"Or we could simply have a minor ship malfunction," she then commented. "It'll give us an excuse to fire, give us a reason for the delay in coming to...

...assist, and there really won't be any way for anyone to verify our claims that anything malfunctioned at all. That aside, it'll certainly give us a reason to land, act suspicious, and poke around a bit."

Shayla paused then, pointing then to the restraints on the seats in the cabin. "But if we are going to take this approach, I'd suggest everyone strap in. This'll be a rough landing."

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

"Well... make sure you don't miss!" she snorted as, grudgingly, she moved to follow Shayla's orders to strap herself in.

"Then we won't have any excuse to give anybody; HMMPH!!"

From her seat her disdain swelled, filling the ship, overwhelming the others with the sheer audacity of it.

"We shouldn't even have to make an excuse, really; just shoot them and be done with it," she grumbled.

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

She paused, crocking a brow. "... incapacitate him and his comrade. But in either case..."

She trailed a final time, turning to the navboard controls. "I won't miss," she reiterated, knowing that, as they entered the Endor atmosphere, those below most certainly would be aware that something or someone was incoming.

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

"If we just show up there, he's going to think we have something to do with why Mother isn't there with him," she pointed out, feeling very wise about this.

"After all, chances are really good she wouldn't leave his side for anything; if he and Lord Aelvedaar are on that moon, why, she should be as well. And we can pretty much believe that she is not. So, chances are also pretty good that he's not going to believe us one bit; how do you plan on beguiling him into telling us all he knows about this hidden lab anyway?

"I think there's somebody else who might be more disposed to seeing things our way. I say shoot now, and find Mother later."

Her eyes darkened, for truly all she wanted was to rid herself of those whom she just knew would cause them no end of trouble in the long run. Lord Phalomir was, in her eyes, not only a great threat, but also someone she itched to take revenge upon for how he had treated her in the past.

To Hell with what he might or might not know; which also just happens to be somewhere I know I can find out at least some of the answers that we seek...

"And besides, if we end up having to get physical, just who do you think is going to be able to get the upper hand on him?" she finished with, then casting something meant to be close to an apologetic look at Panthar.

"No offense, but Mother's toady is rather large, and strong."

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

“I thought I had made it clear what the best approach would be,” he said. “That toady is big and strong, sure, but he is also a trusting idiot who thinks I am the best friend he has. Now look down there at that pathetic site… Two Sith, and a bunch of Ewoks. Obviously something really strange has happened here, Phal wouldn’t willingly let Jharmeen out of his sight on a hostile world. And believe me, those Ewoks may look cute and cuddly but they are really nasty vicious savages who have evolved on a world filled with even nastier more vicious creatures. I’m sure Phal is in deep trouble and coping the best he can, and here we are, suddenly, to rescue them.”

Panthar sat back with his hands behind his head.

“So, really, there’s no need for frontal assaults, toe to toe combat, or even wild potshots with the big scary cannons. Just land, show open arms, and then stab them in the back like the slimy slugs we are. After all, in the end, who really cares how it happens? Just as long as they get their just desserts.”

Panthar cast a glance over to ShaRhylla, his eyebrow cocking just the slightest.

"And we get ours."

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

...personal manner."

For a moment, Shayla trailed, knowing what she had just stated was in fact what she meant. "I am surprised that you do not feel the same," she continued, eyeing ShaRhylla. "There is also the possibility that he has done something with Jharmeen, or perhaps Lord Aelvedaar," Shayla stated flatly, also fully believing that but going no further to validate the proposition.

"But still, ShaRhylla is right," Shayla then continued. "If we wait til he realizes we are up to something, even as much as Phalomir may trust you, we're going to have to meet his physical strength, which is significant. We can find out what has happened to Graysith in other ways."

Turning back to the navboard then, Shayla ensured her own safety harness was fastened, then brought the forward cannons into position for firing. "Here we go," she then said tersely, manuevering the ship in such a way that it would appear to any outside observers something inside was amiss, using manual pitch and yaw controls to create an obvious shudder. Making a 360 degree roll, she began to bring the ship lower and lower into the atmosphere, then letting lose with the cannons, firing sporadically to imitate a true malfunction. The ship swept downward and downward under her touch, coming dangerously low to the ground. Ignoring any motion outside as well as anything going on within the ship, Shayla's greeny-blue eyes locked onto the central monitor of the Preon to make sure she was headed to the right place. With only gradually slowing speed they came in on the Ewoks surrounding the two Sith, cannons still spurting occassional fire and occassionally successfully hitting something or other as Shayla continued to shudder their flight path as well. Then she locked on her prey, close enough to see exactly who she was firing at but not close enough to be seen by them from her somewhat higher vantage point. Her timing precise, she allowed her sporadic fire to splay out just so, and both Sith stumbled back, clearly hit. Shayla continued pressing the Preon forward and downward, slowing ever so carefully, aiming to crash just enough to make the whole malfunction seem real without damaging her ship so that it wasn't flyable later. At a bit more distance and time, they finally skidded on the forest ground to a stop.

