Blood Flowers

[Kaine O'Doran]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Knight, Sith Warrior[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Location [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet, Sith Empire Space[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Allies[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - [member=”Marriskcal Lati”][/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Status [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Concerned[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Armor[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - Tunic[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Equipment [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The male Gurlanin didn't know why he felt the way he did. He hadn't a single idea as to why he felt guilty for such a thing. He didn't care about outsiders, he didn't. The Gurlanin despised most outsiders, most non-Gurlanins. He hated their xenophobia which had been directed towards him and he had never truly been able to shake such thoughts from his head despite his own best intentions. Not only that but their ambition, their war, their unending greed. He hated it all, it made him disgusted. T[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]here was war, of course, there was greed, of course, and there was ambition, of course. Though it wasn't as prevalent as it was, from what Kaine had observed thus far, in the Galaxy. The Galaxy was riddled with it, as though it were some sort of virus or disease. And yet, he still worried for an outsider. Her name was...Marris or Marrks or Marrkkis. In truth, the Gurlanin didn't know the blonde woman's true name, he hadn't been listening at the time. She, this Marrks, had been the only outsider he had met which had exchanged xenophobic comments with him. The blonde woman's had been one of the few nice people that O'Doran had met thus far I the Galaxy. Which, was why he felt guilty and ashamed of her getting hurt...badly when he could have prevented it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The Gurlanin had panicked when the blonde-haired woman had been impaled by those metal reinforcing bars. It was why he had brought her to Sith Space and not First Order space. He didn't have jurisdiction in First Order territory, at least, that's what he had been told. Whether he knew such a thing was true or not was another thing. Kaine shuddered at the thought of what happened to the blonde woman's, the vivid image of the bars sticking out of her person was still imprinted in his mind, across his eyes, blinding him. He had never been phased before by gruesome acts of violence and death, he had grown up around it and even had participated in such things. However, the images of her being impaled still made the male shudder. Not because of its gruesome nature, but because of the guilt he felt from such an action. He could have prevented her from getting hurt, but he had failed miraculously at doing that. That much had been obvious when her blood had pooled on the ground, and when he had to wretch her body free from the coiled and warped reinforcing bars, incidentally, making her tender insides become scrapped and roughly torn from the metal coiling The sounds of her screams of pain that has been wrenched from her throat were haunting, they were a constant reminder to Kaine of his failure. A constant reminder of his brother who had die there in his arms, and a constant reminder of the brand against his skin when he had unfairly been called a murderer.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]O'Doran was making a decision to go and see [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Marrks to see if she was recovering from her grievous injuries. He was going to apologize for all of the damage he had caused to her being, something which was a newfound feeling for the Gurlanin. He had never felt a need before to apologize for something, even if it had been this fault. And yet, he felt the need to apologize to this woman, Marrks[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt], for what he had done. It still surprised him, even a few days after it happened, just how nice the woman had been to him. It was a foreign thing to him, at least from Outsiders it was a foreign notion to them that they could, actually, be nice and thoughtful and un-judgmental. Even considering what damage that he had done to her, she had still remained calm enough to soothe him, him...not her. Something which he was undeniably grateful for.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The 'Doctor’ as the man in the white coat had called himself had told the male Gurlanin that she was making a slow recovery just a day before he had come to visit her. Something which worried him. He had first brought Marrk into the medical center with blood everywhere on her body, her blood splattered across his forearms as he gently and gingerly had carried her here. He had been told she had almost not made it, he had gotten there just in time. It was something that he was glad for, it was something that has also troubled him. They had told him that the interior damage to her organs and her flesh had been severe and that it would be hard to fix. She had lost a lot of blood as well, something that Kaine could have attested to when he had been washing her blood off of his pale arms and hands. They had been a canvas in previous years for the bloodsports which were hunting and killing. Now, however, that canvas had been tarnished and ruined by the blood of a person he had been guilty of damaging, hurting, killing...almost that is. He still felt the sensation of [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Marrks blood running down his arms and dripping onto the ground as he had first lifted her up, the warm liquid trinkling[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] through the gaps of his fingers.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Blood was something that had never bothered the hunter. Until now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]He had come to visit her and to apologize for what had happened. One part of it was to make himself feel better and more at ease with what had happened. The other was to comfort her in her moment of weaknesses. But...she wasn't there. She wasn't there in that strangely shaped metal bed. She was...missing?[/SIZE]

