If you ask me, the whole damned Galaxy should be banded together, if we're going to win this time! The irrational thought didn't do much in the way of making me feel any better, other than giving a bit of the frustration I felt a means to leak out of me.

A huge proportion was left; now my hand reached up and combed unruly locks from my face. I sighed.

"Terrin, I- I- I don't know what to do."

Now that, coming from me, was a scary thing. I had always had some kind of answer, some sort of goal or idea to aim toward when the going got rough. Incongruously, my mind flew back to the day I'd met Terrin, when I escaped from the 25-story prison Actar had placed me not by attempting the climb down, but rather up.

There always is another side to every coin, sure as there's Treasure on Roon. But for the life of me, no matter how I flipped it and flipped it, this particular coin kept coming up showing the same face.

"I'm ok now, Terrin," I finally said, going to him and reaching up to plant a reassuring kiss on his lips. While his stance softened a little, the concern in his eyes didn't waver one iota. I sighed.

"Let's go tell the others what happened," I went on as I took his hand and, pulling him gently, headed out into the corridor of the ship toward the Mess, where I hoped the others would be gathered. Or some of them, at least.

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

It'd sure be nice if Kyan would come around and help her out with this, a shoulder devil popped up and snorted derisively. Kinda reminiscent of those Jedi back on K'eel Doba...that Mahoy whosis and his lady Jedi friend...who were more concerned about getting to Shayla than helping Galen...

With effort, Terrin shoved such darkening thoughtws to the side, not mentioning them, at least not now. Upon entering the Mess, they found Link and Yaoksi seated at the table, drinks in hand, talking. Terrin looked to Galen, quirking a brow, hoping like hell he could offer her something to ease her nerves just a little. Even if it was a drink.

"How about a drink?" he asked simply enough, squeezing her hand a bit to once more convey support...

...and to ease the rising concern and doubt he had seen in her eyes.

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

No pain, no fatigue, not even that from all my years..

Quickly Kyan looked back at the bunk and saw himself or more like a shell of himself. Stretching forth his hand to touch the body lying on the bed he saw his own arm consisted of millions of luminous fibers. He had no idea of what exactly to make of what he was seeing or more importantly why he was seeing it. Slowly the walls began to fade revealing to him Link and Yaoksi chatting in the galley both composed of similar luminous threads Link's lacking an arm and both much dimmer than his own. Similarly Terrin and Galen now came into view, Terrin also missing an arm and dim like the others, but Galen shinning brightly like himself.

Is it the Force that I'm seeing, but why I already know Gal'ika is strong in the Force.

Kyan wanted to yell out to them to try and understand what it was he was seeing, but it was as if something prevented him from doing so. That same feeling made him focus on Galen something he was suppose to see but remained hidden from him. He could sense the effects of a power stirring within her but not the power itself it reminded him of when he drew power from Galen's abilities and the hidden one behind the scenes that bleed over that both poisoned him and gave restored a portion of his force connection at the same time. The walls, the stars everything but the people seemed to fade from view as they were all swept away to another place.

It came off in the distance at first, then grew larger as it came closer until before them sat a large fountain next to a pool filled with steeping stones. The others appeared oblivious to the sudden change of scenery as if they were still on the ship. He had little time to ponder what all this was suppose to mean when the starless sky began to take a new shape as well. Where there once was darkness the sky was now filled with what he could only describe as large stone figures conversing with each other oblivious to what was happening below. Finally released from the mysterious force that was holding him back he tried to call out to the imposing figures.

“What is this,” asked Kyan. “I don't understand what is all this suppose to symbolize.”

I don't know about the other two, but to me it sounded, well... Sound.

A bit more time passed. Link found something to eat, I switched from caf to ale and back again until at last I thought far too much time had passed in waiting for the return of the others. Shooting a measured look Link's way, it suddenly struck me that the little gal seemed to have grown a lot, not only in age but in stature. Almost as rapidly as the idea developed in me. Of course this hadn't really happened at all, but her grasp on the difficulties which lay ahead, not to mention her neat suggestion as how best we might handle it, elevated her enormously in my eyes.

