She smiled to herself, thinking how wonderful a gift had been bequeathed upon her. Once she and Shayla had determined which prey to follow, it had taken only a moment's concentration to reach out and seek Galen's signature through the All. Granted, she had been a bit surprised to find it where she did, so close to the planet upon which the Great Sith Temple lay securely hidden; shrugging then to herself she dismissed her brief moment of surprise and continued to play with her hair. Knowing her blood-sister, K'eel Doba would actually be a logical choice upon which to hide... if one knew the possibility existed that one's kidnapped offspring was... retained ... upon the neighboring world. From what better spot to hide while figuring out a scheme of action than almost beneath the enemy's very nose?

But for the fact that Graysith and her group had the All on their side, such a daring scheme might have actually worked. And then only if the child had really been where Galen so obviously thought it was.

That thought brought a smile to Graysith's lips. Then it faded a bit as the thought of one babe led her to another.

My dear little ShaRhylla, she sighed inwardly. Why has that hideous turncoat Maladius taken you where he has? I have seen where you are, but why can I not sense you with the All? Is it I have not the power? Need I return to Aelvedaar, seeking forgiveness for my anger no matter how justified I feel it to be, so that together we might be able to go to her aid?

Why has my Dark-- Lord Roan--

She drew in a breath, cutting off the direction in which her mind was heading, now turning abruptly onto another path.

But when we do reach my daughter, there will be powerful foes to do battle with. This much I know. I need that Claw....

The All operates always for the Greater Good, no matter from whose viewpoint one happens to be looking out upon the universe. From another's, the second following upon the heels of Graysith's silent declaration might have been seen as serendipitous. To her, however, it only provoked a great uprush of startled puzzlement and growing anger.

She sat bolt upright in her seat as Galen's easily targeted signature just blinked out of existence.

Quickly, she reached out to the navigation board, and sent a command for a full vector sweep at last known coordinate, clearly aware of the surprised look Shayla was now sending her. Gritting her teeth in growing rage, she then turned to her Adept.

"Galen's signature is gone, masked even from the All!" The tone and context of that statement was not lessened a whit for the fact that it was spoken in a whisper. "I am trying to determine possible course directions, but all directions from a point is a sphere...." She then remained quiet, waiting to see if her Adept could offer a suggestion of her own.

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

Shayla glanced at the navboard, and her eyes rose in puzzlement and curiosity as something popped up on the little Sith ship's monitor.

"There's a ship in orbit around K'eel Doba," Shayla said, furrowing her brows in thought.

Could be nothing. But then, how many visitors did this system normally receive? There had to be something they could take advantage of here...

Shayla reached for the navboard and keyed a series of commands in with her right hand to sweep the orbiting ship. Then she frowned.

"The ship is dead. And no passengers are aboard."

She bit her lip in thought as a tiny inward niggle that she knew was more than idle pilot's curiosity tugged her towards that ship.

"I can tap into some resources and probably find out who owns that ship," she said at length. "But I get the distinct feeling we should check it out. With Galen's last known position being K'eel D'oba, this has to be more than coincidence. What do you think, my Sister?"

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

She paused for the barest of moments, stumbling over the name.

"--and Lord Roan, the only way others would be able to find this place would be if they were affiliated with the Sith, or had at some point come or stumbled upon this place on their own. Few there are to my knowledge who have actively sought this place, save for Darth Wicked and Gravin Dark."

Now she paused, tilting her head a bit as she frowned at her own words. "Gravin Dark," she purred in a whisper. "He had once been sent here at Desolist's behest, seeking after the bounty hunter Sorben Tarnus whom Galen had joined up with. I wonder if there is a connection here?

"Yes, my Sister." Now she nodded with assurety as she abruptly pulled back from her musings. "This ship must be boarded and investigated. There will be files we may investigate; I suggest we not download them from here, but go there in person and see what they have to offer. We do not know what killed this craft, after all.

"Bring us into a parallel orbit, and let us depart and see what we may discover."

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

"According to my sources that ship belongs to Sorben Tarnus," Shayla said after sifting through the information she had just received.

Then, carefully backing out of Stargazer's computer system, she stood. "Let's see just what Mr. Tarnus has been up to."

Then, opening a doorway through the All for both she and Graysith with minimal difficulty, Shayla stepped off the Retribution and onto the ship which she now knew was the Aftershock, keenly aware that her Sister was right behind her.

