"Galen and Panthar are stuck down in this hole," he began, pointing downward. "Panthar fell down there and Galen was the only one small enough to go after him; he's hurt, possibly broken ribs. We've lost Shawn and can't find him, and Kartan is still missing as well as Thoran." He paused at that, frowning a bit further, something of a Captain who sincerely felt the loss of those in his crew showing in his eyes. "We've also had a couple go missing, into the swamp, from the party you sent along with us."

Quieting a moment at that, he then directed his attention downward, noting that he couldn't hear anything or anyone below. "We've gotta get them out of there; Panthar was already attacked after falling partially down there and then pulled down further by something."

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

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"Fear not," I reply, raising one hand as I step up to the lip of the crevice in the rocky soil. It slits beneath my feet, leering like a madman in the height of a manic episode.

"I have the ability to widen the crevice to where you can then lower me down; once beside them I can create a short Portal through which they can step up to the surface."

Saying nothing further I motion the human to move back. Once he has situated himself several meters away I close my eyes, reaching upward with my arms and outward with my talents, using that magnificent All-force inherent but unknown to all but a very, very select few. It obeys my call; an eerie groan rumbles from beneath my feet as the molecules of the rock promptly sublimate directly into a gaseous state, separating into their natural components and wafting upward from the now widened hole in the form of oxygen and water, carbon dioxide and ozone, while the silicates remaining tumble to the level of the trapped pair with a tiny tinkle of falling rock.

I lean back a little to avoid the uprushing noxious fumes; after enough time has passed I lean out over the spot, which has widened to an ellipsoid perhaps two meters across.

I smile grimly, motion for Terrin to return.

"Let me down this hole, that I might join the pair," I order, waiting for him to respond.

[ 12-19-2006 10:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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With nothing further than these final thoughts, then, Terrin, along with Jasyn and the Sith Warrior, began lowering the Dark Lord down to assist those below.

[ 12-19-2006 10:36 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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I smile, letting out a sigh of relief as his head jerks in my direction.

"Greetings, my friends. It appears you have gotten yourself into quite a predicament. If you will allow me--"

A single wave of a clawed hand, and a Portal opens, one connected to the ground above my head through my own recent and thus quite fresh memories. It shimmers in odd greeny-goldness, waiting to be utilized.

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

It began on Kamino. I was standing on a landing platform of one of the stilt-cities, looking out over the storm-ridden seascape. Above my head dark and threatening clouds lowered and roiled, shot through with zippers of lightning, thunder rolling over the waves.

I shivered, wrapped my arms about myself, and simply let myself go. Down and down I went, headfirst into the waves, into the darkness of the deeps...

...which abruptly erupted into brilliant light and life. Luminescent fish flashed and displayed all about me, coming to me in great looping schools to escort me down even further, down toward the magnificence of, improbably enough, Gungan City where a blurred figure stood alone behind an entry-field, waiting.

I swam now with all my might, heading toward that one lonely figure when there suddenly came a series of distant murmurs. I didn't know what they were; whalesong, the hunting sonar of sharks or other strange beasties, or the tympany of the Neirieds as they sang their enticing seasongs. Louder and louder the noises came, at strange intervals yet oddly rhythmic, breaking into the otherwise quiet, the solitude...

I opened one eye, blinking as the sounds sequed into a quiet interchange between Panthar and Shawn. Still too drowsy to wish to let myself awaken fully I remained where I was, listening as they spoke back and forth about the bat.

So-oo-ooo comfortable here...

That sensation wound it's way into cognizant thought, and I opened the other eye.

"Maybe he's making himself too comfortable for the bat to want to leave," I mumbled as I closed my eyes again, giving myself in to half-sleep.

"Heh. Shawn's got hisself a buddy--"

A bit more time passed quietly, a quiet broken by another series of noises, something like the tinkle of a crystal waterfall. It came to a halt, only to be followed by something sounding like the groans of a mating ronto. Something echoed somewhere; still on the verge of unconsciousness I wondered if the thing that had dragged Panthar down here was coming back. For some reason I wasn't alarmed--

It obviously didn't want him, or he'd be dead by now.

Strange, the workings of the drifting mind.

Now, footsteps approaching.

"Greetings, my friends. It appears you have gotten yourself into quite a predicament. If you will allow me--"

Wow. So this is what lucid dreaming is all about! Guess I'll make the most of it...