I let the corner of my mouth quirk upward, leaned back to as to reach my own blaster more comfortably, and threw it on the table next to her own.

"I'm in," I said succinctly, crossing one leg on the other and leaning back just as Galen and Terrin entered. Terrin looked all kinds of worried, while his spitfire of a wife looked like she could use a drink.

It's always about timing...

"Glad to see you're back!" I welcomed them, then rose to get us all a shot of liquid fire. I even plopped a short one down in front of Link; I figured not only had the lil gal earned one, but had done so more than once throughout the whirligig of time she had been with us.

I spread my arms expansively to either side.

"Welcome to the Coalition, Galen!"

I then shot a quite obvious look which shot past them and into the corridor beyond.

Kyan? my quirked brow questioned, as simultaneously I raised my shot glass into the air.

[ 08-02-2012 03:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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

"Kyan is doing some meditation," he said evenly enough. "I'm sure he will join us later."

And then maybe he'll finally help Galen sort through what she experienced, a sarcastic-like demon popped up on his shoulder and snorted. He was a persistent little beastie, and getting increasingly more difficult to ignore.

Stating that, he made sure Galen got seated comfortably at the mess table before taking a seat himself, and picking up the shot glass Yaoksi had poured and raising it in a similiar manner.

"To the Coalition indeed," he said then simply, but most certainly not flippantly. They needed to band together now, and not just from within but with others on the outside. Because if they didn't...

...Terrin wasn't sure if they were going to survive at all.

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

Gal'ika and the others remain oblivious to this... it probably means i'm the only one who is actually seeing this. The fountain and the lake I know them or is it of them but from where?

He stepped closer to the fountain first peering into its depths. The waters that ran in it was dark almost black, but not clouded only black. It moved slowly almost beckoning him to come forward and drink from its waters. For a moment he reached out to the water to take a drink only to quickly withdraw his hand.

This isn't right, the water is not what it appears to be. It is dark, sinister.

Slowly he turned away from the fountain a little piece of him still longed to drink from its waters. His gaze followed the water from the fountain where it overflowed into the lake filled with stepping stones. Cautiously he approached the lake and looked into its depths. From its edge it dropped into what looked like a bottomless pit and what once appeared to be stepping stones revealed themselves to be stone pillars whose tops barely broke the surface and whose bases faded into the depths of the lake. Kyan sat at the edge of the waters of the lake staring into the calm, but he dared not to touch them. As he sat the darkness cleared from the lake as what he could only describe as scenes from his life replayed off of the reflection of the lake. In them he saw many things his marriage to his wife, finding his oldest daughter on that wrecked freighter, the birth of his youngest daughter.

I hove no idea how this is possible, but these memories I had long forgotten so many of them. So many little details of what had transpired and all the good things I have been fortunate to have.

"Umm, yeah..." I said, and threw it all back. The contents shot down my throat, rebounded from my stomach, and seemed to erupt back into my sinus cavities, where they proceeded to light a fireworks display to rival that of Boonta Eve.

"To the... Coalition-?" I choked, swallowing thickly to put out the flames I was positive were shooting out of my nose.

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

Maybe that flow walk Force wizardry Kyan was going on about, or maybe Terrin hadn't explained it to her yet.

"The Coalition," Link cheered. "At least it is until some one comes up with a better name for it."

She leveled her gaze with Galen's while gently setting her mug back on the table.

"I don't know what Terrin and the others have said," injected Link. "But the Coalition is our answer to the vong. The theory is the Empire and the Sith both have enemies that will refuse to help them out even with the threat of the vong upon the galaxy. So in secret while the Empire and the vong start beating each other to death we find those disgruntled people and build a force that can take on the vong or whatever is thrown against it."

Link stopped focusing her sole attention on Galen to let her process what she had said and returned to addressing the room in general.

