Can You Hear The Angel Cry?

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Nar Shadaa

The young boy curled up in a ball on the bed, covering his ears and crying softly, the man in the apartment above them was beating his wife. The woman had so much fear and hatred that her emotions were screaming so loud that because of the proximity they drowned out everything else. There wasn’t anything he could do, because the moment he stopped beating her she grabbed the gun and killed him, his abrupt death was a shock. He was already pushed beyond what he normally took and with his death he fainted, he never felt what the woman did next, which was a blessing.

Up! Get up boy! Urmen stomped from his room and opened the door Got a big party invite, so hurry up!

He rolled out of bed and got into different clothes, the silver ring around his neck glinting in the light. He’d been a slave ever since he was four, his mother’s recent boyfriend had sold him off after she’d died from the cancer that had suddenly started eating at her. He could still remember her pain, he remembered her death too and being sold on an auction. The ring was fused at the back, he was still small enough that it didn’t need to be changed, but only just. Sometimes he dreamed that he died, suffocated by the collar or was that really his own dream?

He’d always felt things, used to it was just from those he touched, but when he turned five it was everything in one hundred feet of him and sometimes more depending on how strong it was. Urmen won him in a bet, the very first time he’d ever won anything, the gambling addict landed cash and him. He first started out just cleaning up after him, but when the man found out he could See things, he became his good luck charm. More often than not he broke even, but lately he’d started taking risks and this time he’d managed to get in one of the classiest clubs on the planet.

Urmen was lanky, he only ever bothered to even clean up when there was a game he was going to. He was black haired, dark eyed, always looked like he needed to shave, he wasn’t anything anyone would call handsome. The only thing that got him noticed was the fact he had him, for Urmen took him to all the games he played. His good luck charm they called him, there were those who thought he was some sick child didler, but he’d never laid a hand on him, not even to hurt him. Small blessings for the man was completely oblivious to the fact he was suffering, he took care of him because he’d lose it all if he were to take sick. Otherwise he could care less.

He might have been scared, except he couldn’t feel anything except Urmen’s greed, lust and excitement. The man grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind him, Lei didn’t even struggle, didn’t even lift his head. Outside was hellish to the small waif of a boy, so many swirling emotions, all of them hammering at him. Inside all he could do was find that place in his mind that he hid in when surrounded by too much chaos. When they got in the club it wasn’t nearly so bad because the emotions were somewhat more positive. It still made him suffer, it was all too loud, but at least he wasn’t in as much pain as he usually was.

They got into the room and he was shoved under the table next to some scruffy looking man. He shied away from him and moved closer to Urmen, while he was a dubious protector he at least fed him. He grabbed a handful of his shirt, this was how he communicated, certain numbers of pulling said certain things. He pulled his knees to his chest making himself as small as he could so he wouldn’t get accidently kicked. He spared a glance at the scruffy looking man, a bold thing to do considering he was a slave, but sometimes he liked sneaking looks at people.

Leith was a scrawny thing, he looked to be fed, but because of the stress he was bombarded with he never really filled out either. He looked like he was five, short, with untidy dirty blond hair, his blue eyes were haunted and he didn’t look like he got much sleep. He flinched suddenly for one of the men at the table was getting very annoyed, but then it went away when the dealer walked in. The emotions in the room ramped up higher and he shuddered, he knew what this meant, it meant he had to See.

His head tilted to the side, leaning against Urmen’s leg, the pupils in his eyes dilating, most of what he saw was just a confused glob. Because he was touching his owner it was easier to focus, thats when he tugged. The whole game passed in a confused glob of emotions and images, he wasn’t even really aware of anything. When it was over he was pulled to his feet and dragged off, he was too numb and tired at that point to blessedly feel anything on the way back home. He staggered after like he was drunk, paying no attention at all, his head slumped forward. You did good for me today boy, real good, I’ll leave you at home and go celebrate, eh? Maybe I’ll pick you up some new clothes, I’ll bring you some good food too, would you like that?

