Aftermath: Seeking Answers

[Sobaan Palle]

Tirahnn had recently undergone some turmoil. A Sith had sought to cleanse the world of it's population and had done a pretty good job of it. Numerous dead in the main city of Tirahnn, and many others ultimately distressed by what had happened. It was not a good situation and Sobaan had brought some other healers from the Je'daii with him, and resources from Overlock Industries, but ultimately he had left them alone to do what they needed to help people and had wandered into the hard hit city.

Some people refused to visit the set up emergency centers. Some just couldn't get there. The bravest emergency workers went deep into the city, where they risked running into the people who were still mentally infected by what had happened. It was not safe, even now. Sobaan wasn't worried about his personal safety. As an adherrent of Qiqong Kesh, he was interested in finding out the details of what had happened so that he could figure out how to help people with the effects that still lingered. He wasn't going to do that with the people who had already recovered from the mental effects. He had to find someone still suffering.

A scream resounded from an alley and Sobaan stopped in his tracks. It could be a normal crime, but he suspected not. Moving swiftly, he entered the alley and found a man stabbing a woman repeatedly.

"Stop," he said, lifting the man away with the Force.

The man screamed at him and tried to move from his grasp, but it wasn't working. Sobaan could feel the darkness within him and he wanted to explore it, but the woman was bleeding out. He moved to her and touched at her wounds, slowing the flow of blood to stabilize her, and then he lifted her up in his arms and went to look for someone that could help her. Maybe a healer that had been brave enough to wander into the depths of the city. The attacker floated along with them, Sobaan keeping him from harming anyone else.

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

War. War never changes.

I picked my way through the city, opening my eyes only to glance down and step over or around obstacles. Otherwise, I let the force draw my path ahead of me. It felt like the needle-point of a compass, but with the sharpened tip facing inwards, so my heart was pierced on it with every beat. There was so much pain here, so much death. If I let my mind continue to unravel the fabric of what had happened here I would descend into a pit of darkness and despair. One lone heart was never meant to take on such a burden.

So, instead, I looked out, choosing to see how beautiful this city would one day be again. Once the work was done, once everything had healed. The gold in the cracks would shine with the brilliance of a thousand suns.

There were other force signatures around. Not many, but a few. While they likely all needed help, I resisted the urge to approach them all, letting out my breath in a low sigh and allowing the force to overtake me completely, guiding me to where I was needed most.

The alley.

I felt the pain and anger through the force a moment before I heard the scream. Opening my eyes, I hurried towards the sound.

Rounding a corner, I gasped, raising a hand to my lips, as I saw the scene before me. A man with emerald green skin and smooth headtails was walking towards me, the limp, bloodied form of a woman scooped up in his arms. My focus honed directly on the wounded soul. She had been stabilised, but was still very much suffering, and had a long journey back to safety. I almost didn’t notice the man floating along behind them, suspended by the force. There was darkness in that man’s heart. Although his physical body was fine, he needed my healing as much as the woman he’d hurt.

Racing towards them, I stopped just before the green-skinned man. My heart was in my throat. I didn’t often approach others, nor did I enjoy speaking much. And never did I presume to give commands. But this was a special case, and the force had shown me what I had to do.

“Excuse me.” I murmured, “I can help.”


[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

He saw her before she got close. The presence of the Force was unmistakable, but what he really saw was who she was. No, not a name. Not anything of that nature, but her actual nature. He'd call her a helper. Her life was focused almost entirely upon helping people and she most likely drew satisfaction from helping people. She wasnt the type to fall into creating the situations she saved people from. She was more of a reactionary. Bright, caring. She was the healer he was looking for.

When she came up to him and said as much, he gently lay the woman down on the side of the road and removed his jacket to use as a pillow for her. He didn't say a word. The woman needed help and he didn't want to distract the healer from the work she needed to do. Besides, he had his own work to attend to. The man who had been floating along with them needed his attention. There was knowledge to be gained, and countermeasures to be developed.

But also the man needed help.