I stared upward, falling into the molten eyes of the Sith Dark Lord of the Sorcerers.

Galen ol gal, when you have a lucid dream you sure do have a doozy!

"Well, howdy do!" I exclaimed brightly, still nestled against Panthar's side beneath his arm. I grinned like an idiot, pleased as punch to have been able to make such an obviously inane remark. For I wouldn't be degrading myself thus in the real world, hell no, and especially not to one of those Sith that dear ol' Sissypoops has gotten herself all tangled up with. This Li'l Red Hen didn't want to end up as mush.

Sure as there's Treasure on Roon!

[ 12-20-2006 01:53 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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...pushing it forth into the air and remaiming calm. Panthar had suggested that, since the bat was tracking his Force-call, maybe he could just turn it off...

...and he could do that, at least, mostly.

So again he raised a hand to his shoulder, where the nightbat perched, and slowly placed it beneath the bat until the creature walked off his shoulder and onto his hand. Stretching his hand out and cupping the bat with both hands, Shawn then errected a Force shield, blocking all of his emotions and his very Force signature.

And then he pushed the bat forward into the air, let his hands drop from underneath it...

...and remained within his Force shield.

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

It circled about, meeping and listening, "wondering" in its tiny little nightbat-mind where its comfortable roost had disappeared to. Its search was fruitless, so it finally settled by flying up to the arching roof of the tunnel, about thirty feet away down the corridor from where Shawn stood.

There it lit, and immediately began to clean itself, making certain that its fur and especially the wing-skin stretching between its fingers was meticulously taken care of.

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

Calling upon its surrounding energy field, Shawn made himself nothing more than a simple part of it. Then he let out a great howling moan, similar to that which Ben Kenobi had used to scare the sand people away from Luke Skywalker on a fateful day on Tatooine many years ago.

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

Utterly alarmed, the bat let go of its roost, plummeting down a couple of feet before swooping up in a great, soaring arc. Then it barreled off in the direction from which it had entered the corridor to begin with, its sonar providing it with perfect "sight" in the absolute darkness, its wingtips brushing against stone not because of faulty echolocation, but only when and where the passageway narrowed.

Eventually there came a dim light up ahead. Squawking, the bat arrowed straight for it, and soon shot out from the side of the immense scarp, in the exact position where it had entered to begin with, and trailing the bit of cloth that Shawn had secured to its tiny body flitted off over the damp, Dagoban swamps below.

[ 12-21-2006 05:25 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The All ]

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...but then, Degobah is a big swampland, and it could go anywhere. Something is going to have to prompt it to come to you, if this is going to work at all."

He paused, pursing his lips. "It responded to my Force-call for help. Maybe, somehow, it can respond to you in the same way."

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

“Galen!” he said through tearing eyes. “Aelvedaar is – is—haha! Aelvedaar is here! For real! HAHA! OW! ”

Panthar managed to click the button on the com link.

"Aelvedaar is here, we have a portal. Guys, look for a bat flying around, Shawn sent it out -- haha! With a bit if his robe-- hahaha! tied to it! OUCH! Shawn, hey, Aelvedaar is here and if we can locate you, heh, I think we can get you out. If the guys can find your bat--"

The image of Jasyn looking around for a bat jumped into his mind, and after a short pause Panthar burst out laughing once again. As tears flowed down his cheeks he managed to look up at Aelvedaar.

"I'm sorry," he laughed. "It's just so good to see you! Galen, you awake? Think you could help me up somehow?"

[ 12-21-2006 09:23 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Panthar Dantares ]

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We had company...!

"Oh-- oh, my!" I exclaimed somewhat limply, embarrassed as hell for my faux pas. Smiling in what I hoped was an apology I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the "Ow!" Panthar shot my way as my hand put pressure on his chest. Soon I was upright and bending over.

"Here, lemme help you--" I began but stopped in my tracks. For materializing like magick smack beside my own small hand was a large and sharply clawed one. Gaping, I cut a glance sideways to find the towering Sith Lord far too close to my personal space. I forgave him this, however--

Guess we're even now, huh!

-- when that hand coiled about Panthar's wrist, another one now materializing at his back. A deep basso rumble came to my ears.

"Let me help."

