"Crystal?" Jasra spoke into the com link. "Get down here. We may need your help in entering the temple's inner chambers."

Jasra waited for a moment, then moved to follow Kira inside. Crystal would home in on Jasra when she teleported, so she wasn't worried about meeting her inside.

"Then we must hurry," said the Watcher, picking up the pace. "We must get to the Shard before she does."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They stepped into a cavernous room, dimly lit with a golden light by the Shard in the centre of the room. Passing the screwdriver to Mical, he took his silver lightsaber fro, his belt and approached the Shard. He reached out, and felt it's warm power reach into his mind.
He stumbled for a moment, then regained his balance. He placed the Shard into his pocket. "Alright... let's get out of here."

(OOC: Just to keep things moving, we'll say that there weren't any puzzles or locks. WJ, Crystal can meet up with us in the main chamber.))

IC:

"Not so fast!"
Disciple whirled around, gazing in horror at the door they had just entered through moments ago. Kira stood, framed in the blackness, her saber ignited and held at the ready.
"Kira..." the blonde Jedi heard Atton whisper, but he hardly registered it as Kira began advancing on them. Now that she had stepped from the doorway, he could also see that Jasra was behind her.
"Sorry to be so cliche, but hand over the Shard, and no one gets hurt." the Exile called, halting her advance several feet from them.

The Watcher stepped down from the plinth, igniting his silver lightsaber. "Mical: get them out of here. I will deal with this... abomination."
"But-"
"GO!" he yelled, before Tegan could finish her sentence.

He turned to Kira. "The great Darth Kourkon ..." he said darkly. "You were not meant to exist in this reality. The Shards have indeed torn you apart."

As Kira advanced, Jasra flexed her gauntlets and circled off to the left. Then she used the Force to cloak herself, as Brax had taught her, to vanish into the darkness at the edges of the chamber.

She tightened her grip on her sabre, but didn't turn it on. Cloaked, she could support Kira by moving up from behind the group unseen.

Kira smiled smugly; darkly. "Only you could know that." she said, "And even the combined powers of all your former selves wouldn't have been enough to prevent this...and you knew it, didn't you, Doctor?"

Tegan stopped. "What?!" she screamed. "Watcher... what.... you're the Doctor?"
He smiled slightly, not taking his eyes of Kira or her lightsaber. "Indeed I am. A later incarnation of the man you travel with now. Four incarnations later, to be exact. Some know me as the Ninth Doctor. He is the Fifth."

"Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, it makes no difference." Kira said, spinning her saberstaff in a tight pattern around her body before sliding into a fighting stance, "It's the end of the line for you."

"You have too much faith in your newfound 'powers', Kourkon," said the Ninth Doctor. "I cannot allow you to posses the remaining Shards."

Blink. Crystal appeared nearby and immediately backpeadaled.

"Ok..." she muttered, glancing around at everyone. "This is a little odd."

"Shut up, fool!" Kira shouted, unleashing a Force-push on Crystal, thrusting her to the ground. In the same movement, she turned back on the Watcher. "Whether you allow it or not makes no difference to me. You can't prevent me from taking it!" and used the Force to pull him to her, her fingers latching cruely around his neck as she lifted him from the ground. "The Shard is mine, and mine alone!"

His lightsaber fell to the ground as he flew through the air. He was defenseless.
Struggling to prevent her from crushing his jugular, he tried to speak. "Kira... listen to me! You must fight the Shards! You cannot give in to them!"

"It's far to late for that, old man." Kira said, and she reached to his jacket, tearing the pocket open and allowing the second-to-last Shard to fall to the ground. "Finally..." she hissed, and cast the Watcher away as if he were a mere peice of trash. She was oblivious to his sigh of pain and the smack of his body hitting the ground as she reached for the Shard.

Gasping for breath, the Watcher saw Tegan run forward to help him.
"No!" he yelled. "Stay where you are! Don't come any closer"
"But-"
"No!" he said again, standing. He had picked up his lightsaber, and was now pointing it at Kira. "Kira, please. Don't make me destroy you!"

"Ha! That's a good one, Pops." Kira said, holding the Shard before her eyes as if studying a diamond. After a moment, she pocketed it, and turned to face the Watcher, her saber held ever at the ready. "Though if you wish to end your life quickly, be my guest and attack me. It's been a while since I've fought someone who has no connection to the Force whatsoever."

The Watcher dropped into a defensive posture. "I will not let you leave this temple with the Shard," he said. "Give it to me. Now."

"Why don't you come and take it?!" Kira asked, adding emphasis to her words by launching herself at him, her saber illuminating deadly arcs in the air as she swooped in to attack.

He parried the blow, and struck at her saber arm. She easily deflected it, and flicked her saber around, throwing his to the side. He was, once again, defensless.

