When It Rains

[Aren D'Shade]

What had started as a break in several hours ago had turned into something totally different. No longer was Adrian treating her like a thief and was now speaking to her as a human. Not questioning her further on what she was doing here, he now probed her for her goals. When he mentioned dreaming larger than the simple army, it called her.

Nodding with acceptance, Aren understood now more than he thought maybe. She needed to open her mind and think bigger than what she had been, but she knew she could. Something more than pinching droids from people. Instead of having her arrested, it seemed he was willing to work with her. Perhaps he saw a use for her in his own grand plans.

Listening as he went on to suggest different techniques that relied on electricity and she shook her head slightly before speaking.

"I need to learn how to touch the Force by choice first. Then I can work on other things. I've held myself back by being scared. Too much all at once and well it's gone. Only have my ability with the electronics on call at any time. It would be interesting to know if I could touch those minds you speak of though. Not physically...with my ability."

That might be pushing too soon, but Aren felt he would appreciate her being upfront of her desires.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

When he was informed of the intruder, his initial reaction had been one of annoyance. That, of course, had quickly changed to interest once he learned that the young woman was force sensitive, and one with a most unusual skillset at that. A skillset he was confident could be used to his benefit, if he played his cards right.

More than that, she, like most untrained force sensitives, would be far more pliant than the Knights and Masters of the Galaxy. Far more easy to influence towards the right way of doing things, towards his way of doing things. Already, he could all but see the cogs turning in her mind, as new possibilities appeared before her. Possibilities that would require power, true power, the kind of power only the Force provided. Possibilities that, he was sure, could come to coincide with his own goals.

"Ah, fear. Channeled correctly, it can be a potent source of power, a driver of necessary change. But it can also cause stagnation. The fear of even daring to try preventing even the chance of progress." Pausing, he met her eyes. Already, he could see the difference from the scared woman who had first entered. A woman no doubt convinced that she might very well never leave, but whose eyes were now opened to a new realm of possibility. "To overcome that, one must start somewhere. Perhaps you need a helping hand, to help you unlock your potential." Another pause, as if he was taking her measure. "Perhaps I could be that helping hand."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

The tip of her tongue stuck out just slightly as she thought on his words. It was an action Aren wasn't even aware of, one of those unconscious habits the girl had when she was focused on something. Her focus was on Adrian and his words. Looking at him with some confusion, there was something he said she did not understand. Raising a finger, her tongue returned to her mouth.

"How can one use fear as a source of power? I understand how it can used to drive change. It's personal fear that holds me back though, not external."

While she had changed, there was still a little fear left in her. The only real sign of that was her hand that clutched her bag of tools. They were what she used for slicing and opening of vaults and doors. Without them, Aren did not think she would be able to accomplish many things. His words hit her and she knew he had figured out something about her. Even if he wasn't fully aware of it. That personal fear she had prevented her from progressing.

As he spoke, she was surprised. That would show on her face as her eyes grew wide for a moment before returning to normal. He offered to help her and Aren felt far more confident he could do it. Her brother had tried, but had only told her of her ability and did nothing to help her. Then another person had also tried. It was by his hand, she learned of her fear and had run from him not yet ready to face what he had opened up for her. Now Adrian offered a hand and she really felt he could accomplish what the others could not.

Disbelief was in her voice as she spoke, but the desire to have to what he offered to be true was clear in her body language. Nodding her head, she held her free hand out again to shake as if sealing the deal.

"You would offer that to a stranger that wanted to steal from you barely even half an hour ago. One of us is a fool, but which one is it? I want to know more."

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Fear. A potent source of power, though it was also unreliable; as if to drive home that point, he could see the tension slowly leaving her body. Had seen it for quite a while, though she still clutched the bag at her side, almost unconsciously. An important gesture, perhaps. She had grown to fear him less, but she still lacked faith in herself. She still feared to be parted from the petty tools those not gifted with the ability to manipulate the Force needed to make their mark upon the galaxy. In the end, as so often happened, one's internal fears and doubts was the last to go.

"Perhaps, to the everyman, such fears are singularly detrimental. A pragmatically-inclined force user can, however, draw strength from just about anything. Any shred of emotion, whether positive or negative, can be used to your advantage in a pinch." Smiling slightly, his eyes glittered with amusement. "Of course, most of the time it's better to confront your inner fears and resolve them. To look within and discover the real reason why you've held yourself back from touching the power that is your birthright. --- It's not like strong emotions are usually in short supply in life or death situations."

Indeed, that reason might very well be external, as it so often was. Perhaps a shocking experience from years ago, perhaps a fear of what the power might do to her, brought on by the failings of other force users. Even if it was purely internal, he was confident it could be analysed and broken down. Overcome as she learned to exploit, truly exploit, that most precious gift with which she had been born.