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Empty Hall, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Stubborn
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

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It was not like she had a particular distaste for the infirmary, but there was only so much head-shaking and side-eyeing and unsubtle mumbles about her obstinacy that Marriskcal could swallow before it became stifling. While she knew that the doctor and the medical droids meant well, the blonde was already on her way towards being fully healed, and their continued fussing was not required.

Despite chiding words like ‘you nearly did not make it’ and ‘it is in your best interest to return to the bacta tank’, she had refused, crossing her arms in a petulant manner and giving anyone who approached her a venomous glare. For though it remained unsaid, the young woman despised bacta, preferring to avoid being submerged in the viscous liquid for the second time in the week and depend on her own skills to finish her healing process.

With her last waking memory that of Kaine’s worried mien and her own swiftly deteriorating condition; when she had awakened with a mask over her face and surrounded trapped in a tank, she had panicked. Without any recollection how she came to be here, wherever here was, and no one familiar in sight, Marriskcal had fought, struggling weakly until the doctor had allowed her to leave the tank and explained her situation with a disapproving tone.

While she had accepted it placidly, the young woman had adamantly refused to return to the bacta tank. And no amount of entreaties, admonishments, nor veiled threats that they will report her stubborn refusal to her guardian would move her. After all, her wounds had closed, and hardly a scar left due to the rapid regeneration promoted by the healing fluid.

And after two hours of being harassed by the doctor and his medical droid assistants, Marriskcal escaped the medical hall, dressed in a generic set of grey sweatpants and a white sleeveless top. While she was somewhat concerned to discover she was at the far end of the galaxy in Sith Empire space, she had received medical care and was given enough trust that she was allowed to roam its halls unimpeded. And thus, Marriskcal did not feel the need to leave.

With her lightsaber strapped to her thigh and arbir blades in hand, she had walked aimlessly throughout the facility, avoiding most presences she could sense. It was not until she found herself in an empty hall that the young woman ceased her wanderings, the deeply ingrained need to train replacing her earlier disquiet. While her wounds had closed externally, from the discomfort and dull ache that continued to plague her every movement, Marriskcal knew she still had several days’ worth of focused meditation and healing left to overcome. But did that stop her from her almost compulsive need to train? No, it did not.

And that would be how Kaine would find her, in an empty hall and arbir blades cutting through the air in slow motion as she moved through the forms.

​

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[Kaine O'Doran]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Knight, Sith Warrior[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Location [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet, Sith Empire Space[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Allies[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - [member="Marriskcal Lati"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Status [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Concerned[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Armor[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - Tunic[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Equipment [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____[/SIZE]

Maybe she is just hiding? Or did I just miss her somehow, I mean she is rather short...

Kaine's vibrant orange eyes did a slow scan of the room. She was still here, she had to be. There was no way that she had been able to fully heal in such a short amount of time so quickly, it was impossible, absolutely impossible. The Gurlanin knew not of all of the intricacies that came with the use of the force, such as force healing for example, nor did he know about any of the advanced medical practices and healing chemicals, such as Bacta, that the entirety of the Galaxy had. He knew nothing about any of them, leaving him completely ignorant of how the blonde-haired woman had been able to heal so very quickly under such a short time. As O'doran's eyes scanned around the room, they fell upon a man in a lab coat who was muttering something to himself as he looked over a metal holopad. Kaine knew not as to whether he was a doctor, a nurse, or just some random technician but he didn't care much about it, opting to just go ahead and ask this intelligent-looking individual what had happened to Marrk, and more importantly, where she was at currently.

