(( O RLY?! Well you're right, I guess I will post. By the way I say we let the RP take its course and not decide who wins. Makes it more interesting ))

Aven twisted his lightsaber expertly, blocking one blow and barely dodging the other, then dropped down through the hole then grabbed a spare fuel canister. He flung it up at Raziel, then threw one lightsaber after it both objects span through the air, the lightsaber moving a little faster. Both shot through the hole, and at that moment the lightsaber connected with the canister. There was an enormous explosion and burning fuel flew everywhere. He dodged the burning fuel and ducked under an overhang of metal, hoping he would be safe from the flames.

((In Registeel's absence, I've gotten Sneaky_sneasel's permission to join, since there seems to be a general consensus that the current roleplayers don't mind me on board ))

Havec was annoyed that she was still glowing. No, annoyed wasn't really the right term with it. It was more of an awareness that her desire to not be glowing was not in sync with the true nature of how things were in the universe, and a calm acceptance of the incongruity between herself and the cosmos, with the knowledge that variety could be a source of beauty and love.

That annoyed her. Ever since returning to corporeal form, she'd been feeling just a little too at one with the cosmos for her own good.

And, despite having been corporeal for over three days, she was still glowing with a pure, pale blue light. She hoped it would stop soon; it would make walking around at night very conspicuous. Aside from the light, she wore only a simple white dress, sleeveless and billowing. Her usual jewelry was at her waist, assembled into her second lightsaber. Despite searching the Jedi temple, she couldn't find her first, and wondered if one of her captors had taken it. Although reasonably healthy, she looked a little worse for wear- tired, and pale, and as if she hadn't been getting enough to eat.

It wasn't just the physical glowing, she felt her aura had changed too. I hope they don't mistake me for a Jedi she thought, honestly worried about the possibility. The more enlightened Jedi masters did have a hint of what she felt in their auras, although they seemed rather less balanced.

"Approaching target asteroid. Projected arrival time: five minutes, thirty four seconds." The computer's mechanical voice sounded over the speaker system in the small shuttlecraft, just as it had nearly an hour ago when it had first detected her destination. She'd managed to swipe the fastest ship in the Jedi shuttle bay. No mean feat, since they painted them all over to look the same. I know more about mechanics than I thought I did. I guess I must have picked up a thing or two alongside...

Steelven.

She reached out with her mind, letting herself relax. It was amazing how far she felt herself reaching, detecting individual auras as far away as an imperial battle cruiser on the far side of the Sith Temple. That feels like Aven, and... Raziel? He's changed, quite a bit. She skimmed over the other lifesigns in the area, but none of them were quite who she was looking for.

No, there, back on the asteroid, near the very core. She was sure of it, but why? As soon as she found him, she took a moment to conceal her own aura. If he sensed her, and got distracted in the middle of the dangers they'd set up down there... She sealed her wards as tightly as she could, trying not to think about the possibilities.

The screen at her fingertips beeped at her, asking her if she wanted to return to manual controls. She punched in some numbers, then shifted seats to the flight control panel. "Activate newly registered defence codes, and switch to manual controls." The codes she'd entered were outdated, but perhaps enough to convince the base to let her land, without trying to fire on her small, defenseless shuttle. Even the Sith's meager selection of carefully hidden anti spacecraft guns would likely be enough to do her in.

(( And we're back in business. Good to have to back and RPing Gryph ))

Aven heard the alarm. It rang out as "Self Destruct in T minus 30 seconds, and counting."

Aven gulped. The flaming fuel was still pouring down, melting large sections of the floor. Several areas were just bubbling metallic pools and others were glowing brightly with fire. "T minus 20 seconds, and counting."

Aven gulped again. It was either be fried in the burning fuel or be fried in the exploding ship. He chose option number one. He darted out from underneath the metal and raced across the floor, dodging around bubbling pits and flaming fuel.

He leaped over a particularly large pit, but a small jet of flame shot up and connected with his robotic arm. It sparked once, and suddenly the whole arm was on fire. He swung his saber around quickly and the burning metal dropped off to the ground, leaving only his upper arm and a little bit of his metal forearm.

With a rushed sigh of relief, Aven reached his destination; a small porthole in the side of the room. He kicked it ferociously with his electronic leg. The clear plastic circle popped out and went spinning through space, Aven following soon afterwards.

Havec's com link sprung to life, the voice on the other end rattling off standard instructions. She brushed over his mind, just enough to make sure he really was Sith. He was. A young apprentice, young enough that he wouldn't know her.

She hit the switch on her consol to reply, turning on full visuals as well. She began to power down her engines and shield, even as she spoke to the pilot. "Certainly, young one, but you are mistaken. This is no longer a Jedi shuttle." She smiled, taking her hands from the controls as soon as she had deactivated the requested systems.

You wish to trust me, young pilot. It is a gut instinct. You wish to give me a chance to land. Her mental touch was soft and fleeting, a quiet sort of suggestion into the apprentice's mind, just to push him in the right direction.