Silently pleased by her surprised but positively-inclined reaction, his virtually ever-present smile widened slightly. Reaching out to grasp her hand, he shook it firmly, an amused chuckle escaping his lips.

"I suppose time will tell. For now, I would be more than willing to answer any questions you might have." Pausing slightly, he flashed her an open smile, revealing twin-rows of almost-too-perfect teeth. "I have, after all, never been one to discourage curiosity."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

It almost seemed that Adrian had already taken on the role of master. Not so much in tone, but words. He instructed it was better to discover and learn the reason she held herself back. And she did just that, it was something Aren had given thought to previously and an answer was easy to come up with or so she thought.

Her look did go inward and for just a moment her grip on her bag loosened up slightly. Luckily it was on a strap and around her shoulder or it might have dropped in that moment. As it was, it fell open a little. Wide enough for him to glimpse her tools inside. Including something that didn't quite fit. A small, round item that looked like a silver medallion.

His statement on being able to use emotions at any given time was a highlight of what he said. The reason she had left Zakuul was because of her emotions, thoughts and feelings on the First Order. Not wanting to live under their rule and be discovered by them had brought about her leaving. Her fear of them was also a contributing factor in her choice.

That perfect smile of his and what he said with it broke any hesitation Aren might have had. Then he said he was willing to answer any questions she had. It dried her mouth and she was caught wordless for a moment.

"I want to know more about working with my droid friends. The ability to control any droid, no matter how advanced, is something I want to do."

It wasn't so much a question as it was her want and desire right now. Adrian would be able to see much farther than she could right now.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Clearly, his words were having the desired effect. It was making her think. So much so that her bag slid slightly open, revealing a glimmer of silver within. Casually brushing it with his senses, he felt no presence of force energies, and therefore quickly dismissed it. Perhaps the medallion-like object was some obscure slicers' tool, perhaps it was some silly good luck charm, or perhaps it was something she had stoled from some inconsequential individual before or during her break-in. Whatever the case, it was beneath his concern.

"That, I'm afraid, is not a skill with which I am particularly familiar ..." Allowing the statement to hang in the air for a few moments in a show of pointless theatrics, Adrian's faux-humility quickly gave way to a smirk that already had to be becoming familiar to the woman.

"... that being said, I do have contacts aplenty among the more scholarly Sith, as well an extensive network outside the Sith. Further, many principles are the same, no matter what one attempts to accomplish."

As if to illustrate the point, he stretched his right hand lazily watching as the flesh shifted slightly beneath his skin. "As I understand it, that obscure art is deeply connected to Sorcery and Alchemy alike, both of which I have prioritised over the more martial pursuits of many of my peers. One or both of which will likely be required, if you are to reach the heights of what this gift of yours can accomplish."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Her statement also included those not quite droids and Aren wanted to know more about them. That small and simple desire lit up her eyes and that only grew as Adrian continued. He admitted already not being familiar with what she could do, but he knew of others that could. At the moment, it appeared she was in his good graces, some great spirit must be guarding her and she relaxed.

The grip on her bag loosened, but she still kept a hold of it. Instead of a stressed hold or one of fear, it was far more natural now. No longer was she white knuckled and the color returned to said body part. Flipping the flap over her bag, it now kept its contents hidden from Adrian. That wasn't her intention in the action though, but to keep her tools secure.

Looking at his extended hand, her look grew curious and then he said what she could was tied in with Sorcery and Alchemy.

"How are they connected?"

Four words and she was more than enthralled by her curiosity and desire to know more. His reception of her after their initial meeting also played a huge role in the matter. He wasn't a fighter and neither was she for the most part. She knew some basic things that were physical, but had a great deal to learn yet about many things. Fighting, the Force and living were just a few of them.

Having the feeling this man could teach her a great many things, Aren had high hopes of accomplishing feats under his instruction.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Curiosity, not revulsion. That was good. There were plenty that would be sickened outright his gleeful display of the Dark Side merged willingly into his very flesh. Such fears were understandable, amongst the uninitiated, but still a source of great annoyance. Such was the way of life, he supposed: The weak and the dogmatic always feared the innovations of truly great minds.

Eyes gleaming with scholarly delight, he allowed his hand to return to normal, pausing slightly in order to formulate an answer of a reasonable length. By his standards, anyway.

"As I understand it, the art in which you seem so naturally adept was originally discovered by Sith Sorcerers. Due to your innate talent, you will likely be able to accomplish quite a bit without such knowledge, but understanding the underlying principles will make your usage more reliable, efficient, and eventually far more potent. As for Alchemy, that wondrous art can be used to permanently alter substances, creatures, and much more. Combined with Mechu-Deru, it would allow you to combine high technology and the sciences of the Sith into truly unique creations."

