She stood silently before the wondrous otherness that swirled in greeny-golden splendor before her eyes. Bound by what perhaps would be Lord Aelvedaar's greatest achievement, the union of Sith magicks with the All, the Great Crystal Octahedron didn't lie. When asked a question, it provided a reply, reaching out via magicks amplified with every force that ever existed to seek such.

Even if the answers to said questions resided in dimensions beyond the ken of the average citizen of the whirling pool of stars that was the Galaxy.

She shivered, tears standing in her violet eyes, hugging herself tighter and tighter as one question prompted the next, some given by her, the others commanded by her dear Adopted Father. Astonishment swelled, spilled from her being to fill the room, joined with that equally fevered coming from the Dark Lord. Apathetic to such frailties as emotions, the device merely went on, as image after damning image rose in its coiling depths only to blur away once again.

It was true. What the Master had claimed... was true.

The eruption of joy she felt with the knowledge that her dear Phalomir was indeed who she believed him to be paled before the enormity of what was being presented to them both. She numbed, ignorant to her immediate surroundings, glued to the display, the golden swirls, the Great Revealing. And at length those images faded, replaced by the simple splendor of Everything which was in fact the Octahedron in its innate state.

"True..." she whispered, feeling as if her aching heart would burst. The now-reinstated Link with the Dark Lord supplied her with the instant knowledge that he too appeared to be as dumbfounded as she.

It was true. The All had not been discovered by the Dark Lord Aelvedaar... at least not initially. Its discovery had been nearly as old as Time, as humans reckoned it, held as a much-squabbled-over, precious gem by certain few of the Sith, thousands of years before Aelvedaar was even born.

For some reason this surprising revelation hit her smack in the heart, stabbing her deeply.

It is difficult to slide lightspeed-quick from being a special one, The Chosen Daughter, to one of a few that may have been even more than that. Dreams of ushering in the re-ignition of the Triad, to join in peace with the rest of the Galaxy, crumbled into ashes beneath the sudden diminishing; shuddering, she didn't even feel her adoptive father's clawed hand come down lightly upon her shoulder with a reassuring squeeze.

I squeeze her shoulder again, wishing to do nothing more than sweep her into my arms, to give her the solace of my robes against that which she more than likely considers to be cruel. But to do that would be to accept her as nothing more than human, and She was always, and has become, so much more than that.

"What was found has been lost, but has again been discovered," is all I say to help capture her focus, to bring her out of what I hope to be momentary sorrow.

"There is yet much to be done, and it cannot be accomplished without you, my dear Chosen One and Daughter."

As I speak, something catches in the corner of my eye. I turn back to the Octahedron just in time to see a flicker of violet fade into gold.

I frown to myself and blink. I have been through much, as has she. Much has been revealed, and there is the worrisome problem of who exactly is behind the stealthy approach of the Vong. For to that query all the Octahedron revealed was my Brother Rean's reaching out to it... and his untimely death at the hands of the masquer-cloaked Dark One who stands in command of those who approach.

Why they approach, and at whose beckoning they do so, is a question for which, surprisingly enough, even the Octahedron gives no solid answer. It only shows the eerie ship of yorik coral as it blazes between Time's seconds, each moment drawing it closer and closer to us.

It must just have been something in my eye.

But now, time to speak it is.

Close I sidle, the pair to reach. Difficult with exoskeleton to hunker, say the soft-skins, but this I manage. Into the conversation between them do I put myself, into the space so personal of our newest friend.

Clawed appendages reach out I. Fierce and cutting can they be, but surprisingly gentle as well. I clatter my mandibles, the human upright I bring as to my own natural height I return.

"Sense I no fear," I state truthfully. I loosen one manipulatory appendage, to the Sith lady do I gesture. "Food and drink, suggests this one," I state, my head nodding once.

Instead of repeating what the voice had said, Jasyn turned and merely nodded to K'kihl. "Yeah, food and drink..."

Here he trailed, glancing over to Cazun, who still wasn't looking so good. "And maybe some rest too," he added, quirking a brow a bit as a mental addendum came with that: and some privacy. On a Sith world...

Haha.

He turned and nodded politely enough to the awaiting attendant.

At least Cazun was really going to like Sith Brandy. And it was poetic justice, Jasyn supposed sarcastically, considering how many times Terrin and the gang had put up with his drunken rear end...

"If you will follow me then," she stated demurely, turning with the words to lead the little group out of the Throne Room and down the corridor beyond to yet another grandiose, jewel-inscribed door. Dark mosses writhed amidst the gems, lively as dianogae, moving to cover one stone while revealing another to the eye. The Adept gave this no heed, but plunged her hand into the plant life, touching a particular jewel here, a hidden sigil there.

The gigantic greel-wood doors oiled open slickly, revealing a chamber more grandiose than the doors. A huge stone fireplace dominated the entire far wall, and had several sofas and couches scattered in front of it where diners might sit in lush comfort while they partook of food and drink. For those wishing a bit more privacy there were dark booths hidden about the chamber's perimeters, some entirely closed by frosted glass retaining walls and smaller bejeweled doors of their own.

It was to one of these booths the Adept now led the little party. She waited by the open door as they filed into what was more of a small room enclosing a large, circular booth; as they took their seats she bowed her head. Her hands were clasped genteelly against her robes.

"An assortment of food and drink, including brandy, will be sent to you," she allowed, giving the Verpine a slightly bemused look. The insectoid merely chattered his mandibles, and tried to make himself invisible against the nerfhide cushions where he sat.

"If there is anything else that you desire, please do not hesitate to call upon any of our attendants; they will in turn call upon me that I may continue to assist you."

She waited a moment or two longer until a small bevy of underlings arrived bearing trays of meats, pastries, and fresh fruits. On their heels were a couple more, one carefully carrying a silver tray upon which an elaborate carafe of water dominated an array of equally elaborate, silvered glassware.

The other carried two bottles holding that which Jasyn held close to his heart.

The Adept waited until the entourage delivered their goods, and had disappeared into the darkness of the Great Dining Hall. She tilted her head a bit to one side, smiling fully now, her fangs glinting in the dim lighting of their booth.

It hits me then, and my eyes widen. Fool that I was, not to have seen this myself.

"You are not upset simply that I am found not to be the first to find the beauty of the All," I state in a low voice. She shifts beneath my touch, now turns her head up and pours her liquid violet eyes into my own volcanic pair.

"Would it show us this?" she wondered further, already discomfited by the fact the device didn't seem willing to show her anything about the Vong other than what she already knew, and had known for quite some time: that they were coming, and they were not alone.

Never thought you'd get your hands on this stuff again, eh pal...?

Jasyn did his best to ignore the voice. He wasn't very successful. In another few short moments, he distributed the silvered glass mugs. Popping the cork off the brandy bottle, he poured some first into the mug he had placed before Cazun, and then into his own. The lighting in the room played tricks in the color of the liquor, making its green color literally shimmer.

Jasyn reached out, grasped the mug before him with both hands, and rose it to his lips, there to take a good, long, loving sip.

Brandy, you're a fine girl....

Pulling the mug away and sitting it back in front of him, but not moving his hands from the mug, he turned his attention back to his commrades. Glancing a moment at K'kihl, he idly wondered for just a moment what a Verpine eats and drinks...

...then, dismissing the thought, turned his attention to much more important things. "I need to let the Boss know we are back on Khar Delba," he opened with, "And without a mode of transit again," he added blackly. "Unless we can get a ship to go and seek out Matt, who I am very afraid may be dead by now, I'm not sure how long our stay will be."

...only to be treated like honored guests by them. Given food, drink, and Great Ghodz of the Universe actually left alone.

He eyed a plate of food that a last-minute underling had passed onto their table before backing discreetly away from them, leaving them to their ablutions and their privacy. It looked like nerf, but smelled utterly...

Alien.

But actually not bad.

Now he raised the glass, took a careful sniff. Cut his eyes to Jasyn, who after taking one gigantic draught of the shimmery green liqueur was eyeing him with something approaching laughter. Cazun gulped, and took a sip.

The stuff flowed down his throat like liquid velvet, most of the tiny sip seeming to absorb into the tissues of his mouth before even heading on down his gullet. But that last bit that did oozed down, hit his stomach...

And exploded into utter bliss.

He sighed, closed his eyes, sank back against the cushions and for a moment actually managed to forget where they were. But the moment passed, necessitating he open his eyes and drink in his surroundings once again, before drinking in more of the Sith brandy.

"Ssso-oo-oo..." he sighed as another, larger swallow filled his innards with love. "You said something about some friend of yours who's here or somewhere, or something.

"And something about a ship..."

Funny, the terror he had felt mere moments before seemed to now transition from the stuff nightmares are made of into dream-fluff. Now he felt, well... good.

Safe. Secure.

Amongst friends.

Tastes like nerfmeat...

...and a hearty swig of brandy. He savored it for a moment, sighing in satisfaction, then turned his attentions to Cazun's query.

"Yeah, one of my fellow coworkers and a very good friend left from this world to go to the other Sith world with an associate, and has not been heard from since."

Jasyn paused, frowning. "He had a commlink on him but I can't get a response, and for a long time have not been able to even get a connection. I am wondering if the Sith here might give us a ship so we can head to the other world to look for my friend, Matt..."

Jasyn trailed, frowning a bit more. "Or if they will even entertain such a request at all."

"We are approaching our destination, sir, so please make any final preparations necessary."

Having stated this, he turned once more and keyed an access code into the pad on the bulkhead next to the autohatch. The hatch instantly whoosed open, revealing adequately furnished quarters.

"You will be notified when you are needed. Until then, you may rest and refresh yourself."

"Sh'tan," he announced himself tersely.

"Sir, per your order we are entering the target system from galactic north, coming down along the z-axis along a vector which would intercept their stellar..."

Seus merely closed his eyes, then nodded as the bridge commander proceeded.

"I have adjusted course so as to remove the threat of collision, as well as determine the most..." A somewhat sly pause ensued.

"...ahh, insidious means of gaining actual entry. The system seems to consist of the primary star, and two orbiting bodies; sensors cannot determine the presence of anything further; there are no asteroid belts or systemic cometary comae that we can find."

Another pause, the inherent question mark it carried obvious for the way moments ticked off into seconds. Seus leaned forward, thumbed a button.

"Recommendations?" he asked nicely enough.

More silence, one which he now suspected was filled with a whir of activity on the other end as bridge staff of all rank and duty attended to their various consoles, gathering and presenting data to his Second, who then had the dubious task of assimilating it and providing a worthwhile suggestion on-the-spot.

