"No, dufus," I muttered, staring at his chest and flustering about there like a broody hen over her chicks. Then I sighed, and lightened up a notch.

"Try not to be so full of humor; it's got to be hurting."

I shot a daring look that dared him to say anything I would interpret as being stupid, then moved back to where the glow-sticks lay upon the ground. Grabbing one, I held it out and hunkered down on my haunches to see what goods Terrin had sent down.

A couple of cloaks. The first-aid kit. Glow-sticks.

Crap.

Then I caught a muddled little lump laying a bit off to one side. Approaching it, I discovered it to be a bag, presumably the one Terrin had tried to send down to us.

It must have gotten knocked loose by the rope and those heavy cloaks, I reasoned as I picked it up. Without a bit of hesitation, I dumped its contents on the floor and hunkered closer, studying them.

Ahh- there's the ticket!

Grabbing up the small but extremely sharp blade, I then headed back to Panthar. But not, however, before pausing to scoop up one of the cloaks. Coming up in front of him, I upended the cloak, and with the knife cut about a meter off from it's bottom.

"Here," I said, holding it out to him.

"Make yourself a pad with this to protect yourself, or that rope's gonna chafe something wicked."

While Panthar busied himself with this little task, I then measured out a length of rope that I paced out to be about nine and a half meters long. Putting away the shudders that tried to rack me as I re-measured--

Damn. Were we that far down? There was so much rope left...

--I then used the knife again and cut the shorter length of rope from the entirety. I then returned to Panthar, who was standing where I left him, holding the folded piece of cloak around his torso. In order to do so while yet holding onto the end of the rope against himself, he had to stick his elbows out.

The look on his face reminded me of a gandy-rak in headlights.

I stifled the laugh that wanted to burst hysterically from me, but could not suppress my grin.

"Ok, now you spin-- but SLOWLY. You don't need to get any dizzier than you already are!"

With that I picked up the rope about at roughly its mid-point, prepared to feed the line to Panthar as he turned.

[ 12-07-2006 09:50 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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“I knew it,” he said, standing slowly. He propped himself with his hand on the cold wall and finally made it to his feet. “All right, but don’t let Terrin know you had a strange man tied up in a dark room, he might get jealous.”

Panthar thought a moment.

“Then he might want you to do it to him,” he added. He turned slowly, pulling the rope tightly around him as he moved. With each revolution he groaned as the rope coiled into a brace. When it was around his upper body, Galen moved in to tie it off. He looked down at her as she worked.

“I’m going to owe you a couple a’ walk-n-falls, you know.”

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

"I'm sorry, Big Red," I said in apology. "It's just that this whole thing--"

I waved a hand around indiscrimatively.

"--has me kinda spooked. And speaking of spooks--"

I reached out and took a gentle hold of the hand with which he was holding the occasionally squawking communication device.

"What's all this about you talking to a-- nightbat?!"

[ 12-07-2006 10:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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Panthar walked a step, then another.

“Hey, I think I’ll be able to move. It works a lot better without thinking your insides are going to fall out. But, ah, what do we do now? Does that--” Panthar indicated the hole in the wall that the light from the glowstick now revealed. “—lead anywhere?”

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

"I don't know," I said, emphasizing the words with a shake of my head. My hair promptly fell into my face; irritated, I shove it away with a swipe of one hand. It flopped back, annoying little beggar that it was.

"All I know is that there's a pile of that goo a little ways inside the tunnel, and that there's no other way I can find where we might try to get out of here. Just standing here isn't gonna get us out, nor is it gonna make that crevice we came down--"

I winced, seeing his reaction to the words.

"--any wider. So it's off into the undiscovered deeps, pal; hell's bells, but we could sure use that nightbat right about now! Terrin could block up the top of the crevice, and we could follow it out of here..."

Presuming that there actually is a means of escaping this rocky prison!

"Sheesh! Here Shawn is with a nightbat that responds to him, obviously some kind of means for it to fly in and out to where there are others, and he doesn't use it! Here we are, others knowing where we're at, but no way to find if there's another means of escape!"

I paused a moment before turning off and beginning to gather up our meager load of supplies.

"Sure wish there was some way for the two ends to meet here, so to speak..."

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

“Shawn,” he started. “Guys, everyone. Hey, I’m pretty banged up here. Even if the bat found us I don’t know if I could follow it fast enough. But if it got out and the other guys upstairs found it, maybe they could send it down here. If you could still call it, then maybe it could show you the way here, if we let it free to find you?”

Panthar frowned.

“Or I might just be getting desperate, I don’t know.”

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

Ding.

The proverbial lightbulb popped on over my head.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" I said in growing excitement.

"No use trying to get Shawn stuck here with us; who knows if he's anywhere near us, anyway? I mean, his voice was pretty much breaking up, wasn't it? That means he's kinda far away."

