Fated Origins: Chapter 10: Safehouse Search

A/N: Hello, readers! Thanks for sticking with me and this story. First things first, I don't mean to be a nit-picky, bitchy beggar, but I've noticed that, despite the fact that I'll get 100+ visitors to my story, I'll only get one or two reviews. I know some of you are just checking the story out, and may not even read past the first chapter, but every review helps and contributes to how quickly I update. So, please, leave a quick review if you can. With that being said, enjoy this update!

oOoOoOo

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." ~ Jesus, the Christ

oOoOoOo

30 BBY-Chancellor Palpatine's Cruiser

"His origins are unknown to me, Mas. They are shrouded in the deepest cloak of darkness. However, I foresee much greatness in him. He shall be vastly powerful, perhaps, more powerful than I…"

Cadmus quickly moved his head back from its extended position into the hall. Was he sure of what he had just heard? Had Master really just made admission to the fact that he was supremely powerful? Or had he imagined it? Cadmus moved closer to the edge of the door and focused hard on the sounds emanating from the room which held his Master and the Speaker of the Senate, Mas Amedda.

"But how can you be so positive on the matter, Chancellor? How do you know that he will amount to everything that you propose?" queried Amedda.

Palpatine smiled, not a warm, benign grin, but a conceited, wicked smirk.

"Why, he is under my training and supervision, isn't he, Mas? He is receiving the best of the best. I could transform even the clumsiest Mandalorian into a deadly machine of Sith power."

Amedda made no immediate reply, possibly because there was no appropriate one to such blatant arrogance. Palpatine continued, the scratchy timbre of his voice filling with anticipation.

"I have great plans for this boy. With the proper measures, I will forge the most lethal warrior the Universe has ever been witness to."

Cadmus recoiled as if the very words stung him. He, the most lethal Sith? But there were so many greats before him. So many legacies that triumphed his own. Plagueis. Tenebrous. Bane. The list was indefinite.

Trembling, Cadmus crept from his eavesdropper's position back to his quarters. He crawled beneath the sheets, shaking with excitement and wonderment. Even the texture of the linen against his skin didn't truly feel real. Was he truly to be the paramount of them all? Was he to be the Angel of Death?

As he drifted slowly into sleep that night, images of glory and magnificence danced across the landscape of his mind, painting an eternal portrait of the warrior that would revisit his dreams for years and years to come.

oOoOoOo

Unknown Date-Day Two of Cadmus' Return-Streets of Greater London

Cadmus barreled down streets and alleys, through parks and courtyards, and across byways and paths, all with the weight of the inactive form of Nymphadora Tonks upon his shoulders. He ran with unmatched speed, his powerful legs pounding the earth and propelling him forward like a dashing cheetah. His Force-fueled sprint didn't tax his energy in the least; he felt as cool and refreshed as he would while reclining on a sofa. The wind whipped about him, dividing as it impacted with his torpedo-like body like toilet paper cut by scissors.

Buildings and houses dissolved in his peripheral vision quicker than he could count the windows, and they grew sparser as he continued his cross-city run. Eventually, he found himself galloping along a bucolic road that ran beside rolling pastures of emerald green. He had made his way into the countryside without any engagement from the local buffoons of the law. Luck, perhaps, but a more plausible explanation might be that they were unequipped to match his speed or track his movements.

Cadmus continued on, feet impacting the gravel road and creating small divots that would appear to anyone as left by some fauna of the planet. With each mile, fenced sections of grass containing strange creatures, some quadruped and some bipedal, passed before the Sith's eyes, and he gathered that this was an agricultural region. Rural areas were mainly unpopulated, as the space required for the crops occupied room for sentient inhabitants, and this was just to Cadmus' liking. From this place he could construct a small compound, establish a small force of trained loyalists, and use this platform as a springboard to thrust his dominance upon the planet. It would be his first stepping stone to a full-fledged empire, as well as providing a base by which he could attempt to return to his world.

Miles dragged on and melted into the sunset, and he soon found himself in a near completely uninhabited region. Halting by a small, wooden post, he attempted to gather the identity of his whereabouts. The only structure for miles, it seemed, was a small, decrepit cottage that sat at the base of a hill beyond the road. Not enthused about the idea of traveling through this planet's night (which he gathered revolved around a massive, bright star), he decided to utilize the ubiquity of the cottage to his advantage.

Approaching the derelict edifice, Cadmus immediately gathered that it was, and had been for some time, vacant. The plants that had grown up around the walls betrayed the order and neatness of humans, and the sheer condition of the house was beyond abandoned. Cadmus walked up the rickety front steps, cursing their filthiness, and proceeded to open the door.

The rotting wood moved with a whine and a creak, and Cadmus jumped instinctively to the right as a small, furry object darted from the now-ajar doorway. The small beast, mottled white and black, scurried across the lawn and in the direction of a small wood to the right. The Sith Lord scowled at the thing, condemning its fellows to death if any more remain inside.

Cadmus warily placed a foot inside, scanning the room with a quick Force-fed environment sweep. He found nothing, except a few pieces of dilapidated furniture. Darkness swallowed the room in totality; Cadmus was coerced to look through eyes of the Force to see into the thick shade.

In the center of the room sat a large, mahogany table, upon which stood several candles, columns of unlit wax that jutted up into the gloom like the spires of Korriban. On its left side was a polyester reclining device, ratty and worn from years of neglect. The walls were covered in a thin paper that was peeling in random spots and stained in others. The Dark Lord sneered at the place; its utter repulsiveness displeased him greatly. Unfortunately, it would have to suffice.

Cadmus laid Tonks upon the putrid recliner and stood a moment above her, scrutinizing her attractive figure. He took in her high cheekbones and pouty lips, characteristic of the best of courtesans. Her curvaceous build was alluring, to say the least. Even more intriguing about her was her ability to manipulate her bodily structure at will, and Cadmus' mind sifted through hundreds of resourceful possibilities her gift could provide. His Handmaiden was shaping up rather nicely.

Deciding to allow her to rest a bit more, Cadmus kneeled on the ragged carpet on the floor and let the lids of his eyes descend slowly like curtains. Inhaling deeply, then releasing, he languidly entered into meditation, unaware of the mounting fear of the Wizarding World.

oOoOoOo

Chapter Nine Selected Review Responses:

FLaTone: Are you a prophet? Because that was frighteningly good prediction right there. Voldemort's reaction may or may not be arriving next chapter, so stay tuned.

Kaelia Ayame: Despite your incredibly poor grammar and spelling, I was able to decipher your review. All I can say is that the Harem may or may not contain Hogwarts females, such as Hermione or Ginny, if there even is one at all. Just wait and see.