Food. Half the time he couldn’t eat and other times he was so damned hungry he could cry, if he knew how to. He couldn’t even feel his own needs half the time, did he even exist at all? Under all the emotions around him the boy was a yawning pit of suffering and despair. There was no hope at all, a sorry state for such a young boy. He staggered into his room and fell onto the bed, he looked forward to the numbness because it was the only times he felt nothing at all. He vaguely registered the sounds of Urmen leaving, odds were he’d probably not be back till afternoon which was what usually happened when he felt so happy.

His fledgling gifts were totally tapped out, he blacked out a few minutes later exhaustion claiming him. He was essentially dead to the world, the whole crappy building could collapse on him and he’d never have noticed. Hell, he could be stolen away or half a dozen million things and he’d never even stir.[/SIZE]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

A knock was heard against the front door. It echoed throughout the desolate rooms, and dust blew through the air as the man on the outside knocked further; this building surely hadn't been seeing much use or maintanence for a very long time, and he began to suspect it was abandoned. When a whole minute passed without anyone answering, something urged him to open the door and step inside, rather than walk away and leave well enough alone. Upon setting foot inside the less-than-hospitable home, a very faint presence made itself known to him. His training and studies in the art of healing had made him become aware of any sentient being's lifesigns from a distance, should he choose to look for them.

Pulling the hood from his head, Jedi Master Thurion Heavenshield searched the empty living room for any signs of lifeforms, but found none. It was if this whole building was left to the passage of time, and the smell was unbearable at best. "Hello? Excuse me for intruding, but..." In truth, he wasn't sure why he'd entered the place, but his insticts he knew not to question were telling him to follow it through. Nar Shaddaa was shady to say the least, but he'd gotten used to it since his involvement in the restoration efforts after the turmoil caused by the Sith Empire long ago alongside his friends in the Silent Conclave. There was something about this place that made his hairs stand on his neck, and he couldn't put his finger on it.

There. A faint lifesign, inside the next room. Without a care about remaining passive he paced through the living room towards the aura he sensed and opened the door, peeking inside. The distaste he felt upon finding a little boy lying in his poor excuse for a bed was palpable, as there was no-one else at home. His caretaker had not even bothered to lock the door when he left, if the boy even had a caretaker to begin with. But he did not believe this youngling would've lived here all alone. The place was filled with junk and oddities no little boy would spend money on. Kneeling by his bed, Thurion placed a gentle hand against the boy's forehead. His pale skin and thin frame was a dead giveaway that he was unwell and in need of care and attention. To leave a child like this enraged the man to no end. "Little one, what have they done to you?" he whispered softly.

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

The apartment was clean-ish, Lei still had to try and keep it tidy. However all the furniture was clearly recycled and not far from being dumped again. The smell was from pretty much everything, the furniture, the state of decay of the whole building and if anyone cared to look the scent of decay from the floor above them. Two growing spots of red had slowly leaked through, the neighbors upstairs dead, their bodies yet to stink enough to get notice.

The boy’s room was tiny, hardly more than a large closet, there were no windows and his bed was just a mattress on the floor with heaps of blankets on top. There was a small set of drawers where he kept his clothes and a small lamp, but that was it. He had a teddy bear that had seen better days, the only toy he really had, one of the rare gifts that Urmen had given him that he actually liked. He didn’t stir at all when the stranger touched him, his skin a shade clammy with fever. He wasn’t sickly, not with all the germs he was exposed to daily, but his health was never as strong or resistant as a humans. His mother always said it was a trade for the gifts that he’d been given from his father’s blood.

The clothes he wore were a size or two too big and the only thing that stood out from the faded worn clothing was the bright silver slave band around his neck. There was a crest on it that marked where and who had first owned and cared for him. His skin was pale, making the smattering of freckles across his nose stand out. Shadows under his eyes marked how often he fell asleep from utter exhaustion. He was thin, but at least his ribs didn’t show, he was clean, someone clearly did what they could to care for him.