"Sir, sensors indicate that both worlds appear to have reached a technological level, albeit not quite to the extent as have we. However, the closer world seems a bit more technologically advanced; I read the presence of a rather large spaceport nearby what appears to be the area of its largest urban growth. The outermost world, however, while appearing to have the capability of space flight, indicated by the presence of ships scattered here and there, does not seem to have a major spaceport. The ships we are reading may be atmospheric only, sir. It is somewhat difficult to ascertain."

Seus nodded again to himself.

So, they have identified the twin worlds; what did Sorben call them? Karl something, Dobo... no. K'eel Doba and Khar Delba.

The Warriors and the Sorcerers.

He spent the next few seconds in rapid, personal debate. Then:

"Bring us into an orbital position above the outermost planet at extreme range of our sensors. Take us around, gather what you can. See if you can determine if there is anything hidden beneath the surface of the world or not, technologically speaking."

He doubted that would be the case, as judged by what Sorben had reported. And though he was still inwardly furious with the man for abandoning his calling to kow-tow to the Impys, he had to begrudge him one thing:

He knew how to gather intelligence. He had been the Top Hunter of the entire Guild, after all.

But it never hurt to check things out. Who knew what the capabilities of a magickal race actually were.

"Sh'tan out."

"Well... Ummm. I mean, ah..."

He frowned a little, noticed his glass was full, and raised it to his lips. When he set it back on the table, it was to reveal a rather large and dreamy smile planted on his face.

"Why don't you jus' ask 'em and fin' out?"

He took another sip, beginning to waver a bit in his seat now, said movement which came to a sudden stop as his increasingly muddled thought processes marched onward to what was, at least to him, a logical conclusion.

"I' fact, they oughtta give us' ship," went on. "The La-lady, I was help'ng 'er on Bessin, sh-" *hiccup* "Sh' needed my help, n' I was there!

"Sh- she owes us, pal!"

With that he raised his glass to Jasyn in a toast before then attending to it with the full concentration it warranted.

That was, in his opinion, simply not acceptable.

So he sat cross-legged on the floor of the chambers and, much as he had before in the training room, closed his eyes and stretched otu to the Force, finding that every time he did so it became increasingly natural as it once had been, years ago. At first, all he sensed was calm and quiet...

...but, a vision began to take hold. One he was all too familiar with:

There before him, Shayla stood, lightsaber in hand, dark look in her eyes as she approached. He saw himself as well, holding a lightsaber as well, this time stepping towards her as well. Her essence was that of Power and Self-Certainty...

...and their lightsabers met, her purple blade against his blue. But then, in an instant, her blade faded into nothing and with a jolt he was pushed backwards at the flick of her hand, by something dark and unseen and somehow more than just the Force.

Erik's eyes snapped open, and for once he wondered why, at this point in time, the Force would be showing him something like this. Oddly enough, he was beginning to view it from more than just a personal level...

...because whatever that something she had jolted him with did not seem normal. Erik frowned, figuring he was simply allowing thoughts of her to creep in once more, and shook his head as if to clear it. Then he closed his eyes once more, stretched out to the Force, and sought the inner peace he knew was within and without...

...only he did not find it. And while this time there was no vision attached, something did just seemed oh-so-very out of place.

Like Sith in a timeline that they don't belong in, who have connections to what else, Fates only knew, came the unbidden thought.

For once he knew how Terrin and Matt had to had felt all those times he'd been drinking himself into a kriffing bloody stupor...

With effort, Jasyn lowered his glass and arched an eyebrow at Cazun.

"Yeah, but I doubt it will be that simple. You see, they are the variety here that whatever you are asking generally has to be important enough for them to accommodate you. I'm not sure Matt's disappearance is going to rate all that important to Graysith or any of the others. Of course, giving us a ship may get us out of their hair so..."

Jasyn paused, shrugging. "Guess it's worth a shot."

He frowned as a mental addendum raised its ugly head. Or they might decide you might be in need of being shot...

He waved his hand, drawing an eagerly awaiting attendant to the table. "Not to seem unappreciative of all the kindness afforded to us here...

...but before other events came into play I was hoping to look for a fellow coworker by the name of Matt Stanza, who left here some time ago with one named Panthar Dantares. Neither have been heard from since. I know Lord Aelvedaar and the Dark Lady must be occupied in greater matters, but they too should be aware of this situation. I'd like to find out if my friends and I could gain access to a ship, to go look for them both. I would speak to the Dark Lord and Lady directly regarding this, if you would feel more comfortable with that."

Something deep, oh so very deep, in the soul of she who was once Shayla Stargazer sought to bury itself deeper yet, sensing Illanda's intent. For while she was dead, there yet remained a link, although barely one, to who and what she was. Said link grew in strength just enough to for a primordial scream of utter terror to ring out to Someone who knew her, knew her well, and to the Only One who she ever truly felt cared for her at all.

In that same moment, Shayla eyed IllaAndra blackly, sensing the threat...

...and finding herself uncaring. For she who now existed snorted in derision at the old self, seeking instead for the True Power death held.

Nooooo.....

Shayla responded ot IllaAndra by leaning forward, and whispering into her ear.

"Do it."

Oh, it wasn't that they didn't have the right equipment, because they in fact did. It wasn't that they weren't capable of it, for I knew each and every soul aboard was carefully gleaned from the best our world could offer.

It was simply that from orbit, we could determine nothing further. I nodded, stared at the image planted upon our forward screen. The world below, or at least the portion of it beneath us, glistened with the blue-white beauty of a polar region. Crystal clarity informed me even as did our sensors that the ambient temperature there was well below that in which water froze; no use in setting my spy loose in the desolation below.

Reaching out, I hit a control; the image zoomed away, the field of view covering more area until it revealed the north pole of Khar Delba in it's entirety. Limned here and there with mountains and ridges, there wasn't a speck of anything to be seen. No fluvial evidence, no hint of growth; just the gleam of ice and snow.

I toggled a switch, and the image slowly rotated, until we were viewing the planet as though hovering over it's equatorial region. The new view made me smile; here was something more to my liking: a thin band of green, interspersed with open patches which could only be due to the presence of urban -- if not rural -- communities, all reduced by one large patch centered exactly at zero degrees latitude. I zoomed in a bit, let pixels resolve from blurry little spots into more sharply defined edges, until at length the sight of something that looked like a Temple of sorts, surrounding by smaller obviously artificially built structures, revealed itself.

Nodding again, I zoomed out just a tad, bringing more of the surrounding green back into view. It appeared to extend perhaps 5 degrees north and south of the planet's equator, fading along its northern and southern perimeter to lighter green interspersed more and more with white. Finally that thin, green line disappeared entirely before the snow and ice which covered the majority of this mysterious planet.

I hit a control, and a small cursor popped up on the viewscreen.

"Get me the jedi," I said tersely, then began moving the cursor about, passing the short period of time until he arrived upon the Bridge. As I moved the cursor along lines of planetary longitude the world rotated, and coming to that particular one upon which the large patch had been centered I zoomed in a little bit. Not enough to clearly show individual structures, but close enough to where the outline of the larger area holding the massive Temple-like one was apparent, and to where the band of green above and below it was likewise clearly shown.

A small noise indicated that Erik had arrived. I cut him a quick glance, then used the cursor to point to a spot I'd chosen that was due north from the center of the patch, just at the edge of that (total) 10 degree band of green.

"Make planetfall here," I said, now nodding to another one of my men even though my eyes never left the screen. A quickly murmured, "Right, Boss," announced that worthy leaving the Bridge to head off and ready an armed transport with which to bring Erik to the planet. I wiggled the cursor around in a small circle, then let it rest as I finally turned to face the man.

"It's not going to be easy, but you're going to be far enough away from what appears to be the center of their civilization that your landing will hopefully go unnoticed. Once you have disembarked, the transport will return here; we will remain in orbit until you return from recognizance."

I paused a moment, giving him time for this to sink in.

"It's up to you to show me what you've got, what you can find. We can only determine so much from orbit, and I plan on keeping as quiet about this as I can. Electronic sensors can be easily discovered; it's much easier for a single individual to slip about and gain information. When you've got it all, contact me with this."

I nodded to another member of my crew, who rose and handed Erik a comm-link before returning to his own console. I gave the jedi an even more earnest look.

"I highly recommend you do not lose this. It's your only means of contact. Find out what you can, as much as you can. I want to know just what kind of threat these people are to us.

"How you do this is up to you, Kartan. Show me what you've got. But remember..."

I leaned back, giving the man a krayt dragon's smile.

"The moment we're discovered, we're out of here. That doesn't necessarily mean with you aboard, either. Throughout our history we've become very, very good at keeping ourselves quiet, away from prying eyes; it's one of the basic skills a Hunter has to have to survive. Therefore I will surmise that the discovery of our presence up here would be a direct result of yours down there; this ship comes first.

"Don't ever forget it."

With that I raised a finger, and a third one of men appeared at my side.

"Take Kartan to meet his ride," I said, then turned to stare at the viewscreen once more. The slight swoosh of the Bridge door closing told my that final order was a done deal, and that the time had now come for my ship to do what Hunter's do best.

Shayla--!

Her hand fisted closed, she whirled to her Adoptive Father, her violet eyes wide with alarm and shock and even a bit of terror.

"Our link, it is back!" she exclaimed, not ignorant to the questions such an exclamation would raise, as cryptic as that announcement appeared to be. With anybody else; by now her easy familiarity with Lord Aelvedaar assured her that not only was that comment superficially understood, but also in relationship with everything that had transpired in her life pertinent to and leading up to it this very moment.

Such was the strength of the Link they had shared since she first discovered his presence in the Great Temple, when that temple was under the not-so-tender auspices of Darth Wicked.

"She is in great danger!" she followed with, albeit unnecessarily. Indeed the Dark Lord of the Sorcerers could feel Shayla's terror as easily as if the link the two women shared included him as a third member.

She gave Aelvedaar an agonized look, unclenched her fist and positioned the fingers thereof into that unique pattern needed to open a Portal... but his time into a different brand of improbability. Something made her stop; she cocked her head a bit to one side, reaching back along the slim tendril snaking between that which was real and that which was not, sensing out, pushing aside the sharp thorn-ridden daggers of fear that she could see through Shayla's eyes that which was tangible about her, differentiated from that which was distorted by the tumult of terror.

Here eyes smacked into another pair, a pair of brilliant turquoise...