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

Dirt flew up around him, blinding one eye. The sound of the blast followed immediately and Phalomir rolled to his side and wiped at his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He realized that Aelvedaar was lying next to him, and they were both exposed. More shots rang out in various directions.

“Quickly, my lord, for those trees!”

Without waiting for a reply, Phalomir rose and unceremoniously grabbed Aelvedaar and lifted. The two ran together for the cover of a fallen giant tree, the sounds of blasts still coming from behind.

Something is very wrong thought Phalomir, but that was all he had time to think before the searing heat caught him in the side. He felt his left leg give under him and his balance left him. He pushed hard against Aelvedaar’s back as he fell and send the Dark Lord sailing over the tree, while Phalomir himself crumpled to the dirt.
I am hit! he cursed silently. Pain coursed through his left side as he tried to regain his footing. His leg complained violently but he managed to make it obey. This told him that the leg was still there, and he may have caught more of the peripheral heat rather than a full blast. Still, the pain was intense as he hauled himself up and over the tree.

“Are we under attack?” he asked aloud. “Or is this another unfortunate event?”

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

For it is far from being that.

"Wha--?"

The words drag from my lips like thick cement. Groggily, I attempt to raise an arm to my head, only to find its progress blocked by something furry, and silent, and sickeningly cool. I shake my head; my vision swims into focus, and I discover myself laying pinned between the bodies of two very much silent ewoks. Something rough scrapes against my tattered back; grunting, I gently extricate myself enough to turn my head a bit.

Behind me the trunk of a fallen forest giant obscures my view. I place both hands upon the loamy soil, and push up gingerly. That effort is momentarily truncated as a rush of fire sears through my entire left side; I cannot keep a grimace from erupting on my face but continue the movement, and at last gain somewhat wobbling footing.

Lord Phalomir is off to one side, obviously in pain. Small furry and burned bodies lay strewn about; small moans and wails issue forth from too few of them. And there--

"It is a ship, brother," I croak, my vocal cords seared from the heat of its great engines. I hobble to where Lord Phalomir has managed to take himself, and collapse in an untidy heap beside him. Unconsciously, I find myself hunkering lower, trying to hide beneath the futile protection of the fallen tree.

"It would seem to be an attack, Brother," I state, unwittingly answering his question which indeed never really made it into my ears. "Or else it is a terribly misfortunate malfunction of some sort; many of our group have just died."

A twinge of pain for the ewoks exacerbates the other pains coursing through my body, and I wince once again.

"I cannot determine a thing without my powers; perhaps we should attempt to find further shelter in the thick trees nearby, until we can gain more facts, and thus make a more informed decision as what it is we should do."

[ 08-15-2009 11:40 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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

“The ship has landed, and from the awkward angle it sits I would hazard a guess that they did not do it willingly. I would like to believe it was a malfunction, to be sure, for if it were not then I fear this tree will not provide us protection for long. If you can move, then I agree that the denser woods may be a safer place to wait.”

Phalomir moved to his feet and, crouching, held his hand out to Lord Aelvedaar. Before the Dark Lord could respond, however, a shrill cry came from somewhere on the other side of the tree. It was a savage cry, a heart-wrenching mix of grief and anger. Phalomir glanced once again over the tree in time to see a lone Ewok – Wakti, perhaps – charging the ship. In a heartbeat he had flung his spear with deadly precision at the nearest portal, where it smashed into splinters. Wakti continued running at the ship and threw himself against the hull. He pounded his tiny arms into it over and over.

“Our guide is attacking the ship,” said Phalomir. “These Ewoks know no fear, but also so not know the futility of their actions. I cannot leave him there, my Lord. Take this opportunity and run for the trees, perhaps other Ewoks will follow. But I must go to this little one.”