Kira laughed, pleased that she was able to best him so easily. Now that he no longer had his saber, it was an easy affair to land a harsh side-kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground yet again. There, she stood over him, one foot on his chest, pinning him to the ground. She hefted her saber above her, holding it above his head like a spear.
"Anything last to say before you die?" she asked, a malicious smile tainting her features.
"Kira, DON'T!"
The unexpected Force-push sent Kira back-pedaling a few feet before she was able to regain her balance. By that time, Disciple had already stepped in front of her and the Watcher.
"Don't do it." he said, his arms spread-eagled as if barring her way.
"What, you want to die with him, Disciple?" she laughed, "Very well, I can't deny you your request!" she again wheeled in to attack, but what he said next triggered something in her mind, and the old Kira broke through, if only for a moment.
"Not Disciple, Kira, Mical. You know me. You can trust me."
The Exile stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with shock. After hardly a second, she had switched gears again. With a twirl of her cloak, she spun on her heel and headed for the exit.
"Jasra! Have Crystal stay here, and restrain these pesky insects. Once that is finished, return to the ship immediatly. We have one last Shard to collect."

The Watcher struggled to stand. "Mical... we must get to the TARDIS. The ship in orbit... that is where we will find the last Shard... and the Doctor."

"You're not going anywhere," said Jasra's voice from somewhere in the darkness. She had watched Kira's battle with the Watcher with mild interest. She had expected Karda to be there, but apparently, he had been left behind to guard the Watcher's TARDIS, and the Disciple she didn't see as much of a challenge now. "And thanks for the information on where the last shard is," she continued after a few steps. "My Master will be most pleased."

She was quiet again, making sure to change direction in case the Disciple or the Watcher could get a fix on her position.

"Crystal," she said, as she circled around to the entrance. "Stay here. Don't let them... leave."

She paused. It had just occurred to her that Crystal probably couldn't do much to prevent them from leaving. "Or at least, try," she added.

Reaching the entrance, she stood there for a moment, waiting to see if the Disciple or anyone else would try to chase after Kira. If they did, her job was to keep herself between them and Kira, to protect the Shard, and to see that they didn't get very far. She had her gauntlets, her lightsabre, and, being cloaked, the element of surprise.

The Watcher smiled. "You cannot stop us, Jasra," he said. He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, and activated it. Jasra's cloak flickered for a second, but remained intact.
A screeching sound pierced the room - the sound of a TARDIS. A tall blue box, slightly more beaten and worn than the Doctor's, appeared out of nowhere. "Go!" he yelled, throwing the TARDIS door open.

"No!" Jasra cried out, activating her lightsabre and dropping her Force cloaking. "Crystal! Stop him!"

The Watcher closed the TARDIS doos, and after a moment, the sound of their engines echoed throughout the chamber, the TARDIS dissolving into nothingness.

The Watcher began throwing levers as if their lives depended on it, pushing buttons like they were jumping off the console at him.
"So... are you going to tell us how you're the Doctor if we arrived with him a week ago?"
The Watcher didn't look at her, continuing ot pilot his antiquified TARDIS. "It's quite simple. We are both the Doctor. I was him, he will be me. In ... oh, I'd say it would have to be... about 25 years, from his perspective."
"But... I thought that no one was supposed to be abel to meet a past or ffuture version of themself. That the time matrix would-"
"Unless great amounts of power can be grenerated to sustain the vortex, then yes. But I was sent by the Time Lords as a last resort. This crisis, along with the Time War..."
"Time War?"
"I'll explain later. Right now, we must focus our attention on reaching the final Shard. The ship in orbit is where the final Shard is, at the moment. We'll also find the Doctor, most likely-"
"But how do we know that the Doctor is still alive?" asked Disciple.
"If he were dead, I would be as well - if he has no future, I will cease to exist. Then nothing I would have done here would have taken place. None of it will have mattered. If he dies, we both die. I may be able to remain for a while, but it will be in an increasingly weakened state."

Crystal looked as if she were trying to obey Jasra's orders, but then the TARDIS vanished and she staggered uncertainly. She put her right hand to her head and reached out with her left, catching and stabilizing herself. "Oh, pain..." she groaned. She shook her head slowly, trying to clear the pain. It worked slightly.

"I've got about the worst headache in the history of the galaxy," she told Jasra. "Let's go before Kira or whoever she is gets impatient on us."

The Watcher's TARDIS began to shake, and the lights flickered.
"Power's being drained!" he yelled, trying to compensate. "I can't stabilize our course! Everyone hang on, this will be a rough materialisation!"
The TARDIS shook hard one las titme, then stopped. The lights continued to flicker, but everything else seemed alright.
"I'm sorry Atton, but this time, you're staying here. At least for the moment. Nyssa, Tegan I need you to-"
"No," said Tegan sternly. "The Doctor - our Doctor - is here. We're coming, whether you like it or not!"
The Watcher sighed. "Alright," he agreed. "But stay close. Once we find him, you're to bring him to his TARDIS, where you will await my instructions."
He ignored her reproachful glare, opened the TARDIS door, and stepped out.

((OOC: Well...seeing as Kira and gang were supposed to get there before the Watcher and all...))

