Shroud [Cameron Centurion]

[Alina]

"You would be surprised what a soul is capable of holding on to when a memory ceases," Alina replied slowly, but it was more a reminder for herself. Her lash-veiled gaze held his, momentarily widening when he arrested her hand with his larger one. The thought to pull away came and passed- [member="Cameron Centurion"] was, after all, doing the exact thing she was about to. Only he was buffering or filtering and the protege decided it was not worth the time or energy to be dubious in this affair. Instead, the pupil pursed her lips and became the avid pupil again, welcoming to fluid information.

Opposite of her Master, the young woman's violet eyes were open during the exchange. Her dark brows drew together in frustration. The story for him may have been smooth, but when it entered her psyche, it spiraled and scattered. Alina was left with a vacuous expression over her face and she surveyed the hostage again. Without so much as a word, her frame was lowered beside the other female, and her free hand reached. A soft caress of knuckles first upon the swollen expanse of her cheek, then the flat of her palm soothed the same area. Manicured nails brushed crimson crusted hair that appeared to be of the dark blond variety aside with long, gentle strokes along her head. The aim was not to awaken her, but rather to entice a calm to a mind that was havoc.

In the past, Alina had found not only was the process easier when having compliance, but when the body and mind were at ease memories poured plenty. There was no outward struggle, but this prisoner's mind had shut down in defense. Whatever transpired previous lingered, the proof was in the fitful dreams and cries of an otherwise catatonic woman. The third more than massaged it away, she... absorbed some of the negative, stagnant energy.

It was not sudden- this was a method you had to work at. And soon a melodic hum accompanied the mild sweep of fingertips. Alina's lids fell and the combination seemed to coax the other's into release. No surprise shone on Centurion's young ward when memory upon memory began to flood as if gates had been opened. It was up to the Sith Master as to the amount and speed she would receive again. The first bout had not been enough.

Eventually, Alina's eyes flickered and opened. So dilated they appeared black with only a faint ring of violet surrounding them. Her soft lips parted, but no words emptied from that faucet and she only stared at him.

 

[Cameron Centurion]

"I very much doubt that," was the only response the Sith Lord offered to [member="Alina"]'s comment. He understood the intent behind the statement. It was simply all but wasted on him. The finesse of coaxing out memories was something that often required time and patience...an almost caring touch. When it came down to Cameron extracting images and thoughts, he cared not for the other individual's comfort, nor did he have the time to seemingly coax their entire existence into a state of tranquility.

When Alina had finished her own task, Cameron released her hand. The first question had been answered. Could she do it? Obviously she could, not he merely needed her to do as he'd...instructed. The truth of this woman's origin was clear to him almost as soon as he had laid eyes on her. The brief foray into her mind had cemented the opinion in a bedrock of truth. His mind was already working out just how she'd managed to survive a trip into an edifice that held more traps and secrets that nearly any the Sith Lord knew. Not to mention...how she managed to cross the entire galaxy to Corstris.

 

[Alina]

A slow rise brought the young woman back to her feet- the hand let free came to touch her temple and the other gave one last stroke to the prisoner's brow before dropping still to her side. "The motivation was to find and retrieve a living descendant of Maximus..." Alina beheld the woman's face again and continued speaking, "after happening upon certain knowledge from within the Forbidden Temple. This one is... she of the few that remain of the Clans of Endelaan. But you were aware of this erstwhile."

Drifting away from the both of them, Alina resigned herself to the mirror. Endelaan, she thought, never before knowing such a place. The other's memories came in vivid clarity of the foreign landscape and for a moment the protege waded, living as it was remembered. Moments passed, but it seemed longer. Just then, a book was recalled and she blinked her way back to reality. "You must know," meeting his silver-green gaze from the reflection, Alina paused, "she was not the only one sent."

The violet, swirling pools moved to meet her own, "There is more than one descendant of Maximus that lives." Though she did not know of what or whom she spoke, [member="Cameron Centurion"] did.

 

[Cameron Centurion]

[member="Alina"]'s last words were the ones to draw the Sith Lord's silver-green gaze to her. Slowly, a thin smile slipped over his features. "Far more exist..." Cameron pondered something in silence before making an additional comment. "Including the one that reigned most recently."

Turning his attention to the woman in the table, Cameron's smile remained as he touched two fingers to her right temple. In an instant her body began to convulse and spasm against the restraints. It was mere moments before all motion stopped and streams of blood mixed with cerebral fluid began to pour out of her nose and ears. This was shortly joined by similar dribbling out of her mouth.