A pair which felt somehow... natural to her.

Quickly she yanked back, let her hand drop to her side. It trembled there, as if it was a delicate bird exhausted from a long flight.

Alarm fills me with unfamiliar trepidation, and I reach out to stay her hand.

"She is dead, Daughter," I state gently, knowing the pain the statement will surely bring, pain all the more sharply poignant for the fact that my Daughter's dear friend more than likely has yet to come to grips with this fact.

She whirled in anger.

"I have dealt with this before, Father!" she cried, forcing the words between lips that would not cease trembling, choking against the flood of tears wanting to desperately to rise and give relief for the horror she had so clearly felt. She would not allow it, for with such an allowance comes acceptance, and with acceptance...

Would come the beginnings of healing.

She would not heal; she could not. She had been there before, she had dragged her own daughter from so similar a circumstance; surely she could do the same for Shayla! But admittedly she was terribly lucky the last time; she had taken the Darker Realms by surprise. She was not stupid enough to presume they would remain rooted in earlier naivety, but had instead learned from their earlier mistake.

Perhaps that was the strange connection she had felt? The Realms response to another threat from her, seeking to pre-empt whatever plan she might be making by disorienting her enough that she would no longer take it under consideration?

No. She refused when it came to ShaRhylla; she would refuse this with equal vehemence when it came to Shayla.

But she would not go there uninformed.

She whirled to the Crystal Octahedron, flung back her hair, cried out a great command.

It, of course, replied by showing her...

Absolutely nothing. Nothing happened but that the greeny-goldness within roiled about with a bit more turbulence, a watched pot suddenly come to complete boil. She knew then that there was Something Else, Something Other, something More at play here, something perhaps which in the playing was able with laughable ease and efficiency to reduce all she knew to a tiny mote of irrelevancy, and flick it away.

Which made her madder than the absolute Hell she knew had Shayla in its icy grips.

I sigh with relief to find a calmer form of determination now filling them.

"Do not go alone, my Child. We shall not."

Those brilliant violet orbs widen with the knowledge that rather than impede her, I would travel there at her side. For after all, I have my own form of revenge which needs be released against this place.

"Finish your first task, for the Triad is indeed needed here."

With that I remove my hand from her wrist, and wait for what I know is next to come.

I am not disappointed in the least.

Then her fingers assumed the odd horned pattern, pointer and pinky upward, the middle two curled against her palm, her thumb holding them surely there. She tweaked, and the interstices of space and time bowed to her command. A strangely bubbling blackness vortexed open, the other side of which she could not see but could feel as clearly as if she stood within it.

"This will take but a moment, Father. Your trust in me shall hasten my -- our return."

With that she stepped forward and passed through the Portal she had created, this one between the realm of the real, and that one known by no other name than Elseness.

For indeed, no other title could come close to describing this non-dimension's utter strangeness...

The Portal snickered closed in her wake, leaving the great Sorcerer Lord alone with the roiling Octahedron and his even more roiling thoughts.

((OOC: Follow Graysith into Motes in an Electric Eye, in the "Jedi/Sith" forums, thank you.))

Erik was unsurprised by a thing that Seus said to him, especially regarding the safety of his ship coming first and foremost. The Hunter had every reason not to trust him just yet, and Erik had every opportunity now to prove that the Sith were a threat to the entire galaxy...

...which meant finding just the right information, and just the right artifacts.

Before following his escort off the bridge of Seus's ship, Erik directed an earnest look the Head Hunter's way, and nodded smartly in his direction, indicating that he both understood the parameters of his mission and the conditions surrounding it. Then, without a word, he turned and followed the escort, departing the bridge of Sues's ship, it's autohatch closing behind with a resounding whoosh of finality, as if to announce the closing of one chapter of his life and the beginning of a new one.

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

Being a pilot, Erik kept keen attention on the way Seus's pilot made planetfall on Khar Delba. The pilot did not disappoint, either; clearly he had been well-trained in stealth as he smartly used the cover of the atmosphere and the planet's terrain to make their arrival as untraceable as possible. Within minutes they landed in the midst of what appeared to be taiga-like terrain; mossy-like ground cover and pine-like trees, trees which Erik suspected were only green due to the fact that they were of the evergreen variety, for he also could see glimmers of ice in them and on the moss-like ground.

Seus was right; this wasn't gonna be easy, and not just from the standpoint of finding what he wanted, but purely from the physical demands. Still, he was ready. While he had been in the quarters provided to him on the ship, Erik had taken the time to gather up supplies in a back pack; among those ration bars, a canteen pre-filled with some water, a datapad to record information, an extra blaster, a small knife (mostly for food/hunting), other minor camping tools, a close-fitting green cap, and most importantly for the moment, a camouflage coat. The latter two he donned over the dark green jumpsuit he had selected from the wardrobe that had been provided for him, then placing the pack with other supplies on his back where it belonged. As he did he briefly eyed the commlink he had aready attached to his wrist, which had been given to him aboard ship, as if to make sure it was secure there. He also took a moment to adjust his weapons belt, fingering both his blaster and lightsaber, again as though ensuring they were indeed in place and ready for use should he need them.

For most certainly, that was indeed what he was doing. Still, all of this truly only took a few moments, which was Erik's intent. He did not want Seus's man on the ground any longer than necessary to ensure that they were not discovered and that the pilot made it back to Seus's ship quickly and without detection once he departed. This would be the first way in which Erik could prove himself to the Head Hunter.

Certain then that he was ready to depart, Erik turned and saluted the pilot once. Then, with nothing more than a nod and a motion, Erik headed to the hatch, which the pilot extended open. In but a few moments, Erik had disembarked into the inhospitable terrain of the area in which they had landed, and the pilot retracted both the hatchway and his landing gear, never having cooled the engines of the ship. In another few moments he had departed, gone to atmosphere, and out of Erik's eye shot entirely. Nodding to himself in satisfaction that the pilot had made it off safely, Erik turned his attentions to the moss-laden, somewhat icy terrain surrounding him, pulling a compass from his supplies to then begin plotting out his first move, already having an idea of what he would be looking for first, and potentially where he could find it based on what he knew of Khar Delba.

Seus was right, this wasn't going to be easy. But Erik was ready.

You've been ignoring this type of stuff for the longest time, Kartan, it whispered. Stop and listen to what your gut is telling you: you are Force-sensitive and were an almost fully-trained Jedi. Listen, dammit.

So, pursing his lips, Erik stopped and did just that, squatting on the ground and lowering the bag of supplies from his back. Raising an arm, he put a hand over his eyebrow, to act as a visor, so he could look outward, for the sun, although it was providing little warmth, was high in the sky. Taking note of this, Erik knew he would have to settle soon, for night would soon be coming.

And he knew damn well all sorts of things could be out in this sort of terrain, things he didn't want to run into in the dark....

...like for example that creature that had snagged him the first time he had come here, dragging him to the Temple...

Erik shook his head at this, and reached a hand to his pack, pulling from it some binoculars. Standing, he looked into them, doing a slow, calculated three-sixty degree turn.

Not that there was anything to see. Except...

He froze, binoculars still raised, and chewed his lip. Then he frowned.

What the...?

Erik couldn't be sure, and maybe it was absolutely nothing, but there was something glistening in the snow quite some distance ahead yet. Granted, it could be a trick of the sun high in the sky, or something completely benign, but he still felt a persist nudge through the Force.

Go, and look...

Squatting once more, Erik put the binoculars back in his bag and stood, placing it on his shoulders before heading in the direction he had just been looking, noting to himself that, while it was not taking him totally off his path, this was still not quite in the direction of the main city. And that was perfectly fine with him.

...at least, nothing of any use to him. With a brief curse, Erik tossed it back on the ground, casting a final black look its way before turning his eyes upward once more to the sky. The sun was beginning to set, he noted, and he should probably make camp for the night. Still, he couldn't ignore the persistent niggle he felt within. Whether this was merely due to his eagerness to move and find something or the prodding of the Force he wasn't entirely certain. But Erik suspected it was both.

Dropping his bag from his shoulders once more, Erik squatted back to the ground, his eyes still turned heavenward as he cupped a hand over his eyes to look outward. There was still nothing but snow and ice for kilometers, he knew that without use of binoculars or any technology.

Face it, pal, you are just hoping to find something here, way out in the boonies. Yeah, right, chortled a little black demon in the corner of Erik's mind.

Shaking his head, mostly to clear his darkening thoughts, Erik lowered both hands to the icy ground, balancing himself out so that he could retrieve needed supplies from his pack.

But once his left hand hit the ground, he froze in place, for there was something very unnatural feeling about the ground beneath it. Granted, there was nothing readily apparent, for it was still covered with snow and ice...

...but what was so different had nothing to do with how things looked. Instead, there was a distinct difference in the way this ground felt: it was far too firm to be soil beneath the snow and ice...

...and far too smooth to be rock. Turning, Erik began brushing off the snow and dirt. In little time he'd uncovered a dirty white metal object with a handle. When Erik reached to pull it and see if it was small enough to pull out of the snow, he quickly discovered that it seemed to be part of the ground itself. His mind immediately flashed back to the time he and Shayla had brought Panthar with them to Khar Delba, and eyeballed the metal more thoughtfully.

They hadn't been out this far from the Temple at the time. Or at least, he didn't think so. But there was certainly SOMETHING down there...

Despite his efforts, whatever was beneath him would not budge, at least not via the handle. As he tested it, Erik noted that there were runes, similiar to those aboard Sith ships and in the Temple, on the surface of the metal. He also noted there were other markings, ones which he did not recognize at all.

Interesting.

Pausing fromm his efforts, Erik pursed his lips thoughtfully, realizing as he looked at the metal he uncovered that it really looked like a hatchway of sorts.

Too bad you can't get it open, the devil snorted in his mind.

But then the Force prodded once agian, for Erik was certain this time that was what he was feeling. In a smooth motion, he reached for his weapons belt.

"The Dark Lord is currently sequestered with the Dark Lady," she stated formally. "But I shall hasten to his sanctum, and shall wait without to present him with your request the moment he becomes available.

"Is there anything else you may wish to ask of him as well?" she finished before falling silent.

"Ummm...no," he said instead, realizing how stupid he probably sounded. As the attendant began to turn away, however, something did cross his mind.

"Uhhhh...wait."

The attendant paused, turning and tilting her head questioningly, but yet in a regal fashion.

Jasyn noted how much he hated how they could do that...