Even unconscious the stranger’s anger reached him and he cried out softly, curling into a ball, trying to protect himself. It didn’t wake him up, but it did hurt him.



[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The boy began to whimper and sob even in his sleep, as if his touch had harmed him. It made him snap his hand back a bit, but soon learned that it was not his skin against his that had caused him pain. It was something else. Caressing his thin cheek, Thurion made the best efforts he could to make the little one feel safe and comfortable. Leaving the small room for a moment, he soon returned with a set of soft pillows and warm covers for his bed, taken from the only other bed he could find within the immidiate area. Fluffing them up a bit he carefully placed the two pillows underneath the boy's head and wrapped the covers around his frame. "You poor thing... You won't have to suffer anymore, child. I'll make sure of it."

If there was one thing the otherwise gentle and mild-mannered man would not tolerate, it would be child abuse; no matter what background or whom they served, children should be left out of conflicts of any kind, for they should be free to keep their innocence about the world for as long as possible. The worries of the galaxy should not be thrust upon them, as they had been upon him at his age. With this in mind, it never once bothered Thurion that he rummaged the kitchen for any kinds of food the boy would enjoy. When he could not find any - much to his disgust - he returned to the sleeping boy and kneeled by the side of his bed. "Little one, can you hear me? I won't hurt you, I'm a friend." Attempting to wake the boy up, he placed a hand on his shoulder and sent a few gentle shakes through his tiny body.

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

The pain went away, but the boy didn’t react after that, sleeping though he was vaguely aware of the sounds of someone in the house. The sweet embrace of oblivion wasn’t quite ready to release him yet. Eventually when the man came back, gently shaking him and talking at him again, he sat up with a start. At first he thought Urmen was trying to get his attention, but when he stared groggily at the face of someone he didn’t know fear leaked from his tiny body. He scrambled as far away as he could with the man blocking his door, this meant he was standing with his back pressed into a corner.

The sudden burst of emotion and movement left him feeling dizzy and made his stomach very queasy. He didn’t say a word, didn’t make a sound, he just stood there with his heart beating rapidly and his blue eyes wide with fear. He didn’t know where Urmen was, nor did he know how the man even got in. All he saw was the kneeling form of a big intimidating blond haired man.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

When the boy darted from his bed to the opposite corner of the small room, Thurion was taken aback at the sudden outburst. Poor kid looked absolutely terrified. Remaining kneeling, he reached out to the boy with a soothing smile on his face. "It's alright, my boy. It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you, and I won't let anybody else hurt you ever again."

He knew this alone wouldn't win him over, but it was all he could offer at the moment. He looked about the room and behind him as a gesture to the building as a whole. "Have you lived here alone? For how long, sweet child?" He did his best to strike a balance between concern and kindness when he spoke, as he could sense the emotional turmoil going on within the boy's mind.

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

He stared at the man with disbelief, he quickly skittered away from his hand his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You better leave, master will be home any minute.”

He knew better than to try and leave, a slave caught without a master would be punished or worse, killed. He didn’t want to suffer any more pain than he already did and if this stranger got hurt he’d hurt too. The way he phrased what he said didn’t suggest he was someone’s student, but someone’s property.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"I'm not leaving you here alone", he said, shaking his head somewhat. "If your 'master' returns, I will be here to protect you from him." Thurion moved closer to the boy, a hand still reaching out to him. There was no malice in his words; he meant what he said about protecting the boy.

"Tell me something: do you actually like it here? Alone with your 'master'?" Even if the boy were to say yes, there was no way Thurion would just leave him to his fate at the hands of his 'caretaker'. From the looks of it, the man caring for the boy did not do a good job at it. "What's your name, little one?"

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

He’d moved too close, had he stayed blocking the door he’d not been able to leave. Faster than an alley cat he took the chance and bolted, sick feeling or not. His momentum and unsteadiness made him stumble, but he caught himself on the couch. He scrambled over it and dropped to the other side with a thump, nausea overcame him and he ended up throwing up. He didn’t feel better either, he sat back from the mess, just happy that it wasn’t going to be hard to clean, he hadn’t had anything in to make it messier.

