18 The Emancipation of Riané

The on looking old woman watched the two of them as they just stood in the corner for several minutes at a time after saying that little cipher. She didn't exactly quite understand what it was all about, but figured it was some sort of philosophical code. Each line sounded morally ambiguous, especially the part that almost sounded like using lesser evils for the Greater Good.

At least it seemed they were against Revenge, in which case she'd be the very example of it.

This thirty minute interaction had caused many of the other children to turn their heads towards the two. Silence slowly ensued, curiosity was brimming like a boiling pot. Just what were those two after?

Some of the other children whom have read romance novels, seemed to make their own conclusions, while other youngsters were deemed completely clueless.

Slowly releasing his hands from the girl's cheeks, Valad would open his eyes and glance over his shoulder towards the ice witch whom was smiling softly in his general direction.

Oh? She was happy he had come to this girl instead of the rest? He could feel her emotions, her curiosity and her joy for seeing the girl being chosen by him. However he knew that she wasn't joyous for the girl, but herself instead.

"I'd like this girl to be Emancipated from your care." His voice rang out, a casual tone. He wanted her released from the Orphanage rather than adopting her formally into his family. The last thing he wanted was the obstacle of parental locking him from life's further plans.

She was to be his apprentice, he had many plans and knew that many more would prop themselves up in the future.

Riané herself was dumbfounded by his declaration to have her Emancipated from the Orphanage, but at the same time felt that he couldn't really adopt her. This guy seemed to be around her age, and it would be weird if he could adopt her. Being two years apart from one's adoptive father was strange enough, so it was best if he emancipated her.

"..." The old woman stared at him for a few moments before letting out a quiet sigh. "If she is going into your care, then it shall be done." She seceded without much of a fuss, turning away to make an entry into the legal logs at her desk in the front of the building.

The two looked at one another and nodded before walking out of the backrooms and towards the receptionist area. There the woman was typing away into her personal terminal. She registered Riané into the care of the Royal Palace Staff.

[ Achievement Granted: Gain an Apprentice. Companion Function Unlocked. ]

Once they were given the motion to leave, the two silently waltzed out of the orphanage as if it had been a store in which they bought merchandise, though it was merely gifting her 'freedom.'

The security officers which had been following Valad, were standing outside with puzzled expressions as they looked at the girl following him out. "You're adopting a peer?" The female officer asked with a brow raised, cautious of the idea.

"Adoption?" Valad asked rhetorically with a scoff, "Just got her emancipated." He waved his hand slightly in dismissal of the idea of adopting her. "It'd be strange to adopt her. She's old enough to be my sister."

The woman nodded lightly and looked over the girl, before returning her attention to Valad.

As her mind had been opened to the force, Riané had begun to take in the emotions of the people around her. She had a natural affinity for the ability of empathy and telepathy. Though as she felt Valad's, his emotions were under wrap and key. However they were only partially suppressed, which allowed her to sense his lust, enguiniety and some ambiguous emotions she couldn't yet identify with.

Surely he lacked the sense of hate, but he had some superficial form of pride. His presence confused her even more, his sensitivity felt microscopic almost nonexistent, yet he was standing right before her.

"In that case how about you take her shopping?" The woman suggested towards the commercial district of the Capital City. He knew there were plenty of shops here and all across the entire planet.

Shaking his head partially at the idea, "I have another place to procure I what want, and what she needs. I will begin her training immediately."

"Training?" Riané questioned, her hands folded in front of her. If she were in an elegant dress, she'd look like a young wealthy aristocrat. Yet right now she looked like an unruly tomboy with a new passion glowing within her eyes.

Valad glanced over at her and smirked, the next thing she knew, she felt like she was floating. No, she really was beginning to levitate a few inches off the ground until being dropped back onto her feet.

Riané's face went blank, excitement was welling up inside of her as she just found what it felt like to fly. If she were to train in the force, she would be able to fly? That passion in her eyes would only glow even greater.

"We're going back to the palace," Valad said as he would place an arm around Riané's shoulders. He'd begin giving her the general lectures he had witnessed from the Holocron he used padawan Ventress to get into.

Within an hour of detours, they eventually made it back to the Palace and entered through the front without delay.