"Greetings..."

"Ah yes, there you are, the blonde woman's guardian. I was wondering when it is that you would come by. I'll be frank with you about her, I have no idea where she went. Her exterior wounds may have healed, but her interior wounds and interior hemorrhaging and tearing of some of her organs still need to heal. Is there anywhere that you would know of her being currently?"

Kaine's utter and complete silence and visibly confused and concerned facial features spoke enough to the doctor about his own knowledge of the situation and of Marrk. The doctor shuffled past him, with the male Gurlanin in quick pursuit after him. He followed the doctor down a number of halls though they saw no indication as to her current location. Something, which was edging Kaine on and making his mind and emotions grow anxious and overly concerned as to the woman's whereabouts. Maybe she was actually dead? Maybe this was all just a dream to him, to Kaine? He had no idea, all he was doing, all he could do, was grasp at incorporeal straws and thoughts which all were foreign to the Gurlanin. He had never cared for somebody as much as he had with her before. She was the first person he had encountered in this big and strange Galaxy that had been nice and friendly to him despite his inappropriate behavior at times, according to her. And to Kaine, that was something that made her his friend.

Turning a corner, O'doran peered down it believing that he would find nothing. What he did find, however, was Marrk...and she was training? The doctor looked down the hall as well from behind Kaine's large form, his eyes settling upon his wounded patient...annoyed at the thought that she was trying to train despite her current present injuries.

"Marrk! It Kaine!"

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Empty Hall, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Pretending not to be in pain
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

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​

She breathed, deep and measured.

Her mind was blissfully blank, void of any thoughts as she flowed from an aggressive form to a defensive one, her unlit blades moving in an upward slash in her imaginary clash against a shadow partner. Each stroke of her weapons were slow and deliberate, with focus dedicated to precision and movement.

While she may have been hurt, the blonde reasoned that so long as she was not completely incapacitated, training was a viable distraction. While her body was still sore and aching, this would not be first, nor would it be the last time she was expected to ignore her discomfort and fight through the injuries she has accrued.

After all, Marriskcal Lati was a Praetorian Guard, and upheld all the standards and expectations that came with what her position as the Supreme Leader’s most loyal and fiercest guardians entailed. So immersed was she in her impromptu session that the young woman did not realise that she had an audience of two. That was, not until a strong voice called out an… approximation of her name.

In her surprise, the blonde forgot about her injuries for a moment and pivoted on her heels in a fluid movement to face the entrance. As searing pain emanated from her abdomen, Marriskcal flinched, her arbir blades dropping to the stone floor in a clatter as a hand pressed over the place where the bar has pierced through her.

But never one to like appearing vulnerable, especially not to Dr. Bacta, as she had named him, the Praetorian send a flush of healing energy towards the closed wound, allowing the Force to numb and chase away the sharp pain as she straightened. Though the pallor of her features were a little paler than a moment ago, Marriskcal still managed a smile.

“Ah, it’s a lovely day, isn’t it? Doctor. Kaine.” The young woman kept any hints of her guilt and her realisation of her misbehaviour out of her voice. “And is that a nickname for me, Kaine?” she queried, tilting her head to the side curiously.