[ 06-01-2002 12:28 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

Whoa buddy, someone really tampered with this system!

Shayla knew this substantiated her conclusion that Galen had been taken against will. And hopefully it meant then that Terrin Danner was in fact lurking somewhere around the fringes of all this. She was just certain they could find the Claw if they could find him...

But back to the matter at hand. Someone had clearly sabatoged Mr. Tarnus's ship. And Graysith had clearly stated that wherever he was heading was not discernable by the All, and that Galen played some central role in this whole thing. Shayla's conclusion regarding all of that was that Mr. Tarnus was somehow connected to the evil that she and her sister had been sensing heading for Galen Jhin'Dar. And if that were the case, Mr. Tarnus had to have certain connections...

Now, Shayla, some little inward voice said as a little being in her head wagged its finger at her, You are on the man's ship. What could possibly be aboard to help you know just what Mr. Tarnus was up to, and where he was headed?

Two things came to mind at once. The computer system was basically riddled with a virus, but if that could be cleared a bit, she might be able to get into some recent transmission files. And it was also possible, although probably more difficult, that she could clear up the brain of the ship enough to find out the ship's recent logs detailing destinations.

Keying in a number of commands on the navboard, Shayla went to work. In no time flat her information smuggling skills came back to her, but it did take her quite a while to clear the ship's computer system enough to find the files of recent transmissions. Some of the memory was still mucked up, but she could get enough of the conversation to have a pretty good idea of who was talking to whom, and about what.

She tapped into the most recent file. A very distorted image of a yellow-eyed humanoid flashed on the screen, flickering in and out.

"I see you...your little task, Tarnus," the muddled transmission started.

"...bring to us...which we have paid such a high bounty for."

Then came the reply, equally as garbled but still understandable. Dark...what you want...you'll get it...we're married now, so don't you think you can give a guy a break-"

The yellow-eyed humanoid would have none of this. "Bring her...NOW, hunter...would hate to ...relieve you of her myself."

End of transmission.

So Mr. Tarnus was in league with Gravin Dark? And...

Shayla's thoughts screeched to a halt as the obvious presented itself.

Dark and Desolist were somehow connected with Lord Roan. Sorben Tarnus was taking Galen to Gravin Dark. And that particular destination was being blocked by the All...

...Sorben Tarnus was not only in league with Dark and Desolist. Desolist and Dark were...

...in league with DARK LORD ROAN.

Suddenly everything began to come together in a most disturbing reality.

Dark Lord Roan's familiar had taken Graysith's child. Said Dark Lord has aligned himself with two other evil beings who are ALL somehow connected to the disappearance of Graysith's daughter. And now there was this bounty hunter, highered or commandeered by Gravin Dark to find and bring Galen Jhin'Dar to him.

One thing was clear. There were Dark forces after Galen Jhin'Dar, and those same Dark forces had taken Graysith's daughter. Therefore, if she and her sister kept an eye on what was occurring with Galen Jhin'Dar and her companions...

Shayla's thoughts cut off with one very interesting conclusion. She turned at the navigational board, her greeny-blue gaze falling into the violet pair of her Sister's. She knew she didn't have to say a word about her conclusions on this matter for Graysith to know what she thought, so she simply waited to see what reactions the other woman might have.

[ 06-01-2002 01:24 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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She came to a halt. Of course not....

Now she whirled about, the Glyph beginning to raven upon her forehead, illuminating the interior of the bridge with a brilliant ultraviolet light, making the commonplace surreal by the very force of its energy.

"So all are indeed connected, my sister, just as revealed to us in the Valley of the Dark Lords," she began, trying to likewise connect all the mental dots now flashing before her eyes and scrolling across her mind. "This dark one, this Gravin Dark, is not one to be taken lightly. And neither is his Master, Desolist.

"Under normal circumstances it would be nothing to discover their hiding place, and to get us hence in all due haste, there to use our... unique persuasions to obtain the information we need from them. But for two hindrances:

"I still need the Claw of S'slan, or I cannot use the All overtly against them. And the last two people it was associated with were Galen Jhin'Dar and Terrin Danner... both of whom have conveniently disappeared from the tracking abilities of the All."

She paused, her frown deepening. "Only the All may block the All, my sister," she finally said in a soft and somehow sad little voice. "Now that it is obvious that we have an All-user as a foe, I cannot help but wonder why it is the All is blocking our quarry and the only means through which we may vanquish that foe. This is greatly disturbing to me, not to mention a bit frightening to contemplate. For does this mean that Lord Roan has already captured Galen and her companions?"