Sobaan lowered him so his feet rested on the ground and reached into a pocket to pull out a notebook and a pen. Yes, he was writing on flimsi rather than taking notes digitially. It was easier for him to focus on what he was writing, which allowed him to get the right thing down. When he was ready, he walked up to the man and lifted his hand to touch his forehead. The man tried to jerk away, and then tried to attack him. He was not capable of doing either of those. Sobaan wasn't going to allow him to move until he was done.

He scribbled a note in his book about the man's dialated pupils and then closed his eyes to start delving into the darkness. By this point it was mostly residue. There was a clear impression of darkside energy having been used on the man. Not used specifically, as in he hadn't been purposefully targeted, but used in a broader sense. What had been done here was not a poison. The darkside residue was localized to the man's mind, not the rest of his body.

After a few minutes of delving, he opened his eyes and stepped back. Fingers moved swiftly as the pen danced across the page. He noted the exact time, adding it beneath the reported beginning of incident. He noted the presence of darkside residue, but no obvious toxins. It was not a long term presence of darkness,but what it had done clearly altered the mind of this particular individual. He would have to examine others to see if that was a consistent thing.

"How is she?" he asked, glancing over to the Pantoran girl where she worked.

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

I watched as the man lay down the woman upon the sidewalk, removing his jacket and placing it under her head. The silence lay around us like a fog, no words needed to be said. As he turned to deal with the man whom had caused this, I set to work.

She was in a lot of pain. Her whimpers were so soft, her voice cracking as the pain wracked her body. Gently, I place my hands on her chest, carefully removing the blood-stained clothes. My touch faltered as my fingertips brushed her skin, my breath catching in my throat. The moment I touched her, the agony that had been coursing through her body ripped through me. My sharp gasp of pain caught the air along with her sigh of relief. For a moment I remained frozen, fighting to clamber on top of the pain, to push through it, to return to my work.

I took a deep breath, then another. She needed me. I might have taken the pain, but the damage was still on hers. Letting out a sigh, I finished peeling away the ruined clothing and inspected the wounds. They were deep. If it hadn’t been for her mysterious rescuer’s timely intervention, she would have gone into the force by now.

Silently I closed my eyes, breathing through the agony as I touched her wounds. The flesh was warm, wet and soft to the touch. Letting the force flow through my fingertips, I felt the wounds beginning to close. As I worked, I began to feel the pain slowly but surely subside. My eyes were closed, my hands on her skin, I had no idea how much time had passed. Moments? Minutes? Hours? I opened them when I heard the man’s voice for the first time. How is she?

I didn’t answer right away, waiting for her wounds to finish closing and the last of the pain to reduce to a dull ache before I pulled her torn shirt back over her and stood. The scars would remain, and when fully healed, be a faint, glimmering gold in colour.

“She will live.” I replied, bowing my head, “thanks in no small part to you.”

I paused, taking a moment to steady myself as I swayed a little on my feet. Perhaps I’d exerted myself a little more than I’d expected,

“What about him? I can…” I moved a hand to my head, grimacing against the incoming wave of pain, “I can heal him too…”



[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

She had skill, but it was exhausting her. Undoubtedly she had been at this for a very long time, and was probably refusing to stop so long as there were people that needed attention. He admired her tenacity. The problem with it, though, was that ultimately she would turn herself into a patient, not alleviating the problem but increasing it. Still, it wasn't something she was likely thinking about because she seemed the type to be utterly selfless. He, on the other hand, had noticed precisely what was going on, and as she wavered, and then lifted a hand to her head, he set the pen in his book, closed it, and moved over to her, reaching to lay a hand gently upon her back, and allowing the Force to flow through him into her.

"You need to be careful that you don't overtax yourself," he said, offering her a smile.

Turning his gaze downward, he took in the woman, who did seem much better, and was breathing in the manner of one who was asleep, rather than one who was in distress. That was a significant improvement. The girl had a great aptitude for healing. He wondered where she had learned and if she belonged to any particular group. The Je'daii could always use more people to get involved in the healing arts, or, at the very least, his company could use some people skilled in it. He wouldn't mind telling Ms. Paltro to branch the company out into the emergency response area. They could build some hospital ships, see about acquiring a contract for some medical droids and medical supplies, and go around dealing with situations like this one.