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[Kaine O'Doran]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Knight, Sith Warrior[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Location [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet, Sith Empire Space[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Allies[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Status [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Concerned[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Armor[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - Tunic[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Equipment [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaine was relieved to finally see Marr. From behind and from this distance she looked as though she had not been injured whatsoever, something which only made the male Gurlanin wonder in even more amazement at how advanced medicine was within this Galaxy. To see her fully healed in such a short time without any visible bandages or medical ointments or herbs spread across her form was a stark contrast to the medical practices of his home where herbs, medical ointments, and ritualistic 'praying' were commonplace. There were no large vats of blue liquid which could magically heal any wound, there were no precise surgical instruments to cure internal damages, there was none of that. Kaine's life had been of rural living, for the most part, all of this technology, all of this urbanization, all of this advancement always made O'Doran question and doubt whether his home meant something. It made him [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]question[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] and wonder at his people's apprehension to technology along with his own as to whether it was actually ever truly justified. Though he never allowed such thoughts to tamper at his mind and his own personal beliefs, at least, for now, that is.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]His eyes fixated on her when he heard the clatter of metal against the ground and he could have sworn he had seen her body suddenly stiffen as her hands went to her side. And then she turned around...and acted like everything was fine. Though Kaine knew better than that. He had seen that look so many times before, the feigned confidence and the feigned look that 'everything is okay, don't worry.' Many times he had seen other hunters like himself act the same way, he had picked up on such things and he knew how to recognize them. And to him, [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Marrk[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] was doing a bad job at that. It was because he had seen it so many times he could see the tell-tale signs. Which was why now he was worried for [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Marrk[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt], he needed to stop her and sit her down somewhere so that she could rest instead of her stupidly overexerting herself...something which Kaine didn't understand whatsoever, he only saw it as an idiotic practice.[/SIZE]

“Ah, it’s a lovely day, isn’t it? Doctor. Kaine. And is that a nickname for me, Kaine?”

"That...that not name?"

Kaine was puzzled. He had thought that her name was 'Marrk' since they had both met which is what he had always called her by. But...that wasn't her name, something which pleasently surprised the male Gurlanin and even caused a soft blush to reach up his neck and flower across his cheeks. He normally wasn't one to ever be embarrassed beforehand and yet something like this, something so trivial and basic as this was what caused the male to blush.

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Empty Hall, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Deflect, deflect, and deflect
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

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Dr. Bacta remained quiet for the moment, his eyes narrowing in a silent exasperated manner that revealed to the young woman that the other was not convinced of her nonchalant act. Then again, Marriskcal thought to herself ruefully, the words she had uttered were the first thoughts that had alighted to her mind. And they were truly a poor choice for deflecting unwanted attention from herself. But as it had already left her lips and filled the silence of the hall, it was a little too late for her to deny them.

And just when Dr. Bacta looked like he was about to open his mouth and berate her, Kaine spoke up. Always one to seize an opportunity when they presented itself, the blonde gratefully turned towards her saviour, “It isn’t~ My given name is rather long, so most people in my life tend to call me ‘Marr’ usually.” She leaned forward a little, grinning up at Kaine with mischief in her eyes as she realised that the blushing male had probably been mistaken since the moment they met.

“Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any to introduce myself then,” she added, giving a nod towards both males. It was not as though Marriskcal minded, as hardly anyone else other than her siblings and a rare scattering of beings she introduced herself to knew of her name. Throughout her life, monikers and callsigns were as much her name as the one she was given at birth.

Shadowstar, Nekghoul, Skuld, Four…

So no, the young woman was not troubled by the mistaken name and instead found it to be charming.

“My name is Marriskcal Lati. I would say that it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I am quite certain that the doctor would disagree,” the blonde said, turning her impish smile towards the male in the white coat. “But I will assert that I’m quite fine, thank you very much. And I can heal the rest of injuries within my body with a few sessions of focused meditation on my own.” Hopefully, hopefully, she had managed to divert both of them from their original intention of herding her back towards the medical hall.

For the blond absolutely did not want to find herself submerged in slime for a second time the same day.

​

 

[Kaine O'Doran]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Knight, Sith Warrior[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Location [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet, Sith Empire Space[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Allies[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - [member="Marriskcal Lati"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Status [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Concerned[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Armor[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] - Tunic[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Equipment [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]- Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____[/SIZE]

Kaine couldn't dare to hide the blush that now presented itself all too proudly on the pale and angular cheeks of his face. He wasn't one to blush, he never blushed. He never found any reason to be nervous or afraid or embarrassed by anything. Except, that is, for now. For the whole time, they had known each other which had been a few days, in retrospect, it was truly only a few hours that they actually knew each other while both of them were awake, he had called her Marrk. He called the short, blonde-haired woman that name because it was what he believed that her name was. However, he had apparently been wrong the whole entire time. Something which did visibly embarrass the normally prideful and boastful Gurlanin, changing his body language to looking away awkwardly with a bright crimson blush contrasting against his pale and scarred skin.

