From the Ice Inside Your Soul (Kaida)

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Focus and concentration were essential for any application of Sciia. To be sure, some were rather instantaneous, especially once you achieved masterhood, such as Force Push. But complex and flamboyant uses required continued focus. Thus Galina was on the right track.


The storm of icicles sailed boldly and well through the air, sweeping towards Kaida. The Seraph had been focused on freezing Galina in place. Ice had been creeping upon the girl's body and across her chest, then the first icicles struck Kaida.


Blood was drawn in her right knee and left shoulder as the projectiles sliced into her. Kaida grit her teeth and suppressed a cry of pain, quickly twisting and bending her body to evade the storm of ice projectiles. One narrowly missed her face but sliced across her upper ear, drawing some blood. Then Galina tossed in the sonic grenade. Evidently she'd been paying attention during the last training exercise! There was a loud, sickening sound when she tore out a shard deep inside her shoulder.


Reacting quickly when she spied the miniaturised ball Kaida drew upon her power to freeze the small bomb solid and prevent it from detonating. Tossing it back would've done her little good, since the distance between them wasn't that big. Without Kaida actively feeding the ice encasement, Galina would've gained some breathing space. However, the reprieve would be short-lived when Kaida maded a crushing motion with her bleeding hand, manifesting an ice-cold grip on Galina's throat.


Drawing upon her Sciia, she brought a precise Force choke to bear. Effective, but nothing that would require undue commitment of focus or energy. It was precise in the sense that it wasn't meant to damage through brute force windpipe trauma. It was, instead, a blood choke, the kind intended to induce rapid unconsciousness.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

At least Galina had been on the right track, even if not executed that great it was a decent attempt. She did seem a little surprised when the shards of ice actually hit their mark. She hadn't expected that at all. She hadn't intended to actually hurt Kaida. This was just training after all.

Freezing the sonic grenade, hadn't even occurred to her. It was a smart move. And it sorta worked the way she wanted it to as it distracted Kaida from the ice encasement. It gave Galina a moment to focus on the ice for a second to shatter it and force it from her limbs allowing her freedom of movement again.

A silent gasp escaped as Galina felt the pressure on her throat, her neck. Panic overwhelmed her quickly. That wasn't an attack she'd really thought about happening much less how she was to deal with it. Both hands flew to her neck pulling at the invisible hand, not thinking through how to end the attack. Panic made it difficult to think and she was running out of time before unconsciousness hit her.

By the time she actually managed to calm down enough to think, she had a precious few seconds left of consciousness. Pushing back with telekinesis, she tried to at least get some pressure off. However, she'd waited too long. It was too late. Darkness crept in at the corners of her vision, and the redhead finally passed out, falling to the ground. It wouldn't be that long before she woke again. Still, it wasn't pleasant, but a much needed lesson not to panic.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


The telekinetic push swept across the training room and slammed into Kaida's knee, causing the Seraph to stumble. Ouch. She wasn't wearing anything beyond training clothes and had been focused on choking Galina into unconsciousness.


There was also plenty of ice and moisture on the floor around her. However, by the time the hit landed Galina had passed out and lay on the ground. The Seraph breathed in and examined her injuries. She had suffered several cuts from the ice projectiles Galina had assaulted her with. The Seraph grit her teeth while she narrowed her focus down to the smallest cellular level and carefully dissipated a shard that was embedded inside her knee.


The Sciiac energies flowed through her body as she called them to aid to halt the loss of blood and carefully seal her wounds. Coldness spread across her body as she did so, her eyes were a crystalline blue. Heat met the cold as the hot sensation of pain was seemingly torn from her body. Then it disappeared and her wounds were closing. Cold moisture washed away the blood.


The Seraph approached the still unconscious Galina. The girl would probably wake up soon. Being as tactful and considerate as ever, Kaida decided to expedite the process by splashing her with cold water.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina hadn't been moving when Kaida approached. For the most part she was still out cold. The water elicited a gasp, before the redhead coughed and lifted her hands to her face to wipe away the frigid water. It took her a moment to put together why exactly she was laying on the ground, and where exactly she was.