"We still have much to plan out," said Link. "But I reemphasize the point how no one, and I mean no one outside of this ship can know we are the leadership. As far as anyone is concerned we are representatives or proxies to the leadership. We can bring in outsiders later but only with unanimous support. Agreed."

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

"Look, this is all new to me, and it sounds just wonderful at first consideration. But there's something I think you've forgotten that really needs to be taken into account."

I let my head drop, while I gathered my thoughts. Still looking at the gleaming surface, I continued.

"The Sith aren't who the Average Joe thinks they are. They're way different, magickal, way more powerful, and..."

My head shot up, and I fixed Link with a measured look.

"Invisible. Not there. Non-existent, outta the game, dead and gone... look, kid, as far as most people know, the Sith are history! Not only that, but when you mention the word 'Sith' to anyone, all they can think of is this Darth or that, and the duology by which they lived. To many it's just some kind of weird religion, for Khaandon's sake! Myth, dark, forgotten, lost in the corners of the past... The only ones who know not only that they're around, but who they really are, are us, the Vong...

"...and a certain few in the Empire."

She opened her mouth to interject; I raised a hand, bullying onward.

"Divide and conquer, right? Wrong! Here's why."

I curled the raised hand into a fist, shot out a finger, began ticking 'em off as I spoke.

"One, if the Empire and the Vong waste time duking it out, the Empire will be utterly smashed. Trust me, I know it will.

"Two, we believe there to be a strong Sith-Vong connection. If this is indeed the case, all the Sith would have to do is hang back further, pull out, set their sights on who else might try to annoy them, and let the Vong finish the job. Without the aid of the Sith, the Empire will be toast.

"So after the Vong summarily smash the Empire, here comes the new nasty alliance -- perhaps -- to smear the leftovers into goo. Point to the Bad Guys... and where do they go from there?

"I don't think it matters... because there's something else sticking its fingers into the works."

I pursed my lips, chewing on them a bit and shot Terrin yet another somewhat anxious look. He reached out with a reassuring hand; thus encouraged, I plunged ahead.

"I saw... Something in the Flow Walk I had with Kyan. No, maybe it's better to say I sensed it's presence. I don't know who or what it is; we've had some short experience with this-- this-- entity we lovingly refer to as 'Ol Googly;' what I sensed reminded me of it. Or him. Or her. Whatever.

"But whatever he/she/it really is, we don't know. We just know he/she/it does exist, shows itself only upon brief occasion, and disappears. I'm not sure exactly what happens, but the sense I'm left with is that it is something on a galactic; no, universal scale.

"We're nothing but motes, less than motes. I don't know what we are, but to him/her/it I can't help but feel it's nothing.

"And what I felt in the Flow Walk was the presence of Something Else, something perhaps even worse."

I shut my trap with the sudden realization that not only did my words seem far-fetched at the very least... but if they were indeed true there was probably not a whole helluva lot we could do about anything.

I wondered about the Vong, their alleged connection with the Sith, the way the Empire was hanging back off from the Sith when they more than likely fully well knew about them...

And there's Ol' Googly.

Wasn't something mentioned about a Game, or did I dream that somewhere? Was that idea something we'd all come up with, or was there anything remotely resembling factual evidence to prove something deeply sinister was in fact going on? More sinister than another simple Vong invasion...

Wherever my thoughts had been heading, they abruptly vanished. My hand rose to my forehead, and I slumped into a chair. Someone placed another shot glass before me; I grabbed it and tossed it down.

It tasted like ashes in my mouth.

"Maybe we need to do the totally, utterly unexpected," I muttered, wondering just where that had come from, and what in fact those words really meant.

[ 08-03-2012 04:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

“First off let me say that I have witnessed what the Sith can do,” Link replied. “I have also seen the power of what you like to call the All as well. That and I have experienced first hand what the Vong are capable of as well.”

To emphasize her point Link slowly open and closed her fist letting the dull sound of machinery in her hand fill the silent room.

