Grooming the Locals

[Ayasha Waya]

Aurelian ran to Ayasha's side with a look of concern on his face. “Are you alright?” her fellow padawan asked while eyeing the woman's wound. She nodded though the pain radiated down her arm. Just then, Vu'thari's lightsaber hummed to life as he dispatched one of the two remaining katarns that had set their sights on the Jedi Master. With a swift motion of his hand, a burst of Force Energy sent the creature reeling back into a tree.

Silence fell over the area as the creature fell into a heap on the ground. Ayasha sighed a breath of relief as it appeared that the immediate threat was gone. Just as the padawan was about to turn and speak to Vu'thari, she noticed the katarn returning to its feet. “These things don't give up, do they?” she commented quietly while readying herself with lightsaber in hand.

Aurelian raised his pistol at the beast and just as it began to take a step, a blue ring shot out of the end of the weapon and hit the creature. Immediately the katarn tipped over unconscious, stunned from the shot. “No point killing it if we don't have to,” the padawan added. Ayasha nodded, thankful that the threat appeared neutralized and that her fellow student did not take lethal measures against it while in its groggy state. He cleaned the vibroblade and hid it away as the caramel skinned woman disengaged the lightsaber and tucked it away beneath her tunic.

“You should treat that, I have some medical supplies in my satchel if you would like,” Aurelian nodded toward Ayasha's wound. She smiled though only briefly before glancing over her shoulder at the throbbing gash. “Thank you, friend. It would appear I could use some help,” she said with a wry smile. The pair moved over to a fallen log where the young woman sat down.

As Aurelian was reaching into his satchel for the medical kit, Ayasha's eyes wandered over to the fallen katarn. “Where is the katarn....” the words left her lips as a statement more than a question. Clearly the beast had a fortitude unmatched by most creatures that the young woman had ever encountered. Just then, there was a low snarling sound several meters away as it stepped out of the shadows and slowly approached the trio.

The padawan leapt to her feet without a weapon in hand, at least not that anyone could see. She knew that all of her studying and work both with Vu'thari as well as in her time alone had prepared her for a moment like this. As the katarn stalked closer, closing the gap between it and the woman, she began forming a vision within her mind. A great deal of research had informed her of another fearsome beast that resided within this very forest: the terentatek.

Within the padawan's mind she imagined the dreadful beast that towered well over her own height. It had large spines on its head, a pair of sharp tusks at the sides of its mouth and a set of dark, piercing eyes. She envisioned the deep, guttural sounds emanating from the creature's mouth as it bellowed its battle cry while closing in on its pray. It was a terrifying vision and as Ayasha imagined it, she called upon the Force to breathe life into the creation within her mind.

The woman closed her eyes and placed her hands at the sides of her head, her fingertips resting upon her temples. She felt the Force flowing through her as the katarn leapt into the air from just a few meters away. Suddenly she pushed her hands forward toward the creature and projected the horrifying image of the terentatek into the beast's mind. To the katarn, it would appear as though the much larger, fearsome terentatek was standing where Ayasha had been and was now preparing to lunge after its smaller prey.

The katarn fell out of its mid-air leap and hit the ground with a hard thump. It whimpered in fear and clawed at the ground to spin its body into a position facing the opposite direction. Without delay, the beast pushed off from where it had landed and ran back into the thicket without looking back. The mentalist's illusion had worked and all she could do was stand there smiling. Her hands dropped to her sides and the searing pain from the wound upon her shoulder reminded her of the first aid that Aurelian had offered. “I'm ready for the medical kit now...” she said with a quiet laugh while turning to walk back to her fellow student.


@Mithias
@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Vuthari]

The Shadowlands
Kashyyyk

Standing quietly, the Jedi watched the two young Padawans as they dealt with the last katarn. In truth, it was simply another test by Vu’thari. Whether they understood he was testing them or not, they acted out of concern for the creature, yet were wary of its danger at the same time. Watching Aurelian choose to use a stun bolt was ideal for the scenario. Watching Ayasha connect with the creature and cause it to not want to remain in the area also showed signs of maturity, both showing respect for the life that walked upon the Shadowlands forest floor.

Aurelian was ready with medical supplies he retrieved from his pack. Once the katarn had left the immediate area, she said with a laugh, “I'm ready for the medical kit now...”

Looking over at scholar, the Jedi said quietly, “Aurelian…clean the wound, but then I want you to speed up her healing without that kit…”

Both Aurelian and Ayasha seemed to not be sure what he was saying, so the Jedi Master elaborated, “Just as the Force binds all living things, so too does the Force bind our very flesh. Once you clean the wound, Aurelian, place your hand just above her wound. Feel the Force flowing through you. Feel the threads of her skin through the Force. Just like you are trying to piece together a book that has parts scattered into a mess and need to put it together into a logical order to make sense…this analogy is no different than feeling the rend of her skin and mending flesh together. When you feel this sensation and connection with the wound, gently place your hand on her shoulder and allow the Force to bind it further…”

Looking over Ayasha, he explained further, “You can help him with this. A Jedi can hasten the healing of his or her injuries…you just need time and focus. Feel the wound on you shoulder, find the rended flesh, every fiber that is not whole and feel the Force coursing through your body, channeling the Force to your shoulder…”

Pause.

