Mental Mischief on Chandrila

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

The Koriolos had touched down several kilometers away from the nearest settlement. It was just a small community of simple cattleman and farmers that was far, far away from any major city. The chance of anyone bothering her out here was slim to none ... especially since she was a simple surveyor looking about the land for a place to settle. At least that was what the central control thought. This was simply perfect for an outing today with her newest Apprentice.

Dalethria keened her head around to look at the vast landscape of rolling plains that were bordered around by well preserved forests. It was past noon and a soft breeze blew across the field, bending the tall grasses backwards. Very lovely ...

A chittering noise from below was coming from something that wanted her attention. Looking down, Dalethria scoffed at the squall hopping about her feet. The rabbit like creature was native to this world and roamed freely all across the plains.

"Scat!"

She kicked it away.

"Trust me ... unless you want to be dinner. Hmm .. speaking of which."

The Mistress looked behind her at the empty rampway.

"I know you wanted jungle, but this is better. Come on now."

OOC- This is a training thread so be kind enough to PM first if you want in.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The little thing hopped its way past two stiff boots, right underneath the swaying hem of a grey coat. Arms folding over his body, the tall blonde haired man quirked a dark eyebrow in Dalethria’s direction before once again looking around the area.

“No, it isn’t a jungle is it… it’s the little house on the prairie.”

A few paces forward, one of which landed Vega’s foot in some particularly thick mud and caused his face to twist slightly for a moment. The look of annoyance faded as he thought of what might be ahead of him, and he rubbed his gloved hands together eagerly.

“So, what’s first on the agenda, Master?”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Crossing her arms, she looked out towards the expanisve flat landscape and shrugged. He was right, but more the remote, the longer the fun can last. Well, lesson ... but Dalethria welcomed the peace for a change. Everything was quiet and it put her mind at ease from being constantly bombarded by Bast's ghosts.

"There's a small herding village a few kilometers away. We go there."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“On foot?”

A little nod from Dalethria and Vega began walking. After a moment or thinking to himself, he spoke.

“You know I sometimes wonder about all these people and places we terrorize, about what happens after we’ve gone and left them half dead with their houses burning down, children without their mothers and whole families winnowed down to one weeping widow… but then I remember that I don’t care.”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

She was worried about Vega for all of two seconds. With knowing him better then some, he didn't disappoint when it came to the punch line. This idle chit chat during their little stroll did make Dalethria aware that something was bothering her Apprentice. His thoughts weren't focused right now, but they had some grounding in his training.

Her remained focused towards the horizon. "Your upset about something but hiding it well. A fight did not go well?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“No, it didn’t, on a number of accounts.”

Vega could count the number of times he’d ran from Anbira with his tail between his legs on one hand, but he wagered that if he kept up his current approach he’d soon a lot more fingers to be able to say the same. Nursing a blow like that to his pride was difficult and he could only shrug it off as dumb luck so many times.

“Which is precisely why I need this training, to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

His anger was so palatable. Quite refreshing to be around a student again that was like that. It made Vega easy to read unfortunately. A Master of the Dark Side can read fluctuations in anger, hatred and fear like text. "Makes sense. But it just irks you to no end that you can't beat him."

She threw him a smirk. "Am I right?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Of course it does!” he snapped, his words hissing through clenched teeth.

“Time and time again and I just don’t know why!”

One of the trees which the pair were walking through seemed to spontaneously combust, sans fire, it’s roots uplifting as the trunk itself vaulted up a good ten feet or so before crashing down with an almighty thud on. Vega looked off towards the now crushed patch of trees, then down away from Dalethria.

“It’s frelling infuriating, it is.”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

The display of power was expected. Vega was never one to hold his temper. "I know. I know very well how you feel ... But think on this ..." She turned her head towards her Apprentice with a wide child like grin. "Your Master beat him and can teach you to do likewise!"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega fumed. On the one hand, the fact that Dalethria had beaten Anbira was an insult to him but on the other she was his Master and, although he disliked admitting it, stronger than he was. Rolling his shoulders, as though to shrug away the momentary lapse in control, the Lupine nodded.

"Right. He has to have weaknesses. Everyone does - and you will teach me to exploit them."

