Between Ice and Fire

[Setzi Lunelle]

She closed her eyes for a moment and continued digging through her bag, now with both hands. Her urgent need to stop the pain superseded any politeness towards Malvern and for once, he would see her focus change from careful calculation of everything around her to not giving a kark about anything. She needed the acute pain to stop. Eventually Setzi pulled out small pill case, and fumbling it open, put two pills into her mouth and swallowed them down without any water.

“I’m fine,” she said to Malvern, looking back at him, her blue eyes somewhat more dull as the pain pills took effect. “It’s a saber wound.” And if he wanted the full picture, she would let him have it. The brunette padawan removed her bulky coat and lay it on the floor of the speeder. She unfastened the top piece of her armor and cracked that open too. Underneath, she had a tight fitting black tank top which she rolled up at the hem and then pulled down her waistband, given him a good view of the cauterized wound which was about three inches above her right hip. Obviously he was familiar with saber wounds, but this one looked particularly nasty. The stitches were out and skin grafts had been made but the freshness of it, indicated that the attack was recent and severe. The skin around it was pale, smooth and unmarred.

“A Togruta Sith Knight did this,” she said. “Don’t worry, the pain pills won’t affect my reflexes. And thankfully that is the worst of it.”

She felt she needed to convince him further but there wasn’t anything else that could be said. The wound would speak for itself. Still... he deserved to hear that she was okay.

“I’m still ready to fight, Master Malvern. I know it looks bad, but trust me.”

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It did look bad.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Bad enough that he doubted she would be able to perform efficiently, it made him wonder why the feth she had been allowed to come here anyway. People knew he was unorthodox about this kind of stuff and yet they had pointed her towards him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Perhaps they thought it was some kind of joke.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I…” Khal rubbed his chin, this wasn’t a good thing. “I think I can take care of that, it would hurt like a [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]fether though. Like. It would hurt [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]a lot[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px].”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]As had been said before, Khaleel had learned a fair bunch of tricks during his stay in the Nether, healing someone from their wounds? Ain’t really all that complicated, at least not with the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Other[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Especially because it wasn’t like Lightside healing, it didn’t cost him nearly as much as it would bring her pain. [/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

It wasn’t that Setzi had been allowed to go to Ziost at all. She was actually told she couldn't go. And nobody at the Praxeum knew that she was here.

The sneaking that Malvern promised he would teach her, she would probably pick up right away, because she had snuck out of the Arkania Praxeum just to go on this trip. Literally, all she took with her was the armor and coat she wore and her bag. And of course some credits. Climbing out of her bedroom window and down the snowy side of the Academy was probably the most reckless thing she had done in her entire life. And it was likely that once she tried to return to the Praxeum she may be kicked out of the Jedi Order for defying those rules that she so hated breaking.

But this one transgression seemed worth it. At least for the time being.

But for Master Malvern to take her pain? That was enticing. “Yes,” she said, without hesitation. The wound had been plaguing her, and had been too proud to ask the Jedi Healer’s for help since she had so quickly fallen to the Sith Knight on Ruusan. Setzi felt that she was a mockery of what the Jedi were supposed to be – all of that peace and calmness. Thinking back on it, she had attacked the Sith Knight as if he had murdered her whole family with such seething rage and anger. Of course at the time, his Dun Moch had her in its grip.

“Do what you need to do,” she said, still holding the hem of her shirt. "But on one condition."

"You tell me what you are doing so I can understand and learn."

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“A trick I picked up while patrolling.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Not necessarily a lie either.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]His hand reached out to touch the wound, but Khal hesitated for a moment. Looking back up at her, meeting her eyes to get permission from her and only after that would the Underlord softly touch the location of the wound.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Blue eyes closed, concentration was palpable.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“People like to assume that the Force is simple, Lightside here, Darkside there, maybe a Revanist who likes to think he can use both sides without a problem. Point is, the Galaxy ain’t as simple as that, there is so much… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]more[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] to it than that.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khal grunted as the energy started flowing, it didn’t hurt as much as it would hurt her in the end, but still not a pretty feeling. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Some things just had a [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]cost[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px].[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I am basically going to accelerate that portion of your body, force it to work through the wound - usually a process that would take many days and even weeks, but this way? It will be done in a few minutes.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A cost.[/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