That was probably a bit too much to discuss before offering names, though. And there was, as she mentioned, the matter of the man he had held in stasis.

"He will need it in a moment. I'm studying what was done here to figure out how to counteract it or stop it in the future. I suspect this won't be the only time this sort of catastrophe occurs. I've heard from some of the locals that the person responsible called themselves The Terror, so I doubt one world will be enough to satiate their ego."

Once he was certain that she was going to be alright, he went back to his subject and touched his forehead again. After a few moment, he pulled his hand away, and with it came a mystical inky black energy, which he held up in the light for a moment before tossing it away. He watched as it dissipated on the ground, appearing to be absorbed. The man, for his part, calmed considerably, eyes rolling back into his head as he passed out. Sobaan lowered him gently to the ground and then grabbed his pen to start writing some notes in his book. When he was done, he put the pen away, and then stored the book in a pouch he wore around his middle. He then turned his attention back to her.

"His mind is freed from the energy that had engulfed him. You might want to check on his body, though. He's rather weak."

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

I glanced up as the man came over to me, laying a hand on my back.

At first, I didn’t know what the gesture meant, until I felt the force, like a warmth, flowing from him into me. The aching pain in my head melted away, my muscles felt a little stronger, the weakness receding for the time being. He spoke before I could, offering me a smile. I stepped slightly away, not wishing to use more than I absolutely needed to from his generous offer. My head was kept turned down, but I chanced a subtle glance at him as he looked over our patient.

“Thank you,” I murmured, smiling softly, “I’ll be alright… I just… need a moment or two.”

I bit my lip, wishing in that moment that I did not need those few extra moments to catch my breath. I should be able to keep going. But now was not the time for such thoughts, now was the time to focus on our wins. The woman would live, the man had been stopped from hurting anyone else. We had made a difference today. I glanced briefly at his notebook as he closed it, wondering what he may have been writing down.

“The Terror?” I repeated slowly, “sounds like a very lost soul indeed.”

I closed my eyes a moment. I doubted very much that anyone here wanted to hear my plans for him. He would likely be well-protected, seeing as one didn’t commit such horrors as these and not expect to be sought after for revenge. But… perhaps if he knew I meant him no harm, that my intentions were only to heal… maybe he would let me close enough. But these were thoughts for another time. Right now, I was still needed.

I watched as the man returned to his quarry, drawing some inky black mist from the man’s mind. He studied it a moment before letting it disperse. I hadn’t seen such magic before and took a step to one side away from where it disappeared.

“You’re quite talented,” I replied as I stepped towards the other man that needed my attention, “these two are lucky you found them.”

I raised a hand to the captive’s cheek, resting it there as I felt his weakness and pain rush from him and into me. He was weak, but physically unharmed. Taking a moment to shoulder his fatigue, I removed my hand. If whatever the handsome, green-skinned man had done had healed his mind, he should now start to feel back to his old self. I turned back to face the emerald man. He towered over me, the sun gleaming off his headtails. He looked… like a Togruta, but his markings were different. He was… utterly peculiar.

I love peculiar.

“So…” I mumbled, taking a breath to gather my confidence, “You uh… you got a name?”



[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

"A practitioner of Bogan, I think," he said in response to her lost soul comment. "They lack balance."

She noted that he was talented and he shrugged it away. While he appreciated the compliment, he didn't want such thoughts to go to his head. Ego and pride had been the reasons his father had ultimately fallen into the depravity that Sobaan had discovered. He did not wish to also succumb to such things. Balance was what he needed. Balance in all things. He wasn't quite there yet, having been spurned by his two previous loves, both of his own accord. Time would fix that.

When she moved over to help the man, he stood back, out of her way, and watched what she did. As she worked, he pulled his notebook out again and wrote down more notes. All knowledge of the Force was worth recording, and he wanted to take in her way of doing things. She seemed to take their pain into herself, which was dangerous, to him, but for her seemed second nature. It was her way of practicing the art of Force healing. And that was worth noting, just as his own discoveries had been.