“But I also have another experience that unfortunately you all may yet experience.” Link continued. “I have been powerless before others, dominated, abused, counted as a piece of machinery and denied basic rights. From what you yourself described about this evil behind the evil we would be lucky to be counted as slaves, more likely to be considered nerfs if this power seizes hold. So I ask what are we to do?”

Link's question was mostly rhetorical in nature but she didn't give Galen a chance to answer using it to set up her next train of thought.

“I wasn't as fortunate as you Galen,” said Link. “I was born as a ryn, had no family to love me, I don't have the mystic powers you do. Maybe if I had any of those things I wouldn't have become a slave and not have had to do so many horrible things to survive, but I wasn't. I blamed the Jedi for what happened to me, if they had so much power how could it be so hard to stop the conditions that led to my life.”

Link had to stop to gather herself, she came to the point that she never wanted to admit because then all her blame would be for naught, but she had to move on as well.

“The truth is the Jedi are not to blame for what happened to me,” said Link. “We are are. It is simpler to have those who wield fantastic powers do the dirty work as everyone sits back and relaxes. The problem with that is how it then never becomes our own responsibility to work out our own problems. We do need a change Galen, a fundamental change. The idea of the Coalition may have started as a means to counter the Vong, but the more I thought about it we can use it as a vehicle for those of us not gifted like yourself to stand side by side against the threats we face and to affect change.”

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

The signs were all there but no one could see it, not even me.

The memories played out until it arrived at the scene of their duel. Kyan stopped tracking the individual moves of the fight focusing on the luminous thread of the Force that formed both contestants. They both appeared evenly matched that was until his brother unleashed a barrage of lightning well wide of Kyan. In that moment Kyan remembered how time froze for him as the lightning was not meant for him but how it punched through his youngest daughter leaving a smoking hole in her armor. He remembered how he didn't need to verify his daughter was dead, he felt her death through the Force. His brother smiled at the death of Kyan's daughter, but not for long.

If his brothers plan was to turn him to the dark side he was solely mistaken about the effects of his daughters death. Instead of giving into his rage and hatred Kyan watched as a wave of calm washed over his old self and the threads of luminous light exploded into a pillar of light then condensed itself into his body. Kyan demonstrated one of the rarest of Force abilities ever to manifest, it wasn't becoming one with the Force but becoming the embodiment of the Force itself. He remembered how it felt that in that moment he could have commanded stars to go nova or a black hole to reverse its flow and the sight on his brothers face as he knew it was over. In a last ditch effort to inflict more pain his brother readied a second barrage for Kyan's oldest daughter, he didn't get the chance as Kyan crossed a large distance in what many later recounted was an instant and drove his lightsaber through his brother heart.

Even after all that he still managed one more trick.

As if his thoughts were a prophecy of was what to come his brother reached out grabbing him on both sides of his head and gave him the most evilest of grins. Kyan watched as his older self was stripped of the Force, but now he could see with new eyes what had happened.

This feeling, the threads of light. Its not through the Force he did this to me, its like Galen's abilities he used the All.

Kyan was shocked by this revelation, it wasn't natural like how Galen's felt. It was incomplete, or a fragment that he had acquired. Now it made sense to him why Galen's powers reacted in the flow walk to him. Through his new vision that he currently saw the world he could see how the Force even as the powerful living entity it was still in the grand scheme of things was a system that had to follow set rules. But the All he could only describe as the universe itself bending itself to the will of the user. It was both frighting and awe inspiring the concept of such a power in the universe.

Is this how Gal'ika sees it, how am I suppose to teach her to use this. Something I am powerless to stand before, all my family dead how can I be qualified to rebuild the Jedi or teach Gal'ika.

Kyan looked up and saw the fountain, and once again it beckoned him to drink from its waters and it would grant him the power to do all he wished. Drawing near Kyan cupped his hands below the surface of the fountain then raised up a small amount in his hands to drink. As it was about to touch his lips Kyan heard a voice resonate in his head.

Buir STOP.

