Where do I belong? (Open to any Force-Adept)

[Tercia Atroce]

I grasped my wrist in my hand as I stumbled from alley to alley. Thick red drops of blood escaped from my makeshift bandage, a strip of my tank-top that I had wrapped over the gash on my inner-wrist. It was probably due to the adrenaline coursing through my veins that I felt no pain. My shadow lay on the floor in front of me, at least ten feet in length, mimicking my every movement. I wondered insanely if she, too, had cut her wrist when she tried to break into an empty shop, if she had maybe just wanted somewhere warm to sleep for the night like I had done.

My navy blue top was stained with blood. The liquid's warmth was welcome on the cold skin of my chest, where I savoured the feeling. I shivered, and looked nervously over my shoulder as I realised I had run so far over the last half an hour I didn't know where I was. I continued walking aimlessly, until I noticed what at first appeared to be a pile of rags on the floor. I was scared, and my mind was in overdrive. To me, it looked just like a man huddled around a bottle of cheap vodka, trying to sleep in a drunked stupor. My green eyes flickered around, searching for a weapon. I saw nothing useful but a wooden pole lying on the ground. I jumped to the wall, propping myself against it, as I outstretched my good hand, and called the stick to me. It was a trick I had learnt years ago. I knew I was a Force-Adept, and used my abilities at every chance I had got. Unfortunately though, I had a very limited knowledge of the Force.

The pole jerked from underneath a dustbin lid, and shot to my hand. I grabbed it tightly, so that my knuckled on both hands turned white. I jumped at the drunk, wielding my new weapon like an axe, and beat him what seemed like a hundred times. Again and again, i raised it high above my head, and brough it down on ever inch of his ragged brown overcoat.

I took out my anger on the pile of rags. Deep inside, I knew that there was no man there - I just wanted a punch bag. Anger had been building up inside me for all the sixteen years of my life. Ever since I had been dumped in the Coruscant underworld as a small child, all I had known was struggling and hoping. Struggling for tonight's meal, and hoping that tomorrow I wouldn't have to struggle.

Tears dripped down my face, mixing with the red droplets which had flickered from my slashed wrist. The colour was fading from my face, I was losing blood fast. As I beat the pile of rags, I slowly dropped to my feet, and collapsed on the brown coat.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Slow down there, child," Wei said with a heavy tone of concern. "What's the matter? What's the matter?" Wei asked in a soothing tone as he took the girl by the wrists and helped her up.

"What's this then?" Wei asked as he pulled up a limp body. Wei let go of one of her wrists to better help her up, but when he looked back at his hand he found it red with blood. "Oh, no."

"Keep calm, Wu Wei, keep calm. You can save her. As long as there's still the pulse of life around her, you can help her."

Wei laid her back down in the brown coat again and set her wrist to the side, away from her body. Then he sat down next to her Indian style and knitted his fingers together. Wei stretched out his Force sense toward her to find her pulse. Her beat was calm, but only because of her waning life. Wei embraced her rhythmn, and in a matter of moments the cut was healing.

[Tercia Atroce]

I was mildly aware of his presence as I drifted rapidly in and out of consciousness. His Light-Side aura was calming, and I could feel what he was doing. 'At least someone cares', I caught myself thinking, as I twisted my head around and looked at his kind face. My curly brown hair was matted, and there were dark bags under my eyes. I can't have given off a good first impression. I didn't know what to say to him, I just utterd what first came into my mind.

"I'm cold and hungry. Help."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Don't you worry about a thing," Wei said, his voice barely audible and his eyes misty with threatening tears of joy and relief.

The Jedi Knight gathered the girl into his arms and started to walking down the street in the direction he had come from. A few blocks down was a nice family-run restaraunt. It was just the sort of place that Wei liked. Modest and cozy, good food at a decent price, and on top of all that the service was good.