His head started to pound with a really bad headache, he pulled his knees to his chest and set his forehead on top holding his hands to his temples. He knew he should try to leave, but he couldn’t, he was terrified of going outside. Outside meant more people and he knew that a kid like him alone out there was a horrible idea. He bolted into Urmen’s room, slamming the door and locking it. He didn’t know that such a flimsy barrier would be of no use with the stranger, but he felt secure. There was an open window, if the stranger came in he could risk the outside and the pain.


[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Quick like a bolt of lightning the boy scurried off, out of the room and behind a couch, and all Thurion could do was watch. He followed the boy out of the room, caught a glimpse of the little one throwing up just before he ran into the next room and locked the door behind him. The sudden explosion of activity was enough to stun Thurion, who was now stood listening against the door after any sounds from within. "Son, I'm not here to hurt you. I don't want anything to happen to you", he said softly.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm sorry you're hurting because of me. I'm sorry you've had to live like this for what seems like your whole life. I don't want this for you. I want to keep you safe." He sighed, pressing his forehead against the door. "I won't ask you to let me in, little one. I'll stay here until you let me in out of free will, for as long as it takes."

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

He stared at the door feeling tired, sick, confused and even above the din of the throng of emotions and feelings, anger. All of a sudden he didn’t want to hide, he swung open the door and glared at the man. “You’re stupid. I’m a slave, if I leave and its found out I will be punished or killed. My master might not be a good guy, but at least I know what I’m supposed to do. I know my place. You can’t just...come in here and go saying you’ll ‘save’ me when really all you’ll do is make things worse for me.” His eyes were filled with scorn “Where was someone to save my mother when she died slowly of cancer? Where was someone to save me when the guy she took up with sold me? You are too late, go the feth away and take your empty promises with you.”

Just like that all that energy was gone and he turned, shutting the door and locking it. He curled up on the bed, he felt so empty and cold, he just wanted to die. Was that too much of a burden to do? Couldn’t he just die and go where his mother went? If he was dead he’d be with the only person who had ever loved him. It hurt too much, the things the man had said, why had he come? Why did he lie and hurt him?


[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Again the boy surprised him, swinging the door open and verbally assaulting him for his attempted rescue. Thurion merely stood and watched the boy's emotions range from utter hatred to complete agony, looking confused at the display. There was no anger towards the boy for what he did, but rather an increased concern for his well-being. He then slammed the door shut and locked it once more, just as sudden as he opened it.

"My child, I'm... sorry about you losing your mother. I know grief can cause you to go numb after the constant beatings it gives you. I can't turn back time, but if I was there when your mother died, I would've taken care of you. I don't care whether you're a slave or not; what you've gone through is cause enough for me to do what I'm doing. It's what any sane person would be doing. You don't have to serve anyone ever again, if you'll let me take care of you. There's a better world out there, one I'm eager to show you."

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

He didn’t say anything, after he finished talking a screaming match started between the couple next door. Their anger and venom was like pouring rubbing alcohol on already raw wounds and he’d hear a pained whimper from the room just as things heated up. He curled into a ball trying to block out the pain, but it didn’t help. He felt like he was getting beaten with every negative feeling they felt, like he was the one getting lashed. “Just...go...away!”

It came out as more a tired whimper than an envenomed snarl, the maelstrom catching him up and dominating his mind.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion could hear the couple next door arguing, with even some things getting thrown around for good measure. For now he did not care who they were or what their argument was about; what he did care about was the small boy on the other side of that door who began sobbing on his lonesome. This he would not tolerate any further. By grabbing hold of the door knob with both hands, he surged in strength as he broke the flimsy lock apart with his bare hands with a little help from the Force. The door creaked open as he stepped inside, having a look around the far more expensive furniture. This must be where his 'caretaker' sleeps.

