Now a beeping screamed a steady pulse at him as he swam back from a dreamless sleep. He opened one eye and looked around, taking in his immediate surroundings. His other eye pried itself open to aid its comrade, and the events of the previous day came filtering back to him.

Panthar swung his feet to the floor and was soon standing. More accurately, he was teetering. A long trip to the refresher helped to revive him, but he tell that his body was still not operating at one-hundred percent. He dressed, partly in the new clothing left for him and partly in the black shirt he had worn to the ship, and started for the door.

He paused, realizing he had no idea where he was going.

He rubbed the horns protruding from his head, wondering if he would ever get used to having them there, and hit the com button on the wall.

“Uh,” he said, “hey, this is Panthar Dantares in room… um, wherever I am. I think I’m supposed to go to a meeting or something with Galen and Aaron and Terrin and stuff, but nobody told me where or when. Can anyone help?”

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

This guy had a meeting...with Terrin? As in the Captain...? Wha...?

After a moment, the officer managed to recover. He hit the respond button. "I will let Captain Barnes know that you are requesting information regarding your meeting," he stated, "And will get back with you regarding his response as soon as possible."

Sending the message off at that, the officer then keyed in Aaron's personal frequency.

"Captain Barnes, a man in one of our guest quarters, by the name of Panthar Dantares, is requesting information on a meeting he is to have with yourself, Galen Danner...

...and mentioned something about Captain Danner as well?"

Leaving the final as more of a question, the officer sent off the message and awaited Barnes's response.

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

...including the growing curiousity of the officer. He sat up a moment and rubbed his eyes before responding to the comm officer.

"I will respond to Mr. Dantares and escort him to the meeting personally," he responded, pausing a moment then in debate. After all, he really didn't know if and when Terrin wanted everyone to know he was back. "Thank you for letting me know that Mr. Dantares commed," Aaron then ended with, leavng his message at that. "Barnes, out."

Keying in the comm frequeny in for the quarters he knew he'd taken Panthar too, Aaron then sent off another message. "Panthar, this is Aaron. I will be coming to direct you to the meeting location in approximately 20 minutes. Hang tight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After taking a quick shower and changing his clothes, Aaron followed up on his promise, leaving his own quarters and heading to the nearby ones he'd given to Panthar. Enroute, he sent a brief reminder message to both Jasyn and Matt. Then he sent a quick messge to Terrin.

"Hey, this is Aaron. I'm enroute to direct Panthar to your office. Just a heads up...we've got some very inquisitive officers regarding the possibility of you being aboardship. See you all in a few, Aaron out."

Sending that final message off, Aaron arrived at Panthar's quarters, and knocked politely before simply waiting for Panthar to respond.

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

Looks like everyone else was running late as well, he thought to himself before replacing the commlink on his wrist. Perhaps not quite as late as they were going to be, but such times to be running late tended to be few and far between.

But the time was now.

Terrin pushed the reply button. "Hey Aaron, Terrin here. Take your time...

...it'll be a few before either Galen or I will make it there," he said, keenly aware of the approaching medic. "Besides, I'd like to get out of the med facility and get cleaned up first."

Sending the message to Aaron with that, Terrin cocked a brow the medic's way.

"I'm assuming I'm cleared to get out of here?" he asked.

The medic hesitated a moment, as if debating...

...and then nodded. "With caution. You're perhaps not quite 100 percent, but there's no reason for you to remain here either."

"Thanks," Terrin said then, turning to Galen and gently shaking her once more. "Hey, you going to sleep all day? I'm sprung from here, and Aaron and Panthar are already up and about..."

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

Then one of the damned twittering things came in for a landing on my shoulder, and wouldn't leave me alone.

"Shoo!" I admonished it sternly with a wave of one hand, but it merely fluttered momentarily out of reach before regaining its pesky perch on my shoulder once more.

"Mmph... ssshooooo..."

My feebly waving hand connected with something which had a tad bit more substance to it than my little feathered friend, so much so that the contact sent a small but nevertheless sharp jolt into my slowly awakening nervous system. That sent said system into overdrive; with a little yelp I suddenly found myself upright in bed. Or rather, in an upright position in a medical bay bed, a somewhat surprised Terrin leaning away from my waving hand to where it looked for the moment as if he might plop out onto the floor altogether.