As Malvern reached out his hand, Setzi instinctively leaned back against the seat. She met his gaze when he stopped and nodded her consent. He touched her and she instinctively shivered but didn’t move or flinch. The Jedi Master would find that her soft skin was cold, mostly from her torso being exposed to the air for the last few minutes. His hand, however was very warm, and at first the pressure there almost felt good to her. Yes, it was sore, but his skin on hers hurt much less than she thought it would. Her mind wandered to whether she had actually been touched by a man before in this very place. Perhaps at a dance on Aduba-3, a teenager pulled her close and placed his hands hips or around her waist. But not underneath her clothing and certainly not so close to other sensitive areas.

It helped the padawan to watch Malvern do his work, because she really had no idea what he planned to do or how it was going to feel. His eyes were closed and he made an audible noise in concentration.

And then Setzi listened to his description of the healing, noting that she was beginning to feel a sensation at the wound site – an itchy burning feeling. What he described was beginning to happen around her delicate skin.

She continued to watch him carefully. “So far it’s not that bad, Khaleel,” Setzi commented in a soft voice, positioning her feet up against the seat to brace herself against what was yet to come. She wasn’t really sure what the driver was going to think if she suddenly starting screaming out in pain. But maybe this is the worst of it, she thought hopefully.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I just isolated the wound from the rest of your body.” Khal would explain calmly, the hum of his voice easing her into the process and teaching her the very basic idea of what he was currently trying to accomplish here.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]There was more to it than that, of course. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But you had to start somewhere and you didn’t teach someone how to dismantle the core of a Star Destroyer, before training on a freighter beforehand. At least that’s what Khaleel thought, but he really put everything in metaphors of engineering and the sort, so perhaps his opinion wasn’t worth all that much anyway.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Alright, I am now going to push your body into accelerating the healing process. It’s gonna hurt, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]a lot[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px], so brace yourself, please.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The fact of the matter was that this shuttle was his, the driver was paid by him too - specifically not to ask any questions of any sort.[/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi concentrated on Malvern’s voice in order to distract herself from what was about to come. He had a gruff voice, gravely from heavy smoking and wear and tear to his vocal chords. But as she was finding out, Khaleel was conversational. This wasn’t going to be like a cold doctor, lecturing her in clinical terminology. And for that, she was grateful. She took another deep breath, and let her body relax against the seat, her feet still positioned up, but her legs bending less at the knee.

“Alright, I am now going to push your body into accelerating the healing process. It’s gonna hurt, a lot, so brace yourself, please.”

When this was said, the padawan had the sudden urge to cry out and tell him to stop. Let’s reconsider this, Khaleel. But instead she spoke in a faltering voice, “I can’t get any more braced than…”

Abruptly, Setzi felt the most intense pain, a thousand times worse than when the Sith Knight had struck her there with his crimson blade. And why the wound was so bad to begin with was because the Togruta had sliced her not once but twice in the same location.

Setzi screamed aloud as she could feel the muscle and skin literally knitting back together under his steady hand. But this was happening at such a rapid pace, her nerve ends were getting the short end of the stick. She arched her back up, and with her left hand, grabbed his wrist firmly, trying to tear his hand away from where it lay on her torso. She didn’t mean to but with an animal instinct, she began to fight him off if only to stop the agonizing torture.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But he did not relent for her. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Underlord [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]couldn’t[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] let go now, stopping right now would mean tearing apart the isolation that he had created around her wound and that was the last thing that they would want to do. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Because in the grand scheme of things this was a [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]trick[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px], a way to circumvent a long time of waiting and that brought costs with it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Costs she was feeling right now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Steady, Setzi.” Khal would say, his grip on the shrinking wound like steel. “Focus on my voice, picture a flame in your mind.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Another trick.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“And now take all your emotions, all your pain, all your thoughts and [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]feed[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] it to the flame. Let it burn all of it away, become one with the void.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Become the void.[/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

It was no use.