Wei put a shoulder to the door and nudged it open, disturbing a small bell that got the owner's attention. The owner, a small man with a round middle came out to the front and smiled when he saw Wei. But when he saw who Wei was carrying, his face changed to a look of concern.

"She'll start with a soup."

At once the owner's frown turned upside down and he was hurrying off to the kitchen to get the soup ready. Wei placed the girl in a booth, letting her rest in the corner between the back of the seat and the wall.

"Hold on," He said to her. "He's bringing some food."

[Tercia Atroce]

I nodded silently, all the while rubbing my wrist with the other hand, just where the gash had been. It was as good as new now, and not even the slightest feeling of discomfort.

Delicious smells drifted from the kitchen, the likes of which I had never even dreamt of. My mouth watered eagerly, as I looked over at the man who had brought me here. I wanted to let him know I was grateful, but the means to do this escaped me completely. I had never been 'brought up', I had to fend for myself my entire life, and so I lacked many social skills.

"My name is Tercia."

My voice was sheepish, and I felt my vibrant green eyes averting his as I spoke. I looked down at my hands, which were stil wrestling each other on my lap. I had to concentrate to make them stop, and I timidly looked up at the Jedi.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Hi Tercia. I'm Wei. Please eat. You need it." Wei's voice held the soft, gentle tone of a father taking care of his sick daughter. Wei smiled at Tercia, giving her some unspoken encouragement.

"We can talk more once you get your strength back." Wei ordered Tercia a juice, which was brought out quickly.

Wei nodded his thanks to the waiter,and sat still, appreciating the relative silence of the place. All he could hear were the clanging sounds in the kitchen and the people outside.

"If you're still hungry after the soup, let me know and I'll get you something else, alright?"

[Tercia Atroce]

I looked down at the bowl of soup in front of me. In my deep thought I hadn't even been aware of it's arrival. I pushed the spoon to one side, and grabbed the bowl with both hands. I hadn't eaten properly in days, and I hadn't had a hot meal in months.

I drank heavily on the liquid, being careful not to waste a drop, and then slammed it down on the table, grabbing the glass of juice which had been brought to me. As I brought the cup to my lips, the soup bowl rocked in circles, and by the time it had settled on it's base, my drink was gone. Again I sat back, still feeling hungry. I looked at Wei, and nodded. I was sure he realised what I meant - 'Yes, please'.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei laughed. "Indeed you are! Very well then!"

Wei was smiling broadly. The soup had evidentally done the trick. "How about we try the House Fried rice? That's got beef, Chicken, and vegetables. And rice of course. And another glass of juice."

The waiter nodded and rushed off to the kitchen to place the order.

"It won't be long," Wei said to Tercia. "This is all on me, so you eat your fill."

[Tercia Atroce]

The price! I hadn't thoguht of what this would be costing the poor man! I glanced around the shop to find a menu, to find some idea of how much I was spending on his behalf. I saw a blackboard on the wall, with the specials chalked onto it in a loopy scrawl. The resteraunt was fairly cheap, but they charged more money than I had ever had to spend. I flung my head back to Wei, and my hair whipped around my kneck. It struck me that there was something he wanted from me.

I folded my arms over my chest, and looked down at my knees. Suddenly my skirt felt very short, and too high up on my legs. I looked around one more time, to see how many other customers were in the resteraunt. Several people littered the seats, it was far from crowded at this time of night.

I glanced back at the Jedi who brought me here, my head still bent down. I looked at him though my top set of eyelashes, as my eyes began to water slightly.

"Why are you doing this?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei blinked. "Doing what?" Wei asked. Then it occured to him. "Oh, you mean the whole healing your cut and giving you food. Tercia, I'm a Jedi. And since I am a Jedi I am more than willing to give up my time, my money, and my life to see to it that people like you have hope and a future. And I will gladly give all of these things to anyone who needs them, whether or not they can pay me back."

The waiter came with the bowl of rice and set it in front of Tercia, then put down the juice and returned to waiting other tables.