I paused a moment, waiting for inspiration to solidify. It was getting close--

"Why doesn't he send the bat out, holding the whatever it is he's tied to it. If others see it, he could then call it back and the bat could lead them to him. Then maybe he could send the bat down to us, they could plug up the opening, he could call back to it, and..."

I trailed off into silence, grimacing a bit at the myriad inherent ifs my grandiose idea carried with it.

But hell, it seemed logical to me...

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

Panthar got back on the com and relayed that idea to Shawn.

“Whatcha think, there, Shawn? If they can get you out first then things might be a little easier. We have supplies, you don’t.”

Panthar let up on the button and waited for Shawn. But he also looked to Galen.

“Crap, I hope we get out and find poor Erik soon”

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

I plopped on the stony floor, plopped my elbow on my knee and my head against my hand, and blew the hair from my face again. In all the strain and worry about Panthar getting stuck down this hole, joined now by yours truly, I had quite forgotten why we were here to begin with.

"We're never going to get off this rock-- er, this bog!" I groused morosely, poofing at my recalcitrant hair once again.

[ 12-07-2006 11:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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“Hey, stop that,” he said. “We have people upstairs, with a ship. And we have a really good Jedi with a bat. We’re going to get out of here, and we’ll find Erik, and we’ll head back to the Sith worlds all intact so I can get some new ribs, and you’ll get a shower and wash your hair.”

He looked up, and added quietly.

“Then we’ll find Shayla.”

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

"Hey Panthar, d'ya mind if I just sorta lean against you here and catch a few winks. I'm all of a sudden kinda sleepy--"

Indeed the words had scarcely left my lips when my head drooped of its own accord, coming to rest against Panthar's arm. Weary beyond what I imagined from the stress of what we were going through, it didn't take me long to fall into a deep if dream-riddled slumber...

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

He leaned his head back and watched the lights of the glowsticks cast strange shadows on the walls. He looked upwards towards the hole and wished he was taller. He held the device to his head to listen for Shawn

But for now, the soft breaths of Galen were all he heard.

Gods...

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

Lowering his wristcomm at that, Shawn then tied the piece of cloth he'd torn from his robes to the nightbat, who sat calmly regarding him, meeping every so often but not moving an inch. Then, Shawn reached his hand up to where the nightbat sat, let it walk onto it, and then extended that hand, cupping his other underneath it so as to hold the bat in his palms.

Calming all of his emotions and staying mentally "silent" in the Force with his usual calm serenity, Shawn raised both hands up in the air smoothly, directing the bat to fly before he lowered his hands and released the creature altogether.

Go, he thought both mentally and via the Force. Go...

[ 12-09-2006 09:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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He looked back to Jasyn and Darra, who were still there waiting expectantly, both probably wanting to be of any help that they could be.

"Maybe Matt has had some success finding a tracking device or something," he opened with, trying to stay optimistic. "We need to get water and food supplies down there to them." He paused, frowning, his eyes darkening. "We've gotta figure out a way to get them out. We also need another rope; hopefully there is one on board. We can tie anything that might be short to the vine and get more tools down there.."

Terrin trailed, pursing his lips, then calling down below. "I'm gonna send more supplies down as soon as we get more rope," he said, "And hopefully Matt has found some sort of tracking device.

"Galen, did you get the warriors bag? He sent alot of stuff that might be useful in it but I don't have a clue what they are. If Panthar is able can he ask him what he sent down?"

[ 12-09-2006 09:54 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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“We got the supplies,” he said quietly. “There was water and solvent, and a knife, and other things. Galen is asleep, and I’ve got broken ribs or something. She bundled me up for now, but I’m a little worried. Oh, Shawn is trying to send his bat outside, you should look for it. He’s tying something to it. Maybe you can find him if you see the bat. Blast open the rock with the ships weapons, I don’t know.”

Galen stirred a little beside him, but remained asleep. He shifted his arm before it fell asleep and her head slid down a bit until it rested between his arm and chest, and her own arm swung around to plop on his chest. He bit his lip to choke back the pain, but it didn’t last long and he relaxed against the wall.

“We’ll be all right for now,” he said. “Help Shawn, and keep in touch with us. We’re both just exhausted right now.”

Panthar’s vision exploded into a series of strange colors as he released the button. He blinked several times, and his head began to swim. Feeling chilled, he closed his eyes completely, leaned his head back against the wall, and let Galen’s warmth flow into his body. He exhaled slowly and tried not to notice the cool trickle he felt running down his back, pooling into a small sticky puddle under him.

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

Pausing at that, Matt frowned deeply, concern glinting his green eyes. "I suppose we could risk widening the opening with laser cannon or something, but that poses alot of danger to everyone below. I don't know if we should risk it, but we might be running out of options, and we aren't going to be able to find Shawn any time soon, even with his bat possibly enroute. But..."

Matt paused, and trailed. "Maybe if we did find the bat we could have it fly below with our tracker, find us an opening to get Panthar and Galen out, and hopefully at least have a clue of our options. But, in the meantime..."