Looking at Ayasha and Aurelian, “Both of you…use the Force, make the shoulder whole.”

@Wolf
@LazySwordsman
OOC/Dice Thread

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Aurelian smiled at her acceptance of his offer as he unslung the satchel from his shoulder. Digging through it’s contents he pulled out a small medkit. He was hardly a doctor but to live a life like he had done and not learn basic first aid would be a foolish choice. He began to straighten up again when he heard the words slip from Ayasha’s lips. Frowning the man spun around small kit box in one hand as he drew his pistol with the other. Glancing at the spot the katarn had been lying a moment earlier he frowned seeing the animal was now gone. His heavy blaster was the most powerful gun he’d ever fired and the stun setting should have been equally potent, he had expected the beast to remain unconscious for hours. It would appear he had been wrong.

‘Stupid durable creature.’ he thought to himself with annoyance as his gaze swept across the treeline.

His attention was soon drawn to a particular spot by a snarl. The katarn was trying to approach them again but this time with much more caution, perhaps still rattled by the earlier attacks it had suffered. Aurelian began to raise his gun again but paused as he felt the force well up within the other padawan. She did something to the animals mind, it was like a mind trick but exceedingly more potent, and it seemed to have the intended effect.

“Impressive.” he commented with a chuckle before focusing on her wound. “Of course, just sit back down and I’ll see to it.”

As she did so he opened the small kit and began to withdraw the necessary pieces when Vu’thari spoke. Glancing at the Jedi Master he listened quietly before nodding slowly. He had heard of healing via the Force, read about applications of the technique and understood the concept but he had never had to do it himself. Well no time like the presence he supposed.

“Very well.” he replied to the Twi’lek. He had learnt during the first days of his touching the Force that confidence was important. To simply try, to even consider that your attempts would end in failure tended to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It was something the scholar struggled with, his mind overly active which he’d frequently been criticised for. So now he would simply do instead of trying.

First he cleaned the wound using mundane methods with the equipment in the medkit. He did so slowly and carefully, not wanting to cause any more pain that was necessary. The wound was ugly looking but it wasn’t as severe as he’d feared upon first inspection. When he was done he put the pieces back into the kit and smiled up at the woman.

“Well here we go.” Aurelian said to Ayasha in a soft voice with a wink.

Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and drank in the power of the Force. It flowed through the scholar like a rapid river and with a will he slowed it, calmed it, as the air around him sang with life. Here in the shadowlands the Force was powerful thanks to the vicinity teeming with life. He had also grown exceptionally strong in the Force lately, he knew that, although he was also aware of his exceedingly limited ability meant that such a strong connection meant very little at the end of the day except it did made things a little easier.

As his mind began to clear, his ever buzzing thoughts quitting and becoming focused on a single purpose. His hands came up to float above the wound as he reached out through the Force towards the damaged shoulder. He might have struggled more than he did if not for Vu’thari’s perfect analogy which fit into the scholar’s understanding perfectly. The shoulder wished to be fixed, the fleshed wished to be whole, it was as if the Force was showing a shadow of how things had to be and exactly what had to be done to succeed in the attempt. The Force was flowing from his hands already towards the damaged area and slowly Aurelian’s hand began to lower. By the time his hands touched the injury it had already began to close, the power of the Light was pouring into it with rich life force even as the padawan’s mind guided the attempt.

Eyes closed and his forehead furrowed in concentration he didn’t even notice the sweat running down his jaw as he strained in the attempt. Aurelian was lost to his surroundings as his entire attention was on healing his new friend.


@Wolf
@Mithias

OOC: Back at last!

 

[Ayasha Waya]

“Aurelian...clean the wound, but then I want you to speed up her healing without that kit,” Vu'thari instructed the scholar as Ayasha sat down beside her fellow student. The young woman raised a brow as she shot an incredulous glance at the Jedi Master. The idea of healing without medication and supplies was well beyond her comprehension, though she was starting to believe that anything was possible with the Force.

Vu'thari went on to explain the process by which one could bind a wound using the very power that bound everything together. He instructed Aurelian to place his hand upon the woman's shoulder and allow the Force to work through him to complete the healing that he would begin within him.

The Jedi Master shifted his gaze to Ayasha and he continued with the lesson, explaining how she could aid Aurelian's efforts. “A Jedi can hasten the healing of his or her injuries...” he added before going on to teach her how to achieve such a supernatural result.

“Both of you...use the Force, make the shoulder whole.”

“Very well,” Aurelian commented before he and Ayasha went to work to heal her wound. First, the scholar cleaned the gash by traditional means. The young woman was thankful for that. She could imagine nothing worse than her flesh closing around a bunch of dirt and germs. That would be an infection waiting to happen.