I blinked, finding myself and my bearings as the little birdie flitted off into reality.

"Ummm, heh..." I floundered, now shifting the orientation of the outstretched hand to grab Terrin by the shoulder. Sitting as awkwardly as I was I couldn't quite haul him back, but at least I helped him keep his precarious position beside me.

"Morning!"

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

"Ahhh...same to you," he managed with a smile, recovering from his initial surprise. "Hey, we're the last ones up...

...with the exception of Jasyn, most likely. Fortunately, we're on our ship, and everyone's going to meet in my office...

...so they have to wait on us."

He paused, scowling a bit then. "And I really want a shower after floating around in bacta yesterday. Unless, of course," he then added, a bit of humor creeping into his eyes, "We're going to have a pajama party onship again."

[ 12-26-2007 09:53 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"That wouldn't be the best way to announce to your men that you're hale and whole and back aboardship now, would it?" I said lightly as the fading image of the peeping bird finally vanished, only to be replaced by the equally absurd vision of all of us in serious discussion clad in our nightwear. Then I sobered as what I was saying hit me squarely between the eyes. For to tell the truth, what with all the running here, popping into this portal and falling into that crevass and whatnot, I myself really hadn't had the time to truly assimilate that very same fact.

As Terrin regained his balance, my hand lightly cupped his face.

"You are back," I said softly in what to some might seem an apparent non sequiteur. My smile, by then threatening to dissolve into pure sap, broadened.

"I'm ever so glad, Flyboy. Now, you go get your shower, but save some hot water for me.

"Then let's go meet everyone and-- and--"

I floundered suddenly as another enormity swooped down to overwhelm me.

"Try to figure out just what in Hell's Seven Circles is happening, and see what we can do about it...

"If at all."

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

...but the memories that rose to the surface were of times he'd been here with Galen, of the first time he'd brought her here.

He'd learned so much since then, only because of her influence...

With effort, Terrin shook himself from the warm fuzzies as they approached the Captain's office. Pausing there for a moment, he took a deep breath, as if mentally assimilating something....for perhaps he was...and then keyed in his personal entry code. The door whooshed open obligingly, and Terrin stepped inside along with Galen. Others were already sitting around, caf cups in hand, waiting patiently...

...or at least, most waiting patiently. Jasyn just scowled.

Ahh...nothing like business as usual, Terrin thoght to himself, waiting for Galen to take a seat before he stepped in behind his desk and sat so that the computer would be nearby if needed.

"Allright," Terrin said after noting that everyone was present and feeling safe within the quiet confines of the office. "We've got the Vong incoming again and all powers including Force sensitivity and otherwise seem to be gone."

He paused, holding back the enivitable question that would follow for a moment before finishing with, "What're we going to do?"

[ 12-27-2007 11:30 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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And what it took to escape from the jaws of death time after time.

My heart immediately sank. For truth be known, if it was anything other than personally eluding someone, it seemed much had been brought about by either this mysterious power or that. Of which now, thanks to Ol Googly, we were totally bereft.

I shot a glance to the guys who had been visited by those giant, terrifying eyes.

"What exactly did the entity say to you?" I opened, leaning forward a bit in spite of my earlier vow to steer clear of any further danger.

"Was there any clue whatever as to why it did what it has appeared to do? Because quite frankly, I think the only option we otherwise have left to us is to go to Sorben and explain what in Hell's Seven Circles is going on."

I paused fractionally, cutting yet another quick glance at everybody.

"I mean, c'mon, Eagle Enterprises is a business, not a war machine. With the Vong incoming, we're going to need more firepower, and those with the ability to use it."

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

...until we got to him and it up and accused us of taking the easiest path and using powers repeatedly to help one person."

He paused then, only scowling further. "I mean, I knew it was all too easy, but I thought for at least once we might be catching a break. Now we're responsible for the end of all these mystical powers, and we don't even have any of them. As for the incoming Vong..."

He trailed, his brown eyes growing a bit distant. "It was my understanding that it took far more than the big ships of the Republic and the Empire to stop them and send them out."

[ 12-27-2007 11:52 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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"Someone else is gonna have to come up with the rest of that story," I replied, "'cuz history was never my best subject. But as for the Entity..."

