Stowaway Apprentice [complete]

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She adjusted the controls, angling the Revenge in for a landing through the partial shields of Iziz City. Her trip to Coruscant had been eventful, although the old man she and Gav had cornered had eventually proven useless. The boy...well the boy had managed to scramble away from them.

He intrigued her...hadn't spoken a word during the confrontation, only manipulated the Force into fantastic illusions that only a Knight of the Force could attempt. She hadn't even gotten his name.

But it was time to return to Onderon, her new city, and her king. Giran had requested she take some time off, but now she was back. Couldn't let him become to independant from her.

De'Ville walked down the hall, and stopped just short of the doorway. Looking down, she tapped her foot, and then knelt in place. She reached forward, thumped on the deckplating, and a portion of it popped free, revealing a smuggler's hiding hole. "I know you are in there. And there is not anything you can do that will stop me from killing you. In fact, I advise you do nothing but come out where I can see you. Anything else I will perceive as an attack."

She stepped back, waiting for the stowaway to climb out.

[Han Fernua]

With reluctance, Han slowly made his way out. He could have just hidden himself but these people were different then others. They somehow knew he was around without seeing him.

A small blonde poked its way out of the deckplating. Watching her carefully, he pulled himself up and sat on the edge of the deck. He still didn't say anything; his eye's were a piercing ball of white not letting anything escape his view.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Matching his wordlessness, De'Ville stood up, grabbed a handful of his shirt and shoulder, and pulled him to his feet. Still not saying a word, the Dark Jedi dragged him to the hatch, opened it, and walked out with him. The kid had gotten his feet underneath him and was walking/skipping next to her to keep up.

"I do not take kindly to children." De'Ville looked down at him, glaring. "I eat them for dinner." She kept walking, hurrying to her waiting speeder.

[Han Fernua]

All of a sudden a image of a child on a dinner plate floated in the air. It was a horrible image of a child that had been burned to death. His flesh burned body was in a ball shape with herbs and other flavoring shrubs around it.

Then a thought, not of Lilaena's own, sprouted up and said: 'Does that look appetizing?'

Then the image disapeared

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She looked down at the boy, and licked her lips. "You're making me hungry." De'Ville pulled open the back seat of the speeder, half tossed him inside, and sat next to him, one hand clamped on his shoulder.

The driver started to pull away, directing the speeder into traffic.

[Han Fernua]

Han fell to his seat. He curled up as much as he could but in this speede the seats were not ment for that use. He looked at the woman, then at her hand. Knowing that if he tried anything he would regret it. He didn't know if he found her interesting or just crazy. She was different than any female he had met. And thats not saying much.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

A few minutes passed in silence, and De'Ville alternated between glaring at the boy and turning her smoldering gaze out the window. The speeder pulled up to a large grey building, constructed out of heavy, inpenetratable stone.

"C'mon kid." She grabbed his arm and roughly 'helped' him out of the speeder. They were at the Beastrider kennels, and she could hear the howls of the leathrey skinned winged beasts as she dragged the kid in the heavy gates. From the sounds of it, there was a new beast being broken in.

[Han Fernua]

Whats that sound? Han thought into her head. Where is this?

This place was starting to creep Han out. He was no thinking twice about sneaking aboard this womans ship. He might regret making that choice. This female was also very touchy with him. He could easily do something and get away. But to what point? He was on some strange place with even stranger people on it. He might have gotten away but she could find him; he already found that out.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

His telepathic words bounced off her unmovable mind shields, only providing her with a slight headache and a buzzing sensation in between her eyes. She glared at him. "Stop that. If you can talk, I suggest you start doing it. If not..."

The gates closed behind them, but she kept a firm grip on his shoulder, steering him towards the kennels and past a group of training Beastriders.

[Han Fernua]

It seemed that he was not getting through to her. He really hated to talk. It served no purpose. But if that was the only way to communicate, then thats what he had to do.

"What are you going to do with me," came a soft, quiet voice from the boy.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She grinned as he finally spoke. "Well, if you are a good boy, then probably not much. If you step out of line, however, you will find yourself in a world of pain."

The ability he showed in mental powers and illusions was beyond her means to understand, unfortunately. They stopped walking in front of Goliath's pen, a huge grey beast with vicious claws and mighty wings. He was one of the older beasts, and was impressively scarred from many battles with the Mandalorians.

[Han Fernua]

The boy leaned forward to get a better look at the...thing. It looked like a Gorilia with claw and a set of wings. But he knew it was much more then that, seeing the scars all over its body. He looked up expectently at the female.