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

Anger descended in a rush as, composing herself as best she could, she started to rise. Shooting pains announced rather insistently that this particular muscle had been wrenched, or that certain one bruised; as a true Warrior, she utterly ignored the negative aspects of these pains and instead used them to give her the impetus she needed to finally gain her feet.

She blinked, giving her head a haughty toss, and shot Shayla an even haughtier look.

"So," she finally huffed, although a little out of breath. "We are down. I do hope you know what you are doing!"

Tottering over to where Shayla was doing something at the controls, she peered over the woman's shoulder. Things blinked and worbled at her; she hadn't a clue as to the meaning of most, nor did she care about learning. All she was interested in at the moment was one thing.

"Can you find out what is happening outside?" she asked as she drew back a bit to indicate the forward viewscreen.

"Did we kill them, or did they manage to somehow avoid being crushed or incinerated?"

Something dark flashed in the depths of her eyes, albeit with a touch of disappointment. While it was true that she had wanted to dispatch the Lords in as expedient a manner as possible, that Darkness which resided within her relished the more personal feel that actual physical contact brought with the act. And while she knew that in the Darker Realms she would have no problem with such physical contact with a being more than twice her size, getting him there would be another matter.

As much as she wanted to flail out against the two, she realized that by comparison she was likely to be no more than a gleeberfly to them; the thought that, at least until her powers returned, she would undoubtedly be no more than some minor annoyance was more than she could bear.

"And what do you mean, 'in other ways'?" she ended with, rearing back and crossing her arms in front of herself.

[ 08-25-2009 10:05 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by ShaRhylla ]

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

Shayla trailed, chewing her lip a bit. "--then that means she either flew off planet herself or was taken by another. In either circumstance, i can think of only a handful of places she would go to. Unless of course they have already killed her," Shayla then stated darkly.

"As to whether they have been destroyed or not," Shayla said, changing the subject somewhat abruptly and beginning to key something on the navboard once more, "It would seem---"

Shayla's words were cut off suddenly as something she couldn't identify impacted the ship with a thud. The initial impact was followed by a rhythmic, somehow angry poundings.

Shayla got to her feet, her greeny-blue eyes flashing in irritation. "Someone is beating on the hull of the ship, and doing gods know what else to it. This is our only mode out of here; I'll not have it destroyed."

Unconciously, her hand wandered to brush the hilt of the blade she was given on K'eel Doba.

Then again, perhaps the move wasn't quite as unconcious as it appeared.

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

"Either your ship has a terribly thin skin, or whatever is out there beating upon it is very big," she observed. Once again she raised a hand to indicate the forward view screen.

"Perhaps you might want to see what the outside danger is, before we simply parade out into it?"

Although she was no coward when it came down to a fight -- indeed, her Mother's short sword was already grasped in her hand -- she was no fool. She knew that her own prowess depended much upon her powers, and without them there was a very good chance she might go out there and lose in one-on-one combat. Death and the Darker Realms held no terrors for her, but she had a task to finish in this dimension; it would do no good to have her body slain.

Again...

For it simply took too long a time to prepare it for re-entry into the human plane. If she even could; for the first time she wondered why those she had given herself to had not spilled forth into the Galaxy, eager to rend and tear and destroy. Powers appeared to have vanished, and they had spoken to her; certainly they would find the mewling beings here an easy enough target? The fact that not so much as one imp had made an appearance unsettled her, gave her pause to wonder that perhaps the mysterious loss of powers extended into that dimension as well.

And in the absence of their dark physical presence, she was finding, more and more, that her own skin was quite precious to her, the most precious thing in the entire universe.

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

No need to go parading off inot an unknown situation. Especially considering they still had the ships sensors about them...

Shayla whirlded and returned to the navboard, her eyes gazing first through the viewscreen to the land beyond. For the most part all she could see were tree branches...

...which didn't go very far in helping them determine just what might be out there pounding on the ship. So she reached to activate her sensor array...

...and then paused, thinking better of it.

"I would activate the sensor array, but doing so will cause our antannae to come up, which may in turn draw the attention of whatever is pounding on the ship," she pointed out. "If we want to see just who or what is out there without risking our own skins, the sensor array needs to stay intact."

Quieting for a moment then, Shayla seemed to be bracing herself for Rhylla's caustic reply for the barest of moments, but then she pressed on with a newly forming idea.