When she asked his name, he smiled again.

"I suppose small talk won't be a distraction now. My name is Sobaan Palle. I'm a Je'daii Journeyer and adherrent of Qiqong Kesh, the temple of knowledge."

He offered a dip of his head in her directing as he put his notebook away once again. His assessment of her had been spot on. She put everything into what she did, and a part of herself in such a process was a sign of true dedication and caring. He admired her for it. Perhaps they could work together further while they were on the world. There was more work to be done for them, certainly. Clean up would take ages.

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

Balance.

Something I myself struggled with. My eyes once again travelled to the poor man, seeing him not as a thing to be pitied, but a warning about what could happen to me, one of the many terrible fates that awaited those who did not find balance.

I had noticed that the man had stepped back and pulled out his notebook again, studying my methods as I worked. This wasn’t wholly unusual, as my way healing was different from what many were used to, the notebook struck me. There was something poetic about putting a pen to filmsi, something… simple. I hadn’t seen anyone else in all my travels who didn’t use a datapad, so it was a pleasant interruption to tradition to see.

“Sobaan Palle.” I repeated the name.

It was a nice name. Although, I hadn’t heard of the order he mentioned. As he nodded to me I dipped my own head, dropping one leg behind me and lowering myself into a curtsey,

“Kintsugi, or Kint, if you haven’t the time.” I blushed.

After giving this Sobaan my name, I turned back to the woman. She seemed to be recovering, managing to pull herself up into a sitting position. I knelt beside her and pulled a canteen from my belt. Placing one hand on her back, I offered it to her. The woman accepted, slowly unscrewing the cap and taking a sip.

“Gently, now.” I murmured, “don’t try to rush anything.”

As she drank, I removed my hand and collected Sobaan’s jacket. I shook it off before pulling it onto my lap. Once I was sure the girl would be alright I could stand back up and give it back, but for now I just wanted to make sure she was okay.


[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

Kintsugi. He was not familiar with what her name might mean, but he did understand the beauty of it. He also understood the meaning of the blush, and he understood that her life was about helping others. If he had to guess, he would think she didn't have much care for anything outside of helping others. She was selfless aboit it, taking their pain upon herself as a way of healing others. He admired that. She was different. He had never met anyone so selfless before. Even what he had done had partly been for his own gain.

When she went back to the woman, who was now sitting up, he watched her as she tenderly dealt with her, even while taking up his jacket, which she rested in her lap. Every facet of her was special. All she wanted in that moment was for the woman to be alright. Was that normal? Even among the Je'daii, a group that was about balance and Force study and non-intervention he had never seen anyone like her. Everyone had their wants and desires, but he didnt think she wanted dor anything aside from the woman being healthy.

He turned away and wondered why he couldnt be like that. Sure he wanted to help these people as much as anyone did, but he had come primarily to get information first, and help them second. He didnt even know how to react to this revelation about himself. All he could do was look down at the man who had repeatedly, viciously stabbed the woman and wonder how someone could harbor such hate in their mind. This made him remember his father, and thrn he understood.

He knelt down beside the man and reached a hand out to touch his head. The mind was a series of compartments. Anyone with the skill to see as much could figure out how those had worked. Rather than allow this man to suffer in the knowledge of whst he had done, which would either lead him to do it again or kill himself out of an abundance of guilt, Sobaan took that part of him and wiped it away. He would remember the ttragedy that happened to the world, but not his part in it.

"You are a brave and selfless person, Kintsugi. I wish more people were like you," he said without looking at her.

If only the galaxy could be like her. The peace they would have. Thr guilt he would not need to carry. Wishes gone in the blink of an eye.

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

Sobaan was… gentle.

Having spent much time around the broken and lost, it was refreshing to see someone who had healed. Looking at him, I could see scars. They glimmered gold beneath his skin, evidence that he had gone through some intense hardship. I didn’t know what, exactly, nor did I see fit to ask. He was here now, helping these poor souls, that was all that mattered.