"Ugh..." She moaned, and slowly sat up. Her head was pounding as she pulled her knees up to rest her elbows on them. And she finally laid her head in her hands for a moment, trying to come back completely into reality.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"We're not done yet," Kaida said flatly. Totally encouraging. "Time is a luxury you won't have. If this had been real combat, you'd be dead. You were on the right track, but in battle there's no second best. Again," she moved a few metres away from the redhead. "Again. Attack me. Don't try. Do it."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina looked a bit frustrated and still a little confused. If truth be told hearing Kaida's words bothered her more than she wanted to admit to. Though she wore such emotions on her sleeve, so easy to see. The idea that if it had been real combat, she wouldn't have survived or would have been captured. Either option wasn't fun to think about. "I need a second, please." The redhead said as she got to her feet slowly. A sigh followed, "I, this is just training, I ... I don't want to hurt you." She said quietly. A good kid, trying to accept the need to actually cause harm to survive and to do it without hesitation. And it also had to be done without her ideas of morality and protecting people get in the way of survival and doing what had to be done.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"You are supposed to hurt me," Kaida said bluntly. However, her tone had softened a tiny little bit, so it sounded less like she was scolding Galina. "Training is preparation for the real thing. Any bruise suffered during it might mean one less limb lost on the battlefield. 'sides, we've got good healers. Don't hold back, don't worry, act. Or your return to Sigma'll end with you in a bodybag. Again."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina frowned heavily. She still wasn't certain about this. Still Kaida had a good point. It was still hard to wrap her mind about being willing to hurt someone that was on her team as it were. "I suppose you are right." She still didn't like it, but Taldir was right.

Attacking first, wasn't in her nature but she was going to have to get used to it. In part she was having to convince herself of the need to act and not worry about what could happen. So attack it was.

She took a breath, and drew on her force powers. She was going to at least try to be a little less lethal, still having trouble with the concept of hurting Kaida. So she gathered moisture from the air. She quickly attempted to splash it in the Seraph's eyes. A distraction while she grabbed a blaster from the table and aimed for her, taking three shots and hoping to at least get something through.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


The girl was attacking. This was progress. But she was still holding back. Kaida felt ripples resonate through the Force and, as water came splashing, closed her eyes and dove to the ground, bending her body at an unnatural angle. Unlike Siobhan, she was a good deal more mobile. The first blaster bolt whizzed past Kaida and impacted upon a control panel behind her, blowing it up. Predictably, Kaida had set the gun to kill.


However, then Kaida felt a burning, searing pain spread across her abdomen when a bolt sliced across it like a hot knife through creamy butter. The sensation of white hot pain was enough to make her fall to the ground as she drew upon her Sciia to dissipate the heat. Her eyes were a crystalline blue, a layer of ice spread across her stomach, which smelt a bit like barbequed flesh.


The third bolt shot towards her and was caught inside the glowing palm of her hand as ice manifested across it. The elemental defence was sliced through by the bolt, her hand was smouldering, but it hadn't been blown off. The Seraph panted and was evidently in pain. However, her lips curved into a thin smile. Then she struck back with her Sciia. Droplets of moisture formed on the blaster, soon freezing into ice.


After all, guns were easy to jam and destroy with water, not to mention ice in the right places. She built up the pressure to crush the gun from the inside. As if that were not enough, Galina's limbs would start to feel a lot heavier as Kaida flooded them with water. Kaida's strategy was quite simple: Piss the redhead toll till she stopped holding back and unleashed her power.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

The redhead was a bit shocked seeing the control panel explode. She hadn't expected the blaster to be left on kill. And the hit on Kaida, feeling a bit bad for landing them on her. It still was hard to wrap her mind around how this worked. It really wasn't what she was used to.

Galina could feel the shift in the Force. Kaida was drawing on her power, preparing for something. The chill in the air gave her a small clue. The redhead hadn't figured it out in time and pulled the trigger again. The blaster exploded in her hand. Had it not been for a flare of warning in the force, that made her open her hand in the nick of time to keep the damage from being horrific. Her hand was just merely burned, and that she could live with. The redhead cried out, the pain obvious as the burns across her fingers and forearm.

It was then that she started to feel the heaviness in her arms, her legs. Movement grew painful as her fingers, toes, hands, feet, were swelling. All her limbs ached badly, with the pain only growing. Galina was getting frustrated, unsure how to continue, how to lash out and make it stop. Anger wasn't that far behind.

With a great amount of focus she fought to try and dissipate some of the fluid that was building up in her limbs. But that would only slow the process, she needed it to end. Desperation was kicking as as she realized she couldn't keep up with the pace Kaida had set. She had to do something and fast. Galina seemed to stop thinking for a moment, letting instincts take over. With a wave of her hand she unleashed a powerful telekinetic wave, and threw it towards the Seraph. In the process it picked up the table of weapons turning them and it into fun projectiles to dodge.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Mission accomplished. Though her training methods might suggest otherwise, Kaida was not a sadist. Nor did she derive any gratification from them. Well, unless she was punishing Elayne, but the trollish redhead wanted it, so that was different. She had entered the training session with a definite objective in mind. The goal was not to humiliate Galina or beat on someone weaker than her. But to force the redhead to realise how strong she could be and that she could not always hold back.