Her eyes widened as she spoke the words, as though startled by where her own conclusions had led her.

"There must be a means by which we can find what has happened to either Galen, or Terrin Danner, or both. Otherwise I am at quite a loss as to how we will find the Claw.

"And the only obvious connection I can make between all parties is Mr. Sorben Tarnus. What say you, Shayla?"

[ 06-01-2002 01:50 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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

How very true that Mr. Tarnus seemed to be the only possible connection in any of this. But then Shayla wondered why it was that someone of Dark Lord Roan's character would, had he actually succeeded in retrieving Galen and her companions, block them and not Sorben Tarnus as well. For certainly he must know that connections could be made.

But then, perhaps the Sith Lord faltered there in that he was too self-assurred of his plan. And THAT could be the weakness they needed to succeed.

But then, there was the little issue of the Claw...

Suddenly, a very disturbing thought crept into the corners of Shayla's mind. IF Roan had in fact captured Galen and her companions, had HE found the Claw?

Shayla shuddered at the very thought. Such an event would surely damn all of them.

She again looked outward, considering. Graysith was correct. Regardless of whether Galen and Terrin and their friends had been captured by Lord Roan, Sorben Tarnus was the only person who knew of all that was occurring in this Dark web of evil.

"We must find Mr. Tarnus and assess what he knows, at once..."

[ 06-01-2002 02:03 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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She cut herself off with that, the sigil now brightening as she sent forth a tendril of her abilities through the all to seek out that of another. In but moments she found him; she smiled to see him huddled in the tiny escape pod as it trundled through space, thinking himself free and clear of his adversaries, whether they be far or nearer to him than he thought.

"I have him," she whispered in quiet triumph. "He is but a sitting womprat, not too far from here, but on a direct course to the Coruscant system. And," she continued, now opening her eyes and turning once more to Shayla. "It is due to happenings within that very system that Lord Aelvedaar took us from Khar Delba, that we might be safe while this new threat overpowers other worlds. But--"

What she was going to say never left her lips, for another thought pushed it abruptly from her mind.

Khar Delba. Sister planet to K'eel Doba. Right next door to them, comparatively speaking.

And a planet encompassed by an All-blocking chronotic shield. Could Galen have possibly, improbable though the thought might be, somehow have managed to get herself and her party to the surface?

Again her thought was abruptly truncated by yet another.

Hadn't she already done so, once before?

Graysith's violet eyes deepened to umber as memory pushed to the surface. She raised her right hand, wiggled her slender fingers, contemplating one of those members....

"We shall keep Mr. Tarnus in reserve, my sister," she said, suddenly changing her mind. "But now we must hurry to Khar Delba, and quickly."

With no other explanation, she reached out and opened a pathway through the All back to where Retribution orbited in mute patience. In parting, she left a pleasant surprise for Mr. Sorben Tarnus, should that clever bounty hunter manage to ever regain his ship again.

And that was something which, quite frankly, was beginning to look more and more a moot point.

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

I sighed to myself as I sneaked a peek down at the ring, retrieved from where I had kept it hidden on my person the moment I had rid myself of that damned Kaladorian spidersilk. It glinted up at me with a little sigh of happy finality of its own.

Then my glowing mood darkened as I tuned back to what the Jedi was saying. Oh, Great Khaandon's Ghost, can't the universe just go away for a little bit so I can bask in the newness of this joyous occasion?

Of course it wouldn't. That was our lot in life, something I really ought to just sit down and stare in the face and get used to.

For as long as you remain alive, Galen Danner, there are going to be baddies after you just because happenstance transmuted the very genes within your body to something able to produce offspring everyone wanted.

Sheesh, I could always get myself spayed....

I sighed again, then segued my attention back to the others. They were still debating amongst themselves the potential success rate of this plan or that, comparing them together from practically a statistical standpoint.

Yeesh, I shivered at the cloud of glumness which was beginning to settle upon everybody. Didn't seem like there was much we could do...

Then it struck me.

I turned abruptly to my new husband. "Terrin!" I announced a bit excitedly. "Maybe we do have a weapon we can use against them! Remember what happened last time we were there?"

Now Terrin turned those deep blues upon me, for a moment clouded with puzzlement, then gradually growing clearer as recollection dawned. He brightened visibly... then sagged a touch.