As I tended the woman, I noticed that he had knelt by the man, placing a hand to his head. I felt a grimace try to force its way onto my lips, but I smothered it. It was far from my place to decide what would and would not be best for that man. Besides, I could be wrong, he may not have been taking or altering his memories. Or if he was, it was probably for the best. No, definitely for the best. Darkness is a foul thing, it was probably more selfish to assume that someone would want it to stay, just for the sake of a few memories.

I was pulled from my thoughts as he spoke. Pulling myself to my feet, I turned to Sobaan with a soft smile,

“Your words are kind, Sobaan,” I replied, “but I’m not brave.”

I turned from him to gaze at the city around us,

“Would you… stay with me a little while? It’s much easier having another pair of hands around… only if you want to, of course.”



[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

"I would be delighted," he said, nodding his head, before holding up a commlink. "Tristan?"

"Go ahead, Mr. Palle."

"Send some personnel to my position. I have two individuals that need help with recovery."

"On the way."

Sobaan lowered the commlink and put it back where he got it before turning back to her. Leaving the two like they were now would have been gross negligence on their part. He didn't figure she would like that much, and neither did he. The man, on some level, might have deserved it. Might have. Ultimately he had decided that wasn't the case, but he also decided that it was better if people with stun weapons took care of them.

Instead, he offered Kintsugi his arm. It wasn't but a moment later that a speeder pulled up and a few individuals in grey uniforms stepped out. They moved over and began to assist the two downed individuals. They would be fine and there was no need for them to hang around there. He wanted to get them moving in search of someone else to help. There was still a big city out there with people that were hiding away from the help that they desperately needed.

"How did you come to be a healer?"

It might be a bit straightforward, but honestly he just wanted to know. Usually people like her involved to some order or other. It didn't seem like that was the case, but he was curious to find out all the same.

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

Sobaan agreed to accompany me.

I had expected he might; I sensed gentleness in him, a desire to help people, and a strong protective instinct to boot. What I had not expected, was the wave of butterflies that danced to life in my stomach at his words. I felt my brow furrow for a moment, wondering what had happened, as he held up a commlink.

I turned away from him slightly, giving the man a little privacy as he exchanged a few quick words with the man on the other end. I didn’t have a commlink on me, having arrived and begun working alone.

As Sobaan lowered his commlink and turned to face me, I turned back to face him as well. He offered his arm, yet another gesture that seemed to make my heart flutter. I bit my bottom lip in thought for a moment before I reached out and slipped my petite blue arm into the crook of his much stronger green one. The smile that spilled onto my face at the gesture was involuntary, as was the deep blush that I felt warm my cheeks. A somewhat nervous chuckle escaped my lips right as a speeder pulled up, a few uniformed men jumping out to tend the citizens.

Instinctively I’d stepped in closer to Sobaan, slightly startled by the vehicle’s noise. Upon noticing that I had, I stepped back out again and mumbled a barely audible apology. As we watched the man and woman being cared for and moved into the speeder he asked a question. Keeping my eyes on the scene, I shrugged, grateful for the distraction from my thoughts for a moment;

“I have always been, I suppose.” I began softly, “mother and father gave themselves to the war, so I guess I’ve just always wanted to make them proud. The lady that raised me said she knew my parents. She told me that mother was a skilled healer as well. So perhaps, biologically at least, I inherited my skill from her.”

I turned up to him and smiled, indicating that there was no sadness in speaking about my parents. Sure, they were gone now, but I had made peace with that some time ago. Their legacy, their generosity, was something that should be shared and valued, not hidden away. Such was the nature of healing wounds, anyway.

“What about you? Did your order send you here?”

[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

She shied away from the speeder as it approached, but he didnt move so she just kind of cowered a bit against him. Not that there was anyyhing to worry about. The people that got out worked for him and they quickly went about their task before moving on. That left the two of them alone and he was able to listen to her talk about her past. She didn't at all seem bothered by the fact that she'd lost her parents to war. She had clearly made peace with her past.