Startled Kyan spilled the water onto the ground and turned to see another figure standing with the others on the ship. This one was different from the others instead of being illuminated with threads of the Force she glowed a subtle blue.

“Ad'ika?” Kyan asked. In response the new figure said nothing but bowed her head in acknowledgement.

...and so very, very wrong...

I don't know how I knew that, but I did. It wasn't as if that was a bit of knowledge I'd come up with myself, based on one of my usual hunches. Nor was it based on anything in particular anybody had said. It wasn't even as if someone had planted the notion in my head.

I just... knew.

I sighed a little, reached out, took up the empty shot glass and started toying with it.

"Fighting, it's always fighting..."

With an exhalation of breath I slammed the little glass down on the table with such force that it shattered. The incident drew me away from where my thoughts were beginning to stray; now I frowned and lifted the glass in front of my face. It had retained its integrity, but was covered now with a webbing of fractures. I peered at Link through the remainder of the glass, seeing multiple images of her staring back at me.

She knows she's right, too... and she's basing her idea on fact. What do you have to base yours on, Galen? I mean, c'mon; it's not even as if you even have anything solid to go by, much less offer!

It came to me then, what to do.

I set the shattered glass back on the table, gently. Clasped my hands, and leaned in a bit to look Link even harder smack in her eyes.

"I don't know what the hell is in me. I don't know exactly how it got there; I sure as there's treasure on Roon hadn't been born like this, like Jedi are born being Force sensitive. I'm pretty positive that somehow that day that--"

I halted a little; pursing my lips briefly against the hurt that would never go away.

"--that my Sister changed from being Jharmeen to whatever the hell she is now, well, something slopped over into me. So yeah, I believe I really do have that inside me now. Not the Force, like Kyan thinks, but something more. Something I might be able to connect with to help, if only I knew how."

I straightened again, rubbed a weary hand across my face.

"Look, for some reason I don't think fighting is the way out of whatever the hell predicament it is that's coming our way. I know that sounds weird, stupid... but it's niggling in me. Call it a hunch. But--"

I raised a hand now, seeing Link's impending protests.

"Getting prepared for it, should push come to shove, is a good idea, I think. So yeah, go ahead with this Coalition. Combine forces. Meanwhile..."

I trailed off, turned, and gave Terrin the most serious look I'd ever given him in the wild career that has been our life together.

"Terrin, I need a ship."

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

“Buir'ika,” Pria's voice echoed in his head. “It was my doing that brought you here. Galen's powers have restored enough of your connection with the Force to allow me to call you here.”

He stood by not understanding exactly how she had done this but accepted it nonetheless.

The All is more than you can imagine or understand, it cannot be explained to those not chosen it has to be experienced. Those who wield it are not born with it like the Force but are chosen, at first it manifests in other abilities that can resemble the Force or Sith magik. It will eventually develop into greater abilities and often times has altered the mind of its user to serve its purpose. At least this is what us Jedi who now inhabit this plane have come to believe.

Kyan now understood where he was and why this place was so familiar. It was the lake of apparition, a place where Jedi could see the ghosts of other Jedi beneath the surface of the lake. Pria must have brought his mind here because its physical location was thousands of lightyears away and only know to very few because of the dangers it holds.

I'm sorry I had to show you those memories of what happened but now you understand what was done to you, only the All can restore your abilities. You needed to see for yourself and understand how little you understood of the All. Galen is important to the future you were right about that, but your path and hers are very different. That is why you must let her find it in her own way, but there will be a time when you will help her once again and for that time is why I leave you with this. To help Galen and to also save my daughter Kani.

Pria took a step forward and grasped Kyan's hands in her own. Kyan watched as she closed her eyes and her light in the Force grew in intensity then began to flow over himself. Realizing what she was doing he tried to stop her but was too late, as the light began to recede back into Pria she began to fade into nothingness. Kyan snapped up from the bunk on the ship, he looked around but saw nothing.

What was that, was it real, a vision.

