An Alien and a Cyborg Walk Into a Hospital...

[Valae Heavenshield]

Inside her office, Grandmaster Kitra sat quietly at her desk.

There was a small fire crackling away in her hearth… or well, there used to be. Her dark eyes shifted over to see that her fire was dying away now and there were only smoldering embers left. Standing up, she lifted another log from the metal bucket near her desk and set it into the hearth. She always did like it warm and cozy, perhaps just a touch warmer than most would find comfortable. But she was a native of Tatooine, after all.

Settling back down in her chair, she thought back to the events of recent weeks. Though the Great Galactic War was ever present in her thoughts these days, she had a chance to turn to happier things. The Order was growing. It seemed that a flood of new faces had found Silver Rest as of late. She’d met more new apprentices than she ever had, it really was astonishing… but in the best way possible, of course. The only issue was ensuring that there were enough teachers for these new pupils.

Valae would have loved to take on another apprentice for herself, but the duties of her station seemed to allow little time to dedicate to one-on-one training now. Perhaps once things settled down she could think about it, if things settled down…

But for the time, she would do her best to organize some group classes. However, Valae knew that there were a number of skilled Knights and Masters in the Order – perhaps some new faces would present themselves…

[member="Zavii"], [member="Arekk"]

Spoiler

No need to hurry, but feel free to tag me whenever you'd like to talk

 

[Zavii]

"Good choice!" Zavii turned a casual about-face and headed to the left toward the nearest exit. Once they found a door leading outside, she lead the way and took in the crisp air of Kashyyyk's mild Winter. It hadn't been cold enough to make her want to wear shoes lately, and the feeling of the cool grass and soil under her feet was refreshing. To their left were a number of gazebos, some of which were occupied by Jedi who had come out to practice their various forms of melee combat from grappling to pike fighting and nearly every other close-quarters weapon you could find in the Galaxy. To the right, however, lay a tall row of bushes that lead to the Gardens. "Come on, let's see what's in bloom today," she waived [member="Arekk"] after her as she picked up her pace in excitement. "The Silver Jedi have been collecting all sorts of exotic flowers and trees to bring here ever since construction started. Thankfully Kashyyyk is such a hospitable place that most of the plants can adapt, especially with the little extra-something they get from being tended by Force-wielders."

 

[Arekk]

The winter of Kashyyk dawned upon them as soon as they left the dinning hall, cold breeze hitting their faces to no avail and immediately stopping to allow a more bearable weather for the two of them to talk along the garden and appreciate the beautiful flora taken care of by the Silver Jedi. Ar'ekk noticed that Zavii stepped outside in her bare feet and made a comment about it.

"You're really brave to go outside like that. Look at me, making a fuss about a sole injury."

This relationship would resemble a more friendly one that one would be accustomed to. Old teachers and their ancient techniques were a thing of the past, Ar'ekk and Zavii being the future of the Jedi. Times were changing.

Stopping by one of the bushes pointed out by the young Zabrak, the young man appreciated its beauty as it prepared to be in full blossom.

"Kashyyk really benefits from such things, it is the way of the Jedi to bring peace and security to places like these. Just wished the galaxy wasn't disrupted by another Galactic War but there's nothing we can do about that. You make your life's work to protect all precious. The flowers, the people you love, your precious teachings. Everything."

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Hm?" the teenager turned to look at [member="Arekk"], then down to his feet and then her own. She laughed and looked back at his face. "Oh yeah," she raised a hand to the back of her head, "I don't usually wear shoes unless I absolutely have to. I guess it helps me feel more grounded and in-tune with my surroundings. Typical Zabrak, right? All about the visceral sensations." She waved her hands in a sort of flowery shrug as they continued into the sprawling, colorful gardens.

She listened to the Knight's exposition about the role of the Jedi and hummed her ascent with a little nod. Taking a second to caress the petals of an icy-blue flower with bright yellow stalks in the center, she replied in a softer, wistful tone; "War isn't won by destroying what you hate, but by saving what you love." Zavii gently withdrew her fingers from under the delicate flower and turned to look at the Human again. "What do you love, Ar'ekk?" her voice was still as soft as the breeze but her eyes, which had subtly shifted into a royal purple hue, searched those of her present interlocutor like a Nexu stalking the jungle for it's next meal. "What motivates you to fight? What makes all that pain worthwhile?"

 

[Arekk]

"Not the first time I've heard that. I met another girl like you who liked to trained without shoes or socks. Probably will have to pick up that habit one day, huh?"

He looked back at the young Zabrak with a smile upon his face, nodding. His gaze lingered on her as she went to gently caress one of the icy-blue flowers being taken care of in the garden, its scent closely resembling of a strong mint that puffs up in your mouth.

The tone of Zavii's questions was serious and personal, a chapter of his life he never talked about much unless the trust between you and him had developed a little further than a casual conversation here and there. But he felt a special connection to the teenager, something truly valuable. They made the perfect complement between student and apprentice, friends. The Force was strong within them.

