BEST VIEWED ZOOMED IN --------------------- Kind of a film noir flavor to this post. You met Michiko. In my imagination, Raithee is Raithee Adara, a member of the much feared and little understood clan of Le'l'ni'i, which came to be known in common parlance as the Ili (Ee-lee) clan. It's members share several traits: they are fierce fighters, youthful in appearance, wise beyond their years, and - adding to their mystery - utterly silent. They never speak, or so it is reported. Raithee is an orphaned child of the Orion Wars, raised by a stern but loving kishmother within a highly guarded and secret compound of the Ili. She is - covertly - one of the most adept at wielding the powers which all Ili master to some level. At present, she serves as a civilian with quasi-military status aboard the Federated Systems of Cinbara starship FSC RIGEL DAWN, acting as Advisor to Commander (Official: ADCO; slang: ADI - pronounced ADDY). How can she be an advisor at so young an age, and with the apparent handicap of never speaking. Ah...therein lies a story.... If anyone is interested, they can read more below, the beginnings of a scene I was writing from the POV of Sam Stone (whom you met in an earlier post), a colonel and starship commander of the Allied Command, bitter enemies of the Federated Systems of Cinbara. The scene below is without resolution of any conflict; it serves only to introduce the general public's perception of the highly secretive Ili clan (and gives a bit of insight into Sam's own attitude toward that popular conception). Thanks for stopping by my gallery. :) ~Robert --------------------- Resources: Raithee and Michiko - custom morphs of the basic Genesis figure Pyrit Hair - SWAM Aven Hair for Genesis - 3D Universe Jannika skin texture - fabiana RM Paisley skin texture - rebelmommy PDEyes - PDesign --------------------- Additional insight into the Ili clan: It was common knowledge that the Ili could read minds. It was rumored, as well, that they could manipulate one’s thoughts. Beyond these observations, an entire body of legend and superstition, honed through millennia, colored every nuance of the general public’s perception of this isolated and secretive people. Ili could fly, some claimed. Others swore that they had seen them vanish into thin air, transform into grotesque creatures, possess other human beings and destroy their souls. These notions were helped along by, ironically, the diminutive stature of their people, by the seeming permanence of their youth, by the silence that no Ili ever broke (even under torture), and by the fair countenance of their men and great beauty of their women. Ili did interact with the rest of humanity, mostly as mercenary warriors and advisors to kings and generals and starship commanders. Their mystique only served to heighten the dread one felt when going into battle against an Ili opponent. How could one hope to win a battle against a mind reader, or against someone who could do any number of heinous acts upon another’s body and soul? Sam Stone judged the body of “facts” surrounding the general perception of Ili to be mostly nonsense. He had no doubts as to Ili ability in matters of war and politics, but he looked upon the aura of near-godhood with which they were esteemed as worthy of little more than his distain. He would like to meet one of these Ili face-to-face. He doubted that his soul would be in jeopardy, and his body could take care of itself. As for his mind, let one of the little devils try messing with it! Sam knew he was no genius, but he was sure he could hold his own against whatever tricks the Ili might bring to bear upon him. He stepped from the forest into a small clearing...and froze. A girl stood there, diminutive in stature, an air of ultimate confidence radiating from her, despite her idle stance. There was no mistaking what she was. "Ili," Sam muttered under his breath. "Speak of the devil..."