Well Slade's just one of those characters full of twists and dark secrets. Deep down he's really trying his best to fight his inner demon and be the good guy but at the same time he doesn't want others to come to see him as 'the good samaritan'. After all, Slade views himself as nothing but a monster, hating and despising the very thing he is, believing he is worth no one's understanding or compassion. Consequently the old vampire acts cold and distant towards most people in order to draw out their hatred which he believes he deserves.
It is for this very reason that while Slade is aware George is that child he saved so long ago, he still acts very cruel towards the Jedi a lot of the time. He doesn't want George to think of him as the good guy... even by the tiniest bit. He wants the man to hate him, to despise him, and one day kill him. The future is an uncertain thing, however. Let's see where the story takes George as well the infamous Shirokami shall we? 
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Slade's eyes widen in shock and horror, the vampire turning slightly to stare at the group of soldiers, all of them shouting for Shirokami... for him. This... this was wrong. How... how could they stand there and praise him?! After... after all he'd done... were they all blind?! Could they not see the hungering gleam in his eyes which betrays his lust for their own lives? Do they not notice his blood soaked hands or the way such precious crimson drips from his fingertips to beautifully paint the sand at his feet?
He averts his gaze immediately, fiery eyes narrowing. Why... why were they choosing to ignore what he was? At a moment's notice he could turn on them all, slice their pretty throats open and bath in ecstasy as he feeds. Where... where was their fear? Their hate? He closes his eyes, releasing a sigh.
Kuly myose... he accuses. En'ra manade te...
Mat's body instinctively tenses when Slade silently vanishes into thin air, the blonde reappearing a little too close for comfort. A single, barely noticeable movement, a unintelligible cry through the Force, and a lightsaber suddenly roars to life, the tip of its silver bluish blade nearly searing the flesh of Mat's vulnerable throat. Soldiers gasp and murmur curses, unsure of how to act, Mat's eyes angrily jumping to Slade's though the vampire's own remain closed, giving the blonde an air of icy indifference.
"Don't ever let your guard down, Jedi," he scolds Mat like a child, golden eyes opening to stare directly into the other man's. Mat feels his knees going weak but manages to keep his footing. How could one man -even a vampire -possess such an intimidating aura? "Even with victory clutched firmly in your grasp it can still easily be ripped away from you with a single stroke. Next time it may not be my blade at your throat... and next time..." he assures the Jedi, "ya won't escape with your life."
Mat's eyes -though they dare not stray from Slade's face -catch the faintest glimpse of black smoke beginning to form around the vampire's fingers, the essence trapped within giving rise to dangerous whispers: "Kill, kill, kill," it demands through the Force, so soft Mat isn't sure he hears it correctly. "Kill, kill, kill."
The old vampire sighs heavily, the strain of resisting such an obviously tempting demand evident as he lowers his gaze in an almost defeated manner. His arm relaxes and he deactivates his lightsaber, lowering the still smoldering barrel. "This battle isn't over and yet you shout my name as if it were some war cry... as if I'd lent my strength to kill these bastards for some nobler cause than the chance to momentarily satisfy my insatiable appetite for blood."
He glances back at the Jedi, soft yet fiery eyes seeming to burn holes in Mat's very soul. "You're wrong, Jedi," he whispers, bloody fingers trailing around the Jedi's throat, leaving a crimson trail in their wake. "Don't ever forget what I am, what I'm capable of... 'cause if ya do... I promise to make you hate yourself for it," he threatens coldly.
o.O.o
Riordan sighs heavily, wiping the blood and sweat away from his forehead so it doesn't fall into his eyes. "De'kulik..." he compliments Shouten Yaiba as he uses his robes to clean the blood from the black blade.
Kain's breathing is ragged and his eyes golden fires of rage and lust. "That's it?!" he roars, clenched fists painted in crimson. "That's tha f***in' might of tha f***in' Mandalorians?!" he kicks one of the bodies, obviously disappointed and very upset about it. "That's f***in' bullshit!" he continues to rant.
"Do calm yourself, Kain," Riordan attempts to persuade his brother. "It would do you no good to bring about a rage in a place like this. Your foes are defeated. Such an act would only be a waste of energy."
Kain huffs. It was about as good a reply as any from the hot-headed redhead at the moment. The sand around Leina's feet suddenly stirs, the lightest shift of weight behind her. Before the Jedi can react, however, a sharp dagger is at her throat, faintly cutting into the flesh there. The cloaked figure holding her captive quickly uses its free hand to aim an advanced blaster rifle at Riordan's head.