[Razielle Shadana]

Elsewhere in the grand scheme of things, Razielle was having her own issues. She knew she couldn't stay at the Palace forever, much as she would like to. So she had arranged what she could as far as acquiring lodgings for herself. Not the type to do anything small, and valuing her own privacy to a fanatical degree, she decided on purchasing an entire building, surprisingly she didn't have that much trouble getting it. Perhaps strings had been pulled by De'Ville? She would inquire later..

It was formerly some type of small prison or asylum she supposed, insofar as she could tell. It was heavily guarded with perimeter security to keep things out, as well as in. But it was left in neglect far too long and needed renovating. Still it had a sadistic kind of homey charm. She wasn't inhabbiting the place yet, but was personally overseeing the restoration, along with the rewiring of new security in case the old owners dropped by unanounced.

Satified that all was proceeding as scheduled, Razielle wandered the grounds outside, waiting for the workers to retire for the night so she could prowl the streets and not have to feel she needed to babysit.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Goliath yawned lazily, it's grey leathery skin stretching as the huge maw of it's mouth opened. De'Ville watched the kid's reaction to the beast, suddenly reminded of one of the children who'd lived in the orphanage with her when she was small. Shaking off the feeling, the Dark Jedi reached for her comm, transmitting to Shadana's commlink.

She looked down at the kid as she waited for Raizelle to pick up. "If I can't find someone to take charge of you, you're going to become intimately acquainted with Goliath and his kin. They always need more boys to clean out the kennels here."

[Han Fernua]

As the woman was using her commlink, Han was making a test of the best. He took a quick look up, and then projected into the bests mind a illusion. All of a sudden the best of thrashing about his cage, trying to kill something that wasn't really there. Then it jumped at De'ville, stopping short by the bars. He then continued punching and bitting at nothing more then air.

Meanwhile there was a small smile on the boys face as he watched this. It was quite humorous to see such a strong and bloodthirsty killer look so weak and pathetic as it jumped around the cage.

[Razielle Shadana]

All in all it wasn't going to be such a bad place once the renovations had been made. It was, of course, going to need some major artistic remodeling as well. Razielle had never lived the shabby life and was not about to start one now. There was simply no good reason she could come up with not to make this home both beautiful and well fortified as her others.

It was past time for the workers to depart and return to their safe sheltered little lives, away from dark places they really shouldn't feel so calm in. As Razielle watched the last of them exit the building she continued on her stroll about the outside. Her comm alerted her that De'Ville was attempting to reach her. With a frown on her pale face, Razielle tries unsucessfully to respond. Each time she tried met with no reponse. Until finally something did transmitt, the single most blood curdling howl she had ever been subjected to with mortal, or immortal ears. She didn't know who was in danger the beast that had made it, or De'Ville.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Raizelle, I am at the Beastrider Kennels. Knock it off, kid." The last sentance wasn't directed at Raizelle, but at the tow headed boy who was grinning at Goliath. The beast was frantically throwing itself on the electrified fence, and the smell of scorched skin was overpowering.

"Do you have time to meet me here?"

[Razielle Shadana]

Razielle peered at the comm, wishing it had the capabilty to show her what in the world was going on. Of course she would meet De'Ville. So she has a kid there? Poor De'Ville.. Little did the Vampyre know, she should be saving her pity for herself. She would have time aplenty to lament on it later..


*************************

Arriving at the kennels, Razielle walked cautiously inside. This was definately not a place she frequented. Although she was sure the winged beasts did have some charm, surely? Navigating her way past the cages she came upon De'Ville and her small charge. The first thing she noted was that the boy was not your average dull looking child. He had the attentive look of a calculating killer. How very...interesting. She nodded towards the miniature menace, but spoke to De'Ville disregarding him.

"Yours..?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Hardly. He stowed aboard my ship on Coruscant. He is probably hungry, as it's a long trip from the Core to here, and he is also unusually gifted in the Force."

De'Ville paused, rubbing her forehead against the buzzing sensation she felt when he used his powers. "Illusions, that is." She didn't feel like telling the Vampyre that her weakness was in that area, and so left that part out. "I do not have time to keep an eye on him, nor do I want him running around our city causing havok. And I do not approve of murdering children, although I may be persuaded to change my stance on that."

De'Ville looked at Raizelle. "So he is yours, if you would care to take him as an apprentice."

[Han Fernua]

Han looked up from the tormented best to a pale, down right ugly, woman. Not that he was any judge. She had a look about that screamed out: 'I am not of the living!' But she was standing infront of her. She couldn't be a zombie. She just didn't look the part. But she had a mind. And where there was a mind, he was able to mess with them.

So I see she is handing me off, Han thought. Thats alright. She wasn't much fun anyway.