I held up a pre-emptive hand. "I know, I know; this is all based on the assumption that Darra is actually on Khar Delba," I spoke up before he could. "Well, I just know she is with them. If not here, then somewhere else.

"The point is that whenever we find them... we'll find her. And I'm just willing to bet that whatever it was she shot out with to protect her mama and her..." I paused a bit, momentarily stymied by the next logical word use.

Daddy? How would an unborn baby sense a man not of her own blood as being her father?

Treasure on Roon, she had though! I just knew she did. I pressed onward, neverminding the strange looks the Jedi was casting my way.

"I know she will... help us, Terrin. I-- I have no proof, but I just feel this to be true. She's not happy where she is, and she wants to be with us.

"I think if we just go and make ourselves known, we'll get... ummm, well, captured, and then...."

Now I let my eyes darken at the thought of who and what lay ahead along that particular pathway into the near future.

"And then we'll succeed, just as we did before."

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

This was indeed risky. But what alternative did they have? He knew from experience that all the planning in the Universe didn't mean a kriffing thing considering what they were up against.

And it was true enough, little Darra HAD managed to shoot out SOMETHING to protect them that day on Khar Delba. Had knocked those two Sith senseless, no less.

Terrin grinned a bit in amusement at that. Got her mother in her already. Then he sobered. They just had to go through with it and roll with the punches, as risky as it was. And if Galen said that she knew the baby was with the Sith, then Terrin was certain she was right. This was way beyond even just a mother/daughter connection...

Terrin then frowned to himself as another thought came wondering into his mind. What the Sam Hell was wrong with Sorben Tarnus? Granted, he might be furious with Galen, and he might be out to get even with her, but why the kriffing Hell did he not seem to care about his own daughter, who was very obviously missing? Or did he know where she was?

Terrin bit his lip at that thought. If he did, he was a poor excuse of a father, having to be fully aware of what the Sith intended for the little girl if he truly knew where she was.

That little thought carried him to a rather obvious conclusion. You're the Daddy now, Terrin. Not that he hadn't already realized this on a subconscious level, but Terrin had always thought that Sorben Tarnus would at least be concerned about his little girl. Now...things seemed to be quite to the contrary. After all, if Sorben Tarnus REALLY cared about Darra like he should, he would be hunting her out himself. Or at least assisting in the effort to find her, and not instead causing hinderance to it.

Yes sir, Mr. Danner. You're the Daddy now. And you've known on a gut level that you were going to take whatever risk you must all along to find her, because this is your little girl...

Snapping from his thoughts, uncertain as to how long he'd been caught up in assimilating all this, Terrin draped an arm across Galen's shoulders and looked to Shawn. He was looking a bit...unsure of this "plan of action" to say the least.

Terrin at last spoke up. "She did knock two really powerful Sith on their backs that day on Khar Delba. Knocked them out long enough for us to...retrieve the Claw and the Nar Khelba," here he winced a bit at the memoryand pushed back those more unpleasant ones associated with it into the far corners of his mind. "I don't doubt that if we can find her that this could in fact happen again. And you know the power of a blood-link through the Force," he added, drawing an almost...sad nod from Shawn. Then he continued on. "If she isn't on Khar Delba with the Sith I think that link will lead us onward."

Here he paused once again, biting his lip to find the words he was looking for. Blunt honesty was the only thing, however, that would get across the point. He looked to Shawn again. "Doesn't matter how much we plan this out, buddy. The moment we land on the surface of Khar Delba and step off this ship, we're open to whatever the Sith decide to do. And nothing we plan can stop them. We simply have to rely on the strength of the baby and Galen's instincts, along with our own logical thinking to pull this off."

That particular bombshell fully dropped, Terrin simply quieted and pulled Galen closer to him, waiting to see if anyone else had anything to offer on this issue.

[ 06-01-2002 04:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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They were about to step on a world controlled by Sith, with dark guys already after them, to find a baby that was wanted by ALL those dark forces.

An errant but somewhat accurate and actually amusing thought peeped about in Shawn's mind.

With the particular importance of this kid, would this Dark and Desolist lose interest in them when confronted with the possibility of getting their hands on the baby? And would the Sith fight against Desolist and his allies to keep the baby? Would these Dark beings actually be somewhat distractable by their own greed and desire...?

The answer to all this was rather obvious. You bet your lightsaber they will be.

Which followed to a rather interesting thought. Might Desolist and the gang choose to back off and let them find the baby in hopes of them succeeding, so they could then take the baby for themselves?

