Changing Ideas (Madora and Alindra; closed)

[Nightender]

Screaming out, Alindra tried to close her fingers around Madora's throat, but failed. All of her senses were starting to shut down. She wanted to reach out with the Force--something she knew she should have done much earlier--but couldn't focus enough to do so. Finally, she couldn't hold her eyes open or keep tension in her arms and legs. Alindra, defeated, passed out.

[Hotel]

She frowned once more. Did she kill the girl? Madora bent down and felt for the pulse from the vein in her neck. She was still alive. The tall Rilan let out a sigh. What was she going to do with the girl now?

Standing back up, she threw the unconscious Alindra over her shoulder. She would just bring the girl back to her quarters. Bringing her to the medical ward would just cause too many problems involving questions she didn't want to answer. Letting out another disgruntled sigh she began the journey back to her room, doing her best not to bang the girl's head on anything.

After a five minute walk she was back in her room. She set Alindra down on the floor and got onto her bed in a sitting position. Once comfortable she closed her eyes and began to meditate.

[Nightender]

It took some time, but Alindra started to find her way out of the void of utter defeat. She felt somewhat comfortable in part, but realized she had numerous electrical burns, even before using the Force or opening her eyes.

When she did open her eyes, she found herself in someone's quarters. Looking to one side, Alindra found a meditating figure and knew who's quarters she had awoken in.

[Hotel]

She could sense the girl awake, but chose to ignore her for the moment and continue her meditation, wanting to be completely calm before she turned her attention to Alindra once more. However she did keep some focus on the girl to keep track of her, though without opening her eyes or turning towards her, remaining in her meditative pose.

[Nightender]

Alindra had a point to prove. She had been chastised for not being strong enough. All she needed was a weapon, then she would see how strong Madora really was. As Alindra looked around, wanting to find something.

But Alindra didn't need a weapon, she was the weapon. In her right hand, she focused the Force, preparing to launch it at Madora from close range. Alindra wanted to hear the sounds of meditative bones cracking. When she was done, she could even cut Madora's wings of and have them grafted onto her own body. If there was a tub close by, Alindra could even cut open Madora's veins, draining out all the blood into a bath.

"I will bathe in your death," Alindra said, trying to get up.

[Hotel]

She sighed silently and opened her eyes, fixing a glare upon Alindra. "Quiet and sit still until I am finished." Her voice would once more echo around the young human's head as Madora glanced away, took a deep breath, then closed her eyes once more.

[Nightender]

"No."

Alindra growled like a wild animal as she released the Force from her hand. She wasn't thinking, she was wild with rage, feeling it overtaking her like never before. Even when she embraced the lethal blood lust of the Dark Side, she still kept from going wild. In her time running in the wilderness, Alindra hadn't become as wild as she was only a couple of meters away from Madora.

She attacked, unleashing the power she had stored up.

[Hotel]

She glanced at her once more and let out another sigh. She rose just slightly and used the blast of telekinetic energy to throw herself at the wall, which she then pushed off from and spun, lashing out with a spin kick to Alindra's side, her voice echoing once more. "Even without me using the force, you are still no match for me."

[Nightender]

Alindra cried out from the kick. It had been placed perfectly. She'd never been hit with such precision before. There were levels of combat Alindra was finding she didn't understand. But she wouldn't give up. She was still alive, she was still Alindra, and she was still a Sith. To stop fighting would be true weakness and that was something Alindra would not give in to.

[Hotel]

She rose back to her full height once more as she glanced at the girl. "Everything you think you know about strength, about the right to rule, is wrong. You are completely powerless, weak and pathetic. I have just shown you so. You want to be strong? You want to rule? Prove to me you deserve it. And don't just prove it to me. Prove it to yourself. You claim that you want to rule, but I have seen you do nothing but ride on the Sith's coat tail this whole time. Prove to yourself you have a right to be strong, to rule, and then maybe you will deserve it."

[Nightender]

The last thing Alindra had expected, a reasonable argument.

She took a moment and thought to herself. Through luck and seduction, Alindra had gone great distances. Fear had put her over, toppling some of her foes. Circumstance had provided her with a droid bodyguard, though she had neglected him for too long. Love had come her way by chance, though Kvothe wasn't there to help her, nor was her sister, Laira.