Smiling softly, he chuckled briefly. "Of course, such feats will first require one to master the fundamentals."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

In her innocence and curiosity, Aren actually didn't see the addition he had done to himself as a reason to be repulsed. To her, it was nothing more than something akin to cybernetics. People would have items merged with their flesh and bodies to enhance themselves. This was his way of doing that to himself.

"Would it be possible to maybe enhance that even further with the use of electronics? That is something I could help with...if you wanted to go that direction. Maybe even create an item that couldn't be affected by my skill."

As he spoke, she pretty much fell under his spell of words. Adrian opened with her a desire to know more. She felt he was going to be the key to opening the door for her. Both would find a use for the other. He would help her get stronger, learn control and gain more knowledge. What use he would have of her, the girl didn't even consider, but whatever he wanted she would give it to him. There was no price tag in her thoughts.

Her thoughts did return to her waiting companions though and she looked at Adrian before her head turned to the door behind her.

"I left some droid friends back at the hotel I rented a room in. Can those be gotten for me?"

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Smiling approvingly, he nodded slightly. Already, she was thinking along the lines of integrating her machinery into living bodies. That was good. He had never had much taste for squeamishness.

"That is indeed a possibility; in fact, I made do with conventional cybernetics while creating it." Pausing slightly, features turning thoughtful, he continued. "Of course, there are disadvantages to most such implants. Many have a tendency to interfere with or lessen, even if only slightly, ones use of the Force. That might not be the case when Mechu-Deru is in use, however."

An interesting thought. Yes, he was sure he would find plenty of use for his new... apprentice. Yes, that was it. She might not have been taught the fundamentals of the Sith at one of their academies, she likely never would, but he had never been a stickler for such details. What mattered was an individuals talent and their intellect; when those were in place, all they needed was a goal and the willingness to pursue it. In the end, was that not what the Sith were all about?

"Naturally. If there is anything else you need to be retrieved, or for that matter purchased, my, ah, administrator will be able to make it happen." Chuckling slight, he shook his head slightly. "Speaking of which, I never did ask you what you were planning to steal in the first place, did I?"

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

All of the people Aren had encountered before that used cybernetics were normal people and not able to use the Force. When Adrian said they might impede her ability to use it, she was suddenly very glad she did not have any herself. It would make her learning how to further use the Force much easier. Being a quick learner, she did not doubt that soon she would be able to freely touch and use it.

"That does make me wonder too. Not that I want to cut off a limb and learn or anything..."

She hoped her words did not give him any ideas of his own about altering her in any way. Seeing the thoughtful look on his face, their thoughts were going along the same path. Her eyes lit up when he said her friends could join her and Aren looked even more surprised when he said if there was anything she needed to be bought it would be arranged for her.

When he asked what she was going to steal, her cheeks turned crimson and for a few moments, she was at a loss for words. Her voice eventually was found and it was a moment or two longer before she spoke.

"Well, your electronics. Droids and anything else I could I get."

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

At her uncertainty, he almost suggested she use some "disposables" as test subjects, but no. He did not know her, not truly. It would probably be best to keep what some would consider morally repugnable suggestions to a minimum until then. Not that he was as extreme as some as his peers. His test subjects were all ethically sourced from cryogenic chambers housing numerous delinquents, pirates, corrupt employees, and other scum.

Chuckling lightly, he smiled disarmingly. "Understandable, that. Even if you were eager to do so, I would recommend you settle on a well-honed design before you starting removing body parts." Speaking of which, he could probably come up with plenty of ways of improving her. Perfect eyesight. Better regeneration. Stronger bones. Even quicker minds. The sky was the limit... but that might be a bit too soon.

Stopping to look at her to see if she was being serious - her deep blush certainly seemed to indicate so - he couldn't help stop himself from laughing uproariously.

"You... you wanted to rob a building in the heart of Kaas City for electronics? Kaas City, which is swarming with security forces, tightly surveilled, and might just host more SIth per square metre than any other city in the Empire, perhaps with the exception of Ravelin on Bastion and certain locations on Korriban?" Shaking his head in amusement, he smiled warmly at her. "You certainly are brazen, I'll give you that."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

She had actually meant her own body parts and hadn't even thought of doing it to another person...alive or dead.

"I would like to work at enhancing those tools and items to make them better and then put them to use. Something already established is a great starting point, to be honest. So we agree there. After improvements are made, then they could be implanted and tested. Right?"

That was where her mind wandered, almost dreamily. At least until he asked his question and her embarrassment took hold. Nodding just a little, Aren looked beyond Adrian to the fake items along the walls.

"Those mean nothing to me nor do they have any presence to them. I'm not exactly sure how to put it, but they aren't alive. As if items outside of organics and droids truly be alive."

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Adrian had always been a proponent of progress, especially the technological kind. After becoming a Sith, his horizons had... expanded. He had crossed lines, had done things his younger self would find horrifying. Perhaps the same would happen with her, once she began to see the big picture.