No matter how much she bucked and wriggled, his strong hand would not move. It was planted there as if rooted into her flesh. The padawan let out a fresh howl of pain and thrashed around, her feet drumming the seat in front of her. She was momentarily impressed by the fact that he was able to keep his hand steady, despite her trying to pull it away with her own hand or shake him loose with all of her movement.

But Setzi’s resourceful mind switched into survival mode at the pain, and if she couldn’t physically throw him off, she turned to a mental attack. It wasn’t strong of course - her powers being nascent as they were, but she would attempt to Force Subjugate him, to try and drain the Force energy that was channeling into her body, isolating her wound and shrinking it. She was close to being fully healed now but that wasn’t a fact Setzi could appreciate right now. And even though her eyes were filled with tears, her mouth was set into an angry frown as she concentrated on Khal’s mind, trying to divert some of his energy from her wound into her own mind.

Setzi wasn’t sure how much fire she was playing with now… she only knew that it burned far less than the white, hot agony her body was going through.

And he instructed, she focused on his voice, but instead of channeling her emotions, her pain and her aching thoughts toward the flame, she tried to drive these same ones of Malvern’s into this mental fire pit.

Someone would be pushed towards the void right now, but it wouldn’t be Setzi.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“We had a deal.”[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Not like this.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“A deal.”[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I am altering it.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A roaring noise - blood pumping, forcing it way to his brain, adrenaline rush. The Underlord’s grip on her wound did not falter, but within himself there was a struggle going on. A tug and pull in an attempt to spare Setzi from the same fate that Bane had experienced when he had tried to attack his mind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Clawed out eyes, a mind forever scarred by a vision of coiled edges and burning eyes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Moments passed, and suddenly Khal regained control. [/SIZE]Blood seeped from his nose, skin of his palm broken from the nails digging into it, a migraine building up, but the beast was locked away for now.

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And she wasn’t dead, a[/SIZE]nd her wound was healed.

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khaleel pulled back his hand, instinctively moving away from her and closing his eyes, trying to wash away the dirt and feelings that were churning in his mind. A grunt escaped his lips. [/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The intimacy of a warm hand on naked skin. And of two minds locked together in a struggle.

Setzi had experienced closeness before and innocent displays of seduction which made her heart race - a shy kiss on the lips. Holding someone's hand on a moonlit walk home.
But this intimate situation was very unfamiliar to the girl. Despite the pain and her attack on his psyche, she felt that she were falling into the void that Khaleel had urged her towards. Little did she know this was his stronger defenses mentally pushing her out.

With a near-audible noise, his hand suddenly let go. Her hand let go of his. He would have a red mark on it from where she gripped so tightly. Setzi's back had been arched in resistance, but with the pain gone, she landed on the seat. Her body went completely limp.

Endorphins rushed in to fill the gap where the pain once was and she sat up and rubbed her head, pushing sweaty brown hair out of her eyes. All she could hear now was silence and the hum of the speeder as it sailed along to their destination. Feeling almost reborn, she glanced at Malvern and her heart sunk as she saw a rivulet of blood running from his nose, over his lips.

"Oh Khaleel," she said. "You are hurt."

This was not what she wanted at all!

Setzi patted the seat for her bag, and once she found it, she pulled out a white handkerchief and gently moved over to him. As he groaned, she hesitated. Was he in pain or was this something even worse? She didn't dare go into his mind again. Setzi wanted to pull him close and dab the blood away herself because he was struggling to compose himself, but she just offered him the handkerchief with a trembling hand.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Void, Kally. Ain’t nothing el-[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Her voice.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Eyes quickly opened themselves, widening to a degree that the whites was visible and he started shaking his head, moving further away and his hand held up to ward her off. Instincts, old ones from back when he was a little kid - he didn’t want to get hurt any more.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“No, please. No.” Khal replied quickly, before looking away and closing his eyes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I-I am fine.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]His hand moved to wipe away the blood, black as the night. It felt warm to the skin, hot even, sticky and it was filled with the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Other[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The migraine was shoving itself into his mind now, everything had a cost.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“How’s the side?” the Underlord would finally ask, regaining a feint measure of control.[/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi moved back to her side of the speeder, so she could give Malvern some space. He was clearly affected by the Force healing, which she still assumed was lightside. And she desperately wanted to comfort him as she would a wounded animal back on her parent's farm. But she respected his space and allowed him time to regroup.