"I'm going to activate the hull's ray shield. Whatever is out there pounding won't be doing so for much longer unless it likes the feel of electricity shooting through it...

...and then we can just wait it out a few minutes and see if anything wanders its way into our viewscreen to see just who or what might be inside." Shayla paused, keying in a few condes on the navboard to activate the ship's small but effective particle shield.

"Whatever is out there may sound angry, but I doubt whomever or whatever will be anticipating this."

No sooner had Shayla said as much when their ears were pierced by an audible screech, followed by the sound of something razor-sharp sliding down the hull of the ship like rancor claws on a tarmac. Then the obnoxious thudding on the ship's hull went dead silent.

[ 09-21-2009 09:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

“No!” shouted Phalomir. He motioned for the Ewok to follow then headed for the trees to the right. But Watki’s lack of motion forced Phalomir to pause.

“Very well, my brave friend,” said Phalomir. He glanced around at the splintered trees and smoldering vegetation – and the occasional charred Ewok. His heart raged at this and he ducked down to a large thick branch that had been severed from its tree. “But we are no match for this beast unarmed. There are people inside, and perhaps we should level the playing field.”

Phalomir lifted the branch with a grunt and steadied it in his powerful arms. He then leaned forward and charged at the ship, pointing the heavy log like a lance at the starboard cannon. At the last second he pushed the log forward and dove to the side, the log smashing into the cannon at the turret connection, bending it inward and rendering it immovable. The angle was enough so that if the cannon was undamaged enough to fire, it would possibly graze the hull.

Phalomir had landed close enough to the ship to feel the electrical shield. He stood gingerly and backed away, the pain in his leg throbbing for attention. He now judged the starboard bow to be safe from the cannon, and began to hobble in that direction. He growled under his breath and straightened his walk, not wanting to show his weakness to any potential enemy inside the ship. When he reached a spot where he could see the bow and assumed he was visible on the viewscreen, he paused and faced the ship. Ready to dive for cover again at the sign of any movement from external devices on the ship, he raised his arms and waved them over his head.

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

‘I doubt either of you will need weapons,” he said casually. “If they buy the malfunction story then a display of arms will merely cause them to disbelieve it. And if anyone should be the first to exit this ship it should be me. Not to say the radiant beauty of the Dark Lady would not knock them off their feet, nor would they be any match for the witty charm of Shayla… but if you recall, neither of you were on the best of terms with Phalomir or any of the gang recently. If I emerge first and explain the situation then we have a better chance of catching them off guard. If they survived, that is. Did they? Or was that an Ewok pounding on the ship?”

“Well,” said Panthar, indicating the viewscreen. “Would you look at that…”

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

She cast her face toward the deck, letting her hair fall down to hide her features, and quickly stepped away, as if those outside could see her as well as they in turn could see them. A shiver ran through her, making her hug herself as if to contain it; indeed, there were enough arms without the ship to rend them all into tiny bits should the Dark Lord not believe their story.

"Panthar is right," she admitted grudgingly, inwardly seething for the fact that she no longer had the capability of simply wishing those standing on the jungle floor into obscurity. "We must keep to our plan; let them think the stroke with which you smote them happened because our ship was damaged in the crash. Send Panthar out to them; let us see how well he can mislead them. I-- I need a moment to prepare for doing thus myself."

With that she turned from the other two and moved back a little bit. There she began some breathing exercises Lord Roan had taught her long ago, exercises a commander might use to clear his head, corral the inner fires raging within him, and otherwise prepare himself to more effectively lead his warriors into battle.

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

Fresh air poured into the depressurized cabin, along with sunlight and the smells of the forest. Panthar waited for the steps to descend then stepped out. He grasped the light railing and staggered a bit, shielding his eyes from the sun and peering into the space in front of the ship.

“I didn’t think it was true, but… Phal? Is that you? Oh holy cripes, are you hurt?”

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

“Panthar?” he called out. “If that is truly you, I am awash in mixed emotions.”

Panthar continued to step down from the ship and hit the ground.

“I am so sorry, my friend!” he cried out. “We were tracking life signs from orbit and found something that didn’t look quite right, and hoped it was you. But something happened; Shayla is still trying to figure it out. Maybe we hit something, I don’t know, but it took some pretty fancy flying to get off as easy as we did there. Everything was going off on its own! Shields, sensors, flares, and unfortunately, guns. This is just terrible; I don’t know what to say. But are you hurt? And Jharmeen?”