Alindra had nothing to show for her progress. Only good fortune had served her. "How?" Alindra asked. "How do I do this?"

[Hotel]

"Power isn't something you just gain, or happen across by luck. Power and strength are something you work for, have to dedicate yourself to. I trained most of my life to get where I am today? What do you have to show for your life?" She once again lowered herself to her bed, though this time remained focused on Alindra.

[Nightender]

"Scars," Alindra said. "One on my shoulder, the rest on my soul." She winced at the pain of her wounds moving. Alindra was fairly sure she had never before experienced so much abuse. "I have the will to fight, even though I have no formal training. I have a desire to kill when I want; without it, I would be just a slave. I am willing to do what I must to get what I want, else I wouldn't be here now." And she instantly saw those last words being used against her.

[Hotel]

She frowned. "You won't accomplish anything like this. You need a proper teacher. As of right now you would be more useful as a slave then as a Sith." As she continued to pour her thoughts into the girl's head she looked her over more closely this time, as if sizing her up.

[Nightender]

Something inside of Alindra processed what Madora was saying. The aching of Alindra's broken body took her mind, in part, to another time. She had been quite small the last time she had been so disoriented by pain. The scar on her shoulder was her physical reminder of that time.

Being better as a slave than a Sith, it was demoralizing to Alindra. Yet, something of it rang true in her heavy head. As a slave, she'd never hurt so much, when she was promoted to servant duties, she hadn't hurt at all. The reason was rote obedience. For too long, Alindra had been mindful of who and what she was.

Not knowing what she would do next, she dumped herself onto the floor, moaning in pain. Carefully, she rose to her knees and looked up at Madora. But Alindra didn't know what she wanted to do next.

[Hotel]

She blinked at the girl's strange reaction, but continued her lecture anyways. "You can want something, but you have to show that you want it, accomplish something, make that step forward, otherwise you will always be a pathetic weakling just riding on the power of others, like you are now."

[Nightender]

"I want to become a queen," Alindra said, her tone soft and even, despite the pain. She felt she was trying to convince herself of this fact as much as anything else, even though she had been so sure of it a little while earlier.

"I want to rescue my sister from her mundane life." Alindra knew Laira had the potential for the Force, though her sister had less training than she herself did.

"I want to become strong in the Dark Side, like you, my Lady."

Weak and defeated, Alindra lowered her head. "But you are right, as I am, I am nothing more than a slave."

[Hotel]

She gave a slight nod as she listened to the girl. It seemed she had finally learned her lesson. Grabbing a pillow and blanket off of her bed she tossed them over at the nearby couch. "Move your stuff in here. Even a slave deserves someone to train them."

[Nightender]

She was a slave. For some reason, Alindra felt overjoyed by this, though some part of her was trying to resist the change. Alindra still craved something else in her state, even in the pain of her mistress' demands. "Yes, my lady," Alindra said, bowing before her mistress. "I will do as you ask."

A defeated Alindra walked through the halls of the Temple. She was beaten, but there was no reason to let anyone else see that. Instead, she tried to act proud. For a slave, being permitted in the Temple was a great honor. Alindra was lucky.

She gathered her things in silence, thinking one phrase to herself over and over again. I am a slave. It was a mantra and Alindra soon convinced herself of this fact, enough that she was proud to think of herself as Lady Madora's property.

Upon her return, Alindra placed her few belongings along the wall, mostly dresses, makeup, and other clothes. She knelt before her mistress once again and bowed. "I have returned, my lady." When she sat up, Alindra, still disoriented, made a request. "Lady Madora, may I ask what name you want your slave to answer to." The slave mentality quickly returned to Alindra, her defeat crushing her sense of self. "This one would be pleased if mistress would name her."

[Hotel]

As Alindra left, she once more resumed her meditative position. She had a lot to think about, with her new apprentice. The girl truly did have potential, but she knew you had to be torn down in order to be built back up. And that is what she did to the girl. She knew it would make her stronger in the long run.

As the girl came back in she gave an approving node, though blinked at the strange request. "When you truly join the ranks of the Sith, you will be given a new name. Until then you will remain as you are, as I did." She looked her over again, wondering if maybe she hadn't pushed the girl a bit too hard. "Tell me, what do you most excel in?"