By her estimation, this had been achieved. Instinct took over and Galina tossed a powerful wave of telekinetic energy at her. The ripples were felt through her Sciia and Kaida dove forward, so that instead of throwing her through the air like a ragdoll the blast slammed her into the ground like an invisible hammer. There was a loud thud and a crack when she hit the ground. Ouch.


Telekinetic force gripped the large table and slammed it aside before it could crash into her and she rolled to avoid improvised projectiles coming for her. Weapons were scattered everywhere through the room. The table hit the wall and broke. "Good work."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina was panting, seemingly surprised by what had happened. Sure she knew she was powerful, but never had she actually pushed herself to find out just how so. The power wasn't what she expected, especially not when as frustrated and angry she had gotten. Looking around the room she couldn't help but notice the damage she'd left in her wake.

Breathing hard, Galina nodded at the words Taldir spoke. Her legs and arms aching, stepped back, leaning heavily against the wall. "Please tell me, we are done." The redhead wasn't sure she could handle much more. Not only that but they were both injured. At least for now it seemed like she was getting a brief break.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"Yes, we're done," Kaida was breathing hard when she got to her feet. The telekinetic wave had hit her hard and she was clearly still in pain from the blaster bolts. Her tone was still as chilly and matter-of-fact as ever. "I hope you learned your lesson. Your Sciia is very powerful. You just need to use it. Instead of doubting yourself and dilly-dallying."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

"Right." The redhead didn't seem happy, and certainly her pain played a factor in that. There was a tiny part of her that still had to reconcile her abilities with how much they could frighten her. Not only that but it was a bitter pill to swallow knowing she had little option but to learn and embrace them if she had any hope of withstanding the Rahls and their minions on Sigma. Only thing she truly knew was she didn't want to become the monsters the Rahls were. That much was certain. It however meant striking a delicate balance somewhere in the middle.

"It's not so much doubt. I know the power is there. Using it, without holding back is the problem." She didn't mention why. That wasn't a conversation she cared to share with Kaida. Slowly and carefully, guarding her injured hand Galina used the wall for support as she limped towards the exit. Right then she only really cared to get to the medical bay and have her injuries treated quickly.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"Then don't hold back," Kaida said sharply. "It's as simple as that. You want your voyage to be Sigma to be a success, don't you? You're no use to anyone in a bodybag. Least of all your people. Your Sciia is not some magical demon that'll turn you 'evil' if you're naughty. That's childish nonsense propagated by dim-witted Jedi."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

"You weren't there." Galina said quietly, seeming a bit distant.

There was a long pause before the redhead spoke again. She was just trying to collect her thoughts and not allow herself to get too upset or irritated."While the Jedi may foolishly portray it that way, I've seen very, very little of the force, that didn't end in evil horrific deeds. Any force user on Sigma is pulled into the Rahl's side of the war, committing unspeakable acts in the process. There isn't exactly any other option once you are found. Other than to let them kill you for resisting. Has nothing to do with being 'naughty' as you put it. You either join them and act as they do, or perish. There isn't an in between."

"Too many seemingly good people with the force, ended up being the worst of the bunch. So forgive me, if I'm hesitant to use the same power. The last thing I want to be is one of those monsters." The redhead snapped, clearly irritated and upset. So much for the plan of keeping her temper in check. The girl kept walking, not in the mood to continue the conversation any longer. "Look, I get it. I'm not a fool. It's something I have to deal with and come to accept. That doesn't happen overnight. It's taken a lot to get me this far. To even use the force at all. It's not as simple as just snapping my fingers and saying 'hey, this is the way it really is.' Not when I have nearly a decade of horrors to come to terms with. It takes time."

Galina sighed heavily, "I just want to get to the med bay right now. Can we table this conversation for another time? I'm really not in the mood right now."

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


The door slammed shut before Galina could leave the training room. "I don't give a feth about your moods, girl," Kaida snapped harshly. The verbal equivalent of an unpleasant spanking. "You're not here in your shiny villa with your mummies. If you don't want to learn, if you want to remain enthralled by your fears, then go home. It's no loss to me. Because if you're that scared of yourself, in a base that I might add is populated by Forcers, you're not worth my time. I haven't been on your planet, but guess what, girl? I've see war. I've fought in many. You think the Bando Gora were nicer than your Rahls? If you're not the right mind set, if you're not willing to use your power to fight because you keep getting scared, then you might as well table your trip because the only thing you'll do is get people killed."