"Let him know that Panthar Dantares, and a comrade of mine by the name of Matt Stanza, left here some time ago to head to K'eel Doba to speak with the Dark Lady's daughter. Neither has been heard of since, despite the fact my comrade had a commlink. I intend to determine what has happened to them."

"I shall do as you request," she replied. "Meanwhile, please continue to refresh yourselves, and rest." A moment passed then, a somewhat strange one for the manner in which a certain light seemed to flicker across her shining canary yellow eyes.

She leaned in toward him a bit.

"We shall do everything in our power to find your friends," she breathed in the barest of whispers, before she straightened quickly upright once again. Now returning to her former demeanor, she bowed her head, turned, and without preamble departed.

The Great Doors to the Dining Hall oiled easily open at her lightest touch, allowing her to exit into the corridor without. The dark, stone walls were covered with mystic runes and glyphs, come glittering with inset jewels, and as she moved swiftly and silently past them became more and more ridden with strange mossy growths. At length the corridor came to an end; to either side it formed a T-intersection, while directly before her stood a nondescript door. Ignoring that door, she turned to the right, and continued onward.

At length the new corridor through which she traveled grew narrow, darker, danker; the stone beneath her lightly tripping feet grew less even, bumpier, at times slippery with strange growths. The sconces lining the walls at regular intervals grew farther and farther apart, until at length there was barely one for every 100 meters. She paid the gloom no mind, but continued onward; the conditions were intended, after all, to dissuade further inquiry by those not of the Sorcerer's clan. But even the lowest of the Temple's attendants had magicks at their disposal, and as a result she found her way as easily as if the floor were made of Corellian marble, lit with the grandest of crystalline chandeliers.

A darkened void presented itself out of the gloom. She stopped, took a quickly furtive look about. Reached into that Void, and fingered the mossy growth in a particular way. It responded obediently to her touch, writhing about to take on a peculiar configuration. She leaned in closely.

"I have much to tell you," she whispered softly.

Quickly then, she backed away and continued her journey into the depths of the Great Temple of the Sorcerers. Behind her the mosses writhed but a bit, then resumed their former shape.

At length she came upon the immense ornate double door leading to Dark Lord Aelvedaar's Sanctum Sanctorum. There she came to a stop, and stepping a bit to one side folded her hands inside her sleeves, lowered her head in due respect, and waited for her Dark Lord to grace her with his presence.

He highly doubted that the Dark Lord of the Sorcerers was going to care about Matt's well-being...

With effort, he wiped the look off his face and directed his gaze back to Cazun, whose brandy glass was nearly drained.

Hey, she did just offer you more refreshment. And yes indeedy, that is more brandy over there...

An annoying angel popped up on Jasyn's shoulder. You have to say sober and deal with this pal. Terrin and Matt aren't here. And Cazun is new to all this.

Jasyn scowled again...

...and decided that a glass or two more couldn't hurt.

You are a perfectly functional drunk, buddy, snickered a shoulder devil.

"Well, I guess while we wait we might as well keep enjoying the bounty that has been provided," Jasyn said in Cazun's direction. "And maybe I can answer any other questions you may have, since you are here."

He blinked again, at a sudden loss. Then an idea struck, an absolutely wonderfully brilliant idea.

"Th's M-matt," he fumbled through annoyingly thick lips. "Who'zee?"

Satisfied that he'd made Jasyn happy, he settled back with the godly green liqueur, and took another great draught from the seemingly bottomless goblet in his possession.

Now you know what Terrin and Matt have been putting up with for so long.

Jasyn shook his head at this thought, cursing himself for not trying to find out what happened to Matt sooner. Not that he'd had much of a chance to do so, however.

"Matt is a coworker of mine at Eagle Enterprises, the right-hand man to my boss. He pretty much knows everything about the company that Terrin Danner, said boss, knows. And he has been around with us for almost all of our dealings with the Sith."

Jasyn paused, taking a good swig of brandy himself, letting its fire burn down his throat.

"...and he has been a very good friend who has put up with me regardless of how annoying and stupid I can be at time."

...and how drunk you are, no? added a shoulder angel.

I glide to the doors; they open with but the slightest gesture of one finger. The serving girl without jerks at my sudden appearance, but politely keeps her eyes averted.

"Speak," I command, keeping my voice quiet to soften the words into a request. She obliges, and I find myself more thoroughly informed as to the affairs of things occurring upon my Daughter's Chosen World.

It saddens me to hear how power, power to be used to the good of all, has been maligned into something lesser than a mere commodity. That two beings known to my own Chosen Daughter have gone missing distresses me, but that this has obviously occurred on our Sister World is inconceivable. My first thought is to send back the message that the Dark Lady is due back momentarily, and that she will of course set immediate search procedures in motion, when the thought crosses my mind that perhaps that would not be the case. Not immediately, that is; the young human female means the world to Jharmeen, and I know she will not rest nor turn aside from the task she -- we -- have taken upon ourselves to save her.

Lifting a clawed finger to the servant, I turn aside, move to an ornate gilt table upon which lay rolls of parchment and writing instruments. Taking these in hand, I make a Writ of Global Abeyance:

Let all of K'eel Doba cease and desist in all efforts but that of finding the whereabouts of the two missing men, Panthar Dantares and Matt Stanza, and furthermore give to the bearers of this Writ all assistance and due respect they would award unto me, Dark Lord Aelvedaar..

This I hand to the servant.

"See they receive the ship that they need, with the best pilot available on so short a notice."

I know our Sith ships are difficult to pilot; there have been very few who are not Sith who achieved this thing.

The servant takes the Writ daintily in claw, bows and leaves. And I return forthwith to my Sanctum, there to await the return of my Daughter, her Lord, and all others who would be with them in the dreary space outside of Time called The Elseness.

Her haste did not deter her from making a brief pause to send yet another cryptic, magical announcement of these unfolding events to the unseen Sith on K'eel Doba...

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

Shortly thereafter, and she was back in the Dining Hall. Slowing her speed down into proper decorum, she approached the booth where the two men and Verpine were seated. After giving them a little bow of greeting, she spoke.

"You are to receive a ship with the best pilot we have at hand," she said, stating the words as exactly as they had been spoken to her as she could.

"You are given your freedom of search with this."

Silently she held out the Writ, and waited for it to be taken and her words acknowledged before deigning to leave them to return to her duties.

..and that the response had been a positive one.

Thank her, you moron, a little voice snorted.

"Ah...thanks," he finally managed, realizing as it came out it sounded really stupid. As he spoke, he opened up the writ...

...immediately noticing that whatever was written on it was not in any language he could read.

Probably Sith. And for all you know it says to imprison you and Cazun...

He looked towards the attendant, who had begun to step away. "Pardon me, but I wonder...

Joy and anticipation spiraled violently downward to crash-land in a heap of frustrated disappointment. Clenching her fists, she caught her lip between her teeth.

So close! She had been so very, very close...

Her eyes snapped open to bore into Panthar's own, seeking deep into his mind now, looking for that which may have slipped there unbeknownst to his conscious awareness. But he was telling the truth.

Her shoulders slumped as for the tiniest of moments she let that disappointment well up and swell completely over her. After doing thus, it continued on until at length it had completely flowed away, leaving determination in its wake.

Motioning that Rykounagin dismount, she took firm hold of both the lad and the towering Sith body which held the human essence of Panthar Dantares.

The attendant took the Writ in hand once more, unrolled it, and read in a soft, clear voice:

"Let all of K'eel Doba cease and desist in all efforts but that of finding the whereabouts of the two missing men, Panthar Dantares and Matt Stanza, and furthermore give to the bearers of this Writ all assistance and due respect they would award unto me, Dark Lord Aelvedaar."

Rolling it up quickly, she handed it back to Jasyn, then waited but a hair's breadth to see if he needed anything further from her before continuing with:

"A pilot will come to inform you when your ship is ready," she ended, nodding her head with finality and then departing from their company altogether.

Accepting the Writ back from the attendant, Jasyn found himself at a loss for words once again.

Seems like Aelvedaar, for the moment at least, is in your corner. Now the Warriors on K'eel Doba, however...

Jasyn shook himself from such thoughts, at least for the moment. After all, per what he'd seen via the Octahedron with Aeylmaar, ShaRhylla wasn't presently on K'eel Doba, acting as the Big Cheese. He frowned a bit to himself, trying to recall exactly what all they had seen in the Octahedron that day...

...but it wasn't all coming back. He had, after all, had quite a drinking binge on his way to retrieve Graysith. Such things tend to mess with one's memories...

Finally realizing the attendant was still waiting, Jasyn turned to her with a brief nod. "Thank you and Lord Aelvedaar for your assistance in this," he said briefly then.

As the attendant stepped away then, Jasyn turned back to Cazun, who looked like he was far away in the blissful land of drunkness, and K'kihl.

"I need to let the Boss know I'm headed out after Matt," he said simply then, and having said that, keyed a brief message into his commlink:

Terrin, K'kihl, myself, a new friend, and a Sith pilot will be shortly enroute to K'eel Doba to search for Matt via a Sith ship of some variety. I will update you as we progress.

Satisfied the message was brief and to the point, Jasyn sent it on its way via the highly encrypted, secure channel to Terrin. As he did, he idly wondered about travelling in a Sith ship with a Sith pilot. His hackles raised just the slightest, but he made no mention of this to the others.

"Well, guess we're outta here shortly," he said instead, also doing his best to ignore the fact that he knew the Warriors and the Sorcerers were not necessarily on the best terms with one another.

"S'cuse me," he mumbled as he shifted in his seat, raising his goblet to drain the final dregs of the fiery liquid of which he had had far too much in the past hour or so.

But yet, not quite enough to totally separate him from the reality which lay about him. Not... quite.

He lowered the goblet, waved it demandingly toward an attendant who hovered nearby, and then plopped himself forward upon the table. It was lucky for him that his forearm held enough muscle memory to hold him upright; otherwise he would have slapped face-first onto the gleaming wooden surface.

"'t seems to me we gah- we got ouzzeves a ship, goo' buddy!" He raised his glass in a victorious salute, the raised it to his lips in follow-up. Of course the attendant had yet to refill it, having gone back for a fresh carafe of the Sith brandy, Jasyn's fondness and the miner's newfound love of life.

Embarrassed, he lowered his arm, let the goblet clunk to the tabletop.

"We goin' somewheres wi' these people?" he inquired, his attention then drawn away from the problem at hand which was entirely too difficult to focus upon, to the return of the attendant who once more salved his soul with the glistening green fire she poured into his glass. Raising it once more in a salute, he took it to his lips, and downed a good half of it. Quickly then, he finished it off, slammed it down on the table.