Turning his back to the woman, Cameron proceeded to the exit. He said nothing immediately to Alina, but he did expect her to follow. Once he'd emerged back into the cavernous corridor, he spoke casually. "You recall the names Maximus and Endelaan from your readings?"

 

[Alina]

There should have been an emotion, should have been a regret. No such thing existed in that moment when the woman passed and Alina's still visage illuminated as much. The palm of her hand streaked down the mirror and she pushed off from it with a sigh. "I can only imagine who it was," she reflected dryly and padded the short distance to the deceased. The convulsions and spasms orchestrated by [member="Cameron Centurion"] had caused the Endelaanian prisoner's eyes to open and fix into a frozen stare. "Somniatis," whispered the protege while gazing into the lifelessness. Two fingers came down in a brush, closing the lids once she decided she had more than enough haunting her already.

However unnecessary or wasteful she thought this act of slaying was, the third opted to say nothing. It seemed that the ways in which, even closely resembled souls, worked was different... foreign to her. Not wrong per say, but a different approach. One that she would gain knowledge from undoubtedly, being in the state of growth that she was. Alina turned, leaving both the woman and her opinion behind.

Dutifully, the fair fleshed, dark haired woman initiate followed in the Master's silent footfalls. Upon exiting, the clone of Anesia responded curtly, "On various instances, my lord."

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron allowed [member="Alina"] to wonder. The realities of his personal life from time well before her own was largely irrelevant to her progress. Just as he was about to say something to the woman about their schedule for the remainder of the day, the Assistant came scurrying down the corridor. Halting his progress, the Sith Lord gazed down at the man.

The Assistant stepped in to exchange hushed words with his Lord and Master before turning and hastening his retreat once more.

Turning to face Alina, Cameron's face was...devoid of expression as usual. "I have a task for you. In the mountains there is a facility. It is referred to as The Citadel, and I had it constructed centuries ago during my time as a Shadow Hand with a much, much older Sith Empire. There is an item located there that I would like for you to retrieve for me. You'll find it inside the secure vault." Considering something for a moment, he added only one more comment. "You will know it when you see it."

 

[Alina]

Barely a heartbeat succeeding the last of his order, Alina set off. Observing [member="Cameron Centurion"] stoically, silence was all she offered when she passed him. There were really no words to mince, no thoughts to submit. At least nothing of relevance or importance. After all, the protege was not below requests she would often send servants on. If anything, it provided insight inside a different type of life.

The captive's and her own thoughts accompanied her on the stroll. For a Master, the man seemed... rather illusive in his methods of teaching. While that was typical of a Sith, he also appeared to be avoiding her presence in one way or another at every turn. To say in the least, it was disconcerting and odd. Alina had not the slightest idea as to what she had done to evoke such a response, not had she ever been privy to one in the past. Near obsidian brows drew together in confusion and upon reaching the door to her quarter, Endelaan came to the forefront and she began arranging memories.

Entering only to slide into a pair of shoes, the ward immediately left for The Citadel.

"Alina," came a voice from around the bend, low and tentative. Her steps hurried to meet the recently acquired friend and the indifferent demeanor wore relaxed into something more amicable. "Leta," she responded.

"He asked of your whereabouts when you missed your lesson," the servant whispered into her ear.

"I have to reschedule. Tell him I am verily sorry and I shall be in contact soon."

The conversation ended there as they often did when they were within the halls and the two parted ways- Leta to her her duties and Alina onward to the sprawling estate grounds. She recanted a map of sorts from that book, heeding to the directions with each step that brought her closer to her destination. The scene eventually changed; less and less townsfolk were seen and what replaced them were guards, figures draped in flowing hoods. Though that was some time later as night approached and a different darkness loomed. Or perhaps... it called.

With The Citadel before her, Alina peered up with large violet eyes and suddenly felt as if a thousand looked back. In reality, there were but a handful of sentinels strung along the stone steps that led to a grand entryway. No sound was made, no notion until the ward came before the door. Even then, the young woman was only presented with hard, hungry stares. It gave her pause and Alina nearly turned and fled.

FOCUS.

A deep breath followed the command of her maker and one step forward caused the massive doors to part. Alina obliged quickly and was then swallowed by the cavernous expanse of the newly found, but rather old facility in Cameron's charge. While she marveled at the architecture, her footfalls carried her deeper into the maw, further into the earth. The protege did not bother to ask for directions, but merely followed the imprint in her mind. She appeared familiar to the internal concord, giving rarely the pause that a foreigner would.

The only time the pupil would falter was now- within the corridor housing the vault. Alina's steps slowed and finally, she came to halt while still being a good distance from the strong room far below that of The Citadel.