Kaine's orange eyes slowly drifted back towards Marr, jumping away however when he had seen her grinning up at him. Despite the embarrassment, O'Doran couldn't help but crack a small and warm smile from his lips which were as stone, what normally was solid and immovable and straight, now upturned at the edges in joy and humor at her and at what had happened. If it wasn't for his pride, Kaine would've actually laughed, he, a hunter and a warrior from a backwater world, would have laughed. Humor and laughing was a foreign concept to the Gurlanin, one that he had no idea of despite it being an inherent part of any creature. And yet, all it took was getting the name wrong of a small blonde woman to make him crack a smile and contemplate laughing.

Dr. Bacta as he had become known by Marriskcal only sighed in defeat, whispering to Kaine to keep a careful eye on her before he himself walked away from the pair, leaving them to there own designs. As soon as he was out of earshot, Kaine released a breath that he didn't know he had been carrying within his bosom. Finally he was free from that snarky bastard. Kaine's eyes shifted away from the doctor whose form was fading away as he turned a corner, and now shifted his attention back onto Marr. He could teel that she was in pain, that much was obvious to the man, she wasn't very good at hiding her pain, the stance of her feet and the tightening of her knees gave her away from what would have been a carefully hidden ailment. Though the Gurlanin knew better, of course.

"Marr, rest you must, yes. Pain you are in. Come...come, we can...do...something?"

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Empty Hall, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Do not send me back to bed
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

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Without any knowledge of her Kaine’s life prior to him becoming a knight within the Sith Empire, Marriskcal did not know much about the customs of her companion and his people. All she knew was that it has always brought her joy like no other whenever she managed to make someone smile or laugh, no matter how faint or vivid. And thus when the older male averted his eyes of burnished flame from her own gaze, her smile grew all the brighter.

When the doctor gave a deeply exasperated sigh, his presence clouded by futility, the devious creature that she was perked up inwardly. She watched as he excused himself, her own aura bubbling with buoyant delight that Dr. Bacta had given up on their little battle of attrition for the fifth time. And it seemed that Kaine held the same misgivings about the fussy doctor from the sigh that escaped his being. Glad of the shared sentiments, the blonde reached out and patted the other on his arm.

That was… until he brought up his own concerns. Marriskcal pouted up at the much taller male, wrinkling her nose at the thought of resting. But she did not refute his words, which was as good as an agreement when it came down to the stubborn person that she was. Meeting his gaze steadily, the young woman knew that Kaine had caught onto her.

So instead of attempting to assure him, Marriskcal decided to negotiate, because she could not bear the thought of languishing away in bed and doing nothing but to wiggle her toes while she stared at the ceiling and hummed nonsensical tunes to wile away the time. “I am in some pain, but it is nothing I cannot allay nor ignore,” she admitted with some reluctance. “But… I am going to guess you are not going to agree with me if I propose that we both continue to do some light training?”

From the way he was looking down at her, the blonde doubted it.

“Do you have any suggestions then? Perhaps we could go for a walk outside?” Marriskcal asked hopefully. The sterile scent of the facility and its blindingly white walls were beginning to bear down on her for she had never liked being in an infirmary nor medical hall of any sorts.

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[Kaine O'Doran]

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Location: Empty Hallway, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Status: Neutral

Armor: Tunic
Equipment: Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)

Kaine's orange eyes remained transfixed on the blonde woman below him, watching her carefully encase she tried to run. He doubted that she would try to run from him because she was injured and was still in a great deal of pain...and they were 'friends' or at least, he considered the pair of them friends despite the relative short-time that they had known one another and communed with one another. As he heard the woman who he now knew correctly as Marriskcal Lati speak, he couldn't help but mockingly roll his eyes. It wasn't something that he had done often, he had, in fact, learned such a thing from the short encounter the pair had thus far in their relationship. He couldn't restrain himself when he rolled his eyes at her insistence that she was fine. He knew she wasn't fine, she knew she wasn't fine, all Marr was doing was denying that she wasn't healed. She was trying to put on a false mask to make herself look strong. It was something Kaine had seen in himself, and something he wanted to stop her from doing.