Aurelian breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. The caramel skinned woman studied his face for a long moment as she began to feel something strange happening between the two of them. There was something akin to a channel flowing from one padawan to the other as the scholar drew upon the Force and focused its energy to the point of injury, pouring his energy and light into it and essentially into the woman.

Ayasha closed her eyes and allowed the flow of the Force to cover her as a waters over a stone upon the bed of a river. She focused upon the pain within the wound, commanding it to retreat. As the pair sat for several minutes in silence, an incredible healing work was happening below the surface in places the eye could not see. Cells began to bind to cells. Blood flow increased within the damaged areas. Soon, skin began to become whole.

The man slowly lowered his hand over Ayasha's shoulder and a deep, penetrating wave of will covered what remained of the wound, beckoning it to close. The woman's efforts from within rose up and met Aurelian's, intertwining just above and below the surface of the skin. Both padawans were sweating, though they were completely unaware of the physical drain that their attempt had caused.

The young woman's eyelashes slowly fluttered open and she set her honey colored eyes upon the place where the katarn had ripped across her shoulder, the skin now whole with only a slight hint of discoloration as the final surface cells finished healing. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at Aurelian and then shifted her gaze to Vu'thari's face. “That's incredible!” she exclaimed before looking back to her shoulder in amazement. At the start of her journey, the young woman would have certainly blamed sorcery for such a feat but now, she was convinced that anything really was possible with the Force.


@Mithias
@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Vuthari]

The Shadowlands
Kashyyyk

“Very well,”

Vu’thari watched intently as the two padawans worked to mend the wound. He admired the focus of Aurelian as he saw to Ayasha’s wound. He could feel the Force flowing through both of them, sensing the unwavering focus as they saw to the difficult task. It seemed like many minutes had passed…and they had. This was not something that could be performed in the middle of combat or under duress. Such healing took time and concentration. Regardless, it seemed like both of them would grow to be better at that skill than he was.

“That's incredible!”

Smiling at the pair of padawans as they finished their work, he beamed, “Very impressive. A big step in your training today. Well done….”

Getting his gear together, the twi’lek prepared his things. Looking over, he told Aurelian and Ayasha, “Sit and rest for a moment. We can spare a few minutes…”

It was a strong recommendation coming from the Jedi “Master”. After waiting the few prescribed minutes and allowing the padawans a moment to collect their gear, the trio trudged onward, deeper into the Shadowlands. After another thirty minutes, a glimpse of white in the distance caught the twi’lek’s eye. Carefully, progressing forward, the three walked closer until it was clear that a large stack of medical supplies lay scattered in a small area next to a great wroshyr tree. They were slightly dented and muddy, but otherwise seemed to be intact. It was then that the Jedi sensed a sudden disturbance in the Force. He had no idea why he was unable to sense it earlier, but those were the kind of questions you ask when you are not under duress. One of the roots at the base of the enormous wroshyr tree was not a root at all--it was a foot. Looking up, Vu’thari met the eyes of a gigantic creature of legend…a terentatuk, the biggest he had ever heard of...

Without warning, a massive, powerful claw swung down atop Vu’thari. He managed to get his lightsaber to his waiting hand, but he never got it lit. The claw gashed into the Jedi, tearing across his face and chest, throwing the twi’lek across the air like a ragdoll, causing his lightsaber to skitter into the nearby bushes. Vu’thari slammed into another tree a couple of dozen feet away with bone-crushing force. Slumped against the tree, the Jedi was no longer moving…

@Wolf
@Lazy Swordsman
OOC/Dice Thread

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Letting out a breath Aurelian stepped back from Ayasha and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a smile. Despite the perspiration he wasn’t actually tired feeling, although a slight tension had begun to build up around his temple but it was no more serious that the beginnings of a mild headache that he often got from reading too much. He smiled at Ayasha’s exclamation. Aurelian was excited too over such a wondrous use of the Force but he was simply quieter in his appreciation of it. Glancing at where the wound once was he shook his head in silent wonder. The flesh wasn’t completely unmarred but it was as if the healing process had been swiftly accelerated, perhaps even improved, and only a slight sign of where the wound had been still remained.

Turning back to Vu’thari he grinned at the Jedi Master’s praise before nodding to his next words. “I think I will.” he laughed and dropped onto log next to Ayasha. Once he’d sat down he felt a slight wariness spread through his body as if he’d just been out for a job. He had expected to be more tired although his knowledge of the technique, until now, had been only academic he had assumed that channelling such life force to heal would be tiring. Rubbing his hands together absentmindedly he wondered if he had just assumed wrongly or if this was a side effect of the fact that his connection to the Force seemed to be growing stronger every day.

“Did you ever believe you’d be doing anything so wondrous?” he breathed softly with a half-smile towards Ayasha.