Moments later and Panthar was on his feet, tottering and weaving but upright. When I was certain he wasn't going to fall flat on his face again I let go of him myself; then leaving him to the tender mercies of Lord Aelvedaar I felt my way over to where the materials we had accumulated lay all in a heap.

"I've got these!" I stated the obvious as I turned around, eyeing the shimmering Portal a bit dubiously even though I was as anxious as all get out to get the hell outta there.

But I bet not as anxious as Big Red!

[ 12-21-2006 09:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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He trailed, actually cupping a hand over his eyes and looking upwards despite his sarcastic observation. "I hope Shawn has some way to direct the critter to us and back again to him; how the hell is it going to find its way here to us otherwise?"

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

“I was starting to feel just a tad bit concerned there, but I knew someone would come. And besides, the company was pretty good.”

He turned his head towards Galen and shot her a painful smile. He took a step and cringed, pain shooting through his body. A drop of blood trickled down from his shirt and hit the ground with the glop!, blending in with the drips of water from the other parts of the cavern. He lowered his head, regaining his balance, then let the smile return to his face.

“Ladies first?”

The bemused but seriuous look he saw from Galen told him otherwise. He smiled broadly and took the few painful steps through the portal.

"Come on in, L'il Red! The water's fine!"

---

On the other side of the portal Panthar breathed deeply of the fresh air, and collapsed onto the soft grass. A fresh stream of blood ran freely from his back, where a deep puncture wound lay exposed to the damp air of Dagobah, pumping its violet contents onto the ground.

[ 12-21-2006 09:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Panthar Dantares ]

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Lordy. Those eyes of his are actually glowing!

--before getting yanked back into reality by Panthar's distant call.

"--er's fine!"

The words unglued my feet; clutching the unwieldy bundle to my chest I came up to the shimmering Portal, closed my eyes, took a step...

...and promptly stumbled as my foot came down upon the wet grasses where this entire little mini-escapade had begun.

"Panthar, we're here!" I cried, dropping the things I was carrying and whirling to look for him. It took a moment for me to find him, for to be honest the dark blur on the ground didn't register to my light-shocked eyes. But when my eyes finally adjusted...

"Panthar!"

I shot over to him, took one look, then grasped the corner of the bit of cloak we had used to pad him with. I tugged it, trying to yank it over the wound where I could apply pressure; meanwhile my feet were busy kicking against the loops of rope we had bound him with as I tried to loosen the cloth.

"Aelvedaar! Terrin! Someone!" I hollered, giving up entirely then and simply placing both hands and all my weight against Panthar's back in the hopes of staunching the ominous flow of blood.

[ 12-21-2006 10:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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“Bat…” he said quietly. “Jasyn needs to find the bat…”

The image fluttered for a few seconds, then a sharp voice in his head blasted out a screech.
WAKE UP! the voice blared. Startled, he jerked where he lay. The searing pain returned and he struggled to open his eyes. He managed one, and looked around until he saw Galen hovering over him. A larger shape, perhaps two, was coming from behind, and he let the eye close.

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

"Oh, hell!" he gasped, looking up to where Jasyn had snapped from his bat-watching reverie. "Jasyn, go get that first aid kit," he started. "No, wait," he then ammended, seeing the pile of supplies Galen had carried out with her, "Get that blanket, quick."

As he nodded towards it, Jasyn hurried that way to get the blanket that had been sent down the hole earlier. Meanwhile, Terrin assisted Galen in loosening the ropes around Panthar enough to move the piece of robe she had been pulling on in order shift it so that they could put pressure on the wound. About this time Jasyn returned with the blanket, and Terrin took it from his hands.

"We need to wrap this around his body and make a makeshift tourniquet. I'm afraid this piece of cloth won't be enough, and nothing in that first aid kit will be large enough for this."

Working to do jsut that then, several of them worked to get the blanket around Panthar's torso. Then they all pressed their hands against the wound to apply pressure just as Galen had already been doing, and remained there.

"Gods, I hope Lord Aelvedaar hurries," Terrin said, worry evident in his words. After all, it really didn't matter that Panthar wasn't truly an Eagle Enterprises crewmen. Through all that they had been through, he somehow had become a member of the crew just the same.