Without so much as a hint of hesitation he paced to the little boy, now sitting in fetal position and weeping. Thurion removed his robes and wrapped him around in them before pulling the boy closer for an embrace. Perhaps this time he could feel his intentions were pure. "Come here, son. It'll be alright. I will help you to block out the pain."

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

The man’s emotions, the touch, it made him cringe away and added to his pain. He tried to shove away from him, his feelings for him although not negative were strong and caused him as much agony as the anger being flung next door. He passed out again, it was all too much and he’d not been doing well from the start. His fever rose, tremors of shock making his body shiver. What he needed was medical attention at that point and to be taken far from the things over stimulating him. His mind was on fire as much as his body and there was no good that came from hanging around waiting.




[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

He passed out. Maybe that was for the better, all things considered. One did not need skills in medicine and healing to notice something was very wrong with the boy, and yet he could not sense any sickness or injuries from first glance. Perhaps there was something mentally exhausting him to the point that his entire body just shuts down like it did just now. More speculations would have to wait; the boy needed medical attention, but first he had to take him away from this rotten place. The arguing couple nextdoor only increased in volume and amount of curses thrown against eachother. It would have to be dealt with before he left.

Picking the boy up in his arms he carried him off, stepping outside into the somewhat fresher air. He would take him to his ship, the Seren Heritage, but not before he could have a word with the neighbors. Keeping a steady grip around the little one, he rudely slammed the door open to the neighbor's home and glared at the two, both dropping their insults for the time being as their surprised faces stared back at him. "Hold your tongues, both of you! You've been at it ever since I got here, and I've had enough!" He pointed at the lady. "You! If you don't like it, then leave him, already!" He then pointed at the man. "And you! If she decides to leave you, you'd be wise to stay away from her! I'll be watching you." Rarely did Thurion get this mad about anything, but the fact that this boy seemed to react negatively in more than one way to the verbal onslaught of these two caused his blood to boil. "Oh, and you can tell whoever lives nextdoor that his days of 'caring' for this boy have come to an end. He's under my protection now, and that of the Levantine Sanctum."

Just as sudden as the Jedi Master had appeared, he left; turning around he slammed the door shut after him as with a hurried pace he made his way towards his ship. There he would be able to examine the boy in peace and quiet with nobody around but little Nina. One might argue that taking a boy away from his home, for lack of a better term, is a criminal act and whatnot, but all that did not matter to Thurion at this point; that was no place for a small boy, and leaving him alone like that with no food or entertainment available filled him with disgust. "It'll be alright now, son. You'll see."

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

It was quiet in his head, that was the first thought that came to him when he woke up. He didn’t feel anyone around him, not their emotions, not their pain, nothing. The next thing he thought was that it smelled funny, not bad, just...funny. It was no surprise that he thought clean air smelled odd, he’d never lived in anything other than the rot filled planet that had been his home. The bed under him was soft and smelled just as funny, he sat up and looked around confused. This wasn’t the apartment. He didn’t feel Urmen either, which only made him more confused and even a bit scared. He looked around the room, bigger than his had been and saw blackness with white dots.

Space. He remembered learning a bit of it from a book once, but the memory was fuzzy. How did he end up in space? That meant he was on a ship, but he didn’t remember getting on one. His master would never have let him be in a room all alone, not if they were leaving. He remembered the man and his silly talk, his hands immediately rose to his throat and he felt his collar. Relief shot through him. Did the man become his new master? It seemed like it, though he didn’t know for sure, did it matter? Maybe that was what all his talk about a ‘new’ life was. He climbed out of the bed and moved to the door tentatively trying it to see if it was locked.

It slid open with a swish startling him, but he only hesitated a moment before walking out and looking around. It felt weird to feel nothing. Well, he did feel things, things that came from him and not others. He moved quietly, not hard to do since he was barefoot, but as he moved around he still felt nothing. It was disconcerting, even as it was a relief, he was so used to feeling smooshed by the things in his head. He heard noises and walked towards them silently hugging the wall. Another few steps and he felt him. The strange man. So he was right, he had taken him, stolen him from Urmen. If he wasn’t home it meant he couldn’t find him, it meant this man could do anything to him now.