His chest was still suffused with light, he felt it flowing through him. It was comforting, it strengthened him, it helped push back any exhaustion that attempted to overtake his body or mind. Even without all the techniques and tricks one could do with the Force simply holding the Light within oneself was still what brought the greatest joy to the scholar. He touched it easily, he had done so from the beginning of his training and his only real struggle had been with calming his thoughts. Today he was feeling particularly adept and wondered if the shadowlands, as terrifying as it was, perhaps helped as it was simply so strong with the living force.
After their break was over Aurelian got to his feet and gathered his things walking behind Vu’thari as the Master led the way. The Padawan kept one hand near his holster while his eyes wandered around their surroundings in search of any other beasts. Despite focusing on looking out for dangers he couldn’t help but appreciate that the area was beautiful in an unnerving sort of way. Pausing he noticed that Vu’thari had seen something and he followed, albeit at a slower pace.

It didn’t take long before Aurelian noticed the scattered medical supplies, he stopped and began to lean down and inspect the first one he came across. It seemed unused. Why throw away valuable medic-

Aurelian’s head snapped up as the Force seemed to ripple around him, something cold and unpleasant was tainting the life force of the vicinity. Glancing up the scholar gasped and stumbled to his feet. The colossal beast had moved out, perhaps having been hiding behind the great wroshyr tree, and stood right in front of Vu’thari. Aurelian immediately knew what the animal, the monster, was. He had read about them in old books, they had been vaguely connected to the Jedi, a dark side creature of legend. A Terentatuk.

The beast swung it’s clawed hand out before the Twi’lek Jedi Master could respond sending him limply through the air before slamming into a tree several feet away. If Aurelian had not stopped to inspect the fallen supplies then he might have been close enough to get caught to.

In such a circumstance the scholar would have suspected himself to freeze in fear. To stand in horror at the Jedi Master being so defenceless against the monster. However in the heat of the moment he did not.

Aurelian was already moving, however not towards the fallen Jedi Master, instead he followed the path of the Twi’lek’s lightsaber and threw himself into the bushes as he desperately searched for the weapon. “Go check on Vu’thari!” he yelled without looking back to see what Ayasha was doing.

The scholar had only a vibroblade and pistol. He needed something more if he was to protect his fellow Jedi… his friends.

His hand felt something hard but not quite metallic and Aurelian came to his feet holding the brylark hilted lightsaber. A brilliant gleaming blade as green as the forests of Kashyyyk itself exploded to life from his hand. His other hand went to his waist in one smooth motion he drew his blaster and fired from the waist. The blaster bolt was far more accurate than he would have expected and ripped across the side of the animal’s mouth.

Screaming in agony and rage the Terentatek turned his dark eyes from Vu’thari towards Aurelian. ‘Success of a sort.’ he thought to himself as the animal began to advance towards him. ♦

Aurelian threw his blaster aside and took a two-handed stance. Well he’d gotten its attention. Hopefully Ayasha could check on her master in the meantime, and quickly, he wasn’t going to last long on his own.

 

[Ayasha Waya]

In spite of the surroundings, the short rest had been very enjoyable for the trio. Ayasha drew on the Force to restore the strength she had lost during her effort to help Aurelian heal her shoulder. The scholar turned to his fellow student with a smile that echoed a hint of disbelief. “Did you ever believe you'd be doing anything so wondrous?” he questioned amid a breath. The caramel skinned woman shook her head and glanced down at her near pristine skin. “Not like that!” she shifted her honey gaze to Aurelian's face and grinned.

A few minutes passed and the Jedi Master was leading the pair of padawans deeper into the Black Forest. Ayasha's eyes scanned the thicket as she continued reaching outward with the Force from within, searching for anything that would raise the alarm inside her mind. Vu'thari began to slow and the students followed suit. Just ahead of the trio lay the wayward medical supplies that they had been searching for! The young woman was relieved at the sight of them, hoping to put this experience behind her sooner rather than later.

As Aurelian knelt down to inspect one of the boxes, the padawan's gaze searched the muddied and dented parcels. “They don't look too ba-” Ayasha's words to her fellow student were cut short as both of them turned their heads simultaneously. The caramel skinned woman gasped in sync with the scholar as he found his feet. Time seemed to accelerate and none of the three seemed to be able to react fast enough. Without a pause, the towering creature raised its arm and took a powerful swing at Vu'thari, tearing into his face and chest as the momentum sent him soaring through the air. The twi'lek slammed into a nearby tree and fell into a heap at its base.

“NO!” Ayasha yelled and reached out toward the Jedi Master. A searing pain tore through her chest due in part to the Force Bond she shared with the twi'lek, but mostly caused by the deep ache squeezing her heart. Aurelian dove into the bushes where Vu'thari's lightsaber had disappeared. “Go check on Vu'thari!” the scholar yelled to his fellow student. The young woman stood between the creature and the one she loved, unable to decide what to do first. A war raged in her mind as she weighed the options. She knew if she did not help Vu'thari, he could succumb to his injuries. If she did not engage the creature, all of them might possibly die.