"I know you can't pay me back for this food. But I don't care. I don't expect you to pay me back in any way shape or form. If I only helped people who were able to repay me then I wouldn't be able to call myself a Jedi."

Wei noticed Tercia trying to cover herself up. "And no doubt you are cold too. You're clothes are tattered. We'll go get you more clothes after you've eaten."

[Tercia Atroce]

"Thankyou, Wei."

I was not only glad that he expected nothing in return, but I was also glad that he had mis-read the reasons for me covering my body. I wolfed down the rice the same way I did with the soup, and dropped the chopsticks in the empty bowl. I picked up the glass, and downed that too. My apetite was finally satisfied, and so i finally relaxed in the chair. I was thinking over what Wei had just said, when I remembered his talk of the Jedi. Finally it dawned on me what he was trying to do - he wanted to recruit me! He must have sensed that I could use the force, and he probably planned on taking me to the temple!

I couldn't cope with the Jedi lifestyle. From what I knew of it, there was no fun allowed. No emotions allowed. I didn't want that, and i was confused. I was still in a drowsy state from my wounds and loss of blood, but suddenly I was wide awake. I looked to the window next to me. it was dark outside, but there was a road. i could get away from the jedi now - he had fed me, and healed me. His use was gone.

I hopped to my feet, and flung myself at the window. It was a stupid thing to do, but adrenaline was already coursing though my blood again. The glass shattered around me, as my shoulders hit the pane back-first. This time I felt the pain, as splinters of glass pierced my skin and tore through my flesh. I crashed into the ground with a thud, some feet away from the resteraunt, just short of the road.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei raised an eyebrow. "How incredibly odd."

The Jedi Knight pulled himself up out of the seat and stepped outside through the place where the window used to be.

"Now what on earth was all that about?" Wei asked Tercia. Wei was quite calm and in no hurry. "Now you hold still. This is gonna suck for you. I gotta get all these pieces of glass out of you now. Hold on."

Wei put his glasses up on his head so they were out of his eyes, then boosted his eyesight so he could see the smaller shards of glass better. Then one by one, Wei started to pick the glass out of Tercia using telekinesis and healing up the cuts right after.

[Razielle Shadana]

One thing could was certain. Everytime she came to Coruscant something interesting happened. It had been at least a couple years since her last trip here though, so she was expecting something monumentous to happen making up for the missed events.

Thus far nothing too peculiar had occured. Razielle had left the lavish comfort of the hotel behind her and decided to wander the streets in a less expensive part of the area. The cacophony of noise of the never sleeping planet, combined with the visual chaos of the artificially lit signs was giving her a splitting headache.

She meandered down a less flashy street, passing by restaraunt's and secondhand shops. Suddenly without so much as a warning, a young girl slammed through a restaraunt window and sprawled in the street. Not only had she ripped both her shoulders apart, but her forehead had met the duracrete quite personally.

"Have to love Coruscant..."

She was alerted to the Force when a man leaned out the window and started systematically retrieveing shards from the fallen girl. Razielle grimaced at the selfless do-gooding. Well, she wouldn't be dining on that girl tonight. Alas. With a glare at the man and a little focusing on the Dark side, one of his removed pieces of glass accidently flew into the remains of the window just above his head.

Chuckling to herself, Razielle continued on down the street disappearing into the shadows.

[Tercia Atroce]

Wei continued to heal me, picking the shards from my bleeding body, as I lay there helplessly. I groaned as he picked them from my body - it did suck, and for all his Jedi powers he failed to stop the pain. I didn't want him to help me, because I realised instantly he was doing this to blackmail me. I had visions of a conversation with him - 'I saved your life twice, and you won't even join the Jedi?' he would say, and I would fail to find a reason not to.