Thinking the room was too dark the began to notice how everything began to glow with a dull blue light. Slowly it grew until he could make out the room but then he noticed how he could not read any of the various screen, or the details of a piece of flimsisteel. Kyan now understood what Pria had done she had given him the ability to see the Force but at the cost of his own sight. Then he could feel something else she had done but it was not the time to use it. To do all this he knew that it the cost to Pria much more in turn. Kyan then began to shed tears for he knew that he would never again in this life or the next see his daughter ever again.

“Pry'ika,” Kyan shouted out. “Why did you do this?”

The response came as the same voice of Pria echoed through his head one last time.

...but he knew damn well he trusted her and believed in the abilities that were inside her. Likewise he knew damn well that whatever it was she was thinking and possibly beginning to plan that there was no way in hell she was going at it alone.

Not this time. Never again.

He didn't say as much, not aloud. Even so, Terrin was certain she could read it in his eyes.

He cocked a brow, the return look he gave her equally as serious. "What do you have in mind?"

And he most certainly was not just talking about a a ship.

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

"Oh," I finally managed. "I don't need much of a ship; just a little one, about so big-"

I held out my hands about a meter apart to illustrate.

"--with a little hyperdrive in her and maybe a defensive something-or-other. You see..."

I trailed off again, now yanking my eyes from his for I knew if I watched the look that undoubtedly was going to parade through them I'd start thinking again about what I was thinking. It was already hard enough.

"I- I- there's something I have to do, and... and... and I don't want you to come with me."

In fact, I really think Kyan should, I kept back as my ace-in-the-hole against the protestations I knew were forthcoming.

Sure as there's Treasure on Roon.

[ 08-23-2012 07:37 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

What possible use it it to see the world like this, its like I'm hearing color, or tasting smells.

Kyan almost swore as he ran into bulkhead after bulkhead, he had to focus in order to make out simple objects such as buttons, knobs, latches, and also bulkheads. He found it easier just to dismiss what he was seeing for now and rely on the mental map he created earlier. Stumbling into the galley he could see the bewilderment of the others as he tripped over chairs and bumped into tables. Fishing around for a chair he sat himself down at the table. Sensing a glass bottle on the table he reached for it and missed, again he reached and missed, then on the third try his hand connected grasping it firmly. Removing its glass stopper he tipped his head back drinking down half of its contents. Burning as it went down it did little to distract Kyan from the images of Pria still on his mind.

“That wasn't as distracting as I thought,” quipped Kyan. He could see the growing look of concern from the others and more importantly sense how Galen could feel something had happened to him.

"What's wrong, Kyan?" I asked, totally worried by the way it had taken him several attempts to find that bottle and finally raise it to his lips. It unnerved me even more to see his white-knuckled grip on it; even though he had replaced it on the table, he wasn't moving his hand.

As if he doesn't know if he'd find it again...

Worry and concern multiplied to the size of a rancor. Not knowing what else to do, I reached out a hand and placed it lightly atop the one still holding the bottle in such a death's grip. He seemed to jump a little, as if...

As if he hadn't seen that coming.

My little personal armada of geese flew in from nowhere and began their march up and down my back, their little red flags waving in cadence as the stomp of their persistent feet promptly turned my skin cold.

Oh hell.

[ 08-25-2012 02:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

When Kyan looked at Galen what he saw was different from the others. He could still see the soft blue light radiating off of her, but he also saw another light radiating from her in a color he could not describe in either basic or mando'a. He had no means to describe it other than the toxic feeling he felt when he had shared Galen's powers during the flow walk. Realizing how he was staring blankly off into space he could feel the growing desperation from Galen, at his own silence.

“I don't know how to describe it,” answered Kyan. “I'm not sure if there are even words that could describe it entirely, but I will try.”

He began to recount how after he left Terrin and Galen in the cargo hold and went into his healing trance. Kyan told them of his out of body experience then the fountain and lake he saw, the memories played back for him, the ghost of Pria that came to him. Then he went into how his sight was taken from him by Pria and replaced with his new vision and tried to explain what it was he saw. He could tell that most of this was going over the tops of their heads, but it was something that almost had to be experienced first hand in order to understand it.