"All life is precious, Zavii. I'm willing to die and protect anything and anyone for the greater cause. I believe that a Jedi can love if they're careful regarding emotions, keeping them in check. Love can save you."

The young man liked to be cryptic about his intentions, a sly smirk revealed on the only side that wasn't covered by his mask.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

Zavii listened carefully to [member="Arekk"]'s words, then spent several seconds silently studying him. She had only turned her head to ask her questions and other than her eyes she remained as still as one of the garden statues, facing Ar'ekk in profile.

Clearly he had elected to avoid her actual question in favor of some cliche parable. Why else would he have left the order for a number of years and consider himself an outsider. She realized that to many people, he might seem untrustworthy. Still, she found herself even more intrigued by the minute. The young Zabrak could feel the Cosmic Force drawing them together, and what Jedi in her right mind could ever hope to deny the Will of the Force?

As the moment passed, Zavii gave a small nod, then slowly turned to glance again at the minty-scented flower before continuing through the garden at a leisurely pace.

 

[Arekk]

Setting down on the grass and untying his shoes, Ar'ekk decided to copy the Zabrak's idea of going around bare foot to feel more grounded and become deeply attuned with her sorroundings. He had heard that first when training in Deneba with a fellow Jedi Knight by the name of Vy'argo with whom shared a common trait: a mask.

The Force flowed through him as he adopted a meditative stance, entering a state of complete blankness. His breathing became slower by the minute and the slightest of sounds were faint to his ears. Wiggling his toes, Ar'ekk could feel the cold breeze of the Kashyyk winter touching his skin.

Zavii's Force signature vibrated strongly as ever, clearly powerful with the gift that had ignited within her and that remained to be discovered even further.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

As Zavii wandered around the garden she started to sing absentmindedly, partially because she always found it a good way to center herself and so Ar'ekk could keep tabs on her position. These gardens were huge.

"I'm a machine without a switch;
I've done my best to go without it.
Every blue moon i get convinced
That I can't ever make it happen by myself.
But when the mountain needs to move
I push myself to circumvent it
And when I reach the other side
I see we've both been reinvented.
I've been awake
to see the day devour the night
I've seen decay
Give way to growth
and make the most of nearly nothing"

After a couple of minutes Zavii realized that [member="Arekk"] was still sitting where she'd left him near the entrance and a thought struck her. She grabbed a pebble from a nearby fountain and took only a second to aim before tossing it right at his mask.

 

[Arekk]

The pebble didn't manage to hit him in the mask because he stopped its trajectory mid-air, eyes opening to glance at Zavii from a distance. Without being too judgy when looking, the young Jedi Knight grabbed his shoes and walked towards the fountain.

The feeling of the grass touching his soles (and the injured one even more!) was the most soothing sensation ever and the way he carried himself demonstrated confidence and serenity.

"That almost hit me, you know?"

Broadening a wide smirk, Ar'ekk placed his palm on the Zabrak's shoulder and looked at her. She had an idea and he wanted to know about it.

"What's on your mind?"

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"That was the idea," the Zabrak giggled, "I wanted to see what sound it would make."

She waited for [member="Arekk"] to approach and flashed her teeth in an impish smile. "Oh, just this,"
Zavii ducked and spun away from him, then kicked off the side of the fountain and jumped over the adjacent hedgerow. Landing in a crouch, she turned and locked with Ar'ekk's eyes long enough to raise her brow in challenge, then bolted toward the opposite side of the gardens. She knew this whole valley like the tattoos on her face and she had the advantage of uninjured feet, but she was sure to keep within sight as she dashed across the open grounds and courtyards and back into the Temple...

 

[Arekk]

"Hey! Wait!"

He shouted as he saw Zavii run away with an amazing pace. Keeping up with her seemed like a near impossible task given that his dominant foot continued to ache despite being treated and bandaged properly. Even then, he dropped his shoes and ran bare foot to try and catch up with the young Zabrak.

His running technique was sloppy and seemed to start limping after a minute, clearly affected by the pain in his foot. The cut was open again and was bleeding slightly, not a really good idea to do this now. Perhaps if you closed your eyes, attuned yourself with the Force and saw beyond the pain... you could stop feeling such hurtful sensation.

And that's what he did.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

Zavii didn't look back. She could hear and sense [member="Arekk"] chasing after her as she hurtled into the Temple and turned a sharp left. At the end of the hallway was the door to the stairwell and she slammed the door open with the Force. She raced through the open doorway and leaped up onto the banister then hopped up to catch the next level's floor and pull herself up. Only once she was standing on the second-floor landing did she look to see how far back- or more accurately; down- Ar'ekk was.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk had already stopped running mid-way due to the heavy pain in his foot, resting his back against the concrete wall and grabbing his foot to try and assess the 'damage'. Nothing bad but it was bleeding again, he'd need stitches once more.