...and what needed to be done. First, he rose his own goblet to his lips, draining the remaining Sith brandy from its depths. Then he turned to the others. "I think...."

He paused, pursing his lips at his first choice of wording. "Let's get moving and go find Matt," he then continued, the Sith brandy he had just partaken of giving him some extra resolve. As he did, he stood, first considering asking who was coming along and who was going to stay...

...and then changing his mind entirely. "Let's go."

While the offer is still on the table, came the idle errant thought.

A mere moment ticked by, and perhaps not even that. In that span of time, Shayla's eyes remained locked on IllaAnda's, her spoken dare falling seemingly on deaf ears.
And in that span of time the fading human portion of herself struggled to make itself heard within against a seemingly stronger and stronger weight. Still, she struggled, with herself and with what she now most certainly had become. But even so, she still sought that One Single Individual whom she loved yet despite herself...

...and whom she longed to be with once again even now, as in the past, a past that she had never been able to let go of, a past which she blamed herself entirely for losing.

And it was she, after all, whom she had done this all for anyway. There had been the vision of Graysith, with a babe in her arms, stepping off the side of a cliff as Phalomir's hands rose in triumph. But it was at this very moment that the last shred of what was Shayla saw fault in her interpretation of events. For as it had been with Anakin Skywalker, whose actions to protect his wife had indeed lead to the demise he had forseen instead, perhaps the babe in Graysith's arms had not been one born of her and Phalomir after all...

A jolt shook Shayla's very being, a jolt that she somehow knew could be felt across the link she yet shared with Jharmeen. But it was, perhaps, too late. For She who was in Control sensed this as well. And, staring into the darkening eyes of IllaAnda, the Shayla that was becoming wanted the Power now offered...

...especially considering He was merely standing there, doing absolutely nothing but querying stupidly about the Halfling.

What did She matter anymore, anyway? And why didn't he know about her? Shouldn't he?

Shayla's greeny blue eyes darkened, slipping away from IllaAnda's to cut through Kieran.

"The Halfling is the daughter of Graysith..."

She trailed, a black smile forming her her lips as one arm reached backward, pointer finger extended, to indicate the chained, barely alive form behind her. That unworthy, nearly unrecognizable being groaned, perhaps sensing and fearing what was to come next from her lips. "...and Dark Lord Ankrist Roan."

With nothing more than that, she turned her attentions back to IllaAnda. "Well? she asked her, her eyes darkening even further as she tossed her head to the side, her dark blonde tresses falling back to expose her neck, as though she was offering it up. And perhaps she was at that, for what was buried deepy within her had sensed a pull in the last remaining shreds of a connection that she had with the the Other...

At length, Erik was satisfied with is work and certain that he had cut the metal so that it could be removed easily, and replaced just as easily. The skies were darkening, so he reached into his bag for a lamp, which he clipped to his belt. He deactivated his lightsaber, but kept it in his hand and ready...

...just in case. Taking great care to move the metal smoothly and as silently as possible, should anyone or anything be below, he pulled up the metal as if it were a door, using the portion that was still connected on one side as a hinge of sorts. As he removed it, he moved his lightsaber, still deactivated, to the ready position, leaving only one hand on the metal as he finished opening the "door."

Nothing untoward happened. Still, a chill raced up Erik's spine as the metal removed revealed a dark chasm below. He waited a few moments, listening carefully...

...but he heard nothing. Furthermore, he sensed no life in the immediate area, at least nothing sentient or large. Gathering his wits about himself, he unhooked the lamp from his weapons belt, and activated it, shining it below.

What he saw next caused his eyes to widen, and his heart to race: A small room, devoid of furniture, save for a small table, with strange gadgets that appeared to be perhaps of use to chart something or other on its surface...

...and on one wall, a large map of the galaxy with a singular spot highlighted in red, a spot Erik recognized instantly based on his knowledge of piloting and star charts...

...the location of a point in space known as Vector Prime, the portion of space from which the Yuuzhan Vong entered into this Galaxy.

And it was here, on Khar Delba....

...a planet that had been dead for the entirety of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and defeat, and had been before that for some 4,000 years....

...and even more importantly, document his findings. A quick look about confirmed that there was a small ladder leading down into the room. Erik carefully gathered up his backpack, replaced it on his back, and only ten descended the ladder. He made quick work of taking holoimages of the room itself and even more so of the map.

Only then did he pause to inspect the room further, enough to then notice a singular heavy wooden door in one corner of the room. Erik walked slowly towards it, then paused just in front of it. And in that moment something so dark and sinister gripped him he almost couldn't breath.

But this only lasted a moment...

Panthar merely shook his horned head, and beamed at his surroundings, beginning to take his own steps forward into the Temple when she stayed him with one outstretched hand.

"Wait," she said simply; saying no more she looked about herself that she might determine where it was they had regained the universe that men and other sapients term real.

She found that they were just outside the door to her Adopted Father's Sanctum Sanctorum. It's wooden grandeur glowed with the sheen that only age and care can give to good wood, the glyphs and images carved in the swirling grain standing out in bas relief. Smiling, she took a step forward, reached out and ran one finger along one of the images; as if that motion alone had called out to the inhabitants of the temple, there came the sudden sound of footfalls behind her.

She turned to find a female Sith with canary yellow eyes hastening by.

Drawing herself upright, she stayed her with an imperial gesture. "Please take these guests to the Dining Hall, where they might rest and refresh themselves. Prepare rooms for them in the Second Hall; each one having his own. I shall join them shortly to break my own fast."

Whether or not she found the comment that the Lady planned on breakfasting with the pair seemed odd, for indeed it was early evening in the city, the servant made no indication. She merely bowed, turned to the pair, and ushered them off. The Dark Lady watched her departure, her violet eyes glittering in the dim light of the corridor, and was turning to knock discreetly on the door when it hit her.

She gasped, a hand flung to her head, and fell to her knees.

Shayla! My Adept; oh my dear Sister -- in danger!

For a moment she remained thus, her knees pressed into the cold stones of the corridor, one hand holding her there, the other clamped to her temple, letting the surprising and otherwise welcoming knowledge that the Link was back, it was no longer broken, she had connection with her beloved Sister again fight battle with rising, gut-wrenching panic that Shayla was in the greatest danger of her life.

Moments passed while the battle raged. Then she jerked her face up, her flaming hair flinging about like some fiery nebula, and rose to her feet like the warrioress she knew she was going to have to be.

Again.

"I am coming, my Adept," she whispered to no one. Then with no further ado she reached out with her talents and rent open yet another portal through the very interstices of space and time, and taking a deep breath, stepped through.

Blinking, he turned his head, and then blinked harder so the three towering images standing quietly there would resolve into one. That didn't work; he closed one eye, peered at the stranger. Whoever it was it was big and red and possessed horn and claws and fangs and eyes the color of...

Nothing.

Those eerie eyes stabbed through his stupor, sending a shiver up and down his spine, until he realized the giant was speaking to them, something about departing...

A flash of lucidity -- this must be their promised pilot.

"Le's go, par'ner!"

With that he let his goblet fall from his hand. It struck the tabletop, rolled off the edge and crashed to the floor...

Flippin' bloody hell!

Jasyn knelt on the ground, quickly assessing Cazun's vitals, already knowing full well the only thing the matter with the other man was that he'd had way too much to drink.

Oh dear gods, payback was you know what...

Jasyn shook his head, reaching one hand out and using the back of it to lightly smack Cazun on the cheek. "Hey, pal, snap out of it!"

All the while knowing full well it wouldn't do a lick of good. Cazun slumbered blissfully on, truthfully probably needing the downtime after all they had been through...

...and would be going through.

Jasyn sighed.

Thank the Maker he really didn't even know the half of it.

"He'll be alright," Jasyn then spoke aloud to no one in particular, even as the rather large Sith pilot moved to easily get Cazun off the ground, simultaneously motioning for them to follow. As they did, Jasyn tried his best to ignore the voices of his rising inner demons, reminding himself that this was the only way, for the moment, they would have any chance of getting to Matt.

Dear gods, he would never forgive himself if he wasn't alive...

In a very short span of time a still-slumbering Cazun, K'khil, and Jasyn...along with the Sith pilot...were all aboard a pristine little Sith fighter and enroute to the sister Sith world of K'eel Doba.

There was none to be found anywhere in the vicinity.

Forcing himself to calm down, running a quick mental calming exercise, Erik pulled the door open...

...and was met with a blinding light as he did. The light was so bright, in fact, that he had to cup a hand over his eyes for a moment as he stepped inside. But even still, he didn't let go of the hilt of his lightsaber, as though expecting something to rush on him out of nowhere.

But nothing did. Still as his eyes adjusted to the light, what he saw caused him to take a few involuntary steps back until he was stopped by the stone wall behind him. His brown eyes widened in an admixture of horror and surprise.

There before him, lay a med table, with open restraints where arms, hands, legs, and feet would generally fall and a couple of rolling trays with surgical instruments.

What the hell was this place? First a map with Vector prime, and now a small, surgical lab of sorts...

Taking further notice of all that was laying about, and beginning to once more document with holopics, Erik noticed to the side a small table, set up with a single chair, neatly organized with rather archaic writing and graphing utensils on its surface. Erik stepped up to it, looked down upon a padd in the center of the table...

...and froze. He could not read the language on the padd, although he was fairly certain it was not Sith. And he most certainly would not have been able to make out what looked to be a formula of sorts written on the bottom even if he had been able to read the language. What he did recognize, however, was the drawing of a small child, small horns atop his head...

...but with an oddly sloping forehead and grayish skin...

Still, after carefully taking holopics of everything in the room...from the desk to the surgical table and instruments...without moving them at all, Erik settled on the ground, legs crossed, and closed his eyes, seeking the Force for calming and rejuvenation while also tapping into it to keep his senses trained keenly on anything outward that might disturb him. As he did, Erik unconsciously shook his head, a realization slamming home for him.

Why had he turned away from all of this for so very long? It still felt strange to him, having not relied on the Force with any great conviction for such a long span of time, but it also felt genuinely right.

Erik took a deep breath, analyzing this thought no further, but simply letting himself fall into the Force and become a part of it. For a long span of time he remained unmoving, and at peace.

But then it happened: Mental images, of events that may or may not have happened, yet...

...but with one he had loved greatly.