I sighed again, the look I was giving Jasyn now softening a little.

"How did you know? I mean, yeah, sure seems obvious now that you were being tested or something, if getting to Shawn was as easy as you say. But gads, if an easy path to help a comrade had been presented to me, I'd follow it too.

"No one here blames you; well, at least I can say for certain that I don't."

But Khaandon help you if Sissypoops ever finds out...

I wriggled a little uncomfortably as the logical follow-up to that errant thought made itself known.

Or the Sith, I couldn't help but wince inwardly to myself. Wisely -- for once -- I chose to keep my mouth shut about this. No use bringing up more worries, especially those based primarily on speculation, even though truth be known I felt deep in my gut that I'd hit several nails on their collective heads.

[ 12-27-2007 12:20 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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They weren't all being punished because Jasyn and Matt took the easy path to get to Shawn...

...no, no. It had to be much more than that.

"In the grand spectrum of things, placing the blame here or there is useless," Shayla observed then. "But I think your act is not the sole reason That Which Is did what it did."

She paused then, her greeny-blue eyes growing distant as memories played out of when they had used their powers for the good of one: to save Graysith from death, to bring Terrin back to life, so on and so forth. "I think it has much more to do with the choices of people with said powers to use those powers to rescue one, when perhaps there were other, far more important things which affected far many more people, to be dealt with."

Quieting a moment then, she forced herself to refocus on the others and away from her wandering thoughts. "But I agree with Jasyn, it took far more than big ships to send the Vong away from here the first time. What we do need to look to, perhaps, is that they can't be sensed in the Force...

...and look down on any forms of computer and technology that are not purely organic. These factors were used in the past to defeat them, and will be necessary to defeat them again...

...because it doesn't seem like That Which Is is going to reinstate our abilities any time soon."

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

He paused then, pursing his lips. "Maybe, depending on how we handle our new circumstanes, the powers that have been taken will be given back?"

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

"That sounds reasonable," I said, letting a finger pop out of my fist to waggle at no one in particular.

"Especially since we won't be able to not sense a Vong in the Force, since all abilities are currently removed from the picture..."

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

“I can just imagine the chaos going on in the Sith worlds,” he said somberly. “If so much of their technology is powered by that magic stuff of theirs. But the fact is, we don’t know if or when Googly will give that back, and we can’t count on it. I’m sure the Sith aren’t going start praying to golden statues to give them their power back. No, they’re going to figure out what to do to adapt.”

Panthar leaned forward, looking at each person in turn.

“But maybe at least we won’t have to worry about some of the other problems that came up. Like our friends from the Darker Realms, Phal’s daddy and that dark tar man thing that took over the clone of Phalomir and disappeared. Or the thing that pretended to be Aelvedaar, remember that? But how do you fight weird stuff like that? You don’t. You focus in on the battles you can win, and hope for the best.

“Now, Li’l Red here says we should talk to Sorben. It’s funny you should say that, because Phal and Gray were on their way to the dungeon on K’eel Doba to free him and explain what happened. She apparently blasted the blockade out of existence when she was possessed by the tar stuff, and threw Sorben in the clink there. They were going to get Thoran, too, Phal said something about him being there. We were all supposed to meet back on Khar Delba, so maybe we should keep that in mind.

“And there’s something else, too. Some of you might not know this, but I didn’t always used to be Sith. It’s a really, really… REALLY long story, but I used to human. Still am, at heart. I was an archeologist, digging up stuff about an ancient civ that was so technological advanced that I couldn’t figure out why they disappeared. Turns out I was researching the Sith, go figure. I found a planet, and a cave system that seemed to have the remnants of a lab, or factory, from long ago. Well, long story short, I think I found the secret lab of Trelanicus, the guy who scorned magick, and was building things that didn’t rely on it. If I had my notes, we could find this place again.”

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

He paused, scowling as he remembered their crash. "Lots and lots of snow."

Pausing then, his eyes defocused a bit. "And at the risk of sounding just like those that this Ultimate Entity seems angry with...

...we've got a baby boy back on Khar Delba in a Sith Incubator, powered by Sith technology. I'm concerned,to say the least. And as for Graysith and Phalomir heading off after Tarnus...