He turned her away from the scene and started leading her along down the street in the direction opposite from the central response center. If they were going to help people, they needed to go and find all of the people that weren't seeking attention because they were too afraid to come out of their homes. They were the most vulnerable to being lost and not everyone was looking for them. Some only looked for what they saw.

"The Je'daii didn't send me here, no," he said, shaking his head as they walked. "I came because I have the resources to help. Plus I wanted to understand what happened. Learning about this can help stop it in the future."

True, he was going to complete a task that he needed to complete as part of his journey, but he'd really come to help and learn. When it came to his philosophy on life, he was very centrist. Sometimes bad things needed to happen, but sometimes he knew that the bad things needed to be stopped. Plus he was keen on learning about new things. That was his joy in life. Though he had to admit that walking around with [member="Kintsugi"] on his arm was rather enjoyable as well.

"How do you travel about to help people? Or, I guess, how do you decide where to go at any one time?"

 

[Valgærd]

The tall emerald-skinned man guided me away from the scene.

He was protective, gentle yet he wasn't shy or skittish like I was. We were ready to move away from the rescue centre and venture out into the city proper. This was where we would find the ones who truly needed our help. It was strange, perhaps, to do this with another person. Normally I was picking my way through scenes like this alone, keeping one ear out for those might need me, the other focused on avoiding walking myself into trouble. There was a certain... peace that came about from walking with someone else, someone on the same side as me. There was no way I could relax when there were people out here that needed me, but with Sobaan here, I could take a few moments to simply exist, not having to worry quite as much. It was... a pleasant change.

I listened as he answered my returned question, mentioning that he had not been sent here by his order, but rather had come of his own volition, confessing his desire to find out what had happened. At first, I was sceptical. Where was the place for the pursuit of knowledge in a place of such difficulty and pain? But the moment that thought entered my mind, I felt another chase it away. I had come here to treat the individuals; to find and help what few people I could. What Sobaan was doing, would stop this disaster at its source, and in doing so, help many more people.

To his answer, I nodded. Many pursued knowledge and answers, it was a good thing that this man did so with compassion as well. He asked me another question, one that brought a soft smile to my lips and s subtle shrug to my shoulders,

“I don’t really,” I replied, “I let the force take me. When I choose to go where it leads, transport always seems to be available.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I thought back, recalling the string of luck and coincidences that had led me to always being where I had desired to go. As we walked, I felt a question of my own bubbling up on my tongue, refusing to go unasked. With a sigh, I relented,

“If it’s not too forward, Sobaan,” I asked quietly, “may I say… I’ve never seen your ilk before. Emerald skin… montrals, you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”



[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

Even though they were walking and he was quite interested in the small, blue-skinned young woman on his arm, he made sure to keep a keen eye on their surroundings. He also made sure that he was casually feeling out the area for signs of turmoil and trauma. He did not want them to be caught unawares, but he also wanted to be sure that they were still doing ehat they had both come there to do. Becoming totally distracted would not be good of them.

The way she answered his question made sense. It would be very hard to choose where they should go when there were so many places in the galaxy that were suffering. It might become maddening to try and decide which place had the greatest need. He did not envy her there. Her method of relying on the Force was more than likely the bestway to handle things, though. He didnt know how else to do it.

When she asked about his race he couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I get that question a lot," he said, turning to offer her a grin. "Most people see the montrals and think Togruta but then become confused by my green skin. It makes for a good conversation starter."

Although he hadn't experienced any speciesm personally because of it, he still suspected that if he visited Shili or Mirial he would be looked down upon. His father probably had viewed him as a superior mix of both because each had their specialties, but he just figured he was like everyone else but better at climbing trees and running. That wasn't the most bifty thing in the galaxy and the Force could easily balance those out.

"I prefer to call myself a Togrutalian. My mother is a Togruta, and my father was a Mirialan. I got her striping but his skin tone. So far as I know, I'm the only one like me. Do genetics interest you?"

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

To my relief, it seemed that Sobaan didn’t seem all that bothered by my somewhat personal question.

