Time to set some things straight [Karl, Hotel]

The Rilan let out a silent sigh. Where was Shard taking her. And why wouldn't he tell her. She looked at him closely, then let out another silent sigh. She figured she would find out soon enough. Suddenly different thoughts would pop into her head. He was taking her somewhere, and not telling her. Could he want something of her, or want to tell her something? She began to fidget, still not accustom to the feelings she felt around the Miralukan.

As they rounded a corner, there the human girl that she had found in the ship wreckage was, standing there, seemingly waiting for something. She tilted her head and looked back to Shard, her face asking the unspoken question.

Normally, Shard was punctual, always punctual; in fact he usually made a point of being early. However, he felt it prudent to test the new girl, find out her limits, and if fifteen minutes' waiting was enough to annoy her, well he wasn't certain she was ready to be taught.

Sure enough, Marie could be seen fidgeting and pacing near her chosen pillar, and Shard shook his head. "Distract her briefly," he told Shandari, as he drew down the Art of the Small and kept on walking. Thus disguised from all view, he crossed the room and stood in front of the impatient girl, smirking slightly.

"Marie Desikot, meet Shandari Banaan," came his voice suddenly, from behind Marie's ear; it was simple enough for the Miraluka to throw his voice even without the Force, but with it he could do all sorts of confusing and confuzzling things. Naturally there was no one back there.

"You could say, Shandari rescued you," he went on, now pitching his voice from behind her other ear. "She pulled you from the wreck, at some cost to herself; look at her wing, for example." He knew the Rilan woman had natural healing processes, but there would surely be some remnant of the injuries she had sustained while walking through the burning ship.

"However, you seem to be mistaken." Suddenly his hand shot out, and with terrifying strength latched onto Marie's throat and lifted her into the air, slamming her against the pillar. Just like that, Shard was there, scowling up at her, his fingers tightening mercilessly around her throat...

Just before she would pass out, though, he relented the pressure of his fingers and threw her to the floor. "You expect us to waste our time persuading you," he hissed, his apparent anger all the more terrible for the even calm of his voice and the studied impassiveness of his face, beneath the glasses and goatee. "It is you who should persuade us. Now, explain to Shandari and I why one of us should take you on as a student, or face the consequences of irrelevance."

He didn't mean much of it, of course, but neither Marie nor Shandari would be able to tell.

Marie's eyes lighted on Shandari, just missing catching sight of Shard as he faded, and bowed softly, but she straightened when Shard's voice was heard from behind her. Her head turned, and she raised an eyebrow, turning the other way when his voice sounded from the other side.

Seemingly on command, she looked over Shandari's wings, and winced at the very light marks she could see there. She started to apologize, but was cut short as Shard slammed her against the pillar by the throat.

Her face twisted into a furious expression, as she dug her fingers into his wrist, attempting to cause enough pain to force him to let go. Of course, she wasn't able to, and started to go light-headed, the world swimming before her eyes.

When he let go, she dropped to the floor on her rear with a solid thunk, sprawling there for a moment where he had thrown her, before pushing herself up to a sitting position, then back to a standing position. "Your threats mean nothing to me," she hissed, shrugging to rearrange the robes. "However, since it is clear that you, at least, have much more experience than I," she said, a tone of respect mingled with a bit of anger in her voice. "In light of that, I will explain what I meant by my message."

Sighing, and drawing herself up, she began to speak quietly. "My uncle was my teacher before he was taken by the Jedi, as you well know, Master Shard," she said. "He taught me what he could, and what little he could teach me before our time together was cut short has... Well, left a desire in my heart for power."

She looked up, her eyes meeting the lenses in front of the Miraluka's empty eye sockets, before darting over to lock to Shandari's for a moment. "I want the power to be able to walk into the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with IMPUNITY, and kill the one that stole my teacher from me. Master Shard here has already shown what he can do, but... forgive me or not if I sound disrespectful, but.... I have seen NO such display of power from YOU, Master Shandari," she said, folding her arms over her chest.

She watched with an almost bored expression as Shard grabbed the girl and spoke to her. She had to hand it to the girl though, she did manage to keep her cool. Just when she began to think she might have been wrong about her, the girl had the audacity to show her just why the Rilan woman should have the right to teach her. Why should she need to prove herself? She should be proving herself to the woman instead. Her voice echoed in Shard's head. "Arrogant girl, isn't she?"

She walked up to the girl, placing a hand under her chin and raising it, her black orbs staring into the girl's own eyes. Her voice would enter Marie's head, sounding menacing and cold. "Why should I have to prove myself to you? You have given me no reason to, shown me nothing that would entitle you. My wing is injured because of you. And you think you have the right to ask me to show you what I can do?" Not once did her eyes ever leave the girl's, not once did they blink, not once did she move, still connected to the girl's mind, hearing her every thought. She was curious to see just how she would react.

They're getting along so well, Shard thought, repressing a smirk. In truth Marie had impressed him already, with her boldness and determination. He had half a mind to let Shandari take her, though; the Rilan was without a student, and Shard already had a fine one in Miss Looma. He had been neglecting her lately, to his private shame and no doubt to the Twi'lek's chagrin.

Nevertheless he had to keep the charade going, so he took a step forward. "You wish to assault the Jedi," he said, steepling his fingers before him. "An admirable goal, and a lofty one; perhaps too lofty, even for a Sith. You want power?" One hand came up, pointed at the ceiling; a massive surge of Force Lightning erupted forth, burning the air and singing the roof far above their heads.

"You want to walk about with impunity? Why not run, or even fly?" Scorn laced his voice lightly. "To destroy the Jedi, yet crawl on the earth like a grub? Get your goals straight, girl, you have to learn to walk before you can run."

Now he smirked. "Even with all that, what else do you have besides vengeance lust and a thirst for destruction?" Silently, he addressed Shandari: "I believe I'll leave this one with you; if I took another student now I would be neglecting Miss Looma." With that decided, he stepped back to allow the two some space.