But there.. that woman. It must have been her that dropped the glass on Wei's face. I saw her laughing, as she ran away, and while Wei was concerning himself with the falling shrapnel, I struggled to my feet with my last amount of energy. There was something about her - I knew, deep within my heart, that it was the Dark Side I sensed around her, and for some reason I couldn't resist it. I half-ran, half-stumbled after her, my back and shoulders still bleeding. The blood-loss wasn't as heavy as with my wrists minutes ago, but the quantity of the wounds alone left me with an inescapable sting, coupled with a pounding head.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei picked the glass off of his face, and wiped the blood away from the small cut that had formed. "Must have gotten careless."

Wei shrugged it off and was about to continue his job when Tercia got up and ran off.

"Wait a second, Tercia! You're not fully healed yet! You're going to lose consciousness at the rate you're going!"

Wei would have heaved an exasperated sigh, but he was already on his feet and running after his charge. "This girl makes no sense at all. One second she's ok, and she's just talking and eating, then she runs through a window, and now she's running away."

But no one ever said being a Jedi was easy. It was a good thing Wei enjoyed the Jedi's life. Wei boosted his legs with the Force and in two long jumps had landed on Tercia and pinned her to the ground.

"You, miss are an endangerment to yourself," Wei stated matter of factly. "Now, if you promise not to run away, I'll get off you and you can tell me what is possessing you to do the things you're doing."

Wei was no mind-reader, but he could tell a little bit about what it was. "What is it about me that frightens you so?"

[Tercia Atroce]

"I don't want to be a Jedi!" I squealed the sentence out, lying underneath him. My strength was waning rapidly - I didn't even have the strength to struggle against him.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei heard Tercia's answer and laughed so hard that he fell off of her and onto the ground. "Is that all?" Wei asked, after calming down.

"Well then, Tercia. If you don't want to be a Jedi, then I'm not going to make you. In fact, I wasn't even planning on asking you to join. See, people become Jedi because they want to. Not because someone makes them. So if you don't want to be a Jedi, then that's fine with me."

Wei chuckled again. "Why don't you want to be a Jedi?"

[Tercia Atroce]

After he had rolled away, I propped myself up on one arm, turning my head to face him.

"I.. I don't know."

I answered his question automatically, while my mind was focusing on something else he had said.

"You weren't going to ask me? You think I'm not good enough to be a Jedi?"

I was sure that if I'd have the energy, I would have fled him again, but the exhaustion kept me frozen to the spot. I couldn't believe how angry I was with him, for no reason.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei paused. "Of course you're good enough to be a Jedi. Anyone who has a heart for helping others is good enough to be a Jedi. But being a Jedi is not easy. Being a Jedi demands that you put your own interests and goals on the back burner for the benefit of others. You give up your life so that others can have a life. That's why I said I wasn't going to ask you to be a Jedi. It would be unfair to ask you to make a commitment that you don't want to make."

Wei sat up and looked Tercia in the face. "What have you heard other people say abotu the Jedi?"

[Razielle Shadana]

She stopped in her tracks. If there was one thing that Razielle could pick up on, it was the sound of panic in a heartbeat. That girl, the one who had either jumped or had been flung through the window. She was trying to get away from the guy who was bent on healing her.

In her heartbeat - in the truest moment of all - when her very life's blood was ebbing away, Razielle could feel her pull to the Dark side.

She saw the girl try to follow after her, and also saw her stopped by her would-be Jedi savior. With a smirk, she listened to the speech and tried not to laugh. If she hadn't been gently bred she would have spit. Here he was professing to want to help her, by knocking her to the ground in an effort to control her and bend her to his will, what he deemed was best. That was the thing about Jedi it seemed. They are going to help the less fortunate, whether or not they want it. Well that was quite enough for Razielle.

She waited for the next available transportation and took it by force. The man on the speeder passed by slowly enough, that when her arm connected with his throat it merely dislodged him, rather than severing his head. He was unconscious on the ground though, and that was acceptable. She hopped astride the speeder and swung it around headed back to the restaraunt front.