In fact, he grinned as he told me that he got it a lot. Oh, right, of course. There was no hiding his brilliant blue and emerald markings, of course people would notice, and many of those would be compelled to ask him. I smiled as he explained, calling himself a ‘togrutalian’. I repeated the word silently to myself, trying to remember it. He fascinated me. Half Togruta, half Mirialan, likely the only one of his exact kind in the galaxy; a unique treasure.

Now it was my turn to chuckle as he asked me a question, shaking my head as I held tightly to his arm,

“Genetics? Me? Oh no, I don’t have the brain for that kind of thing. Curiosities, hidden treasures, little morsels of knowledge… those are more my speed. And healing, of course.”

I glanced around us at the cityscape as we walked, feeling idly the pull of the force. So many directions, so many people in need all over. Different tugs came at different strengths. I had never understood that, was the pull stronger towards those who needed me the most? Or those with the strength to reach out, whether they were conscious of it or not?

A sigh uncoiled from my chest before I could stop it.

“So much need…” I murmured, gazing into the distance.

Shaking my head, I changed the subject,

"Why would someone do this? Do you have a theory about this bogan practitioner? Are you... going to go after them?"


[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

She liked to learn. Just like him. Curious how they had things in common and yet were also different. She sought to heal the body and he sought to find a way to stop things from happening. He also sought ways to heal the spirit and mind, but those were just necessities for accomplishing the first goal. Nit that he didn't care about the people he was helping or anything. On thr contrary; he cared for them greatly. He just cared for them differently.

As they walked he felt a tug towards a nearby building and so started stearing them towards it. It wasn't danger that he felt, but as he neared he still felt the need to be protective and go first. As such, he released her from his arm and moved to the door, stepping inside ahead of her and looking around. The first floor was mostly deserted, and certainly full of trash. There were blood smears on the floor as well. Another place of disaster.

"People do things for a lot of reasons," he said when she asked about the person who did it. "Some of them for personal gain. Others for glory. Some for nothing at all. This, however, I believe was a test site."

He motioned for her to follow him and headed for the stairs. The building had a turbolift, but he didn't trust it not to be filled with a horde of wading bandits or worse if they called for it. Plus he had seen the bloodstains at the door. He didn't want her exposed to whatever had caused them. The tug he felt in the Force was coming from three stories above them anyway. It would be just as easy for them to climb the stairs.

"I have people trying to figure out who did this and track them, but I don't expect results. This person was very sophisticated in their use of the Force. They knew exactly what they were doing even if it was new to them. They will strike again, but where is an unknown. You can't hunt for ghosts. Have to get lucky or wait for them to come to you."

He pushed open the third floor door and looked up and doen the hall. Not seeing anyone, he stepped out and held the door for her before walking down the hall to a nondescript door. Only someone with the Force to guide them would have seen this far. And he saw more than most did. Thus he knew that the door was unlocked and nobody was waiting to ambush them. He opened the door and stepped inside. Once in he could hear the sobs and he knew.

A child.

"She's in the wardrobe," he said softly, looking at Kintsugi. "I think you might be better suited to handling this one. I don't want to frighten her."

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

It occurred to me that Sobaan and I were different. Not only different physically, but different within the force as well. Our hearts were the same; we both had broken for the need here, but we were different. As we walked, I decided that this was a good thing. I’d had people tell me in the past they wished the whole galaxy were like me. But in truth, it couldn’t be. I was only one tiny piece of a much bigger whole; Sobaan was another.

I glanced up from my thoughts as he looked around, feeling drawn towards a particular building nearby. I hadn’t felt the tug myself, but perhaps while I was near him, I didn’t need to. The force was not always direct with me, sometimes choosing others to show me my path.

Through the door I paused, stifling a gasp at the blood smears along the wall. No matter many splatters and smears of blood I saw, they always caused the same reaction. I kept close to Sobaan as he spoke, answering my question and grateful drawing my attention away from the disaster.

“A test site?” I repeated, more to myself than to him.

At his silent instruction I followed, walking behind him up the stairs. Silently I was grateful he’d decided against the turbolift. Who knew what could be inside it, or what beings the sound might draw.