The young woman's eyes darted back and forth between Aurelian, the beast and the Jedi Master. Suddenly her fellow student emerged with Vu'thari's lightsaber and ignited the blade. The green beam of energy hummed to life as the man reached for the blaster at his waist. Ayasha rushed to the twi'lek's side and she placed a her hand against his neck. Within the Force she could feel his life energy, though is was not nearly as strong as was typical of the Jedi Master. “I'm right here...I won't let you die...” the woman whispered in the ear of the beaten and bloodied twi'lek.

She rose to her feet and pulled the borrowed lightsaber from beneath her tunic, her finger swiftly slipping over the ignition switch. The weapon hummed to life as Aurelian fired off shot that ripped across the creature's mouth, giving it an even more horrific appearance than before. The Terentatek roared in pain as it shifted its gaze from Vu'thari towards the scholar. With heavy steps, the beast began to advance on the padawan who threw his blaster aside and gripped the Jedi Master's lightsaber between his hands.

Ayasha was angry. Everything inside of her hated the Terentatek for what it had just done to Vu'thari. She was afraid. Her heart could not imagine life without the twi'lek and she fought hard against the 'what if's' that flooded her mind. Even so, she knew what the Jedi Master had taught her and he would expect nothing less of his student in this moment. This was what he had prepared her for. The raven haired woman drew in a deep breath from the rivers of peace within the Force as she ran directly toward the creature with the lightsaber in her right hand. She leapt from the ground and dove toward the Terentatek, bringing the blade in an arching motion down to the left across her body. As she hit the ground in a controlled roll behind the creature, she heard the beast fall causing a large crash that shook even the wroshyr trees.

The young woman looked over her shoulder and saw that the lightsaber had cut clean through the beast's left leg just above the knee. The Terentatek writhed around on the ground in agony and anger about a meter or two away from the severed leg. Ayasha's thumb slipped over the switch on the lightsaber and the blade hissed as it disappeared into the hilt. She stumbled to her feet and ran back to Vu'thari's side where she collapsed to her knees.

“Finish him!” Ayasha yelled back to Aurelian before fumbling for the comlink on her belt. “SawDip, get the ship closer, Vu'thari needs help! I'm sending you our coordinates now!” she yelled to the astrogation droid over the device. She knew he would not be able to set down right here in the middle of the Black Forest, but perhaps where they had picked up the speeder trucks as there was a large space and the tours had ended for the day. The woman pressed a small button at the back of the device and sent the trio's coordinates to the droid. She shoved the comlink back onto her belt and turned to help Vu'thari.

The padawan's eyes looked over the ghastly wounds that the twi'lek had sustained from the Terentatek's blow. Her heart was pounding within her chest and it felt as if it were being squeezed in a vice. She reached out and gently moved Vu'thari from the slumped position he had landed in against the tree to rest upon his back. She moved his lekku out of the way and gently touched his cheek with a trembling hand. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes but she denied them their wish to fall.

Vu'thari was breathing though each breath was slow and shallow. Ayasha placed a hand upon the twi'lek's forehead and held his hand in the other. She closed her eyes and leaned over him, immersing herself deep in prayer. As she prayed to the gods of her people, to the Force...to anyone that was willing to listen for that matter, she allowed the Force to wash over her and flow out of her and into the Jedi Master. Ayasha wondered in the recesses of her mind if she would be able to share her own life energy with the twi'lek, and so she tried. As she continued praying over him, she let some of her strength flow through her hands and into his body. The padawan was willing to give him whatever it took to keep him alive.


@Mithias
@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

The Padawan took a deep breath to calm his nerves, the Force was flowing through him as it eased his agitation and washed away his fear. ‘There is no emotion, there is peace’. A steady emerald gaze stared at the black eyed beast as it lumbered towards him. Aurelian’s sword came up in a central stance and he prepared to engage the animal once it came into range, he believed it would take several successful strikes before the Terentatuk would go down. Mentally and physically prepared for the engagement he watched in shock as the creature suddenly went down with a screech of pain.

‘Huh...’ was all he had to time think to himself before the Force screeched at his unrefined senses.

The Force was filled with the animal’s agony combined with it's bestial rage towards what should have been it's prey. It had flown with such potency from the Terentatek that the scholar had nearly been sent staggering. He didn't know if it was simply its size or if it was something else but the animal had a far larger presence in the Force than any other creature he'd ever ran into. As such, distracted as he was, when the other Padawan yelled at him to finish the animal Aurelian ignored her.

He stepped slightly closer to the now one legged beast, it appeared Ayasha had removed one of its limbs in a single blow, but stayed out of it’s reach. A cornered dying animal could be exceedingly dangerous after all.