He quieted again, motioning towards the new pile he had formed at the hatch. "There's some water, some food, and the tracking device. I think those are the next things that need to go down."

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

...and then paused. "Oh yeah," he said, turning back to Matt. "We need more rope...

...anything. If we have to, Terrin says we can tie any shorter rope to the vine we already have."

Matt simply nodded at this and motioned that Jasyn wait before he headed aft. After rummaging around for a few minutes, Matt returned with a shorter rope than the previous one they had found, but one long and strong enough that, if tied to the vine, would create enough length to get supplies down. Jasyn took this along with his other supplies and headed off the ship and back to the opening, filling Terrin in on what Matt had suggested.

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

"I'm sending down some water and food and a small tracking device," Terrin called down, unwilling leave the edge of the opening. "And Panthar, you really need to ask the Sith warrior what's in his bag. Maybe something there could help you..."

He paused at that as he began to work the new supplies, tracking device included, down the hole...

...and as something that he had totally forgotten begged for his attention. "Darra," he said then, turning minimally to her as he continued to lower the supplies, "Lord Aelvedaar, Aeylmaar, and others should be waiting for us back at the portal where we came through to Degobah. They may be our only solution out of this. I think you and Jasyn should head back there and let them know what's going on."

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

Recognizing this, the little creature arrowed straight and sure back to roost on Shawn's shoulder, where it carefully folded it's wings before settling down to clean itself. The bit of material Shawn had tied to it was by now accepted, and received a thorough licking as well.

[ 12-12-2006 04:52 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The All ]

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...and thinking of the travails her mother and the hulking Sith Panthar were more than likely going through was something she simply couldn't bear.

"Yes, Father," she said simply before hurrying off to the Portal. It remained open, shimmering in the Dagoban gloom like a shining shadow against green velvet. Pausing before it, she called out:

"Lord Aelvedaar? Lord Phalomir? We have run into trouble and need your assistance..."

((OOC: Go to Silence of the Lambs in the "Jedi/Sith" forums to see the response to this query, thank you...))

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

"My Father... that is, Lords Aelvedaar and Phalomir have returned to K'eel Doba to discuss matters with the Dark Lady; I'm afraid they have closed the Portal they used to travel there so I cannot go to them in person to relay your request.

"I have contact with my Father; I will send him warning of your distress. Do not fear; I am certain at least one if not both of the Lords will come to your aid..."

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

He trailed a moment. "...unless he's lead me back as far as he thinks I can go, maybe."

Leaving his message at that, Shawn again paused to think, wondering just how he should respond next. HE had been cutting upward through the cave, and he was beginning to wonder if perhaps that tactic could still help him. But, just to check and see just what the bat would do, Shawn began to walk forward, back inthe direction where the nightbat had originally come. And he didn't stop walking, but merely continued.

All he could hope for was that the bat would let him know if and when he needed to stop and change course.

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

Shawn’s voice came quietly out of the com device. Panthar let the words echo in his mind for a bit, not fully grasping the sentences. Then a random thought struck him.

“Shawn,” he said quietly into the device. “Your bat friend, you said he responds to your force call and now we won’t leave? Can you turn it off? Your force call, I mean. Make it want to leave? Scare it? Something?”

Panthar winced.

“Sorry,” he said. “Just getting a little, I don’t know, tired.”

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

...but not blocking myself from the Force. Maybe if I did that, he'd fly away...

...but Degobah is a big swamp planet. The bat could fly off anywhere. I think he'd respond to my Force-call again...

...but it'd sure be helpful if he had something, or better, someone to track once I block myself."

Shawn paused, a slightly lopsided yet somehow wan sort of smile sliding onto his features. "Maybe you can try feeling a bit desperate and he'll respond to you? Or better yet...maybe Galen can too."

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

I step forth from the quiet solitude of the Temple into a veritable whirlwind of sights and smells and sounds. They pound against my eyes, my ears; my nostrils flare as I pause for a moment on the threshold of the Portal, taking in a great draught of green-laden and extremely humid air even as I marvel at the rest of the wonders Dagobah has to toss in my direction.

Not the least of which is a young, flame-headed woman.

"JhinDarra," I state simply, lowering my head but once in a nod of greeting before raising it and giving her the full brunt of my imperial gaze.

"You have summoned me here--"

A quick glance about confirms what I already knew: she is alone at the Rift in the Fabric of spacetime. One wave of my hand, and it closes with a little schllptt.

"Lead me to the others, that I might discern the difficulty you are encountering," I state, then fall into step behind her. It doesn't take long for her young and fleet-footed pace to carry us to where Terrin is, incongruously, stretched out upon the ground. Nearby there hovers an odd and unexpected ship, a freighter I believe.

"You are in some difficulty--?" I mention, almost offhandedly, then fall into the raucous silence only this Planet of Life can provide, tucking my hands into the sleeves of my robe as I do so.

[ 12-19-2006 10:06 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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