Standing in the center of a strangely lit room Erik couldn't really make out and certainly didn't recognize she stood, wearing a loosely fitting, sleeveless gown. On her face was a smile, but the look in her eyes was dark as the skies before a storm.

And as Erik regarded her further from his vantage point in the midst of this vision, one thing became apparently clear:

Her stomach, usually flat and toned, bulged, evidencing that she was great with child. Stretching out her arms then, she reached out as a large figure, one Erik could not make out, came to her. She wrapped her arms around the figure, and it descended upon her, first in seeming affection...

...but sounds of passion morphed into screams of agony. But they were laced with frighteningly demonic laughter, at first only coming from the two.

But at length seeming to come from the very walls of the room itself.

Erik's eyes snapped open, and he swallowed hard.

What was this...?

With effort, he forced himself to remain calm, but likewise praying to the gods that this was only a vision that was a product of what he had seen in this place and nothing further. Closing his eyes once more, he sought for the Force for calm once more...

...and after some time, was able to establish just that, remaining in meditation for a few more hours before replacing his pack on his back with all of his materials in tow. He returned to the ladder he had entered upon, made his way upward, and after using the "door" he had created only hours before stepped into what was then a dawning day. Only after making certain the metal "door" was replaced as much as he had found it and recovered with snow and ice, Erik began to reach for his pack for his direction finder...

After dropping off Rykounagin, and then being shown to his own sleeping room, Panthar dismissed the attendant and intended to get some long deserved rest. But as he settled down, he immediately grew restless. He donned a clean robe, suitable for his size, and wandered into the hallways. He wandered on until he could recognize landmarks from his previous stays here, then turned his focus to finding the great hall.

“Sure,” he muttered, “dismiss the person who was going to show where to find this place.”

Eventually he came upon the large doors and breathed triumphantly. Still weary, he pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The hall was sparsely populated, and all of people he could see were Sith, but he had been without the company of anyone “normal” that he didn’t care.

The smell of food made his stomach rumble, and the hard benches even looked inviting to his sore legs. The pain in his legs then reminded him of the ache in his back, running from his shoulders all the way down to his thighs. He stretched slightly to the left and felt a pop that send a jarring bolt up his body. Yup, that hurt.

He strode in and looked around. No-one was paying him any attention. Normally, that wouldn’t have bothered him, but he was suddenly desperate for interaction that didn’t involve floating eyeballs, giant beasties, and the Elseness.

He smiled and called out jovially.

Shayla had felt this soul-ripping pain before. Regardless of what it was that she carried within herself, the agony was the same. Whether life or non-life, her body responded in quite the same way it had the day she had lost her dear little Zackary.

Oh, Zackary, how I failed you. I wasn't strong enough....

...and how I fail you even still.

There, on the non-ground of the Darker Realms, Shayla convulsed, her heart pounding, sweat pouring from her body. She groaned, and it was as though every muscle in her body was contracting.

And perhaps that was precisely what was happening. And as it did, that which was Shayla felt the life....

...yes life...! that had been developing within her slipping away. For while it had been partially of the Dark One, that which had been developing was also partially she, Shayla Stargazer Petrolu...

She who yet lived.

And it was She who once more opened the link with one Jharmeen Jhin'Darr Qutaro, the only Sister she had ever known, while simultaneously taking hold of the human body which was hers, to rid herself of That which linked her to this awful dark place.

As the contractions lessened, two unformed sacs of flesh lay on the ground in a pool of blood, the tension in Shayla's muscles finally slackened.

And she that was within pulled fiercely on that Link, knowing that Time was of the Greatest Essence...

I shake my head, turn away from the Octahedron, attempt to still my misgivings with a snort of derision.

"It is simple stress," I say to myself. "Stress from all we have gone through, for the death and uncertainty and certain knowledge that there is an enemy amongst us whom we have yet to ferret out. Who hides behind apparent evil, evil it would distract us by, while it sets in motion that which would--"

Which would what?

That I do not know. I must be patient, and wait. As did the one I made Graysith once place her trust in me, now must I place my trust in her.

She is the Link through which Others will join and together reveal this enemy most dire. Whether solution to our quietly building predicament will also lend itself to us is something that not even the Octahedron would reveal.

Even if it could.

I sigh, and taking a step forward place a palm against its glacial surface, sensing the tumultuous heat of the improbability roiling within. I lean my forehead against it, cooling my suddenly fevered brow.

"Be safe," is all I can whisper. Then I turn from its enigma and face the door to my Sanctum Sanctorum, responding to the certainty that One of Importance will soon be forthcoming.

I place my hands in the sleeves of my robes, and wait.

Jasyn Lancaster really wanted a drink.

Really bad.

But the problem was, he was having to for once, much to his dismay, be the "responsible one" this go around. He had barely been able to help Cazun Farr aboard the Sith fighter, the other man was so kriffing drunk. Now, Cazun snoozed blissfully on, draped ungracefully in one of the passenger's seats aboard the Sith fighter, snoring loudly every so often. The Sith pilot which had been assigned to escort them to K'eel Doba...

...hadn't said a word. Jasyn wasn't even sure he spoke basic. It had been around three hours since they had left Khar Deblan space, and Jasyn knew it would be at least a couple more before they arrived on K'eel Doba. He also knew that they were too close to utilize hyperspace, not without some piloting skill and precision, so he was not alarmed that standard drive was chosen for their journey.

Not to say that he wasn't in some form alarmed for other reasons. As each minute passed, Jasyn felt more awkward sitting behind the silent Sith pilot, who kept an intense gaze on the controls of the fighter. Mentally, he cursed Cazun for having gotten so damn schnokered...

...although the gods knew he couldn't blame him. Intermittently, a little shoulder devil popped up on his shoulder, snickering.

What if the Sith pilot ISN'T taking you to K'eel Doba? What if what's happening isn't at all what you've been told? He is flying a Sith fighter after all, and you don't know how to fly it or how to read or speak the language he is using to fly the thing...

Unconsciously, Jasyn sighesd disgustedly. How he wished Terrin and Galen were here. And Matt...

He frowned, sadly, feeling like the worst friend ever. At length, Jasyn just couldn't take the silence any longer.

"How long til arrival at K'eel Doba?" he inquired, not really expecting a reply, but suddenly wishing for anything to distract him from his guilt-ridden thoughts of the friend who had been left behind for far too long.

He nodded his curled, bifurcated horns at Jasyn even as he momentarily lightened the connection existing between himself and the ship.

"It shall not be long. Several..."

He paused a moment, his brow furrowing a bit at the predicament of time displacement now facing him. For he knew how long it would take, speaking as a Sith...

But as how this-

What was he again?

Human reckoned the telling of time, he had to stop and make a quick calculation.

"Perhaps 14 standard hours," he finished, the slight frown now deepening for the headache his calculations cost him. Inherent in magick he might be, able to fly a ship he could do...

But mathematician indeed he was not.

"Try to make yourself comfortable, and-"

He cast iced periwinkle eyes once over the snoring form of the tibanna miner.

"And see to the comforts of your companion. There are supplies in the back of the ship.

"Now, leave me to my task."

Well, at least somebody was seeing some action. Panthar shrugged, he had seen enough action to warrant a long rest, why would he care if something else was going on? He wouldn’t! Sith business was no business of his, despite his outward appearance. What he really wanted to do was get back to his old life, digging up relics.

Yeah, but digging up relics was what got him into trouble in the first place. And into this big red body. He missed his old body, he had grown rather fond of it through his life. The only solace he could take in losing it was that the dirty rotten bastard Thoran was also dead for stealing it. At least, he thought he was dead. Wasn’t he?

Panthar found himself wandering the hallways, not quite remembering when he stood and left. Fatigue was definitely upon him and he let his intuition and perfect memory lead him back to his sleeping chamber. He tightened the robe around him to keep out the draft and let his thoughts wander back in time. Back to the days he was trying to prove that there was even such an ancient race as the Sith. Well, here they were now, in all their splendor! Yup, big freakin’ splendor. All magic and mysterious, somehow connected to some big power even beyond the Force.

Well, that was really something else he had suspected and was trying to discover evidence of when he came across that stupid crystal. The only thing good that came out of that was bringing Phal back to life – or whatever it was. Then again, that was one screwed up guy. Might have bene better that he stayed trapped inside that rock.

Panthar bumped into someone scurrying by. My, it was like they were all trying to find something. Everyone too busy to pay him any mind. Ah well, bed time was calling, and here was his room.

Except no, this was not his room. Panthar looked around, his surroundings seeming familiar but not quite where he expected to be. But he had definitely been here before, who knows when? Maybe with Graysith? He reached for the door, then hesitated. If there was one thing he learned here was that you shouldn’t just go opening doors. Especially if it was a door to a Sith harem or something.

Did Sith have harems? Seems that they should. They were pretty weird about stuff, and that seemed like it would be right up their alley. Panthar had a thought then – if he was destined to spend his life in a Sith body, maybe he should try to be a little more like a Sith. Or, well, at least get a Sith girlfriend. Wait, do Sith have girlfriends? I mean, Phal and Gray were pretty close but she was sorta more human, and maybe it was just a male thing for the Sith. He really had never seen a Sith couple. This definitely required investigating, and if his intuition had brought him to this door, then maybe this was the door to a Sith harem!

Smiling, Panthar rapped on the door, breaking the silent waiting of the Dark Lord therein.

..or he and Cazun were in deep doo doo. After all, Jasyn had been back and forth between Sith worlds long enough to know that, since they'd already been in flight a few hours, the rest of the trip should probably take no more than 6 or 7 hours.

Oh hell.

He tried to let as little of his concern creep out for the Sith pilot to notice, although truthfully he'd already turned his back to Jasyn and didn't have any idea. Or even care. So instead Jasyn nodded uselessly to the Sith's back, got up, and walked over to Cazun, who he uncerimoniously shook by the shoulder.

"C'mn friend, let's head aft and leave this good Sith to his flying," he stated,loudly enough to cause the Sith to turn slightly, a somehow bemused look crossing his face, as Cazun stirred with slurred curses.

"Come on," Jasyn reiterated, shaking the other man once more by the shoulder.

Kriffing hell, if the guy didn't wake up and get on the move, he'd be sleeping here with the Sith pilot on his own...

...cause at the moment Jasyn just wanted to head to the back...

...and, as he was so wont to do...get a drink. Or at least imagine that he was going to get one, since he had to be the responsible one here, and Cazun clearly didn't need to be inebriated any further.

Awww, bloody hell...