Deactivating Vu’thari’s lightsaber he clicked it to his belt and reached out an arm. The Force flowed from Aurelian, the Light swirled around him, and he tried to ease the animal’s mind. He send a soothing sensation through it in an attempt to take away some of its pain. However the creature’s suffering was too much for the still only semi-trained Padawan. He recoiled from the excruciating agony and Aurelian let out a cry of his own as his vision blackened and the Light was torn from his chest. He could feel tears streaming down his face as, for a moment, his mind opened to all of the animal’s suffering at once and the ripples in the dark side struck him. For a moment it was not the Light that filled him but a bone chilling darkness then the Force vanished from his grasp altogether.

Aurelian wasn’t sure how long he was on his knees for but he felt the wetness of tears on his face. With a shuddering breath he pushed himself to his feet, cringing from the animal’s cries as he looked at the dying animal in horror. Even before he began his Force training the scholar had been a well-balanced individual. He had known how to keep his emotions in check but now fear, anxiety, disgust even anger was rolling around within his mind. He didn’t know how to handle it, his breath was coming out in shuddered gasps and it took every ounce of his will to not simply throw up. The aching coldness still lingered too and he knew what it was, he knew that he’d accidentally brushed against the Dark.

The Jedi-in-Training tried to reach out for the Force but although he could sense it he was unable to grasp it. His mind was too much in disarray and every attempt caused his nausea and the freezing sensation to intensify. ♦

Swallowing hard he withdrew his blasters with shaking hands. There was only one thing he could do for the suffering animal. Raising the twin blasters he aimed at the top of it’s head as it rolled, twisted and writhed on the ground. Heavy blaster and medium blaster bucked in his hands as he fired again, then again, then again. The large Terentatuk, even now, was a resilient creature and it took more than a few shots before it finally went still. Aurelian found he was breathing heavily and felt exhausted as it was finally over. Looking at the ruins of the animal’s head Aurelian dropped his weapons as he stumbled over to a tree and while leaning against it he vomited. He’d seen plenty of death since joining the Alliance, and in the years before, but something about this had unsettled him beyond all such previous events. Worst was that he couldn’t think clearly, rationally, one moment he felt miserable then in another he was furious. Something was definitely wrong. Something Force related.

Once he finally recovered and straightened up he returned to grab his weapons, ignoring the blossoming migraine that was only making him feel queasy all over again. Rubbing at his eyes he removed what traces of tears remained before walking over to the Twi’lek. He saw that Ayasha was trying to administer aid, using the Force to attempt to heal her master.

Aurelian was unable to assist in such a way, whatever had happened to him had crippled his Force abilities although he hoped it was only temporary.

Kneeling next to the Twi’lek he took out his first aid kit with shaking hands and began to administer what first Aid he could with more mundane means. There was only a little he could do however. Eventually, frustrated and angry, Aurelian pushed himself to his feet and looked at Ayasha. “I’ll start gathering up the supplies.” he snapped, his voice trembling with emotion. The sound of his own voice only made the man more annoyed. It was worst because he knew there was something wrong with his emotional balance but he was unable to do anything about it.

Striding over to the clearing, trying to not look at the dead animal, Aurelian began to gather up the fallen medical supplies.

They still had a mission to see to.

 

[Ayasha Waya]

Aurelian was struggling, it was clear to Ayasha. She realized that his reaction was a direct result of the way that he had been trained and it was obviously a different method than the way that Vu'thari had taught her. In their world, it was 'kill or be killed'. The padawan did not enjoy taking the life of a creature or any being for that matter, but it was a fact in this day that they lived. She now wished that her fellow student had been left to begin first aid on Vu'thari so that she could have ended the beast's suffering without prolonging it unnecessarily in a vain attempt to show it a kindness. The kindness would have been in a swift death.

The woman shook her head as she watched the scholar lean against a tree and vomit whatever was in his stomach. She felt a twinge of sadness for the man, but as a hunter, Ayasha had killed hundreds if not thousands of times in her life. It was never easy, but it was a necessary evil in the circle of life. She sighed and continued working the healing power through the Force upon Vu'thari. His life signature was a bit stronger now than it had been and that gave the padawan hope for his recovery.

The scholar joined Ayasha after he had a moment to collect himself following his episode beside the tree. Her brows furrowed as she studied his face, concerned for his emotional state. What had occurred was very real and very traumatizing for the man and the young woman could sense a storm of emotions brewing within him. “I'm sorry, Aurelian. These things are never easy...just necessary,” she said in soft tones, holding her gaze upon his face for a long moment.

“I'll start gathering up the supplies,” Aurelian snapped, his voice wavering with emotion. Ayasha frowned as her fellow student rose from his place beside the Jedi Master and walked off toward the heap of medical supplies. Between his first aid and her attempts to begin healing him through the Force, Vu'thari was stable enough to move. The woman pulled her comlink from her belt and keyed it up to communicate with the droid now piloting the Equinox. “SawDip, just get as close as you can to the speeder trucks. I'll be to you momentarily,” she kept the transmission brief and then clipped the device back upon her belt.