Her stomach roiled at the sight of the viscous blood on his face. Worry for him, knitted on her brow. If this were lightsider magic, why would the blood be black?!?

"It feels fine... I mean, I feel great actually," she replied. Setzi finally looked down at her torso and marveled that the skin was smooth again with no visible scar. Her slender hand touched the spot where his hand had been, and it was still warm from his touch. She didn't realize how good she would feel after this ritual. Her skin was flushed and her body responded to the sudden lack of pain with an almost giddy sense of energy.

In reality, and what Setzi was unaware of, was that his healing had been propelled by Sith magic. This combined with the after effects of the Dun Moch which she had been subjected to on Ruusan was a unstable mix of power was slowly seeping into her mind.

In other words, she was starting to become accustomed to the darkside of the Force. Whether she was aware of it or not.

"Master Malvern, is there anything I can do?" she asked, using his formal name now, hoping that falling back into their student/teacher roles would bring back him around.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]She was alright.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Oh by the Force, at least there was that. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]For a single defining moment Khal thought that he had somehow fethed it all up, that she would be broken in mind just as Bane had been during their duel. What would he have done if that had happened? What [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]could[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] he have done if she had seen the sight of his mind? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Nothing much, was the answer that came back and it somehow made him feel more at ease. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Because it meant that his humor wasn’t entirely gone and that was a sign of [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]something[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]. If it was healing, or a return towards the normal? He wasn’t too sure about it, but it was at least something.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Naw.” Khal would answer, blood gone and just a tired expression settling in. “Will be fine, just need some time to recover from [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]that[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] experience.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He brushed his hair up, away from his eyes and leaned his head back against the seating. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Tell me.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The mumble would come as he made himself more comfortable.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Who is your Master at the Jedi Order?”[/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi's mind had not been broken, but fissures were forming from the experience. It would be awhile before Malvern would notice them, but they were there. Unless somehow she was brought back to the Praxeum, and the darkside residue driven out by rigorous training again.

But oh my stars, she felt too good for that! This is freedom, thought Setzi. It was difficult to think of returning to Arkania after this excursion.

She made no move to climb back into her armored chestpiece. The padawan's body was still over-heated from the healing process, and it felt better to remain in her black undershirt until the chill of Ziost would undoubtedly return. She nodded at Malvern and held her hand out so he could give her the handkerchief back. As he did, she grimaced at the imposing black stain and tucked it back into her satchel. He appeared less distressed now which was greatly relieving. She longed to ask him much more about the healing ritual and what about it drained him so much. Of course all of that concentration was probably what it was, as well as the transference of energy from him to her. But it peaked her curiosity.

She began to speak, to offer to give him the energy back in some way, shape or form, but he asked her a question instead.

"Varus Shatterstar is my Master at the Jedi Order," she replied. "I've been assigned to Arca Jeth's Praxeum on Arkania. So I've grown quite accustomed to... the cold."

If he was fully in control of his faculties again, Malvern may notice her emphasis on the word cold and that it applied to more than just the planet's climate.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Varus Shater-[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Oh Em Gee.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]This was one of those moments where Khal felt like a teenager again, where those years just melted away and made him giggle like a little boy again. It seemed like ages ago that Khal had joined the Jedi Order at Korr’s request and one of the first gossip stories that had gone around was Shatterstar doing handstand push-ups in the night, bare chested.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Why had he been doing those push-ups in the night?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Why had he been bare chested?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Why had he been claiming about a hundred pushups, when that’s literally physically impossible to do in a short period of time?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Those questions had never been answered. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Did he boast about his push-up record yet?” Khal would reply with a smirk. “Or commence your training session heavily fatigued from one of his [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]infamous;y[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] tiring training sessions?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Yeah, Khal was slowly starting to forget the troubles of before, returning to the safety of old nostalgia and the legendary act of making fun of Shatterstar.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Good times.[/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

"You've met him?" asked Setzi, as her lips crept upwards in an amused smile. Relief washed over her features, that he seemed back to normal and she merely laughed. "If I didn't know better I would guess you've also trained with him based on what you've just described."