...but he had to question if what he found would be enough to convince Seus to act. While it was some rather disturbing information, including an ancient race knowing about Vector Prime and someone pondering what appeared to be the mating...or creation, at least...of a Sith/Yuuzhan Vong hybrid. Still, it didn't lead to any obvious attack or take over of the universe.
And that's precisely what Erik believed the Sith were planning to do.

So he made a final decision, and perhaps a quite dangesrous one at that. Pulling his holopad from his pack he accessed the pictures and any information he had taken from the strange vault he had found in the ground...

...and encrypted it so that it would take quite some time for anyone else to decode it and then transferred it over to his commlink. The next decision Erik Kartan made was to not replace the holopad in his pack at all, but instead in nearby, rather thick, underbrush. He didn't know if he would ever recall its location or not, but he most certainly didn't want it on his person in the event that he was captured.

Which perhaps he might indeed be with what he was now considering as his next move. Pulling his Jedi cloak from his things, he then replaced his pack on his back and put on the robe, pulling its hood over his head...

...and then stretching out with the Force as his guide, Erik began heading towards where he sensed life, which inevitably meant a more inhabited region of the planet...

...but with perhaps more information for him to gather...

Aww dammit, he missed Terrin, Galen, Matt. And in the case of the latter, perhaps he was too late...

As Jasyn took anotehr drink of Sith brandy, a clacking sound interrupted him from his thoughts and a movement nearby caused him to jerk.

After a moment of surprise, K'kihl's insectoid body seemed to coalesce across from him.

Sithspit, maybe this brandy was stronger than most. Had the Verpine been there all along?

"S--sorry," Jasyn said in the Verpine's general direction, even as he realized how stupid he must sound. "My mind was elsewhere."

Then, suddenly realizing he really hadn't ever had the time to really speak to the Verpne one on one and knew very little of him, he wondered at exactly what he should say. "How much longer do you think we have?" Jasyn settled with, taking another sip of brandy...

...and wondering if Cazun was ever going to wake up.

While heading into more populated areas of Khar Delba could get him more incriminating information...
...he'd probably never get out alive with it.

And what good would any of the information he had gained serve anyone if he was dead? He was going to have to make a choice here: to trust that Seus would follow up on his end of the deal and pick him up when he called, and hope like Hell that he would see the importance of the information that he had gathered.

Settling to rest at least via the Force for a few hours—for he didn’t want to be completely unconscious due to the deadly wildlife in the area—Erik knew it was time to make the call…and remember that this was not just a revenge business, no matter how much his heart ached at the loss of his son…and yes, of the only woman he thought he’d ever love.

...and pretty solid evidence at that. And both that immediately came to mind he was all-too-familiar with, and so close to that he had to get it before he backed out entirely. So he'd spent the majority of a day plotting out his path, based on the sensors he had and the sheer knowledge he had of this world. While he knew traveling at night was potentially dangerous, he also knew he was close enough to civilization that he needed the darkness to help shield him from prying eyes.

Once more, he headed towards civilization, and within a couple of hours he reached his desired location: the outskirts of Cyopanthe. As he travelled, the land shifted from icy to more jungly. Taking great care, and well aware of the wildlife he could risk tangling with in the less-populated areas, Erik walked just on the outside of some of the small cities to increase the likelihood he had of passing safely without being seen. In another hour, while the moon still shone in the sky and darkness covered him, Erik at last knew he was close enough: He’d been here before; too many times before.

Only this time he was alone. And he had come to his senses.

Pulling his electrobinoculars from his pack, he raised them to his eyes. For a while he scanned and searched, looking for something very specific…

…til he at length found it: the Palace. He set his electrobinoculars to record the image, and zoomed in, also increasing the depth. The electrobinoculars radiation sensors and night vision made the image oh-so-clear and vivid…including the image of a Sith Warship that Erik was certain he had probably piloted once before. On that he focused, zooming in once more, allowing the electrobinoculars to record its length. He took additional readings on the Temple’s range, azimuth, and elevation.

As if on cue to that thought, an upwelling of Darkness oozed forth, shifting from a focus on Shayla's greeny-blues to that of utter black awfulness, out of seemingly nowhere......and in but a few moments completely vanished once more.

Erik's browns jerked open, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

Why this? And why now?

He reached a hand up to wipe the sweat away, and then stood, still surrounded by jungle. Not far away stood the Sorcerer's Temple, and Erik had already discreetly backed up his recordings and data elsewhere. And while he had rested some, between visions or nightmares as you would call them...

...it would still be dark for an hour or so before the sun rose. So, standing, Erik gathered his wits about himself, and headed back towards the Temple, putting his Jedi cloak away and stashing his pack to help him be more mobile but making certain to have both blaster and lightsaber ready.

He had been left in the dark for oh-so-very-long. He needed more information...

…but it was too quiet. Erik frowned as he took another gaze through his electrobinoculars, seeing little to no activity outside the entrance of the Temple.

What was going on…?

Not that Erik planned on going in via the Temple entrance anyway. He’d lived in the Temple, worked on ships there…

…and had escaped from the Temple a time or two. There was more than one way inside.

As dusk began to settle, Erik Kartan replaced his electrobinoculars in their pack on his hip,next to the lightsaber hilt he briefly fingered. Despite himself his memory flashed to another day in time: one of Shayla practicing ferociously with her own saber within her chambers in the temple, trying so hard to please Graysith.

Why Shayla? Why did you yearn to please her so? In the end, she betrayed you, and abandoned you..

Shaking himself from such thoughts, he set himself to the task, and began heading towards the outskirts of the Temple, hoping to find an avenue in which once had been used as an escape…

…praying to the Fates he didn’t encounter the one who had introduced it to him and others in the process.

Another momentary flash. An infant in an incubator, a Sith with regal, curved horns coldly sending them away…

…Aeylmaar.

Erik’s brown eyes darkened several shades.

The beginning of the end…

He continued to walk.

"Disturb you have I?" he queried in his odd, lilting voice. "Sorry then am I."

He paused a moment, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. His metabolism was as high as the species from which his race had developed, and thus he found sitting for any great time to be something along the lines of sheer intolerance. Especially if he had nothing with which to occupy his mind.

The simple question of Jasyn's offered him surcease from his personal brand of sorrow. He tilted his head, fiddled one manipulatory appendage about for a moment, and then replied.

"Wrong, this Sith is," he chattered and clacked. "Math so simple even, beyond reach him. Time estimate I... 6.48 hours standard, no more, no less."

A shift of his torso and downward tilt of his head indicated that his glance had left Jasyn to settle on the gently snoring form of Cazun.

He'd encountered some of it before, after all, he thought a bit blackly, recalling how he'd been dragged into the Temple oh so long ago.

When he had come here to find and rescue Her. What an idiot he had been.

Erik at length reached the outskirts of the edifice, quite ways from the main entrance. He paused a few moments, listening, and hearing nothing. He frowned.

It was way too quiet.

His hackles raised, and his hand strayed instinctively to his blaster. He sensed outward with the Force a bit more...

...and while he was still not as well trained as he could be, what he was sensing outward for was readily apparent.

That space of Force "non-ness"....what was it they called it? A chronotic shield, that was it.

He moved in closer to where he sensed it, yet still remaining almost right against the Temple walls.

He knew it was here somewhere...

And he was right, just when he was about to give up, he found the door, just as it had been there when he and the others had left the Temple seemingly so long ago to find the hidden hangar...

...at Aeylmaaar's directions.

Erik's eyes darkened a shade again, and this time he not only reached for his blaster, but unholstered it and held it up, ready to shoot if need be...

...and tested the door.

Of course, nothing.

Erik had expected that it would be locked, and had come prepared. It was a simple latch, and nothing he couldn't handle easily. He had, after all, been an information smuggler, and smuggling information meant being able to pick a lock. Reaching into his tool belt, Erik retrieved a small, knife-like tool. Granted, he did have a lightsaber, which would make short work of the door...

..but he didn't want to draw any attention to himself or how he got in or out if possible. Getting to work, in just a few minutes Erik felt the latch begin to wiggle...

...and the inward latch spring open.

He put the tool back in his belt, and took hold of his blaster once more, raising it slightly before gently pushing down on the latch and slowly opening the door, sensing outward with the Force but feeling no one on the other side of the door...

...at least not immediately.

For now he did sense others...possibly two or three...and though he wasn't the best at sensing it other than Shayla, who he knew full well, he thought the signatures seemed familiar...

Carefully, Erik pushed the door closed behind him...

...and it snicked closed with a certain sort of impending finality.

What he heard next did little to relax his nerves, for he was certain he heard a knock, followed by a deep, booming voice.

Oh hell...

6.48 Hours. OH bloody kriffing Hell.

Jasyn took a good swig of the brandy mug he had in his hand, not certain when he refilled it but thankful for its contents oh so very much.

Brandy, you're a fine girl...

Then he directed his attentions to K'khil's other query. He nodded in the direction of Cazun's slumbering form.

"Oh, hes not ill," he responded, snorting a bit. "More like plastered."

The Verpine cocked his head Jasyn's way, clacking his mandibles a bit. "Nothing will cure a drunken stupor other than a good sleep."

He paused again, taking another swallow of brandy. Despite himself and his frustration with Cazun, he idly wondered how much of the stuff was aboard ship.

He shook his head to himself. "I suppose what comes around goes around," he stated out of seemingly no where. "And by the way...

Lord Aelveedar's Sanctum Sanctorium was the only thing in this vicinity in the Temple. Who would be stupid enough...?

Erik kept his blaster in place, edging against the wall, stretching out with the Force to sense at least a couple of life signatures, all of which seemed vaguely familiar. Erik cursed himself for not being more aware of those he knew here in the past, not having been trained enough to notice the differing nuances that might have helped him know one person from another. What he did know, however, was that the closest being seemed utterly oblivious to his approach, most likely indicating that this was no All or Force user of any variety. Cautiously, Erik moved against the wall until he came to a hallway intersection and stopped.

The knocking was more hesitant, but louder, clearly just around the corner.

Erik took a careful glance around the corner to see a large Sith knocking insistently on the door of the Sanctum Sanctorium before moving back around the corner to safety.

Funnily enough, something about the knocking Sith was familiar...?

And then it dawned on Erik.

It was that Panthar Dantares guy...

“Well,” he said, “If this is a harem then they are probably pretty occupied.”

He backed away from the door and sighed. Even if it was a harem, they were obviously having none of the outside world. Ah well. On second thought, maybe a Sith harem was not what he needed right now after all.