The woman sprinted back to Vu'thari's speeder truck, a short run from their present location. From the back she pulled a large tarp and then hurried back to the scene where the Jedi Master lay injured. She spread the tarp out across the ground and gently took the twi'lek's legs, pulling his lower half onto the plastic sheet. She then took his arms and with a grunt, lifted his torso to join. “I'm going to get Vu'thari to your speeder truck since it's at the back of the pack. I'll get him to the ship and comfortable in his quarters. I'm sorry I can't help you better...” Ayasha paused as she watched Aurelian gather the wayward supplies.

“We can talk later if you like...” she offered gently before grabbing hold of the edges of the tarp in both hands. With a great tug and help from the Force, the young woman began to pull Vu'thari down the path toward the speeder trucks. Thankfully the ground was relatively flat and there were no hills in which she would have to lug him over. The journey was relatively short and with the supernatural help of the Force, it was a lot easier than if she were pulling him along by her own strength.

Soon the padawan spotted the waiting vehicles. She could hear a low droning off in the distance and knew that SawDip was waiting nearby with the Equinox. Ayasha got to the back of the speeder truck and attached the four corners of the tarp to a pulley at the top of the box and began to crank on it, pulling Vu'thari upward until she was able to push him into the vehicle. “I'm right here...you're going to be okay, I promise...” the young woman whispered to the twi'lek before leaning in and placing a soft kiss upon his forehead.

The woman closed a short hatch at the back that would keep the Jedi Master from falling out. She hardly touched the ground while making her way to the controls. Swiftly she hit the ignition and pulled the vehicle around before hitting the throttle. The return trip was not as long as Ayasha was no longer concerned with locating medical supplies or searching her surroundings for anything dangerous. Her primary concern and objective at the moment was to get Vu'thari to safety.

Suddenly a beautiful sight came into view as she neared the Equinox. The woman slowed the speeder truck and pulled up right beside the ship. SawDip was a step ahead of her and had the ramp lowered where he sat waiting at the bottom. Ayasha cut the ignition of the vehicle and hopped out, running toward the back of the speeder truck. “He's pretty bad, SawDip...we have to get him inside quickly...” she instructd the droid.

He beeped and whistled as he approached the padawan at the rear of the vehicle. Without hesitation, she dropped the small hatch that had enclosed Vu'thari in the back of the speeder truck. She slowly cranked on the pulley's handle and lowered him to the forest floor, his broken body still lying upon the tarp. SawDip got to work immediately as his metallic hands reached out and grabbed tightly upon the edge of the tarp and he began rolling toward the ship and up the ramp. Ayasha walked beside the Jedi Master, ensuring no hangups along the way.

Once inside the ship, the droid continued pulling the twi'lek toward his quarters. There Ayasha took over. She gently sat him upright and with every ounce of strength she could muster in conjunction with help from the Force, she pulled him up onto his bed. For several long moments she sat there in silence, breathing heavily from the effort. The padawan knew that though he was stable, he would need a great deal of care to recover from this incident.

Sadness set in as her eyes surveyed the damage to the Jedi Master. She methodically began to peel away the ripped clothing from his battered body. A few bandages applied by Aurelian remained beneath the fabric and those she left. The kolto patches from the scholar's kit would be a great help to the healing process begun within the Force. Ayasha found a soft blanket and pulled it up to the twi'lek's waist, hoping it would help conserve his body heat. She sighed while kneeling down beside his bed, her hand holding his close to her heart. “I'm right here...I won't leave your side, I promise...” she whispered to him.

SawDip beeped a few tones that echoed sadness and the padawan nodded with a frown. “He'll be okay now. We need you to help Aurelian with the medical supplies. He should be arriving in his speeder truck at any moment,” the padawan informed the droid. The little machine whistled and beeped before turning to leave the twi'lek's quarters to go aid the scholar's efforts with the medical supplies. Ayasha rested her head against Vu'thari's shoulder as she closed her eyes and began to pray over him again. It was a miracle in itself that he was alive at that very moment, and the woman was sure to thank the Force that the Jedi Master would live to see another day.


@Mithias
@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Glancing at the other Padawan he nodded when she spoke to him and forced a small smile onto his face. The negative emotions bouncing around his mind where clearly not of a natural origin. His failed connection with the Force whether it was because of his inexperienced usage of the Force or something about the animal’s innately aggressive nature Aurelian didn’t know. What he did know was that his incomplete training had been the reason that he’d failed to defend himself from the rebound. Still no matter how he felt he knew it wasn’t his companions fault and he had to try and not take it out on them no matter how unstable he felt.

“I’ll see you both soon.” he promised.

Continuing to gather the supplies in silence the scholar would pause once or twice to rub at his temples in a futile attempt to ease the pain pulsing through his head. Sighing he made a few trips back and forth between the parked vehicles and the clearing to pack up all of the medical supplies. He found it took both his truck and the other one , either Vu’thari’s or Ayasha’s he couldn’t recall which one had been which, to fit all the surviving supplies.