((Yes as Aven said, We're back in business))

Raziel too heard the alarm, "I thought I deactivated the self-destruct" he said angrily, Raziel was then notified of the fact Aven was escaping, "God damnit!" Raziel cursed as he chased after Aven, occassionally jumping over pools of burning fuel until he caught up with Aven, Raziel watched in horror as he kicked in a small viewing window, Raziel quickly grabbed an overhanging pipe as a vacuum formed in the room before being sealed by the ship, the warning then rang out again, "T minus 20 seconds and counting" "Damn" Raziel cursed as he ran over to a console and put his hand onto a large pad, "Initiating Override!" Raziel called out, his call was met with a voice, "Please verify Override code" "Raziel Z, treble zero-one six nine" Raziel called out, "Self-destruct aborted" came the electronic voice, "Now I have to put out these fires" Raziel said as he hit several keys on the console, sprinklers then ascended from the ceiling and began spraying foam on the burning fuel, "I better get back to the temple" Raziel said as he ran from the engine room.

After going up several decks he arrived at the bridge.

As Raziel walked into the bridge he was horrified at what he saw, the droids that had been controlling several functions had been destroyed by Aven, "He's going he get a severe beating next time I see him" Raziel growled as he sat down at his personal console and turned on Mark 009, a complete turn and began back to the Sith Temple, he then noticed something very strange on his scope, an A-Wing and a Shuttle, the A-Wing was most likely Semmarv, but he didn't know who the Shutte contained, he suddenly felt a familiar force presence, No..... I can't be..... but what if it is? Raziel thought, he then watched as the shuttle powered down, "Semmarv must have given the order" Raziel said, he then opened communication channels to the Shuttle and began broadcasting on all known frequencies and in all known languages and said only spoke one word, "Havec?"

The little shuttle's com bleeped furiously, receiving signals from several dozen frequencies all at once. Havec frowned, and opened one of them in a separate area of the main screen. Raziel. He certainly had changed over the years, he felt more like Sith than bounty hunter. Had Steelven perhaps been training him? He can tell me what Steelven is doing down there.

Her smile returned at that thought. "Yes, Raziel, it's me. Could you kindly ask the young apprentice pilot to allow me to land?" She wondered for a moment whether to inquire about Aven, but sensed that it would not be the best time. She could explain her situation once she'd returned home, and hopefully they could explain theirs as well. Perhaps they have more knowledge of whatever it is that woke me up, it was a dire disturbance indeed that awoke me from that state. A twinge of regret crept into the thought, but she reminded herself of where she was. It was good to be so close to home again.

She bowed her head, reaching for the controls to tell the autopilot to land at the docking bay the apprentice mentioned. "I could not try anything if I wanted to, young one, as your scans will tell you this shuttle is defenseless. I could not survive the temple's own defence system, let alone an armed A-wing. Raziel, I think, can explain who I am. Or Lord Steelven."

She landed fairly quickly, and opened her shuttle to step out, laying her lightsaber on the ground. The so-called security team seemed awfully young, and she wondered why there didn't seem to be any full Sith knights present. One of them walked cautiously up to collect her lightsaber, as several others drew their own weapons, focusing on her. One of the younger padawans muttered to his nearby friend, something about glowing birds not being in the training vid.

Raziel watched as Havec entered a shuttleport entrance and then opened channels to Semmarvs ship, "Semmarv, this is Raziel, I will dock and then you will follow me is that clear?" Raziel said, not waiting for a response he began to dock his Cruiser in one of the larger Dockingports, as he docked he sensed that Steelven was still inside the Asteroids core, "Computer as soon as I leave shutdown all airlocks and docking bays" Raziel said as he stood up and exited the Bridge, he then proceeded down many levels until he reached the airlock, he stepped inside and let it re-pressurize, "Man I need to fit an elevator in here" Raziel said to himslef as he stepped out of the airlock, he then proceeded to the security team that had surrounded Havec, he noticed a slight sense of confusion around Havec, "Everyone proceed back into the Temple, This person is no threat" Raziel said, as the Security Team returned to the Temple one of them handed him Havec's Lightsaber, he looked at it and concluded that it must be her second one, "Hello Havec, I believe Steelven has your other lightsaber, I will explain as soon as Semmarv lands" Raziel said.

Aven flew through empty space, carefully lowering the pressure inside his body and slowing down his body processes to preserve his small oxygen supply. It was possible for him to survive for days out here if he had to. But he didn't. He tumbled onto the top of Semmarv's A-Wing, bounced over the cockpit, then slid off the edge. The Temple's tiny gravity was just enough to pull him in and he span towards the barren rock. As a last act of desperation he lifted his leg and hid behind it, hoping the metal would soften the impact a little.

Havec took her lightsaber back quietly, barely moving a muscle as she called it back with the Force, and caught it in one claw-like hand. "Thank you, Raziel, I am glad it was found. It is still Raziel, is it not? I sense someone has been training you in the Force."

She felt, rather than saw, Aven hit against the A-wing fighter. "Aven is here as well" she said, concerned. "I sensed his presence earlier, but what is he doing outside of a ship in deep space?" The entire situation felt unsteady, and Havec was worried about what could be behind it. There were two functioning Sith ships nearby, surely Aven would have been inside one or the other?

