosing to let her own strengths carry her to her destination, her soul oddly filled with the same pressing need that it was filled with when she first left this place years ago:

To meet with a Dark Lord... and indeed, a very particular Dark Lord at that.

She shook it off. If this is where my road shall lead me, then so be it. If not.... Her stride filled with yet more purpose, she continued on across the barren wasteland before her.

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

The Krath Prophet made his way across the desolate planet. The cold air blowing all around him, the dusty ground coating the base of his cloak.

"She seeks the truth. She seeks an end to it all. Ahhhh, but is she ready?

"The story will unfold, a truth unseen. Her eyes will be opened, but blinded by that which she has succumbed to.

"Drove into hiding, a mask of confusion. A greater power floating on the horizon. That which they seek is closer than they know..."

Closing his eyes he let his lips meet, together, letting out a whistle as he walked along.

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

Graysith came to a sudden halt, cocking her head to one side as this odd sound broke into her anger as an arrow pierces the heart of a hunter's prey. Nothing moved save the wind and the grains of sand which skittered by her feet, blown by that cold wind which crescendoed to a sudden gust... and then died.

Now the sound was heard more clearly. It was light, musical, mysterious... Frowning, Graysith cocked her head to the other side now, straining to triangulate the source direction of the misplaced noise. At length it quieted, dying down into a silence into which the wind began falling once again.

She remained still as a statue for a moment longer, listening. Then, shaking her head a bit to herself, she stepped forth once more, heading in a direction she somehow knew to be correct, aiming toward a hazy band of mountains lying heavily upon the horizon. Behind it the sky was the color of coagulated blood, crying to see what small light its sun gave to it slowly fade as night began to creep up upon the day.

Her pace began to pick up again... and once again she halted. Again that mysterious noise came into her ears, only much louder now, as though the source was much closer. Instinctively she began to reach out with the All, and stopped herself. Instead, she headed to a nearby isolated boulder and hid behind it, laying in wait as the noise came closer and closer. She tensed, fighting down the rising snarls of the Beast, striving to remain calm so as to think clearly... and when she judged the time to be correct, stepped out from behind the boulder.

She couldn't help but let her jaw drop. There before her stood the enigmatic Krath Prophet, the mysterious being she had been summoned to meet many months ago on the similarly deserted world of Tyrene. She blinked once in surprise, then collected herself.

"So we meet again, Prophet." She silenced before his look and the slowly rising howl of the cold, cold wind.

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

"Oh dear. You don't sound happy to see me."

Stopping next to the rock Graysith had come from behind, he seated himself, brushing off his cloak.

"It's not fate, nor destiny, nor the will of any Force. I have forseen it my dear. You are stuck in turmoil between your inner most feelings, the lost love you once had, and the path layed before you by those you didn't even know until that fateful day.

"As if the weight of many worlds rested upon your shoulders. Oh dear, whatever are we to do? A tangled web has been weaved, thicker than a braided wookie mane. Trapped inside, looking for any way out, covered in shadows and feelings of doubt."

Patting the bag at his side, he let his eyes drift onto the horizon.

"So many truth's, so many lies. Whatever is one to believe. Where you stand and where you shall go is the choice you must make now..."

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

At length she replied.

"You do not disappoint me, Prophet," she began in a light tone of voice. "Again you speak in enigmatic circles, again you dangle the barest hints of truths before me, hidden amidst a wealth of puzzlement and mystery.

"But, there is truth evident in the words you speak, and I am prepared to heed them. I agree: there has been deception..."

Far more deception than ever I thought I could bear....

"...and indeed a web has been created from interwoven lies and misdirections. But amidst this... I find succor."

She paused, surprised at the very words she was speaking. For a moment she considered them further... then continued.

"Indeed, there is no "destiny" laid before me. There is indeed no will of any force... other than my own desire. No one shall guide my path any longer; the way before me is... simply the way I shall travel, true to my own considerations and desires, and pawn to others no longer.

"As for my lost love..."