One thing was for certain if the Sith on Khar Delba were at all knowledgeable about any of this regarding Desolist and Dark. They were gonna be absolutely staunch in keeping the baby for themselves. This wasn't going to be easy AT ALL.

"Allright, I understand your point," Shawn said finally. "But we've gotta consider still that we have baddies coming at both sides of us now. I think there's a chance this actually could play in our favor, however, since having one bunch of baddies busting in to grab the baby could put the other bunch on gaurd and possibly distract them from our presence. I'd think they'd see having the baby in our hands of less of a threat than having them in the hands of their evil counterparts.

Of course it could also make them even more defensive. And there's always the possibility these guys are all in cahoots, in which case the strength of that little girl is the the only thing we truly can rely on..."

[ 06-01-2002 04:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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Desolist whirled from where he was viewing events in the Great Crystal Roan had created. His watery eyes narrowed back to their former bleary glare; it was quite obvious that Roan's reappearance was surprising to him. For a moment he didn't say anything, but just peered at the Warrior Sith Lord. Then his focus went over that one's shoulder and pinned itself upon the shadowy figure standing behind Lord Roan.

"I see we have a visitor," he wheezed as he clasped his hands together and came forward. "Who is this one Roan?" He came to a stop directly afront the silent statue before him, one who up until now had remained absolutely still, the only thing indicating the brilliance of life within him being the almost overpowering radiance coming from his turquoise eyes.

The Sith Lord stood in continued silence, considering what he would reply. At length--

"This is not a visitor, Desolist," he finally purred in a death's-head voice. "It is a new ally. Through him our strengths may double; while this is of no consequence to me, perhaps you would find the inherent abilities of this one to be of some small interest to you.."

Desolist nodded to Entaris, then dismissed him. He turned back to the Crystal. Now it was Roan's turn to make a query.

"Has the Hunter delivered the whelp yet?" The words rang harshly in the dimly lit place in which they stood, a place lit only by the eerie green phosphorescence coming from the viewing crystal.

Desolist frowned. "This one has... married the female!" he spat with distaste. "And now both have eluded even my best efforts to track them, even with the assistance of this wonderful device--" He cut himself off, waving a hand toward the crystal.

Roan came forward, a frown creasing his charismatic features. Then his face smoothed to inscrutability.

"This is of no great concern, Desolist," he offerred at length. "The whelp shall be found; the hunter knows what will keep him alive and what will not, and our friend Mr. Dark is, ohhh... how did he put it?

"So eagerly delighted to make certain of that... and to duly reprimand him should he suddenly sway from our contract with him.

"We shall have no problems, I can promise you that. Soon the whelp shall be in my hands again--" His voice cut off as memory of another day rose to the forefront. A great and evil smile exposed his sharp fangs, and his brow lowered with a special sort of promise which arrowed out into the void.

Sooner or later, that promise would reach the ears of whom it was intended. And the rest would then follow shortly, as he had always foreseen, even from the great distance of four thousand years in the past.

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

*the Dark priests eyes faded into a duller shade of red while he spoke, and then flared to life once more apone his finishing*

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

"You must forgive my ill manners, friend," he spoke in a deceptively quiet voice. He waved a hand now in the direction of Darth Desolist. "This is Desolist, a Dark Jedi once of some reknown, who would have that back again."

Now he tilted his head slightly, totally ignoring the glare the wizened Desolist was casting his way. He continued.

"This place is yet another stronghold of my kind, hidden from prying eyes for over four thousand years, its coordinates known only to the Sith and passed from one to another verbally. Few there are who have ever found this planet in my time, and not many since." He paused, his brow darkening as he let a delicious thrill of purely evil delight ripple through him. "And those who have... have not left again."

He turned about, gesturing to Desolist. "My old companion, please find this new one quarters to his liking that he may rest."

With that, he turned away from the others, striding forward to the viewing crystal where he halted and remained in contemplative immobility.