Kain curses with a growl, the figure immediately turning its attention to the temperamental vampire. "I'd stay right there if I were you, Shade," a gruff voice advises, "or I'll kill 'em both. You aruetii have slaughtered too many of my people. This ends now."
o.O.o
Safira pushes against George's body in a desperate attempt to get away from him but this seems to only increase her flow of power through him. She gasps softly and her back arches as everything goes white...
* Power, corruption, and death. Not a day passed that you didn't hear about such things. After all it was Nar Shaddaa. A festering cesspool of filth, decay, and greed...
The boy falls from the smuggler's grasp to the ground, rubbing the side of his face, the action obviously painful but soothing at the same time. A bruise already begins to form along the injured cheek, the smuggler having dealt a rather forceful slap to teach him some manners. Blood seeps from the corner of his mouth but it isn't his own. He was proud of that. The smuggler curses briefly, blood dripping from his hand and splattering onto the ground at his feet. The slaver laughs, patting him on the back.
"Bit ya good did he? Aye," he purrs, pushing the other man aside to get closer, grabbing the boy under the chin so the child is forced to look up at him, "he's a feisty one alright."
The boys eyes widen and he spits into the slaver's face, swatting the man's hand away. "Don't touch me," he hisses.
The slaver growls in response, losing his cool as his hand clamps down around the boy's throat. He forces the child to his feet, slamming him back against the wall of the dark alley with a sadistic grin. "My, my, what whole-hearted defiance... such balls for such a little runt."
The smuggler chuckles, wrapping a makeshift bandage around his still bleeding fingers. The boy had almost bitten down to the bone. Would have taken the whole finger if he'd been given the chance no doubt. "Clap 'im in chains and let's see how much they pay to break that innocent spirit of his," he smiles darkly, eyes glittering with sinful intentions.
"Hmmm... a tempting offer," the slaver concurs, "but I think I'll break him myself," he decides, leaning in towards the boy who instinctively stiffens.
The air suddenly thickens with tension and crackles with invisible sparks of hostility, however, and the slaver stops, the man immediately turning his attention towards the figure at the alley's opening. The new arrival is partially shrouded in the shadows thanks to the poor lighting of the Undercity but the outline of the intruder's frame reveals a well-built, muscular form.
The smuggler growls, the sound more irritated and violent than the slaver's. "What the f**k do you want?! Can't you see we're kinda busy?!" he barks.
The man remains silent and motionless, angering the smuggler further. "What the f**k?! Can't ya f***in' hear, damn it?!" he stops suddenly and approaches the man with a wicked grin. "Unless..." he adds with sinister charm, "you're the type that likes to get in on the action." He reaches out to brush the man's hair away from his face.
The man immediately snatches the smuggler's wrist and jerks on the flimsy limb, lifting him, his feet dangling a few good inches above the ground. Without any forewarning the man's free hand passes completely through the smuggler's chest cavity as if the bones were nothing but glass. The smuggler's eyes widen in horror and he gasps before the man crushes his heart and allows the lifeless body to slip from his arm into a bloody heap at his feet. He takes a step towards the slaver.
The slaver quickly moves away from the boy, frantically reaching to his belt for the blaster there as he backs down the alley. "What... what the f**k are you?!" he screams, aiming his weapon at the man's face. "Stay the hell away from me you bastard!"
The man shifts his weight and the boy watches in disbelief as he seems to disappear, the blaster bolt intended to hit him square between the eyes screaming down the empty alleyway. The man reappears directly in front of the slaver not even a moment after vanishing, lunging upon his opponent like a bloodthirsty animal. He snatches the slaver's wrist, effortlessly snapping it in half, forcing the man to drop his useless weapon.
The man growls, his powerful hand clamping down around the slaver's throat as he hoists him into the air, black painted nails digging into the soft flesh. Suddenly that hand constricts, shattering the slaver's esophagus. The man drops him to the ground, leaving the slaver to suffer through the last two minutes of his worthless life. The man turns to the boy and he catches a flash of gold hair and blood red cloth before a hand shields his eyes, preventing him from identifying his rescuer.
"Who... who are you?" the boy quickly demands, his voice shaking faintly. "What do you want with me?" That man... was what he'd just done even possible? What... what was he?!