"Marr, train later, rest now."

The idea of training with somebody as skilled as this blonde woman certainly sounded intriguing, though the gurlanin wanted her to heal up and rest first before she tried exerting herself again. He didn't want her to collapse from pain again in his arms

Despite Kaine's overall apprehension and hesitation to stop Marr from doing anything, he failed. His blazing orange pupils met the soft and pleading pupils of the short blonde woman. Despite his reluctance to allow her to do anything, her pleading and sad eyes turned his heart and mind away to force him to allow her to do something. Visibly and audibly sighing, O'doran's gaze fixated on Marr's face before speaking to her.

"We...we can do a walk."

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Hallway, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Victorious!
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

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As soon as his pupils shifted upwards in clear disbelief of her words, her own lips formed into an unabashed pout as she continued to look up imploringly at the white haired male. Truly, did everyone in this facility think of her as some sort snowbloom that found itself abandoned in the heart of a dessert? She was merely injured, and while she was somewhat weakened, she was not completely incapacitated.

Her life was so revolved around a recurring schedule of training and assignments that it was almost strange to the young woman that she was looking at several days of forced rest to the the severity of her wounds. Perhaps she would acquiescence for now, but she would be slowly driven insane if she had to continue with such a sedate routine for more than two days.

“Fine, we will take it easy for today,” Marriskcal agreed in a dulcet tone, pleased with the thought that at least she would not be escorted back to her cold impersonal room. Unbeknownst to her companion, the difference of ‘later’ and ‘now’ were very much up to the interpretation in her mind. And the devious creature that the young woman was seized upon the opportunity presented to her with concealed glee. Perhaps his ‘later’ may be several days, but for her, later could be anywhere from five minutes to five hours.

She brightened, her pout becoming a cheery grin despite his reluctant sigh. “Don’t be such a worrier, Kaine~ I’m not about to do something so strenuous that it would necessitate me being sent back to the bacta tank,” she assured him, a faint shudder coursing through her body at the absolutely horrible thought. “Come on, I know next to nothing about the facility, nor even what kind of world we are on. So you’ll have to be my guide this time.”

But now that she has gotten Kaine to agree to one reasonable request, the taller male was in danger of the next of her reasonable request. After all, it was ever in her nature to push and test.

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[Kaine O'Doran]

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Location: Empty Hallway, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Allies: Marriskcal Lati
Status: Perplexed

Armor: Tunic
Equipment: Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)

Kaine couldn't help but smile warmly at the short blonde haired woman when she had finally agreed to his request. He knew it wasn't easy to do such a thing as relax, it was never an easy thing to do, it was never easy to sit back and not be active. He knew such a thing from experience himself the many times he had been injured when out hunting, he hated the feeling of it. The sense of powerlessness that wrought through him, the sense of uselessness and self hatred that would stir within oneself was daunting and even overpowering at times. Though for the gurlanin, the biggest struggle of such a thing was the inability to be active, the inability to do anything. When he wasn't doing anything, O'Doran always felt the need to go out and do something productive no matter what it may be. He had always lived a very active lifestyle and to not be active was the worst torture that Kaine could endure. He had endured countless injured and dangers, he had endured being attacked by a bear and surviving with the scars to tell that tale. And yet, out of all things, he feared being kept away and secluded from doing anything. He feared bed rest.

Which is why she she requested, when she begged him to show her around the place, he decided to do it just to appease her and allow her to be active. Sighing, he rolled his eyes mockingly at Marr all the while smiling softly at her before making his way out of the nearby doors, holding it open for her.