She paused again, shivering briefly, but whether from memories or the chill of the wind was yet to be discerned. She drew in a breath, climbing to her feet now with renewed firmness.

"One lost first to death, and then yet again to deception. Yet its essence lingers still, residing here to strengthen me for the tasks I now place before me." She laid a slim hand upon her heart. "I have a daughter to find, and a Sith Lord to... dispose of." She paused for a moment, her eyes becoming vague as she shuddered but once; then she snapped her focus back upon the Prophet.

"If there is something of importance you wish to divulge to me, then I beg you disclose it. For fate had to play some sort of hand for you to find me here; if there is a direction in which I should now travel, I ask you to reveal it with clarity, oh Mysterious One. I will heed your words; otherwise I will depart from you with a modicum of peace, to continue the journey I have placed before myself."

She then fell silent before the enigmatic Prophet, waiting to hear his reply.

[ 05-02-2002 12:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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An undetermined amount of time passed in which nothing was said. At length Graysith drew herself up, tightening her signature cloak about her as she rose to her feet. Her eyes deceptively calm, she cocked her head to one side and for a moment merely stood there regarding the enigmatic Prophet in silence.

At length she nodded to him, as though coming to a conclusion of some sort.

"Once again your path crosses mine and you bring words of mystery into my ears. Once again, I request a definite answer of sorts from your lips; perhaps this feat is beyond the capabilities of your kind?"

She smiled a sweet cat-smile, her eyes slitting. Then she raised a graceful hand to soften the words she had just spoken.

"Apparently there is no other prophesy to come my way. Very well, Prophet; I shall take my leave of you now. But one thing you mentioned intrigues me enough to warrant a response of my own. Know this: while perhaps the fate of many worlds does not rest upon my shoulders, the fate of one, quite frankly, does. Nothing shall stop me from the path laid before me: deceived I have been, love I may indeed have lost. And angered as I am, the fact yet remains that I am the Chosen Daughter of the Sith. We shall see where the road before me shall lead."

Quieting, she gave the Krath Prophet a slight yet somehow dismissive bow. Then speaking no further, her head held high, she walked past him and continued across the sands, hearing the approach of others coming up behind her, heading once again toward the line of low mountains which lay upon the distant horizon like a plague.

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

Standing just behind a boulder, Shayla peered over the top to see just what was going on. Apparently she had missed at least something; before her eyes was not only Graysith but a hooded and mystical figure.

Who...?

She placed the question aside, and simply listened. However, all words had apparently been spoken, and a long moment of silence passed. Then quite suddenly, Graysith spoke.

"Once again your path crosses mine and you bring words of mystery into my ears. Once again, I request a definite answer of sorts from your lips; perhaps this feat is beyond the capabilities of your kind?"

The hooded figure remained annoyingly quiet at the question posed to him.

"Apparently there is no other prophesy to come my way. Very well, Prophet; I shall take my leave of you now. But one thing you mentioned intrigues me enough to warrant a response of my own. Know this: while perhaps the fate of many worlds does not rest upon my shoulders, the fate of one, quite frankly, does. Nothing shall stop me from the path laid before me: deceived I have been, love I may indeed have lost. And angered as I am, the fact yet remains that I am the Chosen Daughter of the Sith. We shall see where the road before me shall lead."

With that, Graysith gave a slight bow and began once again on her way.

But she would not go alone. Shayla wouldn't have it. And neither would the loyal beast beside her, for that matter.

With M'wonBo'o only a step ahead of her this time, Shayla proceeded onward, increasing the length of her stride until she was close enough to touch the shoulder of her Sister.

Graysith turned, and Shayla met her deceptively calm violet eyes with her own greeny-blue pair. Determination and a tinge of something else filled them.

Then quietly, Shayla spoke up, her voice full of an emotion far beyond any sympathy or empathy. Full of the emotion of true Sisterhood. "I am your Adept, and your true and loyal Sister. You need not walk this road alone."

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

Then, bowing her head to Shayla, she merely turned and continued the path she had begun to take, her step now lighter but no less filled with determination and strength.

[ 05-07-2002 08:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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