“How many test sites like this have you seen?” I replied, “if… if you know what sort of places he’s picking, perhaps we can predict where the next one is likely to be…”

I trailed off. I absolutely did not envy Sobaan his position. If that even could be done, evacuating the place would tip him off, and he’d just choose another. However, not doing so would be effectively condemning hundreds to die. It was an unwinnable scenario.

The moment we entered the room I felt it all at once; a tiny, hopeless soul. A moment later the sobs reached my ears. I turned to Sobaan as he spoke, nodding. With a deep breath I crossed the room and kneeled in front of the wardrobe, placing a hand gently upon the wood. I didn’t open the doors straight away. It had to be the child’s choice to come out, she had to know she had control right now. However, I did reach out through the force, seeking to wrap up the youngling in calm and peace.

“It’s alright,” I murmured softly, “you can come out whenever you’d like. The bad men are gone now.”



[member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

"This is the first I have seen," he said.

The first he had seen of this variety, anyway. He had seen test sites before, but none with this kind of casualty rate or left over trauma. This was new. But he knew a test when he saw it. If this hadn't been a test, the person responsible wouldn't have left ubtil the entire planet was in turmoil. Just one city was not as extensive. Given the amount of darkness he had felt covering the place when he arrived, he knew this was the workings of a Sith. Sith didn't leave things half done.

Predicting the next location eould not be easy, and if they predicted wrong they would be failing the people that were actually chosen. If they set a trap, they endangered the victims. Ultimately it was not their responsibility to stop the actions of a Sith. He, as a Je'daii remained in neutrality. People were destined to die. If someone eanted to dtop the Sith from causing harm, it should probably be the Jedi to do it.

"I will stay near the door and watch for trouble."

He wanted to help the child, but he was certain that he would scare her because he was big, green, and wearing clothing that might intimidate her. It was probably best if he stayed clear. As it was, she just cried and cried inside even after Kintsugi said aomething to her, though she eventually peeked the door open a bit to see her. Ehen she did, Kint's soft features and size conforted her and she came out to melt against the Pantoran, still crying.

Sobaan felt so bad for her, but he remained where he was.

[member="Kintsugi"]

 

[Valgærd]

I nodded to Sobaan, allowing him for the moment to remain by the door, before turning back to the wardrobe. There would be no rushing this child. She would come out when she was ready, and we would both make sure she felt safe. It took a while, the silence around us broken only by her quiet sobs. I could feel her terror through the thin panel of wood that separated us. Gut-wrenching fear, overwhelming pain, and crushing despair all circling and seething around us. I could feel tears pricking the back of my eyes, how this little girl had managed to survive so long under all this showed incredible strength.

Finally, I saw a tiny, puffy, strained eye peeking at me through the wardrobe door. I removed my fingers from the wood, bringing them to my face and wiggling them in a tiny wave. After a few moments the door opened a little more, and the girl practically fell out into my arms.

I held her against my chest, wrapping my arms around the sobbing girl protectively as she leaned against me and wept. Even as she cried I could feel the relief beginning to flood into her mind that we were here. For several long moments I didn’t move, simply holding her against me and letting her cry. I pressed my cheek against her crown, a silent promise to protect her from now on.

“It’s alright,” I murmured when the sobbing had begun to subside a little, “it’s okay… get it all out, sweetheart. You’re safe now.”

Slowly, slowly, I began to let the force flow through my touch. I had to be careful, too much too soon and I could damage her currently fragile mind. But as she began to calm down on her own, I sent a calming, soothing vibe into her, seeking to help her begin to relax.

“It’s alright now.” I repeated softly, “My green friend and I are going to keep you safe, okay? It’s okay.”

I glanced up at the togrutalian,

“Sobaan, she’s tiny.” I said quietly, my own voice beginning to crack.

I paused a moment and took a breath, swallowing back sobs of my own. This bond I’d opened up with the girl was taxing me, but that was all the more reason to keep it open. I couldn’t let her try to shoulder all this pain alone, not ever again.

“Are you hungry, little one?” I asked, turning back to her, "I have some food here, and a little water, too. Let's replenish some of those lost tears, hm?"


[member="Sobaan Palle"]