Icy breath nips at the boy's ear, sending shivers down his spine. "Ki engem'es diutakod, saa en'atti es kepakod. Enatt poar'te... elasz saa kinn sonn," the man begins, his words nothing but a whisper, as if they were a secret, a strong arm wrapping around the boy to hold him close against an impossibly hot body. "Pel'kod kas'eka solo odam-sa..."
"Dalit..." *
Safira pushes against George more frantically this time, tears pooling in her eyes again as she squirms beneath the Jedi's weight. "I'm sorry... please... I didn't mean..."
...Korriban...
Natayla waves the captain away, a silent order for him to go prepare the ship. "The flash step will come to you eventually once you grow stronger... but it cannot be used to travel from planet to planet. We must still rely on... other means for transportation. I have acquired the ship Slit Throat and her crew. We leave immediately. For Ilum. We have pressing... business to attend to."
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Force vampire part will be in the next post. It's getting late here and I don't want to fight through writer's block so well... ya get the point. 
Okay... a good bit of stuff to go through for this one. Should be loads of fun. 
Firstly, Leina cannot escape/hurt the cloaked figure. He is the leader of the San Dwellers and essential in the coming plot points. Secondly, Slade's weapon has been revealed! :complete awe: ^_^ Yeah, well, it's a silver [kinda bluish] lightsaber which is its sealed state [won't see released state till later]. The spirit bound to the weapon is Torikabuto (Wolfsbane) and its release command is "howl".
Now for the complex and confusing stuff. Joy of joys.
Real quick... a better visualization of a younger, rebellious-looking Slade.
Ah, the memory Safira and George both relive. I wasn't sure what exactly was permissible so I stuck to what I know. But hey, I like the way it turned out. Slade to the rescue! ^_^ This memory happens during George's 57th reincarnation [which makes Slade only about 6,000... that's young for a vampire]. The little blonde vampire's been trying his best to keep track of George's reincarnated self with success few and far between. Talk about dedication... and it all has something to do with that little promise Slade made so long ago. Bet you're really wondering about it aren't you?
Well now... if Slade's been here and there throughout George's 24,000 year "lifespan" why does he only remember bits and pieces at a time? Well I mean the Jedi's soul is 24,000 years old. That's like 2,400 lives to sort through so he's not going to remember everything immediately. It'll take time. Plus Slade's a tricky bastard with the ability to "block" memories, making them seem nonexistent. Obviously he's blocked all memories regarding himself from George's mind so the Jedi wouldn't ever remember him but George is powerful as we've seen and he's fighting the vampire's illusion to discover the truth... 
And in case you're wondering [which I'm sure you kinda are]: why in the world is Slade so lovey-dovey in George's memory but such an ass now? Well... while Slade doesn't directly involve himself with George during his past lives unless its absolutely necessary [and even then he blocks all memory of the event afterwards], the vampire is still very emotional attached to the young Jedi. Technically, after George's mother died, George was all Slade had before Riordan and Kain stumbled into meeting him [and that was only just 50 years ago]. He acts like he does towards George now also in part because the Jedi is no longer defenseless [such as a 12 year old boy about to be raped, etc.]. On top of that, George hates vampires... so let's just say the infamous Shirokami knows a thing or two about where things might lead and is just playing along with his own secret agenda.
Hope that all makes a load of sense.
Mando'a Vocabulary:
aruetii: outsider, foreigners
Vampire Vocabulary:
Kuly myose... En'ra manade te: Foolish boys... I will teach you...
*Instead of using the phrase "when will you learn?" Slade uses "I will teach you".
De'kulik: Well fought.
Ki engem'es diutakod, saa en'atti es kepakod. Enatt poar'te ... elasz saa kinn sonn. Pel'kod kas'eka solo odam-sa... dalit...: Who I am is meaningless, all I want is nothing. I've found you... after all these years. Don't leave me alone again... young master...
*Well we know Slade's been keeping track of George's reincarnations but that the vampire doesn't remain in direct contact. Swoops in to save the day then vanishes without a trace and no one remembers him. So why's he saying "Don't leave me alone again"?
Like I said George is all Slade has during this period of time. While whenever he dies his soul is reborn in another body it could take Slade several more of George's lifetimes to hunt his new body down. During that time he's completely alone. At least when he knows who George is he kinda feels connected to someone, somewhere.
Last edited by Beautiful Chaos (2011-09-26 22:57:05)