He's seeing in blue, radiating outlines. Me, it's purple and indigo and chrome.

What the Hell was with the colors? What was the connection? There just had to be some kind of connection; our separate experiences were, although unique, too... similar to be utterly disparate.

There had to be some kind of connection... but for the life of me I couldn't see it.

Not releasing my grip on Kyan's hands, I quickly closed my eyes, did a fast mental tally. The comparison was short:

He's got -- or had -- Force Powers. He's seeing the weird blue effect. Me, I've had niggles, hunches... then quite recently the strong indication that I seem to be sharing whatever power it is that Sissy has. Only I was seeing flashes of indigo, purple, and chrome.

What the Hell was this Flow Walk trying to tell us both?

My eyes popped open, and I squeezed Kyan's hands harder.

"Maybe we're both seeing parts of, oh, I dunno, a bigger whole or something."

Now I dropped my hands, settled back. Gave Kyan a steady look that I hoped he could at least sense, then shot another one Terrin's way.

"I don't know how Kyan is going to come to terms with his vision, but I can tell you one thing about mine. I think it's telling me about two somethings: something outside me, and something inside me. Before I can even begin to think of tackling whatever in Hell's Seven Circles the outside thing is, I've got to understand this interior phenomenon that I seem to be carting around with me."

I paused a moment, drew in a deep breath.

"Terrin, I need a ship because I need to go find Sissy. I think she's the only one who can help me figure out how to deal with this; wait--"

I shot my hand upward, palm out, to stop the protests I saw firing up in my husband's eyes. Bless his heart he kept from letting them spill forth... yet. I went on.

"I don't want you to come along because I know how things stood between her and you and your guys when you left. I don't know how she'll react to you now; I certainly don't want to risk handing her over to you on a silver platter. But--"

Now I turned to Kyan, spoke directly to him although loud enough that all present could hear me.

"But I think I can get by with going to her; things have changed, I think, since the days she was chasing me and Sorben all over the place. I think she'll let me near.

"And I think she'll let Kyan near, too." These words escaped me in a rush, and to prevent the outburst I was sure was forthcoming I finished just as quickly.

"I think she's going to sense whatever it is that's going on with you, Kyan. And she's going to be curious.

"And I really believe she is going to be able to help us both."

[ 08-28-2012 01:02 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

Terrin tried his damnedest to ignore it, Which wasn't working very well. He steadied a very worried look Galen's way for a moment, then turned a concerned eye to Kyan...

...then back to Galen. "And what if your sister doesn't help?" He paused, pursing his lips a bit as he played the "Devil's Advocate," so to speak. "We have strong suspicions the Sith are connected to the Vong, and your sister is the Dark Lady of the Sith..."

He paused a moment, taking a deep breath. "I trust you, implicitly...but I just don't know if I can trust her, not now."

Trailing, Terrin realized his final words pretty much summed up the very reason Galen thought he shouldn't go with her. And with that, his mind flashed back to another day: the day he made the Blood Oath with Graysith.

And e realized with a jolt that what Galen was asking of him was no less than he had asked of her. To trust her sister, based on her trust in him alone.

But at least they were together at the time, both on the Sith worlds...

...and he would be ready and available to intervene had Graysith changed her mind. With Galen alone and Kyan blind...

"If something happens to you..."

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

“Don't count me out just yet,” Kyan interjected. “This just will take some time for me to get use to, but in many ways its superior to actual sight.”

It only threw Kyan for a loop because he didn't know how to process all the information he was taking in at once. As he sat there he naturally began to filter out the information he didn't need, and he had to admit there was several advantages that could be exploited by seeing in all directions and through walls.

My mind whirled with ideas, do's n' don'ts, suggestions which I immediately shot down as many were approached and dealt with. I was so engrossed in it all that I nearly jumped out of my seat when Kyan addressed me.