"Hurry, before mind change."

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Hallway, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Cheerful
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

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​

With a vivid smile on her mien and a victorious shade to her aura, the blonde moved to join her taller companion by the door. Gesturing with a hand and a touch of her thoughts, her twin arbir blades rose from the ferrocrete floor, soaring across the hall and into her waiting grip.

While Marriskcal was not usually a being who expended the Force for such minor matters, her injuries were such that she made an exception for the time being. After all, despite her assurance to the good doctor and Kaine, all was not well. Not that she would ever speak of her vulnerability. She stole a secret glance at the other as she locked her blades back into a single entity, her movements fluid and natural as though this was something recurrent that she did on a whimsy.

At his pupils shifted upwards for a second time, the young woman reached out with and poked him at the side before she stepped out into the stark hallway. “No take backs, Kaine!” she countered gaily, although she knew it was merely an idle threat from the white haired male. His aura spoke to her of his understanding and the smile he graced her with was soft and gentle, filled with a trace of his amusement.

Holding her blade at an angle, Marriskcal reached out and closed a hand around his arm, tugging at the limb in a show of enthusiasm. “Do you know if there is a library or archive in this facility? I suppose when we tire of the outdoors, we can spend a few hours reading and holding discussions.”

It was yet another reasonable request.

​

 

[Kaine O'Doran]

|

|
Location: Empty Hallway, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Status: Perplexed

Armor: Tunic
Equipment: Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)

"I not injure, injure you are, I have the say."

Though it was difficult to understand his words, Kaine spoke plainly and simply to Marr. He was trying his own hand at teasing the young blonde woman and he hoped it was working, though due to his unfamiliarity of such things, he didn't know if what he said and how he said it was correct or completely and utterly false. Despite his trying at teasing, he was also telling her why he was in charge for the moment being. She was injured, while he himself wasn't. He saw it as common sense for why he would be helping her and making sure they do safe things so that she wouldn't overwork herself. The male gurlanin hated doing it himself, he hated it when it was done to him. Though he had to do it, after all it had been his fault she had been injured. Despite his own telling and private words of his conscience to his mind, he still felt that it was he himself which made her get so graveousily injured, that he was the root of her problems.

As soon as Marr mentioned going to a library and archive, Kaine froze in place. His blazing orange eyes looked down towards the ground, embarrased at the idea to go to such a place of knowledge where he knew nothing and could read nothing due to his own inability and lack of education in regards to the greater galaxy. To tell Marr such a thing was a daunting task even for the gurlanin warrior who bowed to no man. And yet even now, color rose to his cheeks and he avoided eye contact as he began to try and talk to Marr.

"Maybe. I...I no, not know how read, write..."

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Hallway, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Determined
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

​

​

​

“The only time I will allow you to have the slightest amount of say,” the blonde countered, holding up a hand with her thumb and index closed in a pinch to elucidate her words. There was still a grin on her lips though, to show that Marriskcal did not mind what the other has said. For now. And only because his words came from a place of genuine concern.

As she was holding on to his arm, the young woman paused in her steps when Kaine stopped in his tracks, her eyes peering up at him silent query. With her slighter stature and his pale colouring, she did not miss the telltale shade of pink that was slowly colouring his mien. And even if she did, the sudden swirl of shame and reluctance that weaved through his presence was clear and obvious to her keen senses.

While Marriskcal was curious, she allowed the other the time to speak. And when he finally did, his gaze still averted to the ground, the blonde leaned in closer, bumping her shoulder against his bicep to capture his attention. “Well… it is never too late to learn, Kaine,” she broke the silence that fell between them, her voice soft and gentle. Despite the humble nature of the Guards, Marriskcal was a prideful creature, and she loathed admitting to her ignorance.