"Certainly. I have a well-equipped facility for Force-based research... and my company operates a laboratory dedicated to cybernetics on this very same planet. The employees there are even used to working with Sith, as they were essential in the creation of my Ta'Arana - the cybernetic creatures from earlier." Speaking of which, he would need to contact them later. Perhaps they could figure out a way to further protect his creations from hostile force users.

Smiling slightly, he followed her gaze to his relics. His fake relics.

"Some force users are able to learn a great deal from the relics of the past, others feel nothing at all. Those, whoever, are not all that old. They are mere replicas." Without much pause, he spoke, this time not to her. "Xesh. Switch them, would you?"

As hidden mechanisms swiftly swapped out the replicas with the genuine objects, his smile broadened. "These, however, are quite real. Tell me, do they feel different, in any way."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Listening to what Adrian said about his facilities here, the tip of her tongue stuck out just slightly from between her teeth. It had been an utterly insane idea of trying to take items from him and his building, but Aren was glad she had tried. He hadn't had her arrested and now because of her unique skill, offered her a greater future than that of a cat burglar.

"I want to see that!"

Not bothering to hide any excitement, her tone indicated how she really felt. Even her eyes lit up at the proposition. It was all she said before the items she had pointed to along the walls changed. He told her they were replicas and now the real items had come back out. Or at least she assumed they were real now.

"May I?"

Unless he stopped her, Aren would start walking around the room to look at the items on display. Stopping now and then before moving on, there was one item she kept getting drawn back to. It looked like at one time was some sort of clockwork piece. Now it was fused together and the parts were immobile. Pointing to it, she nodded at him.

"These are interesting pieces, but only this one has anything to me. I'm not much help beyond that in knowing it, but this one calls. Maybe it was part of an ancient droid or something. The only reason I can think of."

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Smiling at her obvious enthusiasm, he nodded in response to her question. Perhaps she would feel a connection to some or all, or perhaps not. Either way, she was certainly curious. That was an excellent starting point. It was curiosity, above all else, that had first led him down the path he now walked. The desire to know more, to do more.

Watching as went from item to item, he could see that curiosity in action. She paid attention to them all, but it was almost like she was gravitating, knowingly or not, towards one in particular. Quite an interesting one at that. Walking up beside her, he took a moment to look at its strange shape, its twisting metal form. It was only natural, given the inclinations she had displayed, that she would be drawn to this one.

"Ah, yes. Quite an interesting specimen, that. I found it on Korriban during a, ah, rather lengthy excursion. A test of perseverance, of survival in the harshest of environments." Eyes following the flowing lines in the dark metal, partially melted in some ancient age and worn by the passage of time, he shook his head slightly. Turning towards her, he smiled wryly. "I admit, I don't know exactly what it is, what it was. The Dark Side clings to it, in a way, but it adheres to no known Sith design. What I do know, is that it's old. Very old."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

"Did you find all these pieces or how did you get them?"

They were all in cases so Aren did not reach to take any of them out. She did want to hold the one in front of them though. Keeping her hands to herself, when Adrian did stand next to her, her attention was still on the strange item.

"Do you know what these are meant to do?"

If he didn't then she or they could try and figure them out. This one piece alone she hoped at least.

"No Sith design?"

She had grown up on a world that was known to provide a good education and Aren knew some history. Korriban was the ancestral home of the Sith as a species and race, but it was now also a sort of religion followed.

"Do you mean the species or religion?"

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Chuckling softly at her barrage of questions, Adrian's smile turned knowing. He had plenty of experience in being the person with more questions for every answer given.

"Some I found myself, many I acquired on auctions or through expeditions I funded." Smile turning slightly sinister, though Adrian himself was not aware, he continued. "Some, I liberated from various war zones. That little statuette in the corner, for instance, once held a place of pride in the Royal Museum on Alderaan."

Shaking his head slightly, he smiled wryly. "... but I'm sure you're much more interested in this mechanical mystery, no?"

Leaning forward once more, he placed his right hand on a scanner, one that quickly took a sample from the blasphemous tissue with which he had forged the artificial limb. Soon after, the plexalloy pane slid open.

"Its purpose has, as of yet, eluded me. I know that it is old, old enough that it would have had to have been designed by the Sith species before the coming of the Exiles, and yet it adheres to none of their designs. Perhaps it was brought from off-world."

Shrugging lightly, he turned towards her. "Ah, but it is rather late, is it not. I can arrange for one of my guest suites to be placed at your disposal... and the item is available for your perusal, should you wish. Perhaps you will find something that has eluded me." Laughing merrily, he shook his head. "Besides, it weathered the scorching wastes of Korriban for Force knows how long. I have no doubt it will endure you."

[member="Aren D'Shade"]​