"Ahh--" I replied, forcing my thoughts back into the mundane world of navigation. "Not long; I think maybe a couple hours? We've been sitting here awhile, and you and Mrs. Danner were gone for quite some time."

With that I remembered the shot glass I was still holding. After tossing down the dregs I rose, seeking more liquid courage to fortify myself with. For I didn't have the fighting skills nor the paranormal powers that other members of our group owned. All I had was, well... fortitude.

And sometimes even that needed a little encouragement.

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

Captain Joao skeptical acceptance, Terrin concern, Gal'ika some uncertainty, Link... her mind isn't alien to me anymore so lets see... deep fear, anger, guilt, determination... her emotions are all over the map.

Kyan made a mental note to talk to Yaoksi later about what he sensed, pushing those thoughts aside he refocused his thoughts to the issue at hand.

“Thank you for the confirmation Captain,” answered Kyan. “Now then even if we are to turn this ship around and head back to Terrin's vessel now it would take us much longer to rendezvous with it than it would take to reach Mandalore. Even if it was heading towards us at this moment. On Mandalore my clan has vessels Gal'ika can use, we can stock up on supplies as well, it would only take us a few hours on the surface to gather what we need. As for your Coalition...”

Kyan turned and focused all his attention on Link.

“I think your idea is still a good one, it never hurts to have an option on the table or hidden up your sleeve as you might say. I can put you in touch with Bes'in Skirata, my uncle and current head of my clan. He is considered traditionalist who puts Mandalore first, but is universaly respected among my people, he is the one to go to if you want someone to get the Mandalorians to side with you.”

He sat back got another feel from everyone in the room, still feeling concern from Terrin and now frustration at Kyan encouraging Galen's plan. Realizing the bottle was still in his hand Kyan took another swig, a much smaller one than earlier, then addressed Terrin.

Terrin paused, biting his lower lip then reaching up a hand, rubbing the bridge of his nose slightly with his fingers then allowing his hand to fall and cup underneath his chin. His eyes defocused then, memories playing in his mind's eye as he was once more mentally reminded that Galen had to trust the Sith once baseed on his word, and his word alone. No matter how he tried to argue it, she was asking no less of him. After a few moments more, his eyes snapped alert and focused on Galen. He let his hand drop back down to the table.

"You've fought battles far too many times on your own, and this time it won't happen." He let the statement rest as it was for a moment but, seeing the rising rebuttal in Galen's eyes, he continued with, "Even if I have to help from afar, for the time being at least. There's something special about you, something that I don't even think Master Kyan in all his wisdom can train. I know your sister and the Sith are the only ones who could possibly help you..."

He quieted again, trailing, his syes growing vague once more "...but if too much time passes without hearing anything I'm coming after you, sweetheart, and that's a promise."

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

"I promise, I'll contact you twice a day. I'll go by ship's time, no matter the local time where I may be. I'll squirt you encrypted reports, oh... say 1200 and 2200 ship's time, all right? If you don't hear anything from either me or Kyan at either time, if just one is missed, try to contact us. Give us an standard hour or so, to cover unforeseen circumstances that may have prevented us from making our report on time to you. If you still get no reply from us concerning the miss, feel free to come with the entire cavalry! Gun-ports open, and blazing away!"

I gave him a big hug, relieved in the trust he was displaying. For to tell the truth I'd really thought I was going to have a battle on my hands over this. The smile on my face sobered a little then, as I turned to Kyan.

"Thank you, Master," I bowed, placing stress on the honorific. It didn't matter to me whether he would indeed be my "master" or not; the truth was that he'd already opened me up to things I never would have experienced if it hadn't been for the Flow Walk. That made him Master enough in my eyes.

"I appreciate the offer of a Mandalore ship. And I am grateful that you will accompany me in this. Now--"

I paused a moment to stretch.

"Now, if no one objects, as we have a couple hours before reaching Mandalore, I think there's time to eat something. I'm a little starved..."

[ 09-04-2012 02:49 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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