Phalomir relaxed slightly. Something was niggling in the back of his mind, but he could not identify it and passed it off as empathy for his Ewok companion at the senseless loss of so many.

“Jharmeen is not with me, she was seriously injured and I sent her off for help. I am not hurt badly, mere scrapes. I was fortunate, unlike these Ewoks. Shayla is with you, then?”

“Of course she is!” said Panthar, stepping forward. “We’ve been looking for you! Ever since things went haywire everywhere, we’ve been trying to get the old gang back together so we can figure out what to do. Is Jharmeen far? We have medical supplies on board.”

That feeling intensified. Phalomir paused, recalling the last time he had he seen Shayla. So much had happened since then, but he still remembered nearly sacrificing himself to remove the darkness within her and Jharmeen. Much as he had nearly killed Panthar to remove the darkness from him on Korris’ian. He struggled to recall when he last parted ways with either of them, and remembered at least that it was on Khar Delba.

Why was he struggling with his thoughts? Something was not right.

His leg was suddenly enveloped by a warm numbness, and a distinct wetness seemed to trickle down his calf. Watki glanced down at the Sith’s leg and looked up sharply at his face. This drew Phalomir to look down where he could see the ground around his foot turning a liquid violet color. He stepped back carefully and propped himself against the huge fallen tree.

“Is anyone else with you?” he asked, trying to ignore the fact that the world was beginning to swim around him. “Maybe Shayla can bring out a bandage.”

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

Her eyes slitted.

"Is this where you go out to meet them as well, or are we supposed to wait for Panthar to return?" she queried, the question innocent enough but the tone of voice in which it was uttered clearly not.

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

Quieting then, Shayla took a few moments to gather herself and to determine just what sort of persona she needed to portray in order to make their supposed crash convincing to Phalomir. Not to mention how she could best elicit the information from him that she wanted. Setting herself to that task, Shayla then began to follow in Panthar's footsteps to exit the ship. About midway to the hatch, however, she paused, a thought occuring to her. If the ship had truly crashed under her control, she would be back in the engines trying to find out exactly what had happened, and should look like she had been investigating the reason for the crash when she did leave the Preon. She took a few extra minutes to do what would appear to be exactly that, and made sure to ruffle her hair and get engine fluid smudges here and there on her hands and face and even on her clothes.

Satisfied with her appearance and feeling like sufficient time had passed for her to truly be looking at a possible manulfunction, Shayla headed to the hatch and began departing the Preon, her pace rushed as though she were concerned about who or what she may have hit in their dangerous entry and landing on the planet.

"Panthar, is anyone or anything hurt?" she called out, concern in her words. About half-way down the ramp of the ship, as she continued to scan the area with worry in her eyes, she saw Panthar and Phalomir...

...and immediately noticed the pool of blood at the latter's feet. His red skin seemed somewhat pale as well. Shayla gasped in alarm, and ran back into the ship, getting the emergency medical kit. In a few brief moments she descended the ramp again, medkit in hand, and rushed to Phalomir.

"I am so sorry!" she said to him, worry in her eyes and voice as she took a moment to scan the area. Shayla surveyed the fallen Ewok bodies, and tears actually formed in her eyes. She then turned to look at Phalomir once more. "You need some serious medical attention, now," she commented firmly. "And you need to get off your feet."

She paused to place the medkit on the ground and open it, retrieving a large bandage and some other supplies. Then she turned to Panthar. "I need your help," she said, knowing that Phalomir would not be standing much longer at the rate he was loosing blood. Then, the concern in her voice not at all an act, she finished with, "Has he said where Jharmeen is?"

[ 10-14-2009 09:26 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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

“He has not,” he said, his voice steady despite the shake in his hand. “Jharmeen was injured and needed medical attention. I sent her away for help, hoping that I could find help off this planet.”

He neglected to mention certain details, to be sure. But that was in response to his niggling feeling, and more recent memories of Shayla’s behavior. But still, he had helped to drive the Darkness from her and Jharmeen both, had he not? Surely that was the reason for her actions back then.

“I am grateful for your arrival,” he continued. “But the circumstances are definitely most unfortunate. These Ewoks are my friends, I mourn their loss with my comrade Watki. So please, explain, what happened? How did you find me? What happened to your ship? Have the people on Dagobah been rescued? How –ouch! How tight must you make that bandage?”

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

Shayla trailed, lowering her face and tending to Phalomir's major wound. She did not look back up or speak for several moments.

