A Doctor Learns to Fight

[Hazel Zanteres]

Hazel expression was one of awe as she watched Nylea use the Force to shift parts of her lightsaber around. It had been a long time since she had seen something like that, having sometimes wandered the Jedi Temple she had learned in; to see what the actual Jedi were up to.

The Hapan couldn't imagine her doing something like that, having that level of control to be able to rearrange the components of a lightsaber with her mind. Hazel's force potential; as far as she knew, began and ended with healing.

"That was...quite impressive. And very thoughtful, I've certainly seen what a lightsaber can do to someone." She had after all been on various battlefields where Jedi and Sith had fought. The wounds that had been dealt from their weapons had been nightmare enducing in the early days. With Nylea setting the distance between them, Hazel got ready doing her own brief stretches before she ignited her blade once more.

"Ready."

As the Echani had said before, they started off slow. They traded blows at a slow pace to start, with Nylea moving in to strike with obvious swings. Hazel was able to block them, taking a step back as her opponent pressed forwards. Then stepped back before swinging again. This repeated several times, gradually getting quicker similiar in manner as how Nylea had instructed in using the lightsaber prior.

For brief moments Hazel hesitated, much like she had initially before; fearing she'd end up hurting herself. But that quickly disappeared as Hazel's confidence grew. Well, that was until it got a tad too quick and she tried defending one more attack. However Nylea's blade, rather than hitting squarely against hers, instead slid by it and the tip jabbed into the Hapan's shoulder..

She yelped suddenly, flinching backwards. It was indeed nothing more than a slight sting, but it had been the shock of being struck itself that had taken Hazel by surprise.

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

Careful but not-too difficult to block strikes were sent Hazel's way as Nylea closed herself from the outside world. Her focus was only on the two blades and the ones wielding them, a dance that under different circumstances was deadly. Here that was not the case, but that did not change the way she looked at it. The only thing different was the way she landed her strikes, more obvious and slower than normal. Despite this being a practice session where Nylea did not have to block or parry anything herself, she still always struck out in a way where it was easy for her to switch into a defensive stance, more out of habit than anything.

Slowly but surely the echani's strikes sped up, making sure Hazel was able to keep up. Slow steps forward were made as block after block succeeded until one strike seemed to have gone a bit too fast, and after it struck the doctor's shoulder she quickly pulled back and snapped back to reality, putting her saber to sleep for a moment. Noticing the reaction it had caused she quickly walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Everything okay? Sorry about that, I went a bit too quickly there." The everpresent softness in her voice increased, looking to comfort Hazel. It came naturally to her, the wish to be the calm people needed, being the one who mitigated conflicts. "It didn't hurt, right? Just to be sure." Her calm aura was source of the Light in the Force, something that often put people at ease without noticing the fact she even did so.

"Do you want to try something else or do you want to keep going?" Nylea wanted to make sure Hazel was okay to continue before doing anything else. In the end this training session was about her, so whatever she wanted was what the silver-haired woman would do.

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

"Nah it didn't hurt, just stung like you said." There was a slight blush on the Hazel's cheeks, somewhat embarrassed with her reaction. "The sensation took me by surprise, that and the fact I've never been hit with a lightsaber before and I might've momentarily forgot you had changed the setting on your blade." Despite that, the Hapan did laugh lightly at her own expense.

In reality, the strike had struck one of Hazel's old scars. No damage had done, but the sudden blow and the sting sensation had jolted a reminder of it. Of a blaster bolt that had struck her shoulder on one battlefield or another; which at this point the Hapan struggled to recall the specific details.

"I'm fine for one more round, I want to get at least one block rotation done to completion."

As such, the two returned to their initial positions and restarted the bout once more. This time with Hazel a bit more watchful, and Nylea with a bit more caution as the speed gradually increased. Thankfully this time it lacked any accidental strikes, and Hazel got the basic pattern down. Although she pushed for another round, feeling her footwork wasn't still as good.

After about another hour they finally stopped, Hazel panting softly to catch her breath.

"Okay, I think it's time for another break." She chuckled, shutting her lightsaber off and wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Her eyes then lingered over to the cooler, remembering the fact she hadn't just brought water.

"You hungry? I brought some food as well. Don't know if any of it would be to your liking however."

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]​

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

No matter what Hazel said, Nylea could feel it wasn't entirely the case. Something in her mind shifted for a moment when she struck her, the surprise and shock going deeper than she had tried to lead her to believe. Even so the echani did not push it any further by inquiring, instead deciding to leave it be. It was not for her to know, it would only by by Hazel's own volition whether she would explain it or not. "Alright, good to hear. I will be more careful, sorry again." Nodding and giving the doctor a slight smile she went to take her position once more, ready to continue per Hazel's wish. "Another round we will do then. Ready?"