Focusing all her thoughts on the young girl, she hoped her feelings weren't wrong. She hoped that her thoughts, through the Dark Side would be heard.

If you're coming, lets go.. I am not hanging around all night.

[Tercia Atroce]

I laughed loudly, as I struggled to my feet. Things were starting to fall into place for me - this felt right.

"Wei - you really don't want to know!"

I spun around, and threw myself into the speeder hurtling down the road beside me. I landed with a quiet thud beside the woman who I had felt the strange pull to. Her aura was so dark... it made me feel something I had never experienced before. I could feel Wei's dispair at my escape, and I could feel this woman's joy of sorts. I could even feel the chef of the resteraunt's anger that he had not been paid for Tercia's meal.

My mischevious chuckling had faded out now, and I was smiling broadly.

"Hello. I'm Tercia Atroce."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei watched the Dark Sider woman steal a person's bike and then had the misfortune of being equally shocked by Tercia jumping on and the two of them speeding away.

Wei, not being one to leave a task unfinished, took off running after them, aided by the Force. Wei couldn't yell: it would hamper his breathing and slow him down. But there was one thing he could do.

Of course I want to know! You're afraid and I want to know why! Fear is an illusion! The little death that brings total destruction! I want to help you get past the illusion, so you won't end up destroying yourself!

The message was telepathic, sent through the Force. Wei was getting confused. Tercia is afraid of him, but has no qualms about jumping on a bike with a complete stranger? It made no sense.

[Razielle Shadana]

Prefering not to get too cushy with the girl, Razielle merely nodded in acknowledgement of her name. She however did not reveal her own. Sensing the Darkness warring within the child to smite out any remaining light, Razielle grinned. She had never had such a conflict, it was one single event in her history that had plunged her down the spiral of the Dark path.

"If you so long for the Dark, why converse with the antithesis?"

Razielle felt the presense of the Jedi in question as he attempted to follow. He really didn't get it. But his valiant effort at saving the poor girl was comendable. Sadly though, she didn't want a savior. She wanted deliverance from the light.

Eager to both lose him and be rid of the girl, Razielle made frequent changes in direction. She doubled back a few times, never allowing the all consuming clostrophobia that was the light to get close to them. Hoping to lose the tracking Jedi for good, Razielle dug cruel fingertips into the girl's shoulder and jumped from the speeder. She tugged the girl along with her as she scaled the side of a lift that was about to ascend the outside of a rather high building.

As the lift began its speedy rise, the abandoned speeder slammed into the front of a store window in a blinding explosion of light and glass. Razielle dropped Tercia and sat beside her as they rose above the towering landscape of Coruscant.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"She won't lose me," Wei thought to himself and managed to follow her changing directions without losing too much ground.

At last the speeder straightened out and kept a straight line, allowing Wei to gain on the two. At least, until they decided to abandon their craft.

Wei shielded himself from the explosion, and recovered just in time to see the two people land on a lift headed up.

"You're not going to get away that easy!"

Wei redirected the Force to his jumping muscles and launched himself high into the air, catching the edge of the lift and pulling himself up. He had almost not made it.

"You're a bit careless, ma'am. I don't see why you struggle so. If you just cooperated and let me talk, this would be much less excruciating on all of us."

I know why you're running. You're a Darksider afraid that I might turn Tercia to my side. I don't know why you Darksiders convince yourselves that you need to be afraid of us Jedi. We only want to help, not hurt.

[Tercia Atroce]

"Oh, give up!"

I screamed, as I summoned the force-powers I had taught myself. Using the basic telekinesis I knew about, I slammed him backwards, straight towards the edge of the lift.

[Razielle Shadana]

He really was getting aggravating. Not only was he persisting in chasing down a girl who didn't want his aid, now he was implying that Razielle was afraid he might win in this very tiring event. She both felt and saw Tercia spring to life, hurling her blast of energy at the Jedi.

"I fear nothing, Jedi.. Least of all you."