IC:

The last soldier in the barracks dropped to the ground with a metalic thud as Kira released him from her Force-choke. She moved to the door and began to slice through the lock. Glancing at Jasra and Crystal over her shoulder, she said, "Don't let your guard down. It's been far too easy for us to get this far. I'm almost positive that who ever is behind all this is expecting us, and has prepared for our arrival."
The Shard was getting so close...the last one...her need and excitement nearly drove her out of her mind. Whoever had it now would hand it over or die, she had decided long ago, regardless if it was a droid or a Sith Warlord.

((Were they? See, that's what not logging on to MSN does :xp:
Anyway... climax time soon! We need to work that out, Kira... we still don't know how that's going to work.))

Had he been made of flesh anymore, Thanatos would have quivered with anticipation.
"She is here.... and she has brought the Shards with her..."
He sensed another presence. "And another... Time Lord..." he spat out the final two words as if they left a foul taste in his mouth.

The Doctor sat in his cell, barely conscious. That's when he felt it. A ripple in Time. Great amounts of energy.
"No..." he croaked. "It can't be... They would not allow it..."
The room was filled with a deep screeching sound of a TARDIS engine. A machine identical to his own faded into existance in front of him. The doors opened, and a man he recognized as himself stepped out.
"Hello," said the new arrival cheerfully. "My my... I must say, I certainly was a handsome fellow, wasn't I?"
The Doctor stood and addressed his future self. "How is this possilbe? It'-"
"It's happened before!" said the Watcher incredulously. "I thought you'd be glad to see me, what with"
"Glad?!" yelled the Doctor. "Do you have any idea how much damage both of us being here will have caused?"
"Well then we'll have to repair it together," said the Watcher, his arms folded. "But right now, we need to get to the Shard. Darth Kourkon is here. She has the other Shards. If she gets the final one-"
"Well, luckily for us..." said the Doctor. "I have it."
The Watcher stared at him, his eys wide. "Then why not-"
"The key to my TARDIS was destroyed. Nyssa and Tegan have one each, and I was waiting for them to-"
At that moment, Nyssa and Tegan apepared from the Watcher's TARDIS. "Doctor!" yelled Nyssa, throwing her arms around him. "Oh, Doctor, we were so worried about you."
"Yes, Nyssa, I'm sure. You have your TARDIS key?"
"Yes," she said, taking it out of her pocket and giving it to him.
"Excellent," he said, moving around her towards his TARDIS. "We must get out of here quickly."
He ran to the TARDIS, opened the door, and ran inside.

The gates to the cell opened, and a tall, cloaked figure entered the room, a lightsaber gleaming in his hand. "You will not leave... Doctor," he hissed. He reached out a hand towards the Watcher's TARDIS. The light on the top exploded in a shower of sparks, and and windows went dark.
"The Watcher pulled his lightsaber from his belt, but was too slow. Thanatos threw him against the wall, his lightsaber falling to the ground. The Doctor, Nyssa, and Tegan ran to his side. The Doctor grabbed the lightsaber and ignited it, pointing it at Thanatos. "Get him to the TARDIS. Ours - his is damaged."
"Doctor, what about-"
"Just get him to safety!"
He jumped at Thanatos, the lightsaber slicing through the air. Sparks issued from both lightsabers as they collided, the combatants moving unimpeded.
"Come on," said Nyssa, helping the Watcher stand. "Let's get him to the TARDIS."

((Feel free to interrupt the duel, Kira. That's what was supposed to happen. As far as I know.))

"Don't let your guard down. It's been far too easy for us to get this far. I'm almost positive that who ever is behind all this is expecting us, and has prepared for our arrival," Kira said to Jasra and Crystal.

"You mean, your arrival, Master," Jasra said, with a sneaky smile on her lips. "When we left Brax's ship, I activated our special 'visor'. If Togo, or whoever he's working for, is still monitoring that chip he implanted in me, then he'll see that I'm sitting in the main hold of Brax's ship--waiting for my Master to return.

"And as Brax taught me to cloak myself while minimizing my Force Signature, not even a Sith Lord would be able to detect me now," she said. "Unless he was specifically looking for me. And whoever is behind this isn't interested in me. They're interested in you." She grinned, then disappeared. "I won't be seen, Master," her disembodied voice said. "Crystal can serve as your visible 'companion' for the moment. And when we find the last shard, we'll be two against one. Better odds for winning. And we will win," she added.

"Feh." Kira murmured, the fact that Brax's skills were being so useful. "Got it." she said, and the door slid open.
"Greetings again, Kira Starr."
"Damn. Not this again."
Beyond the door hovered T0-G0.
"Don't you droids ever go away?" the Exile growled.