“All right, Panthar ol’ buddy,” he said. “You let fate steer you here, so let’s see where fate wants you go now.” He looked down the hallway from where he had come, then looked down the hallway in the other direction.

“I think fate wants me to go that way,” he said. “Yes, that’s the direction. Surely there’s an eligible young Sithette just around the corner. Yeah, that’s it.”

Erik made a quick decision then, one which he was almost certain would be the death of him...

...and lowered his blaster as an unsuspecting Panthar came around the corner. "

"Hey there, Panthar," Erik said simply as the human in a Sith's body rounded the corner. "When did you get here?"

“Shawn! No, wait… Matt? No, wait, don’t tell me!” Panthar thought back, there were so many people that had come and gone, who was this one? Where had he met him? Oh, right, this was Shayla’s ex! Poor sap. Hmm, he thought, wonder if she is still single.

Somehow Erik managed to keep his whits about himself and resisted the urge to pull out his blaster and stun Panthar.

He was at least in a Sith body. Could be useful...

"Shayla has been gone for some time," Erik answered honestly, his eyes darkening slightly for a moment before Erik forced all feelings aside somewhat as he decided on the most logical answer to Panthar's question.

It came much too easily. "I don't know where everyone else is, really. I left to deal with the death of my son and just got back here."

Nevermind that, in the meantime, you went to Kamino, then went to the Guild World and found Seus, worked on Jedi training...

...and decided to come back here to collect evidence. Cause these Sith, they are up to more than what is Good for All, as they so often state. And they've never really been your friends, not really...

No matter what Shayla thought... came a final, seemingly errant thought.

Panthar looked down the hall behind him, seeing nothing.

If he was going to get good information on the goings-on of the Sith, this was the best way to do it. Provided that Lord Aeylmaar character didn't pop up again any time soon....

Despite himself, Erik's eyes went a little distant for a moment, recalling his last interaction with said Sith Lord, and recalling how he'd been told that this was not the place for humans.

For the second time...

Erik shook himself from the darkening thoughts. "I literally just got here and am staying nowhere," Erik then responded. "And it sounds like you and I are perhaps left on our own for the moment."

Or at least you hope so, came an errant thought, one that pointed out that they were right around the corner from the Sanctum Sanctorum.

"I haven't had anything to eat in quite a while, and it sounds like you may be able to update me on everything that has been going on since I've been out of the loop," he then said, cocking his head slightly in the direction where he knew the main dining hall was located. "Let's get a bite and you can get me back up to speed."

Because you know you have been here frequently, Kartan, he thought to himself. With your wife.

Erik closed his eyes for a moment as the lingering hurt inevitably hit. And that it did.

Sithspawn, would it ever stop? She feld from you to find Graysith, no doubt. At a time when you needed to be with her. to bury your son. She doesn't love you...

...not like you loved her? Not like you do love her???

Erik shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. The Sith were bad, bringing the Vong back into the Galaxy, somehow having entanglements with them. Shayla knew this, and had stuck hard and fast to Graysith's side nonetheless. You can't be a part of that. Besides, you haven't felt her presence through that link you once shared with her. She's shut you out, for good this time.

Erik shook himself from his darkening thoughts, and looked Pathar's way. "So do you know where everyone is?" he asked the other, taking a sip of the drink that had just been placed before him as he did so.

Panthar glanced around the large hall, then waved a hand to indicate the bustling Sith. Various servants and runners, some with looks of frustration, came in and out of the room. At one point a large guard entered.

“See?” Panthar asked. “Lots of activity. But yeah, everyone else… good question.”

The large guard seemed to take notice of Panthar and Erik. He moved his head from left to right like a deer trying to ascertain movement from a potential foe. Or, as if he were looking for a Sith and a human. Either way, he began walking their way.

A Sith... and a human...

He straightened imperceptibly, clawed fingers brushing down metallic purple robes, flicking off invisible lint puffs even as he started his approach to them. His eyes hooded as he drew near and came to a stop.

Drinks in frozen hands, the two looked up at him, wayyyyyy up, for even by Sith standards he was tall. He merely stood quietly, letting his bearing fill the room for them before finally deigning to speak.

"A Writ of Abeyance has been declared, for the discovery of two beings. One is Sith..."

He bowed his horn-crowned head toward the oddly un-Sithy non-human, who stared up at him with a strange admixture of seeming naivete and humor.

"And the other is... human. The Writ states their names as being Panthar Dantares and Matt Stanza; please, honor this one with an answer to my query. For two such gentle-beings to travel in the company of each other is uncommon to be sure; are you the two whom all Sith have been seeking the greater part of this day?"

Matt Stanza...that was one of Terrin Danner's men. And he clearly recalled that Matt and Panthar had gone off to K'eel Doba. So what had happened after that that there was some sort of Writ out there to find both Matt and Pathar? Very curious...

"I am Erik Kartan," Erik spoke up simply and directly, choosing to let Panthar speak for himself.

"We are not seeking you," he rasped, then dismissed the man altogether by turning back to the Sith, whose fork was hovering somewhat dramatically over the mountain of food in front of him. The Mage allowed that one a curl of the nose, for although Sith and human had in the past provided companionship with one another it was a fairly rare occurrence. In his humble opinion these were not the gentle beings he was looking for.

But he had his orders, and until he could determine with one hundred percent probability that indeed this pair were but two others, he dared leave no stone unturned. So once again he tipped his horns, this time in Panthar's direction.

"And you?" he asked succinctly, making clear that what he needed in reply could come from no other lips than the strangely startled Sith who sat frozen before him.

"Mmmph mm Phanthbbbt--" he began, stopping abruptly to avoid choking on a piece of meat. He held his finger up to pause reality and used this respite to swallow.

Propriety prevented his lip from curling as he force his voice to remain calm.

"The Sith of the Sister Worlds of K'eel Doba and Khar Delba are beholden to a Writ of Abeyance, decreed by the Great Dark Lord Aelvedaar himself, instructing that all immediately cease and desist in their daily affairs and instead join together in finding two people, a human named Matt Stanza, and a Sith named..."

He paused fractionally, sniffing.

"Panthar Dantares. Why these personages are being sought is known to only the Dark Lord himself. But such Writs are not given lightly; these men must be either great champions to our worlds, or..."

Another measured pause, one in which he did allow his lip to curl just the tiniest bit.

"Dire threats who must be stopped as soon as possible, and taken before the Dark Lord himself."

"You are in luck, my good sir. For although this human here is not on your list of most wanted, you have nonetheless fulfilled your duty as a Sith of fine stature. For, sitting before you, and this will come as a total surprise I am sure, is none other than the one and only Panthar Dantares of which you seek!"

Panthar stood and bowed slightly to the tall Sith.

Which perhaps he had been. And he was actually quite fine with that, recalling how the Dark Lord hadn't even been present when all Sith magicks had fallen silent, and Zackary's incubator had no longer been able to sustain his life.

And recalling how the other one--that Dark Lord Aeylmaar--had turned he and Shayla away when he'd gone to him for help after Shayla had been attacked by Lord Roan and miscarried their child, sent away as mere humans.

If they were mere humans, why the Hell was it of any importance to the Sith to place Zackary into an incubator anyway?

Erik shook himself from his darkening thoughts as best he could, and took a drink from the goblet yet in his hand as the interchange between Panthar and the Sith Mage continued.

...but not really certain. His wristcomm read: Incoming message from Aaron Barnes.

Erik frowned, taking a drink from his goblet, praying to all the Fates that the Mage was so focused on Panthar he noticed nothing of it. He took a drink from goblet to cover his frown.

“And this good man,” he said, twisting his thumb in Erik’s direction, “is assisting me and must accompany me. I simply cannot get by without his assistance, since he is assisting me.”

...and then his thoughts shifted in an entirely different direction. After all, he was in search of information, and verification of certain beliefs he held. And what better way to get any of that than being on the inside.

After all, he was the husband of the Dark Lady’s Adept. No one here knew anything of his recent dealings with the Guild World, or of his decision to leave Shayla and her Sith behind, not trusting a thing they were telling her.

And truthfully, not very certain anymore that he could trust her either.

“Yes,” Erik then said in response, turning his brown eyes to look at the Mage. “I was alerted of this man’s disappearance by the Heir Apparent Lord Aeylmaar, and was recently able to locate him here.”

This pretty much was the truth, save for a few unmentioned details. Including how he had really departed everyone’s company, dismissed by said Heir Apparent in utter hostility.

Not that you were the most friendly person yourself at the time, came a voice out of nowhere, one that Erik hadn’t anticipated in thee slightest.

He chose to ignore said voice. After all, he and Shayla had just lost their child at the time...

“We were hoping to be able to reconnect with our companions- the Dark Lord and Lady, as well as some others, but they seem to be elsewhere.”

...dragging the still-quiet Phalomir along with her, she stepped through...

...and with him tumbled in a heap upon the hard, cold and blessedly real stones of one of the hallways in the Temple of the Sorcerors on Khar Delba.

For a long moment she simply lay there, allowing herself to relish the feel and sound of his still-beating heart before responsibility propelled her to her feet. Using her own inner strength augmented with that given to her in so singular a manner on so singular a day on a very, very singular planet, she hauled his great form upright along with her.

He promptly sagged against her; an ”oof!” of propelled air escaped her as she changed her stance, working to hold him on his feet even as she looked about herself to determine where it was she had sent them.

A rather nondescript hallway, yes, but from the design on the nearest sconce she knew which Great Temple they now found themselves in.

Drawing a breath, she prodded Phalomir into action.

“Come, my dear heart; we must find help for you. For darkness has touched you; feel my strength, fight against it. We need to find Dark Lord Aelvedaar and seek his assistance in this, and once you are well decide what it is we are to do now.”

Saying nothing further she began moving down the sconce-lighted hallway, bearing the weight of the Armorer Dark Lord as best she could.

Hurrying now, my robes flying about my feet, the sudden clatter of great claws coming up from behind me, I continue following the Call of the All, knowing that within the walls of this great Temple both Jharmeen and Phalomir had finally returned home.

He remembered the doppelganger, looking at that strange reflection of himself as something within him seemed to snap. It was as if another voice cried out in rage at the mere existence of that other, and it was very confusing. But that was what he remembered, and then he was on his back, and now he was here feeling no other internal presence, so he may have imagined it all.

But there was something else left behind in the Darker Realms. That doppelganger was not right, that much he recalled. It was dark, sinister, evil.