She drew her chestpiece into her lap and then began to pull it back on. They would have to be nearing their destination and although her energy had been renewed, she still looked worriedly at Malvern.

He is a grown man, Setzi. He can take care of himself as he took care of you. So stop fretting you silly nuna, she told herself.

"Yes, his style is quite rigorous," she said. "And look, I'm as dedicated as the next padawan, but sometimes the mind and body need a break." She slipped on her armor and fastened the straps back up. She pulled her long brown hair out of where it had been trapped in the collar and let it fall to one side.

"If I may be so bold, Master Malvern, somehow I have this feeling that you got into a lot of trouble at the Jedi Academy." Setzi smiled, thinking of Khaleel's roguish presence at the Praxeum where padawans had to perform chores like washing the dishes after meals.

Nope, he wouldn't last a day there.

Not that there was anything wrong with that. Setzi never felt more free being away from the confines of the Arkania Academy.

"Are we close to our destination?" she asked.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Oh, baby. You don’t know half of it.” Khal replied with a chuckle. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The time at the Jedi Academy had been… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]interesting[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] to say the least, but the Underlord hadn’t ever been a man to follow the strict rules and guidance of the Jedi Masters there. After Shule had given him access to the Jedi Network he had spend most of his time just teaching himself, before he had found traces of wisdom that had led him to the Ysanna on Ossus.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Now that had been [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]something[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px].[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Naw, never trained with him. We joined the Jedi at roughly the same timespan, so his [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]behavior[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] is pretty known to me. Pulling a Shatterstar used to be the biggest idiom used there, but I suppose with him being a Jedi Master that fell outta practice.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]How that guy got mastered is anyone’s guess. Dude loves his pegs more than anything else.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The shuttle finally arrived at the scene, a hilltop that wasn’t too far away from the dig site, but far away as to not draw attention to their arrival. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Their strength was a stealthy approach and taking them by surprise.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Alright, put your game face on, we are gonna go in and go in loud. You follow me and deal with any threats that might blindside me, got it?”[/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi covered her mouth with a hand, trying not to laugh too hard at “pulling a Shatterstar.” But it was a funny expression and made her giggle along with him. As she suspected, Khaleel was cut from a different mold than the normal padawans he would have studied alongside. It didn’t surprise her that he spent time training alone. When faced with intimidating situations we often revert to old habits. If he was raised alone, studying alone in a foreign environment with others who are distinctly unlike you would be comforting.

Malvern’s easy humor made her stop worrying about him, but as she reached down to grab her hooded jacket which had fallen to the floor during that frantic healing ritual, she caught the sight of that black-blood stained handkerchief peeking out of her bag and was reminded again of what had happened. After pulled up her coat and laying it on her lap, she secured her satchel so no longer see the personal artifact.

Setzi felt much stronger now that Master Malvern had healed her. As much of a trial it was, she felt she would be able to give him her most capable try at whatever they were going to do. Now that they were at the dig site, her heart began to race again with adrenaline and then beat even faster, when he said to “put her game face on.” She pulled out her lightsaber from where it was hooked onto her belt and palmed it.

She let out an audible breath through her nose. “Got it,” she said, steeling her nerves for what was about to come next.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khal stepped out of the taxi, sand crunching underneath his boots. His own game face was on, the grin of earlier long gone and replaced by a deep frown, blue eyes looking over the hill towards the scene of their very first ‘training’ mission together.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Landmarks were noted, possible hiding spots for sentries - but it didn’t look like there were any currently stationed.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Excellent.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Let’s go.” his voice was slightly hushed now, not exactly necessary just yet. But a voice could carry far if you were on a hill and they needed to get used to the ambiance already, as to not make any mistakes later on.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So the Underlord led on, gesturing for her to follow him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Curiously enough he didn’t have any lightsaber on him.[/SIZE]