Karda gave the TARDIS door a glance, then heard signs of battle. He had to contact the Council. They needed to be told about these Shards - now more than ever.
He stepped up to the TARDIS console, looking helplessly at the literally huindreds of buttons and switches. Most of them seemed to perform functions beyond his comprehension, but there were a few he could figure out - internal sensors, power network... communications.
He activated the TARDIS comm system, and patched it through the Ebon Hawk on the surface, to his ship docked with it, and to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
"This is Karda Jal-Ordo," he said, as the Jedi Council appeared on the small holographic display by the door. "I have a priority one message for the Council."
"Speak," said Master Verga.
"Master, I don't have time to explain. There is a Sith presence-"
"We are aware of it," said Verga. "We have sensed a... darkness, gathering-"
"It is in the form of the Key, Masters," said Karda. "The Shards I spoke of before, they've taken control of the Jedi Exile, Kira Starr. Revan is dead. I am in need of asistance. If Kira should take posession of the final Shard..."
"Revan is dead?" said Verga darkly. "We must-"
"Master, there is no time for deliberation. If Kira is to assemble the Key, she will become invincible."
"She must be stopped. You are permitted to use any neccessary force to obtain and destroy these 'Shards'."
Karda felt like he had been punched in the gut. "Master... I cannot kill Kira."
Verga was silent for a moment. TWhen he spoke, it was with a touch of sadness. "Then we are lost."

"Don't you droids ever go away?" the Exile growled at Goto.

"No," said Goto as he hovered. "Like all droids, I am built to exist far beyond the mortal limitations of flesh and blood. And, like all droids, I am programmed to continue with my mission regardless of sentiment, feeling, or obstacles."

His weapons appeared from within him, and at the same time, laser turrets in the room focused on her and Crystal. "And you two are an obstacle. My Master knew you were coming. And he has instructed me to stop you and take the shards. He will become the invincible one. You... you will become... dust."

As Kira stood ready and Goto's weapons began hum, building up to fire, there was a sudden dim of the lights in the room and all of the laser turrets suddenly deactivated.

Goto's eye spun around in the direction of the control panel on the other side. "This is not p..."

A lightsabre suddenly appeared out of thin air and sliced Goto in half in one single stroke.

"...pos... i.. ble...." Goto's voice ran down and his red eye slowly extinguished.

"I really hate talkative droids," Jasra's disembodied voice said, as the floating lightsabre was deactivated. "Don't you, Master?"

"Indeed. Thank you, Jasra, that'll be the last we see of him, thank Force."
Seeing no other opposition in the room, Kira moved to the door across from her, and when the lock didn't open, carved a new door in the old. As the metal fell away, she found herself in what seemed a prison cell. The most interesting gang of people she had seen as of yet were inside. Two TARDIS were present, a bloodied and battered Doctor, the Watcher, Nyssa, Tegan, and Disciple. Also present, apparently a Sith judging by the red lightsaber in hand, was a man Kira didn't recognize. She quickly scanned the minds of those present to try and figure out the situation. Hefting her saber and smiling cockily, she said, "I assume you would be the one I'm looking for, Thanatos?"

Thanatos turned away from the defeated Doctor. Nyssa ran to his side, but he ignored her. He turned to face Kira.
"Exile....." he hissed. "You have done well, child.... but the Shards.... are mine."

"Hmph." she murmured, the smile broadening and her fangs flashing in the faint light, "I would just love to see you try and take them from me."
Kira could sense his power, and yes, he was strong. Though she also sensed that he was not the one who had the Shard. She looked down at the Doctor. That was where the Shard was, and it seemed to be the thing that was weakening the Doctor the most. But...that's strange...considering the Watcher was able to pick it up with seemingly no effect...

Kira now distracted by Thanatos, the Dotor dashed into the nearest cover - which happened to be the Watcher's TARDIS. Still mine... he thought grimly. Just not yet.
Karda stood at the console, staring at it blankly. "Karda?" he asked, moving forward. "What is it?"
Karda looked up, his eyes glazed. "I have to do it. I have to kill her."
"No, you can't."
"But Doctor, she's dangerous. I can't-"
"Karda, you have to trust me! Battle her, stop her, yes. But don't kill her. You can't. If you do... Karda, please. Trust me."
Karda stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "I will pull any killing blows. But... if she gives me no other choice.... I may have to kill her."
The Doctor nodded slowly. "Do what you must - nothing more."

Thanatos parried a sharp blow and matched it with one just as viscious. He slashed out at Kira's abdomen, but she blocked easily. Their sabers were like blurs, both combatants driven by one thing: the desire to control the power of the Key.
Thanatos ducked and lashed out at her knees as she swnug at his head. She jumped, and the hilt of her saber came down on the back of his neck. He fell to the ground and rolled under her, barely moving fast enough to avoid her feet landing on his cloak as she landed.
He stood and slasehd at her back. She threw her blade over her head and blocked, then spun around and jabbed at his face. Deflecting the blow, Thanatos jumped away from her, landing right beside the Watcher's TARDIS, facing Kira.
"You are more powerful than I predicted..." he hissed, flourishing his saber.
"I'm full of suprises," she muttered. With all the strength she could muster, she lunged at him. He jumped into the air. Kira missed, he r lightsaber digging deep into the TARDIS' hull.
A sharp screaming sound pulsated from the damaged TARDIS, but both she and Thanatos ignored it. She turned to her foe, and the battle raged on.