"Nope it is still Raziel, I have been training with a spirit at a Sith Shrine on my homeplanet, but he did say that if he still had the power to grant names, mine would have been Lord Avernus" Raziel explained to Havec, he then listened to what Havec said about Aven, "Most likely come to finish our duel, he kicked a viewing window in on my Cruiser and was sucked out into space" Raziel said, he then turned his attention to Semmarv, "Semmarv, this is Lord Havec, Havec Semmarv" Raziel introduced, "But don't worry about Aven, I'll finish him myself" Raziel said.

"An old Sith spirit? I should like to hear more of that tale, Raziel, but not until Aven is safe in our medical ward. If he's been thrown against a shuttle, I'm sure you've won a first blood duel by now, and I will not let you 'finish' an old friend in my presence." Her glow seemed to brighten a little, vaguely ominous despite its outwardly pleasant appearance.

"Semmarv, I know you've only my word on my status as a Sith lord, but would you please clear out the nearest medical ward for Aven? He is, if I recall correctly, a... difficult patient. I would not wish to see an injured apprentice put into further peril."

"Havec, you do not understand, he tried to flee from the Temple, he has gone Rogue and bringing him into the Temple would put the students at risk" Raziel said, "But I didn't exactly win the duel, he fled when my Cruisers computer activated the self-destruct, he's probably come back looking for me, but I will not finish the duel if he is injured, I have a medical bay on my Cruiser that you can use, it would be safer for him, and us" Raziel suggested. [/i]

"Aven does have a most unfortunate habit of acting first, and then later trying to explain himself" admitted Havec, well aware that he had once lost a limb to her as a result of such instincts. "I believe, however, that I can keep him calm, and I think a more familiar area might help with that. He has been treated in our medical bays before. If worst comes to worst... I can keep our students safe." There was a distinctly ominous tone to her usually cheerful voice, and she walked off towards where Aven had fallen with calm, quiet confidence.

But she turned back for a moment, a hint of worry in her usually so collected expression. "Raziel... you must also explain to me why m'Lord Steelven is at the center of our temple. I must speak with him as soon as he returns."

"I'm afraid he has gone to get an Adrenaline Crystal" Raziel said, detecting the hint of worry in Havec's voice, "You see, shortly before I arrived the Temple was attacked by two Jedi Padawans and they were carrying Adrenaline Crystals, Steelven and a Bounty Hunter friend of his made short work of them, Steelven then had a conference with Master Gralen, and he says he had no knowledge of the attack, thats when I arrived, I said I should be able to create an Antidote Serum, you see Adrenaline Crystal have the same affect as a Potion on my homeplanet and I ahve knowledge of how to neutralize the affect" Raziel explained, something suddenly entered his head, "Master Gralen is also coming to the Temple in a couple of days" Raziel added.

"One of the asteroid's old mine shafts" said Havec, thinking out loud. She remembered well the traps that she and Steelven had set on those entrances into the deadly core of adrenaline crystals. He'll be alright, I know he can get through them. And he has not been injured a small, pessimistic little voice inside her added yet.

"This is worrying, and I believe it makes the safe return of Aven all the more important. He has been known to be something of a prophet, and if he's running so insistently he may well know something important that we do not." She turned back towards where Aven had fallen, running a few paces and then jumping off into the air, her flight feathers drawn and the Force supporting her as she worked to gain the momentum she'd need to stay in the air on her own.

Aven struggled to his feet. His head was pulsing slightly, and his vision was blurred. A glowing figure was approaching through the air, and it suddenly became clear.

Havec was flying towards him, with a strange glow around her. At first he was relieved, it seemed like she was coming to save him. Suddenly her form seemed to twist and she became a horrible monster, enormous claws trying hack him to pieces. A dark cloud seemd to fall over his mind and he drew his lightsaber. It flashed to life as he swung and missed, then collapsed to the ground at Havec's feet.

Havec landed, a much quicker and more graceful task than taking off. "I am sorry to see you this way, young Aven" she said, calling his lightsaber to her through the Force. She sent back calming emotions, well aware of how difficult Aven's mind could be to penetrate, but quite willing to try anyways.

Since the medical team had not yet arrived, she stepped back a few paces, drawing a large circle in the air with both hands. Her glow became much duller as a slightly luminescent semi sphere appeared around the fallen ex-Jedi. She lifted both hands, and it rose, a full sphere that had been half buried, and which contained Aven in its middle, lifting him up about half his height. "Aven, if you are conscious, please do not fight this."

Having already docked and gone back to his room, Freohr sensed someone.... a familiar presence that he couldn't quite remember, that he hadn't felt in a long time. He thought for a moment. Havec! Of course! Steelven will be very pleased, although he probably already knows.

Aven's eyes flickered open. He seemed to be suspended in some sort of glowing sphere - the same sort of werelight that had surrounded Havec. Is this a dream? he thought, his mind suspiciously clear. It was as if a dark curtain had been lifted from his mind and he could think clearly without something - someone - else present. A small smile crossed his face and he relaxed into a calm, deep sleep.