Desolist scowled, mumbling beneath his breath as he made a somewhat impatient gesture of his own toward Entaris. "Strange that one who would increase our own powers needs to refresh himself," he muttered as he moved ahead, not even bothering to see if Entaris was following or not. Without giving the hooded form another look he led the way from the mysterious room into passageways even more enigmatic, his boots echoing hollowly off the stone walls on either side and making a sharp tattoo upon the series of steps they occasionally traversed as they progressed through the ancient stronghold. Deeper and deeper into the bowels of the old edifice they went, ever moving downward, until at length Desolist stopped before a tiny door. The wood of which it was made was black and greasy with age, the metal braces and hinges tarnished and dull. With no more effort than if he were plucking a flower, Desolist pulled upon the handle. The door opened slowly, complaining with a creak that grated harshly upon the oppressive silence of this place, silence marred only by something hideous dripping somewhere down the distant hallway.

The old Dark Jedi waved toward the inky gloom within. "Here you may find total lack of light, my-- friend." Still not certain as to this newcomer, he made a point to stumble upon the word. Then he turned about and went back to join Dark Lord Roan where, at his side, he could do nothing but wait to see how the events they had put into motion would progress.

[ 06-02-2002 12:36 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Dark Lord Roan ]

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Entaris enters the dark room and closes the door behind him...

(OOC: again, just so i can place my character in the room...never no if anyone could be watching in a place like this....)

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

This could be one Hell of a struggle facing them.

But now was the time to regroup. Rest up. They knew what laid ahead; no use dwelling in it when they'd be there soon enough.

And sheesh, wasn't this supposed to be a celebration of a wedding anyway? No need for the doom'n gloom...

After all, Terrin thought with a slight grin, Isn't this the part where the happy couple gets to hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and shut the Universe out for a while?

Somehow, Terrin knew they needed exactly that, if only for a few short hours.

Terrin cut his blues over to Galen and spoke up, to Hell with what everyone else might think. "So, Mrs. Danner," he started, a smile playing about the corners of his mouth, "What do you say we get some husband and wife time in for the occassion?"

Not really waiting for or needing an answer he stood, taking her hand in his and departing with her from the living area altogther.

Just a little more time to drown in those beautiful brown eyes of hers...of his wife's!...before they dedicated themselves to the next very important task...

[ 06-03-2002 09:56 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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

"I just don't see why we really need this new friend of yours," he muttered, coming to a halt beside Lord Roan. "With your strength in this 'All' of yours, there is absolutely no need...."

He was cut off quite abruptly as the Dark Lord whirled to face him. His eyes flared, then narrowed, and he stuck a clawed finger beneath Desolist's nose.

"Take care in your grumbling, old man," he sneered in a whisper. "I can dispatch of you as easily as my servant has dealt with another." With those words he stepped off to one side, indicating the image now being displayed within the phosphorescent glow of the crystalline sphere. Desolist snapped his lips closed, and moved forard just in time to observe as the demonic familiar of his companion yanked the braid off of a young man who appeared to be some sort of Jedi, eluded the defensive attack of a nearby man who appeared to be a bounty hunter, and disappeared into the All once again.

Desolist stepped back with a snort. "That is nothing I myself would not have been able to accomplish, Roan," he spat, his lip curling into a sneer. He glared once more toward the crystal, then returned his attention to Roan.

The Dark Lord smiled darkly. "Ahhh, yes," he purred in reply. "But using my servant leaves you free to take care of... other matters."

Now he nodded at the crystal; the image darkened and segued into another, one brought back from the past. The violet eyes of the Chosen Daughter and the greeny-blue pair of her young Adept shone with a light of their own from within the crystalline depths; Roan stared for a long moment at Graysith, remaining absolutely silent, as though pondering something.

This perked the interest of Desolist. "What shall I do to further seal my alliance with you, my friend?" he wheezed, clasping his hands together eagerly as he eyed the forms of the two women. A bit of saliva speckled his lips in anticipation; it had been long since he had confronted the violet-eyed woman, and he was actually looking forward to "making her acquaintance" once again.

Roan's hand fell heavily on the old dark jedi's shoulder. "How easily do I sense your... eagerness, my friend," he intoned darkly. "But that one... none may touch her but me.

"She once was mine... and mine again she shall be. Both she and her sister. But as for the one my once Dark Heart calls Adept... that one has always been an annoyance to me, Desolist. Perhaps you would like to toy with her?"

Desolist threw back his head, the black hood falling back to fully reveal his wrinkled and pasty features as he let out a great laugh. His momentary picque with Roan was forgotten.

"Indeed," he purred again, bringing his hands up to replace the hood. "I should like that very much...."

"I knew you would, friend," Roan chuckled. "And this is why I have accepted the offer of this newcomer. Graysith is fast becoming Mistress of the All... and her Adept learns from her with equal speed. But with Entaris' help, your Dark Strengths will at double at the very least, enabling you to quite easily overcome All abilities of the Chosen Daughter's student."