The TARDIS shook and screamed, the monitors and switches blinking like mad.
"What's happening?" asked Karda, joining the Doctor at the console.
"The primary hull has been penetrated... the power relays are damaged... and the temporal core... it's destabilizing..."
"What?"
"The device that protects the occupants of the TARDIS from aging while in transit." Karda gave him a curious look. "No time to explain. All that matters is that this TARDIS is about to explode," he said loudly, shouting over the din of the TARDIS. "Karda, get out of here! Stop Kira! Protect Nyssa and Tegan for me!"
"Doctor, what are you-"
"I'm going to get this thing out of here! If the TARDIS explodes here, it will cause tear space and time in this region to shreds. And the whole will grow. I must stop it!"
"I can help!"
"There's no way to repair this TARDIS, Karda! I must get it out of here!"
Then it clicked. "Doc... you can't... we-"
"Karda, I must!"
"No, Doc, there has to be-"
"There isn't!" he said sternly. Karda knew it was pointless to argue.
"Doc..."
"Take this," he said, handing Karda the Shard Thanatos had planted on him. "And take care of Nyssa and Tegan for me."
"I will," said Karda. "Doc..."
"Farewell, my friend," said the Doctor, reaching out his hand. Karda shook it, and turned to the door.

Nyssa and Tegan looked up as Karda came stumbling out of the Watch TARDIS. As they moved towards him, the engines kicked in, adding to the din of the room.
"Karda... where is he going now?"
Karda stared at the TARDIS as it faded into nothingness. There was a sound like glass shattering, and the engine sound fell silent.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor tried to stabilize the TARDIS. He had to keep it in the time stream long enough, or it would explode once he landed - doing untold damage to the galaxy.
The consle beeped at him, indicating the time until the TARDIS exploded.
Eight.... Seven.... Six....
He flicked another series of switches.
Five....
He pulled three levers, the pushed six buttons.
Four...
He threw another series of switches.
Three....
The floor began to rumble, and the engines began landing sequence.
Two....
He forced the TARDIS back towards the time stream. Console three exploded in response, showering him in sparks. Almost there.... He thought.
One....
The TARDIS slipped back into the time stream, the other consoles exploding in complaint.
Zero
"YES!" he telled in triumph, punching what was left of the console in glee.
The TARDIS exploded in a ball of flame, the explosion contained by the stings of the Time Vortex.
The Doctor was dead.

As Karda watched the Watcher’s TARDIS vanish before his eyes, he knew that the Doctor was dead. His fingers clutched the last shard tightly. He had never quite felt the pull of the shards as Kira had…until now. Suddenly, he was filled with a feeling of righteous vengeance. The shards were powerful. And power like that should be… no, must be under the control of the Jedi. As Kira and Thanatos battled, he pulled out his lightsabre, intent on challenging Kira while she was at her weakest.

“Don’t.”

The single word uttered by Jasra behind him made him take pause. “I was wondering where you were,” he said.

“No, you weren’t,” her voice coming from in front of him now. “You were wondering if you could take them from her while she’s battling Lord Thanatos.” Silence. “She must win this battle,” her voice said from the left.

“No. The shards need to be in the hands of the Jedi.”

“They need to be in her hands,” said Jasra, still unseen behind him. “Help her.”

“Help her?” Karda tucked the shard inside his tunic, and took a deep breath as he felt its power charge through his body. “She’s evil, Jasra. She’s fallen.” A beam of bright yellow shot up from his sabre hilt. “Like you have.”

“I haven’t fallen,” Jasra said calmly, her position now having changed again to somewhere on his right. “’Fallen’ implies I had someplace to fall from. And I didn’t. I’ve always been ‘below’. Lesser. Forgotten. Abandoned. I haven’t fallen, Karda. I’ve been enlightened.” Her own yellow sabre ignited, and she came into view, facing him, blocking his path to Kira and Thanatos. “Help her. Help her defeat Thanatos. She must win. It’s the only way to save her,” she added.

Karda stared at Jasra. “You’re willing to die for her?” he asked, flourishing his sabre.

“Are you willing to take the chance that Thanatos will win?” Jasra glanced quickly at Kira, still holding her own in her battle against Thanatos. “Or is it the shard that’s willing you?” She lowered her sabre a bit. “Join me and help her.”

Karda hesitated for a moment. On one hand, he wanted to rip past Jasra and attack Kira from behind to get at the shards she possessed. On the other hand, his Jedi training told him that defeating Thanatos first was the more logical choice. Kira would be tired after her battle, affording him a better chance to defeat her without killing her. “Alright,” he said. “I will.”

Jasra grinned. “Then let’s flank him.” Jasra extinguished her sabre and disappeared off to the right.

Karda took a breath, then charged around to the left.

“You cannot win, Thanatos!” he said, taking a Force leap and landing near Thanatos. He slashed at the Sith’s flank, slicing a piece off Thanatos’ cloak, hoping to distract him into fighting, thus affording Kira and Jasra time to attack from the other side.