Undoubtedly this would piss Galina off, but Kaida didn't care. If the girl left the base, that wasn't her problem. "Unlike the Sciians on Sigma, you have a choice to be better. Many don't have that luxury. You're not on Sigma anymore. Be it at the base or in your family, you're surrounded by Forcers. Hell, you probably only survived on that island because of your Sciia. You're not the super special snowflake the Force is taking a special interest in to make you go bad. Your Sciia is your own inner flame, a tool. What you make of it is up to you. So either woman the feth up or continue to be a scared victim."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

She cringed at the door being slammed. The redhead didn't turn back to face Kaida but listened. Only when Kaida was finished did she turn around, and yes she was angry. Though more hurt than angry, if truth be told. "For ten seconds, did it occur to you that I'm here because I want to fething learn? Or that I have been using my powers, to one degree or another? I'm trying."

"Does that mean I am not afraid from time to time? No. That I'm not worried about what could happen in the future? No. That the reason I tensed up during exercises had more to do with the fact I've been in battle before, almost ten years ago, as a kid and had to snap out of old memories from the view of a child? Did fine after I snapped out of that. Or that the reason I hesitated here, was because I simply didn't want to hurt you? Someone who's not an enemy combatant."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm and not lash out any further. "I am fully aware that I'm surrounded by Force users. Fully aware. Did it cross your mind that it's them that show me there's something different in the Force other than evil? That maybe I'm where I need to be to get over the issues I have. To learn the force isn't what I knew it to be. That it's what you choose to do with it that makes the difference. A concept that is still foreign to me. I didn't grow up with the ideal that the Force is a tool. I grew up knowing it was one thing. One horrible thing. Something that was ingrained in me from the day I was born. As much as I might want to, I can't just relearn that overnight, or wash away a decade or two of social conditioning and belief. And no one else can erase that for me. I have to do it. It's not automatic or instant, as much as I'd like it to be otherwise."

Another sigh, "And yeah, sure I'm fething afraid of what I could turn into. Was every Queen of the Eldorai a good one? Were there not Queens who ruled with an iron fist and spilled blood without care, murdering and torturing those who got in the way? Is it so horrible to worry about that?"

"I'm not fething perfect. Not even close. Nor am I some freaking little special snowflake. I'm just a girl who's trying to figure this out. It doesn't happen overnight, but I'm trying my best. And I realize that's not good enough. And it might never be enough. But it's better than sitting on my ass and giving up. For god's sake, I don't want to be afraid, or scared or ever be the god damn victim again. I've had enough of that in my life already. Please, don't assume that I have no desire to learn or overcome. I do, far more than you know." Reaching up she wiped away the tiniest traces of tears that had been forming, with her good hand. Tears she'd been doing her damnedest not to let show or fall.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]

Someone nicer or more tactful might have said something...more reassuring to Galina. However, she was just another recruit to Kaida. She wasn't one for pep talks. Actually, Galina's self-appointed mission to free Sigma was a good reason to be even harsher on her.


So she remained impassive amidst the redhead's anger. "You have a desire to learn. Otherwise I'd have kicked you out by now. And if you let fear and panic rule you, you'll accomplish nothing. Worse, you'll get people killed. The people on your planet hate Forcers due to their oppression, yes? If you're terrified of yourself, you won't be able to convince them not to be terrified of you," Kaida said bluntly. Especially since Galina's mother was the exact opposite of nonthreatening.


A telekinetic tug pulled the door open again. "You're dismissed."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina certainly wasn't happy at this point and just wanted to get away from Kaida. And while she listened, for the moment little sank in. It was likely to later, but for the moment she was a bit too angry for that. A bit too upset.

When she heard the door click open, Galina turned and quickly limped out without another word. Kaida may have had a point. Or even two. She just wasn't in the mood to discuss it any further. All she wanted was the medical bay to help ease her pain and heal the burns as well as help to remove some of the excess water that had been forced into her limbs. That and she really wanted away from Kaida for a while. The girl needed time to cool off.

Doubtless she'd find the redheaded healer in the medical bay to help her out. And of course for Kaida, she had the option of going back to her room to find a lovely Coryth to help her out, and mend her wounds. If she so chose.

[member="Kaida Taldir"]