Desolist nodded his head in agreement, then cocked it to one side. His rheumy eyes narrowed.

"Doesn't this concern you, my friend? My soon-to-be ability to defend against the All?"

Now it was time for Roan's eyes to narrow in turn.

"Not in the slightest bit," he whispered.

Then he turned back to the crystal, reaching out with his mind to the newcomer who hunkered in the pitch-dark in the bowels of this place, letting him know what had transpired elsewhere, and offering him the chance to take action of his own accord and prove his alliance with him and the Dark Jedi.

[ 06-05-2002 05:30 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Dark Lord Roan ]

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"YES, my powers are once more at there maximum strength" the dark ones form seemed to flex, and as it did so, a chill ran through the room. "Did you call to me my...." entaris paused as if considering something, then his eyes flared once more as he continued to say "Friend"
Entaris's burning eyes came forth, looking deep within the hearts of roan and desolist. Then he said slowly and darkly towards roan "you would align my powers with this one?" as he said the final word he glanced towards the ancient form of desolist. "Very well, if it must be, what is it you wish done?" he once again paused as if considering something.

"but remember, roan, it is you i have allied with, i will not do anymore than you request, i have already told you i do not trust anyone that can not withstand my evil, and this ones ancient body would be destroyed, or at least crippled, by the darkness within my mind, and within what beings of light would call, my heart."

[ 06-05-2002 06:09 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Entaris ]

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"Ahhh, my friend," he purred in a dark and seductive manner. "Perhaps there has been misunderstanding. For indeed, 'I' do not need you, per se... but rather, we need you."

He paused now, moving over to Entaris and deliberately placing his strongly muscular grasp about that entity's shoulders. His hand seemed to somehow...sink into something not quite approximating flesh, and a chill of ice rippled into his arm at the contact.

He delighted in the touch.

"You see," he continued as though nothing had happened at all beyond the ordinary. "It is not merely that my evil strength must be enhanced. This threatens the use of the All I command; while increasing the darkness I hold so close to my heart would more than double the strengths which I now command, there is a fine line which must not be crossed lest I lose that ability altogether.

"But as for this one...." Now he waved his other hand to the silently grumbling Desolist. "Here is where true evil needs the succor of yet more evil. Do not be misled by his wizened and decayed form, my friend; his soul is darker even than my own, and would gladly take you in your entirety to his own heart."

Now he let his arm drop, moving once again to the crystal and bringing forth the image of his gibbering familiar as it once again ripped the jedi braid from Ahmad's head. His eyes widened and his heart quickened at the sight, one bringing sadistic feelings rushing through him like the waves of the tsunami crashing upon a rocky shore.

"These two really ought to learn who their Masters are, would you not say, my friends?" he queried, turning back to the others. "They play like children at the very doorway to the rancor's den; for their own good, would you not say they need to be placed somewhere else for safekeeping? Or at least be... watched over."

He fell silent, his turquoise eyes flashing indominately as, crossing his arms against his broad chest, he waited to hear what insights his new ally might have to offer.

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...and then it dropped, gaining form and substance as it did so....

...directly into the midst of the bridge crew composed of Matt, Jasyn, Yaoksi and Nassy.

The Twi'lek let out a reflexive scream as the gibbering form of Maladius landed on her right between the lekku. His evil claws grasped them like a rider grasps the reins of a recalcitrant mount, and sinking his claws deeply into their sensitive flesh he gave a great and vicious yank. Naisra'len screamed again, this time in agony as her delicate lekku were nearly plucked out by their roots. In one great motion she swept to her feet, her head flung back as she tried to lessen the tension the demon had upon her lekku, her hands scrabbling frantically to discover just what in all the universe was happening to her.

All this in but a mere second.

The others now leapt to their feet, horrified, each one looking round to find a weapon that could be used against the demon. One man refused to waste the time: uttering a cry of mingled pain and outrage, Yaoksi let his heart be his guide, and rushed to Nassy's aid with his bare hands, keenly aware as to the effects a blaster bolt could have upon the interior of a craft in space. Yet even as he was about to lay hands upon the drooling and clawing nightmare, a long segmented and armored tail lashed out, it's sharp point unerringly finding its mark in the flesh of his leg.

Yaoksi fell to the deck with a soundless cry of pain, clutching his leg. He lay there a moment stone white, then passed out altogether.

