Muz stood on the comm deck of Sadow Palace, grimacing. Somehow the Wanderer had managed to pilfer one of Manji's ships and make it all the way here, the seat of Sadow's Power.

Muz tapped out an encoded message to the away team on Inos, then closed the console down. The groans and meaty thumps outside the door served as Kiln's calling card. The adept was smart...he knew to seize control, on must control communications.

The silver blade of the enemy slipped through the door, leaving a trail of molten metal. Muz smiled, his sabre in hand, the purple light emanating across the room as his left drew forth the Nagamichi blade. Feeling his mind slip into Zanshin, the battle mind, Muz prepared himself. He finally had a challenge worthy of using Sokan on.<p>

---

<p>

Manji scrambled everyone off the remaining transports into the Bay of the Astronicus' Reach. The voluminous ship was comfortable to him, the style of the old capital ship understated, yet powerful.<p>

"Urgent coded message for you, Quaestor." The sif officer bowed slightly as he presented Manji with the datapad.<p>

Manji snapped it up, flicking it on and inserting his code cylinder. His eye spun over the words once, twice. The datapad fell from his hands, and Manji's gaze went glassy.<p>

Shin'Ichi swung his head at his liege. "You all right?"<p>

Manji shook his head back into action. "Sepros is falling. Set a course." Manji barked at the officer. Manji turned to Shin'Ichi. "Find Blade, find Raistlin, get Xhedias...get them all on the fastest ship, and get them to Sadow Palace as soon as possible... We need the best saberists there and immediately."<p>

Shin'ichi ducked his head in a quick bow and bolted for the comm array.<p>

---

<p>

Muz slipped under the silver arc of the Wanderer's blade, evading the strikes asquickly as the Adept could throw them. Muz thanked the gods that he had managed those years of long nights training with the saber, and that the Adept did not. Rolling to avoid another strike, and using his sabre to deflect another, Muz backflipped, covering his retreat with a swirl of blades. Sokan was doing well for him...or the Adept was toying with him.<p>

Muz felt the tremors of the Force, the wake left behind Xanos before he arrived. Reinforcements would be a good thing. Kiln felt it too, his eyes narrowing as he focussed his animosity. <p>

Kiln's strike feigned left, then collided with Muz's sabre, the focussing tines disintegrating under the silver light, then the crystal array smashing, the violet blade fizzling out. Muz tossed down the defunct weapon, sliding both hands onto the alchemically treated sword, parrying away the following strike as he backed up.<p>

The door whooshed open behind Kiln, the form of the Falleen Consul revealed as his red sabre snapped to life from both ends. Muz reached into the force, pulling one of the obelisk sabres from the hallway beyond the Consul to his waiting hand. Igniting the red blade with a cruel hiss, Muz regarded the flanked enemy with renewed vigor.<p>

"Zorrixor..." Kiln snarled, his twisted face accentuating the syllables with perverse emphasis.<p>

Xanos snapped his saber into it's two component blades, leering at the Wanderer as he lowered himself into the ready stance.<p>

Kiln unleashed electricity at the two, the blue arcs spreading from his fingers at the pair of them. Muz caught the energy on the borrowed saber, the sizzling electricity restrained by the plasma of the blade. Xanos focused the enrgy, a white sphere at his outstretched fingers collecting the lightning.<p>

Xanos flung the power back at the foe, Kiln spinning and deflecting the blast off of him, the energy crackling across one of the computer arrays in the room. Muz swung his sabre and sword, the blades attacking in tandem as Muz threw himself at the enemy.<p>

Kiln summoned the force, pushing against the attack, stilling the strikes in midair. Xanos struck to take advantage, only to find the Adept's skillful force freezing his attack mid-blow as well.<p>

Breathing heavily under the strain, Kiln fucused the force, breaking out the window of the room. Releasing the force, Kiln dove through the makeshift exit, narrowly avoiding the attacks of the Summit.<p>

Muz stepped forward, glaring through the window as the Wanderer escaped. "I'm surprised."<p>

"So am I." Xanos muttered. "He wants us to follow him."<p>

"Look, I didn't think for a second that I alone, or even with you, could best this guy. You said yourself that he was more than a match for even Dark Jedi Masters, and I am still an Equite." Muz watched the tattered cloak flap as Kiln ran. "Hell, even with the Clan here..."<p>

"No one said anything about killing him, Muz." Goat interrupted, a restrained grin hiding in the grey-green corners of his face. "Although that would be a pleasant bonus."

<p> -> <-

<p> Unsettled Scores:

Run-On: clicky here

Other events and storyline: clicky here <p> Thorin Oakenshield was Knighted this week. Congratulations.<p> For our clan's mighty envoys, Naga Sadow was awarded with several transport ships. These assets will prove invaluable in the coming Obelisk Rite of Supremacy. Thank your Envoys when you see them.<p> Speaking of the ORoS, i expect everyone to dust off the old JO/JA discs, and get back into the arse kicking mode. The last Rite Of Supremacy, Sadow came in Second Place. I want to see at least that. And we will be facing tough competition. Plagueis outnumbers us, and we have been fighting back the Taldryan dogs for far too long. Let's organize, and show these saps who is boss.<p>

<p>

Kat Pridemore's Black Guard Slot (HMR AED) is being decided by participation in the Unsettled Scores House Feud. Email her for details on how to get in on it.<p> Obligation: Retaliation has ended, and it makes me proud to announce that Sanjuro "Sledge" Keibatsu will be taking over for Macron as my new Black Guard. Congratulations, Sledge. Also winning medals (which should be arriving shortly) were Raidoner Goura Mandalore and Fred the Seal. I can't believe you people...making me award the frelling seal yet again. <p>

-> <- <p> KE Muz Ashen Keibatsu (Krath)/LHoJ-P:HRLD-PCON/Naga Sadow (Dossier # 3714)

the Lion of Tarthos</p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>