Thanatos threw a hand into the air, and all three of them were thrown backwards.
"I am the Darkness of the Force!" he yelled, his voice still not rising above the tainted whisper. "You will all bow to me, or suffer under my power!"

"You know, I'm getting real tired of hearing you bark about power you don't have!" Kira shouted, standing again. She leapt into the air, her saber raised above her head. As she came down to strike, Thanatos threw his saber up, and the blades locked. Rather than continue her descent on top of him, she used their locked sabers as leverage, and flew over him. "Down boy!" she called, landing an unforgiving kick right between the shoulder blades. In response, he fell to the ground, but quickly came to a crouch, and he whipped around, coming close to catching Kira's legs.
"Oh no, I do believe I've angered our opponent, Jasra." she said, sneering.

((If you can sign on to MSN, FFWM, that would be helpful. I want to clarify a few things for the finale before we go much further.))

Karda ignited his saber, and made to join the battle. Tegan grabbed him by the arm.
"Wait! Where did the Doctor go? What's happened? How long until he'll be back?"
He couldn't look her in the eye. He just couldn't. He stared at her feet instead. "He's... he's not coming back, Tegan..." he said. He looked up at her. "He's... he's sacrificed himself to save you. To save us all."
She stared at him, her eyes wide. She lost her grip on his arm as she fell back against the wall. "He... he can't be..."
He stood there, not sure how to comfort her. "Before he... before the TARDIS took off, he asked me to protect you. When this is all over, I'll take you and Nyssa back to the Enclave. You can stay there as long as you need."
She nodded, not really paying attention. He couldn't be gone... he couldn't be...

The Watcher stirred as his TARDIS dematerialised. He vaguely heard the sound of glass shattering and the engines dying. His eyes snapped open. He looked around - the other Doctor was gone.
A stabbing pain erupted in his chest, and he screamed. Nyssa came running to his side.
"What is it?" she asked.
He struggled to breath. "Your Doctor... is dead... He has no future... that means..."
She finished his sentence for him. "That you have no past?"
"Or present," he added, nodding, then grimacing as another stab of pain fired at his chest. His skin began to glow gold for a moment, then returned to normal.
"If the Doctor's... being gone means that you can't exist, why are you still here?"
"I believe the Shards... their power is maintaining my temporal cohesion. But they cannot keep me alive forever... The Key must be assembled.... or these events will be recorded in time, and history as it is known will be torn apart... and the Time War... will rage through the galaxy."

"Oh no, I do believe I've angered our opponent, Jasra." Kira said, sneering.

Jasra rose, and brushed herself off. Crouching like he was, Thanatos reminded her of the Night Beast in Exar Kun’s tomb—the creature that had dealt Brax his fatal wounds. And as Thanatos was every bit the Sith—like the ones that had slain Master Kelva--the pain of the loss of both them surfaced in her thoughts once again, but this time she channelled her emotions into fuelling the Force within her to a level higher than she had ever reached before.

“His anger won’t help him,” Jasra said, her eyes narrowing with determination. “Vengence is ours!” And with that said, she pummelled Thanatos with a barrage of Force Lightening. “Kill him, Master!” she said to Kira.

"It would be my pleasure!" she shouted. With Thanatos withering on the ground, it would have been too easy to kill him. So, she kicked him over on his back.
"Look well, Sith Lord. The last face you will ever see. Remember it!" and she plunged her blade straight through his heart.

((Character control time. Sorry, but these things need to happen in a certain way, or things won't work.))

Thanatos let loose a terrible scream as the blade dug into his body. There was no blood. As he writhed on the ground, Kira's lightsaber in his chest, the air in the room seemed to rush towards the hole in his chest. His body began to dissolve into particles of black matter, spreading across the room. An empty cloak lay on the floor, a large hole burnt into it.
Kira stood for a moment, staring at where her opponent had been seconds before. She was panting hard, and her eyes were glowing with a fierce golden fire, hre bangs een longer now. But she was tired. Very tired. Unable to remain standing, she collapsed to the floor, unable to speak, move, or even think.
Jasra watched as her Master collapsed from exhaustion. She was also panting, and fell against the wall, sliding down to the floor. It was over. They had won.
Karda was knocked to the ground as the rush of air moved towards Kira and the falled Thanatos. He fell into Tegan, knocking her over, hitting his head on the ground. Stars flashed before his eyes, and he blacked out.
Crystal fell to her knees, the mental hold Jasra had over her breaking suddenly. She shook her head, but found her vision clouding. She saw the Watcher against the wall, and tried to move towards him... but her vision went black, and the last thing she saw was the ground rushing up towards her.