He peeked around the door, all he saw was a couple chairs and one of them occupied with the stranger. He crept closer, peeking around his chair, but not so much that he’d be able to see him in the corner of his eyes. He saw a lot of buttons and screens, none of it made sense. He studied the man quietly, feeling him, like he did everything, except he only felt him. Nothing else to get in the way. The man felt strange, was that why everything smelled funny? Suddenly he sneezed, covering his mouth and then freezing in place like a scared mouse. He moved away and then stopped, his head down, eyes lowered, hair dropping into his face. His posture closed in, he tried to make himself look small and waited to get yelled at for snooping.





[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Getting the boy to his ship was easy when the poor thing couldn't even struggle due to being unconscious. Once aboard Thurion would use his masterful skills in the arts of healing through the use of the Force to mend the boy's weak body, although he suspected his mind would need more than simple repairs. The way he acted back at the house, reacting to his every words and thoughts, resembled that of an empath, and a strong one at that. He recognised the signs since having studied under Asha in his early days as a padawan, who was an empath herself. She always knew how he felt without him ever telling her, and always knew what remedied a foul mood or a sad thought.

A few hours after blasting off into space leaving Nar Shaddaa behind them, Thurion had kept a close eye on the boy and remained by his side through the night, even though time was an abstract in space. There was no way of knowing whether it was day- or nighttime, or what time it was. You just went to bed when sleepy, and ate when hungry. Perhaps that was his favourite thing about being aboard ships in space; the sense of being free of the chackles of time. He'd spent over 5 years aboard this very ship during his pilgrimage after receiving his knighthood, so he knew well every nook and cranny on the Seren Heritage. Thinking of his past would often make him hum to himself the tune his Master Asha would so often sing for him, and this time was no exception. The course had been set and everything appeared to be going smoothly, and so he was sitting laid back against the comfy chair and humming the song of Asha's homeworld.

His thoughts were eventually interrupted by a tiny sneeze coming from his side, and the shape of a young boy appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Knowing full-well how every feeling he felt would transfer over to him, Thurion made sure to not act startled at the sudden noise. "Well, hi there, little one!" he said enthusiastically. "I didn't know you were up already. How did you sleep?" He tried not to shower the boy with questions right away, but he did feel proper introductions were in order. "I am sorry for what happened before, my boy. I am Thurion Heavenshield, a Jedi Master of the Levantine Sanctum", he said with a smile, hopefully to calm the boy down somewhat.

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Blue eyes briefly rose to look at him, though not directly into his eyes, his expression surprised yet wary. He’d heard of Jedi, lots of people thought them just as scary as the other sort. Strange people with magic that liked to wreck the lives of honest people. He was a slave, so he doubted he was counted in amongst ‘honest’ people, he was pretty sure Urmen was firmly not in that group either. He didn’t say anything to his question either, what was the point? The man seemed very bright and shiny, his emotions like sunlight, they didn’t hurt which was nice. He couldn’t guess when that would change, even Urmen was as happy when he’d first got him, till he settled and stuff.

Since he was caught anyways he moved fully into the man’s view, when he spoke it was almost a whisper. The ship was too quiet and he didn’t need to speak really loud. “What would Master like me to do?”

He might as well find out what his duties were to be, the sooner he fell into a pattern the better. He would have to explore the ship and find out where everything went, odds were he would be cleaning as one of those things. If he learned fast he’d probably be seen as useful and that would hopefully keep him from getting punished. Moreover it would hopefully keep him from using his magics on him to hurt him.



[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Tilting his head to the side slightly, a troubled brow formed on his face. "Master? No..." he said softly as he reached out to place a hand to the boy's cheek. "You are not my slave, little one. I would never take into possession someone's free will. I'm not like your former 'master', son. I would never hurt you." He paused, giving him some time to think. "Can you tell me your name?" He then pondered for a moment. "You do have a name, don't you...?"

@Leith