 

[Cameron Centurion]

The moment [member="Alina"] had departed, Cameron returned to his office and smiled thinly to himself. "The acquaintances of Lady Alina..."

The Assistant that was standing silently behind him and to his right offered an emotionless response. "I will have them brought to you, Mi'lord."

Cameron gave a subtle nod as he directed his attention to a number of other reports arrayed on his desk. The information that someone had accessed the Citadel utilizing his DNA was more amusing than anything. The location hardly contained anything of large value these days - having had to relocate them to his residence deep within the woods that was used sparingly it would seem. Given the tight control over arrivals on the planet and movement across the surface, he could only presume it was...one of his own. He doubted that Cosette would return in silence to go on a treasure hunt. The other though...

A smile adorned his features. The prodigal son returned, perhaps.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid's focus was on one simple goal. Actually...two goals. He was going to take what he believed to be his by right of birth, and he was going to depart the planet, hopefully, just as quietly as he had arrived. As [member="Alina"] approached the entrance to the vault, she would get the strange sensation that she was not alone in the secure area.

If she evaluated the entrance closely, she would realize the actual entrance to the vault had been recently accessed. The dirt and dust that had collected over the decades had been disturbed and recently given the clean residue left behind.

On the inside, Caid had located his prize and surveyed it with curiosity. He'd nearly been killed by several traps, but the information provided by his source had been definitively spot-on. For the moment, his silver-green gaze remained fixed on the glossy black, curved hilt of the lightsaber. The crimson symbol of House Centurion from centuries past could still be plainly seen - no doubt a result of the air-tight enclosure within which it resided. As he was using most of his strength in the Force to mute his presence entirely, the Rogue exhaled softly as he searched for a solution.

 

[Alina]

For what amounted to four or five minutes, the young woman stood in the silence to listen and take care in her surroundings. It was rather strange that an area encompassing a vault had no security. While there was no visible threat, something was there. The unperturbed artificial stillness nagged at her mind and it was ultimately what put her in motion. Soft, quiet steps brought Alina forward. They weren't hurried, but nor were they slow and the closer the entrance came, the more visible the details were.

To her surprise and curiosity, it appeared that the vault had been accessed recently. While she had no inkling as to who or why, or if it was a normal thing- that was not what piqued at her. The fact that it had not been secured is what drew her closer. From afar it would appear to be closed, but the door and the frame were not quite flush.

As it stood, Alina needed to enter the same vault and this made it all the more easier. Deft fingers curled about the door and she inched it open, first peering in. Not expecting an actual person, her violet pools narrowed and watched him. The protege slipped in as fast as her legs would allow and she pulled the heavy door behind her shut. A metallic click would resound and the intruder [[member="Caid Centurion"]] would find that he was not alone anymore. "Can I help you?"

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid of course heard [member="Alina"] enter. He'd not sensed her, however, due to his very proactive efforts to mute his own presence in the Force. His strength in the application was not great enough to enable him to utilize the Force in many other ways at the same time. As the soft, pleasant voice of Alina touched the air, Caid turned and fixed the woman with an icy glare. The silver-green gaze of his paternal line focused intently on the diminutive woman from within the dark shadow provided by the hood of his black and silver cloak. In that instance, Caid would, no doubt, look a great deal like his father once did at his age. Alina wouldn't necessarily know that but...her creator certainly had the memories.

Silence lingered for moments before Caid finally spoke. "No," was the only reply that left his lips before the young Admiral turned his body and resumed his work. Placing a palm against the glass, he felt a heavy vibration almost immediately and just narrowly turned his body to avoid being impaled by a long blade from a recessed opening of the wall behind the casing. He'd tried to brute force it, and he'd searched for an unlocking mechanism...none seemed to exist.

Caid hated stupid games like this.

 

[Alina]

Pleasantly occupied by the current entertainment's failed attempts, the aspirant leaned against the cool exterior of the door. Both arms crossed under her chest as she watched. "I do not believe it wise to..." the pupil paused with a wince, "or healthy to continue on this mission of yours." While she knew not of who [member="Caid Centurion"] was, Alina was not blind. Young, but hardly daft. The intruder shared a striking resemblance with her Master. However, she expressed nothing verbally or otherwise on the coincidence.

Perhaps because she did not believe in them.

Easing away from the exit, a few meager steps thrust the protege in the hooded man's direction. "You are over thinking this and exhausting yourself," she sighed, resigning herself to a position just out of reach, but within the peripheral vision of the young man. The crisp, sterile smell of the secured chamber was slowly diminishing and being replaced by the essence of flora and musk the longer Alina resided.