"...and then followed the trail here," she finished, not deigning to mention anything regarding loss of powers. That had happened after everyone had been seperated, and she did not know what Phalomir may or may not know regarding it. Until she did, she chose instead not to speak of it. Securing the bandage around Phalomir's leg, Shayla looked up once more, a frown on her face.

"We could help those Ewoks who are injured...

...but I fear they may be afraid of us after all that has occurred. Coming out of orbit and into atmosphere, the navboard short circuited and systems went haywire. I need to get the ship somewhere to have it looked at. Systems are currently down and seem stable, but I do not know if or when this may happen again."

She paused, a slight frown growing on her face once more. "You sent Jharmeen for help where exactly, and with who?" she asked. "K'khil was headed here once to find you..was it he? And how exactly was she hurt?" she asked, a brief look of darkness gleaming in her eyes before it disappeared entirely.

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

“K’khil? Yes, it was him. We had used a portal to travel, but something went wrong and we ended up here. This is a dangerous place, and…”

Strange, half memories flashed before Phalomir’s eyes. Turbulent, vague memories of a temporary madness. Violent images, and despite his regaining of his senses, contrary to his best efforts...

“…Jharmeen was hurt. Badly. I don't know how exactly, a fall I think. K’khil found us, but his ship was small and could only carry one. So he took Jharmeen.”

Phalomir’s eyes had cast back to the ground. Grief and guilt fought to consume him once more, using his blood loss as a convenient route past his better judgment. He shook his head and looked back up to Shayla. Suddenly that feeling was back, screaming from a dark pit in his mind that something was not right.

Some time ago, but really not that long, Shayla and Jharmeen had both fallen victim to that strange force they called the Darkness. It fled from them in the Darker Realms when the Master had brought forth a mysterious clone of Phalomir, mistaken for the original. He had felt that feeling before then, when Shayla had attacked everyone with her powers. He had felt it also when Panthar was briefly infected by this parasite. He felt it constantly in the Darker Realms.

“I do not know where he took her,” he said. “Back to the Sith worlds, perhaps,” he lied. “But you? Are you well? Have you rescued Shawn and found Erik?”

Why did he still feel this… feeling? Why now? There was no Darkness, nothing to be alarmed about. It was gone from Shayla, gone from Panthar. It only existed in that clone, and perhaps…

“And did anyone come with you?” he asked.

[ 10-27-2009 06:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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

Shayla paused, "She is with us."

The words fell into silence for a long moment, and Shayla let her greeny-blues lock on Phalomir's eyes as she read someting dark creeping deeply within. For the moment, she shifted the subject, intentionally...

...but the emotion she was speaking with was utterly raw and real.

"When magicks started popping in and out on Khar Delba, devices operated by them began to fail."

She quieted another moment, standing and turning away as her eyes darkened and grew vague. "The incubator holding my son stopped working. He is dead."

Shayla's voice dropped off, and she hung her head slightly. For several eternal moments, all that could be heard were the sounds of the Endor forest. But at length, she continued.

"Shawn is safe, and Erik..."

She trailed another moment, as if trying to find the words. "He is gone. With the loss of the baby it was just...

...too much" Another few moments of silence passed. Then, suddenly, Shayla whirled back around and locked eyes with Phalomir once more. "Something is amiss, and on a grander scale than any of our petty differences. If we are going to find out just what is going on with all the strangeness of powers and magick popping in and out, we are going to have to do it together."

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

“I am sorry for your losses,” he said, his voice low and sincere. “It is a terrible, terrible thing to lose a child. It is a pain that never heals.”

A strange feeling of knowing crept within him, as if he had first hand experience of these feelings. He sighed and leaned forward, reaching out with his long arm and placing his hand on Shayla’s shoulder.

“But other pains do heal,” he continued. “Mistakes are made, hearts are broken, and people forgive each other. In the end, if it is meant to be, Erik will heal and return.”

Phalomir stood gingerly, still light-headed, and supported his weight on his uninjured leg.

“You found me here, against all odds, and that goes beyond coincidence. Yes, there is a greater meaning to what we do here, and a grander scale to it all. I am glad to have you all back. And we must find Jharmeen, she was taken to--”

The movement behind Phalomir was quick. Panthar’s arm sliced swiftly through the air and struck the top of the Dark Lord’s head with a thud. Phalomir’s eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the damp floor of the Endor forest.

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