The Watcher sat on the floor, his back against the wall, Nyssa at his side, knocked unconscious. He struggled to stand, and fell face forward onto the ground. He could hear a dark voice in his head, taunting him.
You cannot save them now, Doctor! I have won!
He ignored the voice. He had to assemble the Shards. He didn't know why, but he knew he had to. It was imperative that he wield the Key.
You have failed, Doctor! You will die, along with the rest of them!
He was almost there. He grabbed Kira's wrist, pulling her towards him. She moaned in protest, but could do nothing to stop him. He took the Shards from around her neck and waist. He lay them out before him, the golden glow almost blinding him - or were his eyes now golden as well?
The first two Shards clicked together. They bonded perfectly, leaving no way of telling that they were ever two seperate crystals.
What hope do you have?
He locked another peace together.
You will never defeat me, Doctor! I will reign eternal!
He locked another two Shards together, and placed them with the other three.
In a burst of golden light, the Watcher was torn apart, molecule by molecule. The chamber vanished in a growing white light. He felt a tingling in his spine.
Then he saw them. A man in a Victorian suit. Another with a bowl hair cut. A third, with white hair, wearing a tuxedo and cape. The fourth, a long scarf meeting the bottom of his ankle-length red trench coat. The fifth, the celery on his lappel gleaming in the white light. Another, his hair curled, wearing an assortment of strange coloured clothing. Yet another, carrying an umbrella with a question mark shaped handle and a bowler's hat. An eigth, wearing a formal suit, his hair curled slightly in the back. Yet Another, wearing a brown, knee length jacket, matching pants, and a tie, his hair cut short. He tried to make out two more, but his vision went foggy. They all turned to him, then each other. There was a flash of white light, and his vision was filled with a beacon of golden energy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A bright white light shone on all sides. Kira looked around, and saw the others - all of them that were left - standing nearby. They were looking around curiously, giving each other strange looks. Then she noticed the flat, grassy plains, the tranquil peace surrounding them. Dantooine.
"Kira?" asked Crystal tentatively. "Are you... you?"
Kira looked at her blankly for a moment. "Yeah..." she said after a moment. "The Shards.... I can't feel them anymore."
"Neither can I," said Jasra, her eyes closed, a small smile across her face. "It's good to be... me, again."
"I know what you mean," said Crystal, now back to her original form. "To finally be able to think clearly..."
Karda looked at his hands. "Are we... are we dead?"
Kira stared blankly at the pure white floor. Atton, fully healed, put a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away. After all she had done... how could she forgive herself?

A golden light appeared in front of them, and they backed away, terrified. The light took the form of a humanoid. When it spoke, it did so as if a dozen men spoke through its mouth.
"Fear not," it said, it's voice accented pleasantly.
Nyssa stepped forward slightly. "...Doctor?" she asked.
The figure smiled. "No. Not anymore, at least. I am... the Doctors. All of them. The past.... the future... I am... the Other."
Disciple stepped forward, mastering his fear. "What are we doing here? Did you bring us here?"
"Yes," said the Other, his voice gentle. "I have removed you from the Time Stream in order to repair what damage I could."
"But..." said Kira, confused. "This... this is Dantooine."
He smiled slightly. "No," he said simply. "You are outside of time - your mortal minds, while highly complex, are not capable of interpreting the Time Vortex in it's true form. Your minds are showing it to you in a form that you can understand, and relate to.
"These events - the crisis of the so called 'Key to the Galaxy' - were not meant to take place. The Key was a result of interference with the Time Stream. The Time War has escalated."
"Time War?" asked Tegan curiously.
"The War is none of your concern... What happens next, however, is."
"What are you talking about?" asked Kira, after he remained silent for a moment.
"I have done what I can within the timeline itself. Now all that remains is to restore the individuals who were not meant to be lost."
He turned to Nyssa and Tegan. "Nyssa, Tegan: The Doctor - your Doctor - will be returned to you. His death, and his subsequent regeneration, was not meant to occur, and has caused great reprecussions throughout all of history. When the Vortex is restored, We will cease to exist. We will be returned to our native times."

He turned to Jasra. "Jasra. You have lost a teacher, a friend... Brax was not meant to die. His untimely death has caused a great disturbance in what you would call the Force. This must be corrected.”
He waved his hand, and a bright golden light formed at her feet. The light took on a humanoid form, just as the Doctors' had. But the light began to fade, replaced by the blue sheen of Omwati flesh. Brax righted himself, shaking his head as if clearing the fog from his vision.
"Jasra?" Brax blinked at her, his grey eyes looked confused, he stared at her a moment then looked around. "What happened?" He said, frowning. "I thought ... I died." He looked down, looking at his blue hands for a few moments, then up at her face. A pause before he realized there were others around, he glanced at Kira. He saw the hate in her eyes for a moment, and turned away. He wore no gauntlets. He looked at Jasra again. "Are you dead as well?"
"No, I'm not dead." She said, her voice quavering slightly with emotion as she looked at Brax.
"I remember being dead ... for a short time, saving you. But how can I be alive again? Or is this something else?" He glanced around as a group of birds flew overhead.
"The Doctor has changed time,” Jasra said to him. “He said there’s things that shouldn’t have happened.” She paused. “People who shouldn’t have died. He’s… correcting it. Sending us all back."
"You are to be sent back to the beginning. To before these events took place. Before Nar Shaddaa."
"We're ... going back in time?" asked Brax, frowning. Would they lose the memories of their brief times together? Of his training her? He reached out, and grasped her forearm, and then pulled her closer to him. His mouth moving to press into hers, a long deep kiss. "If we're going to go back to a time before I met you, I wanted that at least, before I lose all we had."
Jasra tightened her grip on Brax, then she turned her head towards the Doctors. “I don’t want to go back,” she said. “Not if it means losing the memory of what I have.” She looked into Brax’s eyes, and lightly traced his lips with her finger. “I can’t face losing you again. It would kill me.”