After that hour of training they had made good progress once again, leaving Nylea with a satisfied feeling. It had left her with a rumbling stomach however, so when the hapan called for another break the echani did not contest. "A break sounds good to me." After twirling her saber once she put it to sleep again, clipping it to her belt. Without hesitation she moved towards the trees, appreciating the shade they provided. "I'm always open to trying something new. What have you got?" There was very little food in the galaxy Nylea would pass on as long as it didn't pose any kind of health risk, although she did not worry about health risks here in the slightest for obvious reasons.

As the Jedi sat down she felt something compel her. It was the Force speaking to her as it had done so many times in the past ever since turning to the Light, urging her to do what was right. She quickly realized what it tried to tell her, which was met by a level of apprehension. Yet, she realized it had to be done. "I know it's a bit out of the blue, but would you mind if I, how do I even explain this, open my heart a little while we eat? I have some things to tell you about my past you should probably know. There are things I am not very proud of, to say the least." There was a bit of nervousness to Nylea as she asked the question. [member='Nora Lithos'] had already been told her story, but despite her supportive reaction making it easier for her to talk about it, it remained an uneasy topic. "It's not necessary, or we could do it later too. There's no obligation."

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

"They're nothing really new or specutacular, mostly just sandwiches and snack foods - whatever Yune was able to pull together at the last minute." Hazel chuckled as she followed suit and clipped her lightsaber to her belt. Half the time she was expecting the Twi'lek chef to just turn her away, given how many times she's suddenly sprung something on him without much warning. Most of the time it was for her own benefit; passing meals in favour of working being something the Hapan did often. But then there were times were others were involved. [member="Nora Lithos"] before and now with Nylea today.

Taking her seat back by the tree, Hazel took a moment to enjoy the shade and the cool breeze that had been steadily building up over the past few hours. It was still sunny and relatively warm, but the weather was certainly shifting as the day went on.

After a quick sip of her water, the Hapan pulled open the bag again and began pulling out several small containers. Each were cool to the touch, through one means of another given the heat. She placed them down between herself and Nylea.

"Take your pick." Hazel pulled one of the containers onto her lap and opened it. She looked over at Nylea upon hearing the woman's nervous tone. Wondering what exactly causing that in the Echani. "I mean now's as good of time as any. Certainly sounds like something you need to say?"

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]​

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

Nylea looked at the containers as they were taken out and doing so made her appatite grow even further. Yet as she took one and let out a "thank you" and studied its contents for a moment she could not bring herself to try to get it past the lump in her throat. Deep down she wanted to avoid the topic and shove it off to later, but it had to be done. It was the right thing to do and Hazel deserved to know. Nora already already knows, how hard could it be to tell the story again? Those words of self-encouragement would have to do.

"I already explained I once made a vow to never take a life under any circumstance, but there's more to that vow than just a belief that all life is of value." The echani took a breath. There was no way back now and whatever happened was what she would have to deal with. "There's a story I want to tell you. It goes back to when I was fourteen, back when I still lived on Eshan with my parents. I did not know of my connection to the Force, but the way I discovered makes me wish I never did." Her expression was grave as she looked straight in front of her. Mental scars opened back up once more, the pain and guilt still stuck in her mind. "I was... taken. By a Dark Jedi. He sensed my 'potential' and give me two options with a lightsaber at my throat. Follow him to Coruscant and become his apprentice or die. I was scared, and decided to follow him. I felt I had no other choice." The red glow that almost blinded her, the blistering heat that scorced her throat was something she still felt sometimes, like a phantom pain. This was one of those moments.

That was the easiest part to talk about. What happened on Coruscant however was an entirely different story. "I was pushed down the path of the Dark Side against my will, but..." Just thinking back to that time was enough to make her uncomfortable. "Once the Darkness grabs you it doesn't let go. It festers in your being, warps your mind. It changed me." The person she had become disgusted her looking back. It was the source of her eternal feelings of guilt, a dark chapter of her life. "What drove me over the edge was a trial of sorts. I woke up in a room with a captive woman. She was bound to a chair and in front of it was a table with my lightsaber on it. I was told to either kill her or take my own life. Fear got the better of me, and I... I killed her." If there was one fear Nylea had, it was fear of death. He had exploited that to drive her further into the Dark side, and succeeded. "Something in my mind just snapped, somehow. Like I became numb to death. I killed innocent people for no reason and I can blame it on the Dark Jedi or the Dark side, but my hands are what the blood is on." She was ashamed of who she was. It was something she would have to live with for as long as she walked the galaxy and she didn't know who she could ever give it its proper place. If such a place even existed.