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

She nodded. "Exactly. But one thing at a time, dear Vega." Dalethria held out a hand and stopped. Just over the next hill, billowy white smoke was cascading up into the air in several places. The air had taken upon a rather unpleasant aroma that was familiar within the presence of cattle... "A small hamlet known as Aeliador shall be our romping ground. The peasant are stupid and many. Perfect to teach you the basics of how to control other's mind or ... we could play with them with illusions. Up to you. I'm game either way..."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Control first, please,”

Vega brought his hands together, cracking one knuckle at a time as he stared through the smoke. This was certainly going to be entertaining.

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Even a please... How could she not respect his wishes? "First let's find out how many wondeful beings are here. Well ..." She eyed Vega. "You should. But ... do it mentally. Be a good warm-up for what you have to do later."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Standard procedure. Sensing the presences of others was something he had been taught early on, and so it came easily. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander across the landscape, jumping from person to person as the tally increasing, doubling, tripling and finally halting as it came full circle back to himself and Dalethria.

“Forty three, although one of them is bed-ridden with fever, so I think forty two is probably more accurate.”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

"Forty two it is. Can you discern who have the strongest of wills? They will be most difficult in controlling. We want fun prey right now and not alert the Peasants that something is amiss." She could do this herself, but this was Vega's time to shine.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

From what Dalethria said, Vega assumed she meant that she wanted someone with a weak mind because it would be easier to break. He reached out with the Force and once again began hopping from person to person, only touching their minds for a brief second before skipping on to the next character.

“There’s a stable hand,” he commented.

“Over there,” and indicated a small wooden building set apart from some others.

“He’s asleep in there. I don’t think there’s any horses in there, so no chance of them sounding the alarm.”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

"Perfect." She stepped up alongside him and spoke in a whisper. "What you need to do is first take hold of his mind completely. If you can't keep control of a person's mind, everything after that is moot. Why bother?

To slip into ones thoughts and speak directly mind to mind is only a start for us... Ease into his thoughts and emotions, there you will start to feel comfortable and familiar. Not like your own mind of course, but there needs to be a sense of familiarity before you pull his strings."

Considering that the stable hand was asleep, Dalethria was tempted for Vega to slip into his dreams and mess with him that way. But ... that was for amusement and fun. This was for training and she had to remind herself of that.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega nodded. It was time to acquaint himself with the boy.

With his mind still focused on his location, Vega began to concentrate on trying to probe into his thoughts. It wasn’t something he was especially good at – but people who were asleep didn’t have as much of a guard up as those awake, so it would definitely be a lot easier here.

Dreamless, the boy shifted in his sleep as the Lupine slowly began to creep in past the thin defenses of his mind. Everything was all hazy and jumbled, though. Indecipherable, a myriad of moving images all blurring into one. Vega’s brow furrowed as he tried to order what was going on, or at least divide things up into more manageable sections.

“It’s chaos in there.”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

"And?" She said, unimpressed. "We live in chaos all the time. It should come easy for you to decipher the images and thoughts. Just ... peel away from the confusion one layer at a time until you latch onto just one thought or emotion. Then.. build from there. Don't rush it, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed and fall into his chaotic thoughts. I really rather not have to dive in a find you if I don't have to."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Having looked back to Dalethria, Vega once again looked away – exhaling sharply through gritted teeth. Was she insinuating that he couldn’t do it? With a hmph, he began to concentrate once more. As was usually the case, frustration and anger only helped him along. It fuelled the Darkside and also, of course, his own natural drive to impress and out do. Soon enough he was doing exactly as Dalethria had asked, peeling away the layers of the onion that was the boys mind and quickly making his way towards the center.

It was an awkward feeling to have another’s thoughts so closely knit around your own. He had experienced a link with Daiquiri, but this was different. It was like two minds just clashing together, meshed in random sections, overlapping and having difficultly slipping into a comfortable position.

He began to pick up little details. Names, faces, places. They all seemed familiar despite his never having been there, and slowly he began to understand that what he was experiencing was a very curt version of the boys life, flickering in front of his eyes. It was no longer disorientating, however, and soon he began to see through the haze, every organizing itself nicely.