The Doctors spoke. "You will retain your memories of these events. Tampering with your memories would violate the basic tenants of the Time Lords. I cannot alter them any more than I could prevent your very birth."

He then turned to Kira. "Kira. You have lost the man that you loved. Revan, a man taken from you by events that never should have taken place. Revan was not intended to be killed by Brax - they were meant to join forces to combat a far greater evil." He stretched out an arm. "And now... I return him to you!"
There was another flash of golden light, which took on human form. The light solidified, and Revan stood before her. He looked up at Kira, then to the Doctors.
"How...?"
The Doctors smiled slightly. "Because of the regeneration process," he said. "Your memories from the time you were the Dark Lord and from before have reasserted themselves. You now retain all of your true memories once again."
“Well…yeah…but…” Revan looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers, as if making sure he wasn’t dreaming the whole thing. Apparently satisfied, he turned to Kira, and their eyes locked. “Kira…” he murmured. There was a pause, and neither of the two did more than look at the other…then the Exile, with a loud cry, threw herself into his arms. Taken aback for a moment, Revan’s eyes widened in surprise and he wrapped his arms around her as she cried into his shoulder.
“Revan…I can’t believe it…It’s really you…”
“I know…and I remember everything now. I remember finding the Star Forge with Malak and the others. I remember the Mandalorian Wars…” he held her at arms’ length, looking at her, his tender gaze roaming across her features, “And the Trials. I remember you, Kira. And now.... I don’t know how I could have forgotten.” His hand reached up, brushing across her cheekbone and resting just beneath her ear. “You loved me once…can you love me again?”
"I..."
The Other spoke again. "I must make the preparations to return you home. I leave you to each other..."
He vanished in a flash of golden light, a statue standing in his place.

Brax stared at the statue for a few moments, then glanced at the others ... his eyes locking with each in turn. Atton looked away, Disciple looked right back. Teagan and Nyssa both met his eyes with ... what could only be described as anger, and disproval. Karda's eyes bore into him like fire, and he couldn't hold that gaze long ... he met Revan's eyes, and frowned a little ... his enemy was reborn. And the doctor thing had said they had been meant to work togethor, not to battle each other. A blue hand lifted, and he offered it to Revan.

"It's time to put the past int he past. You ahve paid for your crime's against my people, in my eyes, and they are all that matter."

Revan said nothing, but he grasped Brax's hand before turning back to Kira.

But Jasra didn't want him to give all his attention away, and turned him back to face her. "Jasra." he said, a smile touching his lips.

"We won't be togethor right away in the past," he said, caressing her cheek gently. "But we will find each other. Come to Nar Shadaa ... there I feel we will all meet up again. For it is where we all met up originally." He leaned in to press his lips against hers again, a long passionate kiss.

"That's another thing to wonder at," Crystal said quietly. "For various reasons, we came together on Nar Shaddaa, but if none of this was supposed to happen, my reason for being there will not happen." She looked thoughtful. "So where will I be?"

She suddenly began murmuring in her own strange language and continued doing so for several seconds. Then, she frowned. "I... I still have all the powers that came to me while under the influence of the shards... teleportation, telekinesis... shapeshifting." She shook her head. "I'm not the same Force-stupid telepath-with-a-lightsaber I used to be..."

Then, another thought struck her. "But, perhaps I had these powers to begin and the shards merely showed me how to use them." Frowning, she fell silent.

"Regardless of the reasons," Kira said to Crystal, "We'll all be on Nar Shaddaa again. Call it intuition, but it just seems...right." at her last word, she turned back to Revan, slipping her hand into his.

Atton stood some feet away from the Exile, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at the pair of Jedi. His dark gaze didn't leave Kira, even as she ignored him completely. Who'd have thought. he growled to himself. Revan was going to screw everything up for him. Even just by seeing the way she looked at him, the Scoundrel could tell that she loved Revan more than she had ever loved him. A subtle anger cycled through his veins as he turned and walked away.

((I'm going to assume you guys are done now. If not, I'll delete this post and you can go again. This is the last post for Darkness Falls!))

The staute began to glow gold again, and the Doctors returned.
"All is prepared. Are you ready?"
They all nodded, some of them giving each other looks of... was it fear?
The Doctors stretched out his arms. The plains of Dantooine began to look like an overexposed photograph.

Revan looked at Kira, and smiled slightly. "I'll find you," he said. The last thing he saw was Kira's smiling face, and a flash of blinding white light, accmpanied by the sound of rushing water.

TO BE CONTINUED...