The others paused momentarily, now warily encircling the thrashing Twi'lek and her hideous rider. This apparent attempt to surround him didn't bother Maladius in the slightest; he merely sank his fetid claws even further into Nassy's lekku and tugged harder.

Nassy moaned and great beads of sweat burst out upon her brow as the skin of one lek began to tear....

Now all the other crewmates stopped, afraid to move in lest the demon press his attack any further. They remained frozen in a stalemated tableau, agonizing for their mate, afraid to go forward, yet unwilling to back entirely down.

Maladius cast his blood-red eyes about himself, taking in the quiet form of Yaoksi and the hesitant ones of Matt and Jasyn. It was to the latter that he finally spit something approximating an explanation.

"He's going to have her you know," he hissed evilly, great gobbets of drool sliming from his flaccid lips and dripping directly into the wounds he had made upon Nassy. "I'd think about handing her over if I were you, and maybe... just maybe he might let you live...."

With that, the diabolical familiar let out a gibbering yodel of insane glee, gave both Nassy's lekku a final tearing yank...

...and disappeared back into the All from whence he had come.

Behind him, Nassy dropped like a stone... one falling into a well of disbelieving silence and fear and anger.

These people would need healing, and that was his gift, but judging from the extent of the Twi'lek's injuries...

...she'd need some time. And that couldn't be shortcuted, not even by the Force.

Shawn went to work while the stunned crew members waited, making sure the two injuried parties were resting comfortably. Then he turned to them.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She was attacked by a Sith demon. We've had a couple of brushes with whatever it is before," Jasyn explained, a disgusted and altogether dark look crossing his face. "We thought he was dead, killed by Master Rean while trying to attack Galen in the lava tubes back on Sullust. Before then...the thing blasted in and took Terrin's right arm."

Shawn crossed his arms and his look turned thoughtful. Matt and Jasyn exchanged looks, somehow knowing what the Jedi's next words were going to be before he ever said them. "We need to talk with Terrin and Galen. We're soon coming up on Khar Delba and the situation has suddenly become much more complicated."

The two crew members eyed each other again, a strange sort of look passing between them. The Jedi caught it. "What is it?"

Matt answered. "The demon left us a message. He said to hand her ove and we just might live. And I can bet every credit I own I know who the imp is talking about."

Shawn frowned, his look turning dark even for a Jedi. "We'd better get together and talk right away..."

[ 06-05-2002 10:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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And there was something his employee and friend wasn't telling him too.

Terrin knew well enough, from what Jasyn had briefly told him that Nasrai'len had been attacked by that Sith monster from Hell, and he was more than a little on edge about that.

Wasn't this ship supposed to be All-shielded? What if, after all this time, they'd been falsely lead to believe that it was? They were about to go to Khar Delba, and such a "surprise" would go heavily against them. They needed every advantage they could get, and that was one of the few ones they had...

Terrin's thoughts cut off as they reached the sickbay and he cast his blues on the pale form of Naisra'len, her lekku severely damaged. In the sickbed next to her lay a yet unconscious Yaoksi, his leg visibly wounded. Between the two of them, Shawn worked at relieving their wounds while Jasyn and Matt stood to the side.

Only one word popped in Terrin's mind. Why? Why these people of all of them?

A warning of sorts, perhaps?

Terrin pushed that one smaller question aside, knowing the answer already. Instead he went to the bigger question that had been on his mind since the chain of events had taken its toll on his friends. Jasyn hadn't asked he and Galen to come to the sickbay just so they could see the extent of the injuries on Naisra'len and Yaoksi. There was something he and the others thought they needed to hear in person. To no one in particular he asked, "What part of this whole thing are you not telling me yet?"

[ 06-05-2002 11:07 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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There was obvious compassion and concern radiating within.

"Seems the Sith imp did have a message to deliver," Shawn began quietly, as if he'd somehow read Terrin's mind. Then, pondering how to address the next issue delicately, Shawn bit his lip in thought. He turned to Galen, stepping closer to her and placing a hand on both her shoulders. "We must find your daughter quickly and find a way to protect us all. I have reason to believe the Sith are actively looking for you. We must proceed with the greatest caution on Khar Delba."

Then his hands dropped to his sides, and he stepped back, allowing Terrin to place protective hands about her and pull her noticeably closer to him.

Then the sickbay fell quiet aside from its normal clicks and whirs.

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