Aurelian eventually finished and with a little work he managed to use a built in tow cable which was attacked to the back of his speeder truck to hook on the third abandoned speeder. With the weight of the loaded up supplies and the second truck in toe it was a slow trip back to where they had begun.

“I’ve got the other Truck and the supplies so I’ll be back soon.” he said over the communication’s link over Ayasha’s channel.

Eventually the Jedi Master’s ship came into sight and Aurelian pulled his truck up behind it. Taking a moment to run to the second towed truck and deactivated its repulsorlift engines. Checking to make sure none of the supplies where missed before turning to walk towards the ship. A little droid however met the Padawan before he boarded the vessel. Beeping at him Aurelian nodded and gestured back to the trucks. “Ah well hello SawDip. l will start moving the moving the supplies in a few minutes but I just want to check on Ayasha and Master Vu’thari first.” he assured the little droid.

Striding swiftly past the astromech Aurelian went down a few different corridors while searching for the other Jedi, unable to touch the Force he had to locate them with much more mundane means. A little panic bubbled up illogically within the man and he began to practically run in his search. Eventually he found the right door and stepped in slowly, a little breathlessly, and looked from the kneeling woman to the unconscious Twi’lek. Grimacing he nodded towards Vu’thari. “Will he be okay? Should we ask the Wookies if there are any medical facilities nearby?” he asked softly, his voice slightly unsteady due to the accursed emotional state he found himself in. He wasn’t certain that the Wookies had any expertise in treating aliens but at the very least they should be able to help a little, he had no idea how far Ayasha’s healing efforts had went.

“I have the supplies on the truck.” he added absentmindedly with his eyes still locked on the unmoving Jedi Master.

 

[Ayasha Waya]

Ayasha lifted her head as she felt Aurelian board the Equinox. After a moment of wandering, her fellow student reached the room where she was sitting with the badly injured Vu'thari. “Will he be okay? Should we ask the Wookies if there are any medical facilities nearby?” the scholar asked in quiet tones. The caramel skinned woman smiled with sadness in her eyes as she shifted her gaze from the man's face back to the Jedi Master. “I found a hospital facility about an hour's flight from here. SawDip already has the coordinates set.”

The young woman's entire body hurt as the pain from the twi'lek flooded their Force Bond. She was glad to bear it however, if it would take some of the agony from him. “I have the supplies on the truck,” Aurelian added. The woman nodded, her gaze locked on Vu'thari's face. “SawDip was going to help bring the supplies on board. He works quickly and may already have many of the boxes loaded in already.”

The padawan sighed as she continued monitoring the twi'lek's life signature within the Force. He was weak, but far stronger than immediately following the incident. “He will live. Thank the Force...he will live,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. The woman could not help but wonder what she could have done to prevent this from happening. Perhaps she needed to sharpen her Force Sense or her Force Sight? Perhaps it was just a matter of paying attention. Whatever the cause, she felt partly to blame for the state that Vu'thari was in now...and that caused her heart to ache even more than it already was.

Several minutes had passed in silence as the pair sat looking over the Jedi Master. Ayasha could sense that something had happened to Aurelian as well, though it felt like something on a deep spiritual level. She turned to eye the scholar, a weak smile upon her lips. “Thank you for having our backs out there. Certainly both Vu'thari and I would not have survived alone,” the woman said with sincerity in her voice. She wove tendrils of peace and calm around her words as they left her mouth and touched her fellow student's ears. She hoped that her abilities as an empath would help bring him out of the state he was in.

Just then, SawDip appeared around the corner, beeping and whistling in cheerful tones. He was quite pleased with himself it seemed as he had single handedly loaded in all of the medical supplies. “Thank you, SawDip...you are the best droid around,” Ayasha praised the machine. He let out a long whistle to which the young woman smiled more than she had in hours. “Okay SawDip, get us to the hospital! We will have to come back for the speeder trucks...we just don't have time right now.” Ayasha said flatly. It looked as though this ordeal was nearly behind the trio and they had completed the mission at hand.

The Equinox lifted off from the surface of the planet and shot off across the land, carrying the padawans and the broken Jedi Master toward the place of healing. Ayasha was amazed at how quickly an hour of flight passed as she and Aurelian sat sharing small talk at Vu'thari's bedside. The better portion of that time was spent in silence however, as the padawans continued to process what they had just gone through.

Before they knew it, the Equinox was setting down just outside of the hospital. Ayasha was quick to her feet as she hurried up to the cockpit and told SawDip to lower the ramp. He did so and the padawan was gone in the blink of an eye and at the entrance soon thereafter. “I have a twi'lek with wounds inflicted by a terentatek...he needs advanced care now!” the padawan shouted at a pair of wookies behind the emergency desk. They looked at one another and without further hesitation, called for more support and followed Ayasha out to the Equinox. Vu'thari would live to see another day.

@Mithias
@Lazy Swordsman

THE END


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