Great, just what he needed. If it wasn't for this, the whole running ordeal would've been a good competition. There would be more time to do so, however. He knew it.

"Just... give me a break!"

The man said, raising his voice so Zavii could hear him from the second floor.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

She didn't see him right away, but when [member="Arekk"] called out she vaulted back over the banister and dropped down to meet him. As soon as she saw his foot she laughed and covered her mouth with concern in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mess up your foot! Here, let's get you back to the medic droid." She moved to his side so he could use her as support on the way.

 

[Arekk]

"Thanks. We should meet with the grandmaster after this and see if she gives you the authorization to leave the Silver Rest."

Grimacing, Ar'ekk held onto Zavii by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and using her as support. Being carried over back to the medical droid and getting patched his foot patched up (And this time for good), the Jedi was ready to get back into things but this time at a more peaceful pace.

Having left his shoes in the garden and just not feeling like going outside anymore due to the winter, Ar'ekk decided to simply go like this inside the Silver Rest. It was an uncommon thing to do and sometimes making a change was benefitial for oneself.

"I'm ready."

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Well that's what i was planning actually," the Zabraki teenager grinned as she helped [member="Arekk"] to the Hospital Wing. "I was gonna just have you chase me right into her office on the chance that she's in there and ask her. It's something I've been bugging her about on and off since i turned sixteen, but neither of us had found the right person. I bet she'll say yes just to get me out of her hair," Zavii snickered. Eventually they had gotten the Human re-patched and he decided to leave his boots behind, so they made their way to the lift and finally to Grandmaster [member="Valae Kitra"]'s door.

With fluttering hearts and an excited smile at Ar'ekk, Zavii hovered her hand over the door but hesitated. "Just in case she asks; my real name is Sophii Lightfoot, I'm from Coruscant and i've been with the Order since i was like, seven. And I'll be twenty in four months."

With that, she took her lightsaber and used it's pommel to knock on the huge wooden door.
*KOW KOW KOW KOW*

 

[Arekk]

Before entering the Grandmaster's office and interrupting her lovely and busy day, Ar'ekk stood before the door with his soon-to-be apprentice Zavii. She was a particular individual, yes, but with a huge potential yet to be developed. He recognized the raw talent and the Force was strong within her.

However, there were a few things that would have to be corrected here and there before the masked Jedi would allow her to commence a journey under his tutelage.

"Zavii, don't do that. That weapon is your life! Treat it like you would treat others; with the utmost respect. You understand? I'll have a word with the Grandmaster and see what can be done, you'll be coming inside with me."

Taking a moment before the door was opened, Ar'ekk glanced into the teenager's eyes for a brief moment and smiled warmly. She only meant to showcase her true personality, even if that meant being a joker at random times. He wasn't any different to Zavii when younger.

[member="Zavii"] [member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae scanned some messages on her datapad, eyes traveling back and forth as she read. This quiet moment was the perfect time for a little snack. Her hand drifted down to a small desk drawer automatically, but just as she moved to pull it open, she sensed something. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she could feel what seemed to be two distinct presences on the approach. She withdrew her hand from the drawer. Valae blinked a couple of times at the sound of a rather loud rapping at her door.

Standing from her desk, she swept over to the door and gently pulled it open.

Before her stood the intimidating form of an unfamiliar man, and young Zavii. Valae had briefly met and interacted with the Zabrak recently. “Well, hello there.” She said with a friendly smile to the pair at her door. Moving to the side, she motioned for them to enter the room and have a seat, there were two chairs waiting near her desk.

“So, what can I do for you?”

Her eyes flickered from the man to Zavii and then back again, waiting to see how she could help.

[member="Arekk"], [member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

Zavii's gaze shot to the Human's face as he admonished her for knocking with her lightsaber and she bowed her head bashfully. "R-right," she clipped the weapon to her belt and waited at the door with her hands held behind her back politely, meeting Ar'ekk's smile with one of her own.

When the door finally swung inward, Zavii turned and offered a bright smile and a low bow. "Good Morning, Grandmaster," she beamed and followed Master Kitra's invitation to a chair. The peppy young woman sat straight up and waited for Ar'ekk to speak. As much as she wanted this, it really was better for the older Jedi to take charge in this situation.

[member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk stood by the door motionless in slight panic as he realized he hadn't gone after his shoes outside in the garden. Imagine entering the office of the Silver Jedi Order Grandmaster herself with your feet ingrained with dirt and making a mess? That's what would happen now, it's too late.

Sweeping his bare feet outside before entering, some of the dirt was removed from his toes and soles before coming inside the office. Gulping, he made his way inside with a nervous smile upon his face although only visible on one side because of the mask.

"Greetings, grandmaster. I hope we haven't interrupted your calm day but I'd like to speak with you about this Padawan."

Taking a seat and clashing glances with the two, he awaited for a response.

[member="Zavii"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]