Violets would eventually meet that of his silver-green again even if was only for him to warn of the proximity. "It will only be a matter of time before the guards show up... is it worth your life?" Alina feigned annoyance, placing small hands at the swell of her hips. Bright eyes flitted from Caid to the curved lightsaber hilt. At this point, it was irrefutable as to who he was and she cursed Cameron.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid was content to ignore [member="Alina"] until the forceful nature of her...myopic observations prompted him to usher in that which would be of use. Slowly, the Rogue shifted his gaze to firmly meet the violet perspective of the small woman. "Do you often find yourself exhausted by touching glass?" It was the only action he'd taken in her presence, and he certainly had not done anything to exhaust himself. The casual measurement and probing of defenses was a tactical decision. It expended very little energy and gave him the insight he might need.

Without much waiting or caring to hear a response, Caid turned once more. He really didn't know who the woman was or why she was there, but it was, apparently, to irritate him to death. The guards, however, were a definitive peripheral concern. So...she wasn't a complete irritant. There was always a need for a presence to state the obvious.

Returning his attention to the task at hand, Caid allowed the cloak on his presence to drop. As his modicum of strength filled the room, an unusually warm aura emanated from his core. Caid was certainly not a Sith...not even a dark sider, really. His eyes gazed at the glossy exterior of the lightsaber hilt as he mentally evaluated the weapon, slowly.

 

[Alina]

"I was not speaking of the glass," Alina acquiesced to his rhetoric query with humor. It was painted on her lips as a demure affection and echoed in her softly spoken words. "Perhaps the key must be earned," she started, but the statement began too low to be for him, "or bought with blood. Just perhaps... there is nothing there at all." Moving with as much grace as a feline, the dark haired woman edged around [member="Caid Centurion"] to the other side. Her own power while dark in appearance but truly neutral, reached and combed through his. The Darkside had not yet taken root and the light... had never been close enough to lay claim.

Why had Cameron not come himself?

Regarding the rather hostile dark-skinned heir coolly, Alina elected to absorb some of that warmth poring from him in droves. From a distance and without knowing, the protege would appear to just be watching. After all, the sensitive was not pulling from his center, but the residue. "He already knows of your presence," bending only marginally at the waist, the ward whispered close to the intruder's ear. Just as she was there, she was gone, giving no amount of time for a physical reaction to embrace her well-being. That Centurion knew was an educated guess.

"How elementary was the breach, love, really?" An honest audit. "Sources are not infallible and they often go to the highest bidder," the clone gave pause, tilted her head to let her locks of almost raven spill over her shoulder. "How convenient that he knew, yet you could not be felt until now." If she were honest, his aura was smooth and flowed like warm silk- completely opposite of his brash credence persona.

The diminutive woman was just as chagrined by his presence as he was hers. It was only that one was more evincible than the other.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid couldn't even focus with this woman around. She was like a gnat at a freaking barbecue just constantly bugging the shit out of him. Exhaling heavily, the young Rogue turned and as a moderately strong wave of force energy involuntarily erupted from his core. "LOOK..." There was a brief pause as Caid realized he set several items near the edge of the room to rattle against the walls of the vault. It would certainly be heard somewhere up the corridor, but he wasn't departing through any of the normal exits. "In the five minutes you have been here, I've decided that your beauty is roughly the only thing of interest about you. Now...if you could stop your pontificating and leave me the hell alone, that would be great!"

Despite his recent, brief loss of control and the elevation of his voice, Caid was not exactly angry. In fact...his presence seemed to maintain a fairly even feeling. It was almost as if something inside of him, some part of his being, was used to maintained an even strain in otherwise stressful situations. The truth...it was a byproduct of his life on Dathomir. He'd been forced to swallow and mitigate his emotions for years. Finally starting his Force training merely made the application a touch more difficult, but it wasn't as if he appeared to have the control of a complete novice...though he very nearly was one.

Immediately, Caid returned his attention to the glass casing. Stretching out with his senses even farther, he groped around the internal mechanism with an invisible hand. The weapon itself did not have an internal activation switch...that much was evident through simple visual evaluation. Suddenly, a brilliant silver beam erupted from the hilt of the lightsaber and Caid smiled thinly. Without turning, he addressed [member="Alina"]. "I presume you are one of my father's pets. I also presume he sent you here, but if everything my mother ever said was true, he probably gave you precious little information. She was his apprentice once too. Discarded when she was no longer of use...though he took his liberties with her beforehand." Caid could not possibly have known the differences in his father from that time to now, but it mattered little. "You can tell him I have collected my inheritance."

As Caid suspected, the lightsaber's beam quickly began cutting through the material as he steadily applied the Force to push the hilt of the weapon along the axis of the superheated blade.