"The Force saved me, reached out its hand to lift me out of the hole I had fallen into. A Jedi master had come to stop the one who had corrupted me, but only when they were stuck in bladelock did I act. I had to choose, and I chose the Light. The Dark Jedi is the last person I ever killed." Mentally, the woman was in agony. She wanted to cry but couldn't, as if something prevented her from doing so. "Right then and there I tossed the lightsaber out of the apartment window and made my vow in front of the Jedi. She trained me, connected me with the Light. It was a rough journey, but it was the first step towards doing the right thing."

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

She had barely got a bite into her sandwich when Nylea had begun to tell her story, it wasn't exactly surprising that it remained untouched as she focused on the Echani. Hazel remained silent and allowed the woman to speak unimpeded.

The Hapan simply watched as Nylea went through a series of expressions, the first she recognized as something familiar. It reminded her of the countless soldiers she knew, especially does she had fought alongdie of years ago. Drumming up memories of those time was never kind to one's mind, but it was generally better to let it out rather than bottling it up forever. Their eyes would always become fixed towards some far off thing, knowing they weren't really paying attention to it. Instead they were remembering a particular moment, likely flashing before them as though it was only yesterday it had happened.

Hazel had her own share of those moments, even though she was never on battlefields pulling the trigger. She was still there to bear witness to the horrors that came as a result. A lot of them involved Sith as they tore through her friends and comrades. Back then, amongst the common soldier there was a shared fear for what the Force was capable of, most especially in the hands of someone who wanted to deliberately destroy and harm.

It was the person that did the deed, not the Force. That was a lesson that had occured to Hazel after finally stepping away from the fighting. Though her knowledge of it wasn't the greatest, and sometimes she wondered if the Force was truly corrupting.

She continued to listen intently, watching as Nylea paused part way through. It was clear that the Echani had hit a point that was difficult to bring up, but managed to push forwards and continued to speak. By the end of it, Hazel had no idea what to say. What could even be said, other than words of comfort.

Either way once Nylea was finished, the first thing Hazel did was lean over and pull the Echani into a hug.

"Thank you, I gather that wasn't easy for you to openly talk about. So thank you for trusting me enough to reveal it."

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]​

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

Talking about it hurt. Not only because of the pain she had caused, but the fear of the reactions of the ones she had confessed her past to. Twice had she done it now, and both times was the reaction supportive and one of understanding, but there was always the creeping dread that such a thing would not happen. That the one hearing the story would reject her, hate her. She deserved that, in her mind it was what should come to her everytime she told the story.

Yet, it was the third time telling the story causing Nylea to feel the embrace of the one she had opened up to. Those three moments were all of equal value and one of the most meaningful moments in her still relatively short life to her and she returned the hug with the feeling as a major weight had been lifted off her shoulders. As the echani's head rested on Hazel's shoulder she couldn't hold back a tear as it ran down her cheek down to her jaw where it stopped. "It doesn't stop being terrifying, talking about it." She quickly wiped the tears from her face and let go again, the hint of a careful smile forming on her face. "The only reason the Coruscanti authorities didn't sentence me was because of the Jedi's influence there. Despite everything I have done, I have been given a second chance. On Coruscant, and here. I don't understand why, but thank you."

The last bits of fear slowly dissipated as relief took over, leaving Nylea feeling much better. "It means so much to me that you accept me for who I am, even with my past. I still have trouble putting it behind me, I probably never will, but you and Nora are the reason I keep my head up. I owe so much to the both of you, telling you my story was the least I could do."

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

If anything Hazel had tightened her hug even more, furthering the welcoming warmth as Nylea shook slightly with the emotions that were currently running through her. It reminded the Hapan of the few times she had been in the same situation, feeling a fear that had welled up within - building up on the doubt you had when it came to revealing a dark part of your life to someone who trusted, someone you didn't want to lose as a friend.

"Yeah the Jedi can be like that, I've known several of them personally. Hell, I've seen them giving second chances while in the middle of a battlefield." Hazel remembered the first time she had witnessed that. For her, she had been amongst soldiers for the majority of her military career, as such she borrowed similar points of view. Namely that they were there to fight and kill, not ask questions. So when a Jedi had gone about trying to talk down an enemy sympathizer or even a Sith, Hazel and her squad had looked like they had grown a second head.

Sure she had experienced how the Jedi taught during her time learning to be a healer, but it never really stuck until those moments amongst the countless battlefields.

"I'm glad someone had found you, saw the good that was still in you and gave you that second chance. Fairly certain both the Light and in general the Jedi are a bit more better of with you on their side." Hazel smiled, continuing the hug until she felt Nylea had relaxed and wasn't shadowed by the negative emotions.

"I know I'm glad to have you with us, as part of the Sacred Lotus."

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]​