...don't you think he'd be a little hesitant of the person who whammied his big ole fleet?"

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

...what about Captain Joao and the kids? We got that star pattern from the Octahedron before all the Magick went poof, and it showed them on some planet with a very sith-looking ship. We need to find them...

...and figure out what planet they are on. And now perhaps for more than one reason."

[ 12-27-2007 02:47 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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Falling silent for a moment at that, a sneaky little shoulder devil promptly popped out of thin air. Maybe if he had the TIE fighter you promised him he wouldn't be stuck on some random planet...

Terrin ignored the thought, knowing better. Poor guy, every time he gets entangled with any of us something strange happens...

"Regardless of how he got where he is, we need to find out where he is and get to him. We owe him that much..."

...and alot more, came the final mental addendum.

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

"Ok," I said at length. "There seems to be a lot on our plates... but let's try to stop and look at everything before we go off in possibly the wrong direction. Number One--"

I held up one finger, tapped it with another.

"Yaoksi is on some world, we haven't a clue which one. We have a starfield to go by, yes; but would this be along the lines of going after one person? I mean, isn't that what ol' Googly didn't like us doing, apparently, downstairs?"

I pointed toward the deck, reminding everyone that we yet were in orbit around the soggy world of Dagobah. Eyes before me shifted a little nervously; without any further hesitation I lifted another finger to join it's mate.

"Two, there is a child in what was a magickal incubator. From the time period that has passed since all this weirdness has descended on us, I'm afraid that unless other immediate measures were taken, we're just going to have to assume that child has died."

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the stricken looks passing on the faces of practically everyone there. Not opening them, I went on.

"We have to assume as well that Aeylmaar would have done something; I mean, yeah, Khar Delba is the world of the Sith Sorcerers... but does that automatically mean that's all they depend upon? Sith magick, I mean..."

Now I rounded on Panthar, stared thoughtfully into his face as I slowly raised another finger.

"Three, this Treeblewhoosis person, the non-magickal sorcerer? One would think he'd have other means of... well, of doing whatever it is the sorcerers did. We have to believe that seeds of his ideas bore some kind of fruit, and that your baby is still alive."

I looked straight at Erik, then Shayla, and with the utmost of effort kept the sympathy I felt for them from showing in my face. For now was not the time to be thinking of our own little problems, but of those upcoming ones which were indeed a tad wee larger in scope.

"I think maybe we might find something different, something the Vong might not have any idea exists, if we find this planet Red is talking about. I mean, look at it this way: the last time they came, I think somehow some Jedi killed their big leader or something. They're certain to be prepared for that event, and more than likely will have other nasties to use against us.

"Well, they would never have heard of the Sith. It's too bad the magicks are probably down the drain... but this Trelanicus..."

I trailed a moment, settling back in my seat.

"Maybe he's got something new, something non-magickal, that might help. Or, help us to persuade the Imperial forces into believing us.

"We have to tell Sorben about the Vong, guys. We just have to."

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

Falling silent for one more moment, his eyes growing momentarily distant and truthfully concerned, he ended with, "I'm not certain this is the kind of news you deliver any other way than in person..."

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

[ 12-27-2007 04:44 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Panthar Dantares ]

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

"Khar Delba?" I asked, somewhat stupidly. "How is that going to help? I mean, who is there; why don't we go to K'eel Doba? That's where Sissy and Phal were heading to free Sorben; since everyone there is probably in some kind of big reactionary mess right about now not only would they still be planetbound but we just might be able to sneak in unnoticed.

"Ya think?"

I leaned my head against my hand and ran fingers sloppily through my hair, wincing at how garbled that all came out.

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

A light bulb flickered over Panthar’s head, and he sat up straight.

“Hey!” he blurted. “Aelvedaar was supposed to be here! He opened the portal and we went through, but it closed and he never came out.”

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

...or it's something else I don't even want to entertain at the moment. But there is a point we might want to consider here regarding whether to go to Khar Delba or K'eel Doba. Kartan has a good point...

...if Graysith whammied the Imperial blockade and locked Tarnus up, why the kriffing hell would he believe her when she up and pops up and says 'oh, sorry, it wasn't me?' I mean, I wouldn't either."

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