Then, he worked his little power into the mind of the pale one. Creating a illusion of the beast Goliath, he made it do one of the screams she must have heard over the comm. The image was projected behind her, along with the scream.

[Razielle Shadana]

Several thoughts flooded Razielle's mind just then. The first one being that De'Ville was testing her again. Suggesting something so ridiculous could only be staged. What was a Vampyre supposed to do with a little kid? Midnight snack perhaps? While she was pondering it, a scream mimicking the blood curdling one she had heard earlier, was let loose from behind her.

For her it was as if everything was in slow motion. It all really happened in a matter of seconds, but her somewhat altered perceptions didn't register the same way normal mortals did. Turning to the shriek, Razielle's vampyric gaze settled on, or rather through, what appeared to be one of the beasts, let lose. In sucession, several other things came clear. The fact that she heard no heartbeat from the beast, or detected the scent of living blood. Gifted in the force... Illusions huh?

Unconcerned with the image behind her, Razielle glanced at the boy who was grinning like he was so damn smart. Perhaps she could teach him after all, one lesson certainly wouldn't hurt. The lesson would be, don't try this crap on the Undead. Let him see how fun his made up pet was when he no longer had control of it. Relenquishing his hold over the image was no easy feat, but the child's mind was linked to her own and it was eventually done. He could no longer control it, nor banish it from his sight.

The illusion of Goliath stalked forward, its great mouth opening and slamming shut before the boy. Teeth knashing at him, like he was a tastey little morsel. It roared in his face and all the while Razielle just smiled her arms folded in front of her, appearing greatly amused.

[Han Fernua]

To his surprise, his little trick was not working. It was worse then not working. It didn't even do anything! But how. Any human would have at lest been a little surprised. Most didn't care to see another thing and just ran away. Thats how you survived on your own. You saw what others could not understand and could not see through and you used it to make your own life more livible. But ever since he ran into these...other people...he was coming to the conclusion that they were not as easy to fool as those on the street.

His smile fadded. He tried to force it on her a little stronger. But it still didn't do anything. Then, he felt something cloud his thoughts. For a moment, the image flickered; like a connection was bumped for a second. Then, without having control of what was infront of him, the beast turned on him. How could she do that? he though. What are these people?

The beast did not frighten him. After all, it was just a image that he made. Him. She may be able to control what he see's, and maybe even his own image of his thoughts. But he wasn't going to let that intimadate him. He may not be able to control, and now it seemed he wasn't able to rid it either. So, making another illusion to take care of the next, he set the foul beast a flame. And quite happily doing so.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena was not affected by the illusion, as she could not even see it. The boy was good, but it took effort to control an illusion of that magnitude, and he had not bothered to try affecting both women at the same time. She watched the reactions between Raizelle and the boy, and after a moment they were both grinning at each other.

Or at something in between them both. De'Ville snapped her fingers to draw their collective attention back towards her. "Any thoughts, Shadana?"

[Han Fernua]

There was a bead of sweat that was forming on his brow. Though, illusions came naturally, he was not able to keep it going for extended amounts of time. And not being able to take the beast away was not helping. But he would not let some pale faced, female, get the best of him. He was not about to stop, even if the other woman was trying to break it up.

[Razielle Shadana]

The beast burst into a roaring fire before her eyes. Raising an eyebrow Razielle grinned. That wasn't to be expected, she had thought she had completely relenquished control of the illusion from the brat. Well, well... He may do after all. That kind of power was not common.

Razielle heard De'Ville snap her fingers in an effort to regain her attention. But she was not through with the boy yet. She would take him under her guidance as De'Ville proposed, but he would have to learn not to toy with her. She would assure him he could feel free to practice his wiles on the rest of humanity, but the members of the Circle, herself included were not his playthings.

She saw the sweat form on the boy's brow, it trickled down his face - clearly showing that the effort to control his illusion was sapping his strength. She would take pity on him and show him her merciful side. Though he may not see the mercy behind it at this point...

Walking up to him, Razielle locked her fingers around his throat in a vice-like grip. Not enough to do him any lasting damage, but just enough to cut off his airway temporaily. She lifted him to her eye level and spoke to both him and De'Ville simultaneously. "He'll do.. Provided I don't have to render him unconcious again any time soon. If he can abide by that, we should be able to do well..."

The moment the kid's eye's slide shut in his blue face, the illusion disappered. It having been linked to both of their minds, Razielle had already dismissed it. Plopping his unconscious little body down at her feet, Razielle turned to De'Ville. "A kid, huh...?" She sighed, but he would grow and when he did, he would be a very worthy Apprentice.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena looked down at the child's limp body, and sighed. "He followed me home, but I did not want to keep him. Think of it as a training exercise for yourself as well - teaching yourself as you teach him."