Panaka was waiting in the foyer and followed behind them with the two officers in tow who were following Valad previously. "Who is the girl?" He asked them, his eyes locked on the duo's backs.

"Apparently she is an orphan he emancipated," The female officer stated, the male one remaining quiet. "He said he's going to train her immediately."

Panaka slowly nodded at the information given to him before the two of them returned to their normal posts. He continued to follow after Valad until he passed by the Throne room in which he would enter on his own.

Valad and Riané moved conintiously, Riané being rather tired from walking the entire time, but didn't complain. Instead she just dragged her feet through the long corridors until they reached the royal Hangar.

Once they came across the heavily modified Scimitar Replica, Riané stared at it as it was marvelous in appearance. Black and Gold, with blue viewports. It looked like a luxury transport, even as they entered it there was shiny paneled flooring in the ready room. The small sleeping compartments had plenty of blankets and pillows. There was even a terminal in each room for holo-movies and other leisurely things.

As they stepped into the lift together, Valad had moved his arm from around her shoulders, to resting his elbow on the top of her head.

With this move, Riané looked over at him with an unamused stoic expression. "Seriously?" She muttered as she reached up and swatted his arm off the top of her head. His hand just flopped off her head and remained lax by his side. "So what are we doing up here?"

The lift door swished open and they both walked onto the upper deck.

Valad would walk over to what looked like a foot locker, as he opened it up, he put his hands into it as if he was sifting through all the junk. Opening the store on his hub, he would purchase a handful of items.

An Alabaster grey Mandalorian torso carapace, black turtleneck styled half-bodysuit, black trousers, armored combat boots, a bacta injector, several bacta injection vials, a utility belt and twin S-5 heavy blaster pistol which looked identical to the pistols used by the Naboo security forces. The only differences were that it gave a blue blaster bolt as opposed to green and the exterior was guided in black and white metals that matched his F-11D blaster. This was because the blaster was modified with a DC series internal structure, making the weapons exceedingly more powerful.

Pulling these items out of the footlocker, he held them out for her to take.

Riané was obviously curious as to see things which were already in her size. Swallowing shallowly, she laid the items out on the passenger seats.

Without thinking she went to pull her pants down, but then paused and glanced over at Valad. His face seemed to be almost expressionless, but the intensity of his eyes told her he was waiting for her to continue.

She squinted at him a she continued to slowly push her pants down, her underwear resting within. Her face was slowly turning red as she noticed he wasn't looking away. So in turn she closed off her thoughts and just continued to casually undress.

Valad's eyes traced over her, his intent was to see everything. Picking up the half-body suit, it was similar to that of a leotard, he helped her into it. It was slim fitting, though it wasn't tight. He continued to help her into her armor carapace.

Even though she was fully capable of dressing herself, it seemed he took over the chore. Helping her into each aspect of her new attire. Even the with the socks that he pulled from his sleeves, he had her sit down and he took complete control over the situation. She could almost feel him mentally drooling over her.

Riané shivered slightly at the thought, but within a matter of minutes which would have taken her longer, she was fully dressed. The only thing that wasn't covered was her head and her hands.

"How does it feel?" He asked looking over his new apprentice, tracing the front of her carapace which muffled the femininity of her rectangular petite body type.

She moved her arms which had a few strips of armored padding forearm and bicepts, while there was duraplast plating on her triceps. "Top heavy," she replied as she clenched her bare hands open and closed.

"Your physical training begins now. You will begin training from this manual," he pulled a manual out of thin air, much like how he had pulled the socks from his sleeves.

The training manual in his hand was for Echani Martial Arts, the most common martial arts used by modern day military forces across the galaxy.

Riané's attention however wasn't on the book in his hands, but the hands themselves. Where was he pulling this stuff out of? Her eyes narrowed on his face who was simply smiling at her now. As if he saw and knew her curiosity. Pursing her lips slightly she snatched the book out of his hands and took a few steps back.

"What about my force training?" She asked curiously as she stared at him, she wanted to learn how to fly, she wanted to know how to lift things with her mind. She wanted power, something to have pride in.

"It will be concurrent during this month." Valad informed, knowing very well that the training will be interrupted as he felt the Trade Federation would be making their move. The question was, with Plagueis at the helm, what was his aim?