With a sneer, she decided this girl was becomming trouble. She would once again rid her of the Jedi but then that was it. She had a very expensive hotel waiting on her, complete with fresh clothes and the very finest wine. Being pursued by a Jedi reluctant to give up on his "ever so Holy" cause was trying her patience.

She too, added a unfettered blast of energy straight at the already hit Jedi. As the lift continued its speedy climb upwards, Razielle's haunting laughter filled the air.

"Tercia, this is getting old. I think I will abandon you to the whim's of the Jedi if he dosen't take a hint soon."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei felt a glancing blow on his chest, and was knocked to his feet a second later.

"Give up?" Wei got up, dusted himself off, and shook his head. "If that's what you want. I'll stop following you. But bear this in mind, Tercia. If you choose to go to the Darkside, then the Jedi will be there to put a stop to you. And her," Wei said, gesturing to Razielle. "And there will be some Jedi who will be a lot less lenient on you than I am being right now."

Wei took a deep breath and pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. "Tercia, I don't really know what I've done to deserve your hatred, but I'm sorry. I'll leave you two be. No doubt we'll meet again. See you later, Tercia. It was nice meeting you."

Wei gave Tercia a friendly smile and a wave, then jumped backwards off the lift to the ground below. No point in pressing the issue.

[Tercia Atroce]

"You're a Sith aren't you?" I asked timidly, as we rose steadily higher.

[Razielle Shadana]

It was on the tip of her tongue to snap at the girl, to ask her what she would know about it. What could she, a child, posiibly dare to imagine she knew of these things. But something stopped her. The girl did have a strong distaste for the Jedi it would seem, and she did have great, albeit untrained power. With the proper training she could have unequaled skills.

Also, the girl reminded her of someone. She had the same hostile emotions that her dear Salem possessed. Those emotions were at the core of his strength and so it was with this girl. When she was older she would make a splendid Vampyre. That simple possibility brought a dangerous fanged smile to Razielle's face.

"Yes, that... Among many other things."

The lift came to a stop. Another one was approaching from above and to the side of them, descending towards the street. Since they had apparently let the Jedi know he was not needed, or wanted he had been gracious enough to leave. There was no reason they could not move about freely now. Razielle hopped onto the polished surface of the oppposite lift and wondered if the girl would follow. If she did, Razielle would bring her along. Back to her home.

[Tercia Atroce]

Trotting along after the 'Sith', I followed her to the next lift and we began our descent. Now was probably the time to ask the question that had been ringing around in my head since I first saw her... since first knew what she was.

"Will you teach me to be like you?"

[Razielle Shadana]

The girl was eager to cast her fate with the Darkness, that was an undisputable fact. Briefly Razielle wondered what Salem would make of her. She saw so much of him in the girl.

"All in good time, Tercia. Other's of our kind may seek to begin their lessons on the streets of Coruscant, but I wish to take you where there will be no interuptions. No Jedi would dare show up unannouced at the stronghold. "

She slid her cold violet stare at Tercia and for a brief moment wondered if this wasn't some ploy. She had been with the Jedi when Razielle arrived and the Jedi didn't seem to want to let her go. Was it wise to reveal her home to this girl? Rather than take any chances, she would see to it that Miss Tercia would remember nothing of her travels.

Absently she noted the drying, yet still trickling stream of blood at Tercia's wrist. Perfect... She took hold her the girl's arm and smiled coldly.

"You need to rest... Now."

Razielle gave no moments hesitation before her mouth found the ebbing source of blood and drew forth the girl's remaining strength to fight. Oddly she didn't give much of a struggle as Razielle fed from her, she fell quickly asleep. Wanting her to be fully healed upon their arrival Razielle used her sharp talon like fingernail to puncure the tender skin of her own thumb. Then allow some of her own Blood to pool before brushing it across Tercia's lips.

"Soon now..."

The Vampyre stole away into the night, carrying with her the young girl who would be so much more.