*He smiled at his aunt, amused by how she always looked the same, no matter how many years passed.*
"I am well. The mission was a success. How are my cousins? Have you spoken to them yet?"

She picked up the mug of ale again and took a drink. Holding the mug in mid air as she rested her elbow on the table.

"I'm glad you had success. You'll have to tell me about it. I, too, have had some success in the last few weeks. Isis and Alisha are doing well....and the time has come that we must reveal the history to both of them. The House of Shaewe will rise out of the ashes, yet again, as we have before." She paused taking another drink then set the mug down in front of her and wrapped both hands around it, looking thoughtful, before continuing. "The prophecy is coming true so far. Reyn is here, under Alisha's care at the medical center. Isis is there too because she was wounded fighting a Sithling. Though she did much more damage to the Sithling than was done to her. Both Isis and Alisha are strong in the Force, though, I don't think they realize just how strong yet. We need to help them realize their potential, Darius. But first we need to tell them who we actually are. That will come very soon...."

She gazed at him, thinking. She hadn't revealed to him his part in the prophecies. He was one of the keys to making it work also, that's why they found each other years ago. He was her brothers descendant, a strong warrior and an honorable man like her brother had been. His mother and father were honorable people and had passed those traits to Darius. Yes, he was a Shaewe through and through. Before she got ahead of herself though, she always kept in mind that not all of the prophecies and/or visions came true....but a good amount of them did over the eons....especially the ones pertaining to this particular family....

*Darius smiled and took another swig.*
"Yes well the sithlings you sent me for shall trouble the light no more."
*Darius produced his cigarettes and lit one, offering them to his aunt.*
"So the old warrior is here? This is good, he may not have many more winters in him. What has brought him here?"

{Amarina's story}

She took a cigarette out of the pack he offered and lit it, inhaling deeply as she leaned back against the seat. After exhaling a couple of smoke rings, she glanced around the room before looking back to Darius and speaking again.

"Well done, caro. I am proud of you." Smiling, she took another drink and a drag off of the cigarette. "Yes, Reyn is here. I can only assume it's because he has somehow found out about his role in all of this. He looks well enough, but you're right....I fear he may not be around for many more years. From what I could gather from one of the more gossipy nurses, he had surgery to correct a heart and lung condition."

She looked away for a moment, as if in memory of an earlier time and place. A time when Reyn's species was more prevalent throughout the galaxy. Shaking her head slightly and sighing, she gazed at her nephew once again. "Reyn was a great warrior. His people were a strong species once, long ago, in the galaxy. Now.....very few Taung survive, but survive they do. They were once thought to be an extinct race and even now, not many beings even know they still exist....and some of the younger generations have never heard of the Taung before.

But, I digress giovanotto....you have come a long way and must be tired and hungry. Order whatever you want, dinner is on me." She grinned as she held up her mug giving Darius a cheering salute before downing the remaining ale and ordering another when the waitress happened by....

*Darius ordered a plate of tomo-spiced ribenes and another ale as he smoked.*
"Aye, his species had its time. The mandos still have honor, but it far diminished from Reyn's time. I met another during my journey. I hid myself in the force and observed him cutting down dozens of mercenaries to rescue a woman who I can only assume was his lover. If most taung could fight even half so magnificently as he did, perhaps it is fortunate for the galaxy that there are so few left. He had an aura about him, the same as around Reyn. I suspect he the lost son of Reyn, the one you told me of. Once Reyn passes, he may well be the last Taung in the galaxy."

*When the food and ale came, he began to eat happily.*
"I confess Zia Rina, I often wish i had lived in that ancient heroic age as you did, as Reyn did."

{Amarina's story}

Rina ordered a simple cheeseburger and fries while she crushed out the butt of the cigarette. She watched as the waitress left to take their orders to the cook. Leaning forward, she placed her elbows on the edge of the table, folded her hands, and rested her forefingers against her chin.

"That was long ago, caro. So many lives lost because of those wars. I see it happening again, only now, many more lives will be lost. I've seen many empires rise and fall....and rise again....and some....never recover. History repeats itself over and over and we still don't take time to learn from it. Even now, some prepare for war with a blind enthusiasm, never once taking into account the price to be paid for such actions." She paused for a moment, contemplating times past and present. It was a vicious circle, this desire to fight and destroy....and no culture was immune from it. Even those that kept to themselves often fought amongst each other. Coming out of her reverie, she smiled at Darius.

"Yes, Reyn's son is a strong guerriero. I haven't seen the boy in a few years, though, I knew he was still alive. He must be close to your age by now. He won't be the last of the Taung, there are rumors of small pockets of them scattered about the galaxy, much like the Firrerreo. Reyn's other children are half Taung but they carry the human appearance. Some of them are even Force sensitive. Isis is friends with one of his daughters."

She paused when the waitress brought their food to the table and refilled their mugs again. When the young woman left, Rina grinned at Darius. "Eat up, giovanotto....we have a lot of work ahead of us...."

OOC: Loose translation: guerriero = warrior

*Darius finished his food and ale. When he was finished he leaned back and lit another cigarette*
"What is your plan Zia? Do we just come out with it? or shall we be subtle?"

Avidus walked into the cantina Vic following behind after a rather long and awkward silence Avidus grabbed a shot of whiskey slammed it down and threw it at the jukebox which had the effect of putting on a rather fitting song titled "The Boys are Back in Town" As the music started he slammed down a coin on the table of the patron whose whiskey he'd drank and winked. "The next three are on me mate." Then he headed to the bar. After a short chat with the bartender, he was escorted to a private booth. Vic sat down oppisite him and pulled out his brief case unclasping it. "Here are the requested files sir." Avidus thankfully took the files and scanned them. "Ah, so that seems to be the game is it now?" He mused as he read the reports of what had occurred on Bassardo shortly before ATD's disappearance. "Well it looks like our orginal mission still stands a chara, there's little hope of finding ATD if he's not even in this universe. But who knows? Perhaps we will see the wily rodder in hell yet." A serving girl brought their drinks to which Avidus tipped her rather generously and took his drink sipping on it as he pondered the new developments. If only there was a way around this bloody war. . .He thought among other things.

*Iniquitous ignored the looks he got as the big man made his way through the cantina and motioned for the Blooded to stay outside the VIP area. I would be rather obvious to the rest when they showed where Iniquitous was. He sat, his back also to the wall, and accepted the wine. Not his usual fair, but it would suffice.*

"Another one? My god man. I am less worried about another Matango, as I am more about another Dubh."

*He chuckled, then leaned forward, and said one word*

"DJO"

"Oh, its not technically what I did TO them, its what I didnt do FOR them. See, when they attacked your Father in Law, I defended home and family. Apparently, that pissed them off. Now they want me dead. I dont really feel like dying yet, so....here I am. Asking for assistence"

*He declined the Smokable, he needed a clear head*

"The rest of my crew should be arriving shortly, if not already here. This isnt an invasion. This is a defensive play."

*Iniquitous snickered as Adi gave Vale Sithspit, then introduced the two*

"Adi, Vale, one of the Five Lords of Dark Tide. Vale, my Nephew in Law, Adiemus."

*He paused a moment, then spoke*

"My plan is a simple one. Its a war of attrition really. We have Fleet superiority. You have Defensive superiority. Between the two of our Factions...really, nothing can touch us. I want to grind them into the ground, and send them home without dinner."

*He could see the unanswered question in Adi's eyes, so he spoke once again*

"They fell that I should have backed them against Tiarna, and the fact that I didnt is a slap to the face of the Order and its beliefs."