[ 12-21-2006 10:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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I shall take no more time in seeking answers to personal questions. Turning, I hasten to the Portal, step through, hear it close even as I come out upon the swamplands to a scene of--

"Let me help," I state my former words, shoulder past the others and kneeling beside our wounded fellow. He is out cold, his skin pale and clammy from blood loss. I frown; I can totally heal him, but there are others still missing in this place, and I might need all my talents in a new direction.

So reaching out a hand upon his wound, I send forth just enough of my magicks and All-strength to knit the wound; at least he will lose no more blood.

Creating the blood he has already lost, however-- I rise to my feet, open a Portal back to Khar Delba.

"I shall take him to my world, that our Healers might expedite his recovery," I state simply, and then do so...

((OOC: Panthar is taken to Khar Delba in the thread Silence of the Lambs in the "Jedi/Sith" forums, thank you.))

Moments later, I return alone, ready to assist the others in finding their other lost comrades.

[ 12-21-2006 11:10 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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"Maybe we can all get aboard that," he began, nodding towards the ship Matt and Jasyn had discovered, "And find Shawn and Erik. After all, flying Degobah skies is sounding like a much friendlier alternative to stepping into another hole."

He paused, frowning, looking back to Galen. "You mentioned being really hungry, and there is food and water at our disposal from the ship now too. If we board and head out, we'll have supplies on hand for all of us to get some strength back and for Shawn and Erik, when we find them."

His last words stated in a definite, determined tone, a final addendum waved a banner for attention. "Someone said something about Shawn sending out a bat with a piece of his clothing or something?"

[ 12-22-2006 07:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"I thought I heard something like that, but it was Panthar who was in actual comm-contact with Shawn.

"Didn't he comm any of you up here?"

I waved a hand about to indicate the ship, as well as those aboard her.

Which soon included our little group; thank Khaandon for that. Firm footing, reliable transportation, hot food...

Now all we needed was to find who we came for and we could all go home.

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

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, turning towards Lord Aelvedaar. "Is there some way you can track him, or maybe even call the ngihtbat to us?" he queried. "Otherwise...

...we are stuck right back where we were in terms of finding Shawn and Erik."

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

"There are many nightbats on this world," I state with a nod. "Undoubtedly millions of them. How to call the one which the Jedi has had contact with would be difficult; I can, however, attempt to summon them all."

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

"Can't you just...link with Shawn or something? Track him somehow?" he asked towards the Dark Lord. "We do know that he is probably at a higher elevation than we were..."

He trailed, biting his lip a bit. "Maybe we can assess the Degobah landscape and see if we can find any higher ground."

He paused, sighing. "Dammitall, why do we have to lose the one Jedi I actually liked? You'd think Petrolu could worm his way out of this one, he sure figured out how to do so when we were all stuck in the spice mines on Kessel back in the day."

[ 12-27-2006 05:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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"Yeah, that's right," I answered, if nothing more than to help fill our growing nervousness with the sounds of something as mundane as reliving old memories.

"I think he said something about those mines, once. I think he said--

"GAAK!!"

I about fell out of my seat as words from nowhere suddenly filled my head.

((OOC: Aeylmaar contacts Galen from Silence of the Lambs in the "Jedi/Sith" forums, thank you.))

Galen, Galen, hear me. There is danger; you must break down the wall or Shawn will die...

On and on the eerie warning went until I knew it wasn't me, that my overly-stressed mind hadn't conspired with my overly-active imagination to make this so.

No. This was real, from somewhere... someone...

A bulb flashed on over my head.

"Hey guys, wait a sec!" I interjected, cocking my head and letting my eyes turn inward, for now it wasn't just Aeylmaar's voice that I heard. It was images, terrible images, images that he was seeing-- or rather, had just seen-- with his own eyes.

"It's Aeylmaar; oh, nevermind about the how, just trust me, ok? He's saying that 'the wall must be broken down or Shawn will die...' hell if I know what he's talking about! Oh yeah, and there's this, too."

Quickly I described the image he had sent to my mind, an image of the Master lashing out at Phalomir with all of his not inconsiderable power.

[ 12-27-2006 09:42 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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Terrin frowned. "I wonder if that is literal or symbolic?"

Terrin's frown deepened further. "Did any images come along with Aeylmaar's warning other than the one of the Master...?"

Terrin trailed, puzzled. "Does anybody else know what to make of this? It has to be important if Aeylmaar saw fit to deliver it to us..."

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