There were times where she forgot that not everyone was as fortunate as she was to be chosen. Her own education was extensive, and while she was more inclined towards combat skills than her studies, she was decent enough to aid the other in learning how to read and write. “Let us go take a walk outdoors, and when we get tired of it, we can head to… whatever that serves as the resource centre for this facility–” she shrugged a slim shoulder as she started to tug her companion along again. “–And start you on the basics.”

​

 

[Kaine O'Doran]

|

|
Location: Empty Hallway, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Status: Happy

Armor: Tunic
Equipment: Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)

Kaine kept his hard orange eyes averted from the soft, blue eyes of Marr, ashamed. After admitting his own faults to the blonde woman, he felt lost and knew not what to do with himself. O'Doran didn't want to meet her gaze out of fear of what she may say, and what she may do. Thus far, she hadn't shown herself to be a rude or cruel person, yet they had only known each other for a day and even then, it had only truly been for a few hours. The rest of that day had been spent with the male gurlanin cradling the blonde's head with one hand, while his other hand tried it's best to stop the blood from falling out of her lithe form. He was doing his best to forget his failure of letting another get hurt under his watch, though it was difficult. The pain and self-hatred was multiplied ten fold after he admitted to Marr that he didn't know how to read and write, and that he didn't know how to even speak properly.

The man's solemn gaze was broken as he felt pressure bump into and press into his bicep. Shifting his gaze from staring at a lone, solitary grey square on the ground, his eyes met her eyes, surprised at her sudden authority and assertive nature whereas earlier she had been relaxed and calm. As calm as a petite and feisty blonde could be that is, at least in Kaine's eyes. He had been expecting to see her blue eyes knitted in annoyance towards him, and yet, they were not. They were not. Instead, her eyes were contemplating and curious, and then her soft voice spoke to him. At hearing her offer, the stubborn gurlanin was surprised, absolutely, and undeniably, surprised. She was willing to help him?

"You...you help me? Ah yes...let's take walk."

Kaine could do nothing as the short, blonde woman dragged him along to the outside world, much to his own reluctance and amusement. It was easy, somehow, for his bitter regret and annoyance at himself to be so easily washed away when she was being playful and nice, and funny. All woman whom he had met thus far, most of which were fellow gurlanins, stayed to tradition of hardy warriors, never cracking a smile from the hard-facade of a shield they wore. Marr was different, something that Kaine was glad for. And he couldn't but help to be amused at seeing her out of all people try and drag him along considering he was...about two feet taller than her. It brought a smile to his lips.

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Entrance, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Wistful
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

Perhaps similar thoughts alighted Kaine's mind as it did hers when they found themselves at an impasse, Marriskcal thought to herself as the other turned his ember gaze back towards her own. She stayed quiet this time, allowing him to see that she was not about to jeer nor chastise him for his perceived lack. It was only when he spoke, his words laced with his astonishment and wonderment that she allowed a small smile to alight back on her countenance, giving him a determined nod.

"Of course. I consider you a friend, and friends help each other out," she affirmed. While they were more acquaintances than friends, the taller male was a being that the young woman could see herself growing fond of. He was a little rough around the edges and more than a little gruff, but his heart was kind and loyal. And thus, Marriskcal decided to see where their friendship would take them.

Ever the impatient creature, as soon as the blonde and her unfortunate victim drew close to the door, she stared up at the sensors. With the faintest hint of a pout on her lips, she waved a hand before it, triggering them to open just a moment sooner. Curling her fingers even more firmly around his arm in quiet anticipation, the Guard continued her advance, pulling Kaine along as she stepped beyond the boundary of the facility... and out into a verdant world.

"I– this is beautiful." Splayed out in the horizon before them was a vista of gentle sloping hills covered with grass and flowers, interspersed by small groves of trees. And while it did make sense to have a medical facility on such a tranquil world, it was more than a little incongruous, considering that they were in Sith space.

"I rarely have the chance to see such sights," she confessed in a wistful tone, pausing in her steps to admire the natural beauty before her. No, in her line of duty, she was mostly assigned to stay by her Lord and Master's side within the safety of the Bastion of Ren or the Wrath, or provide aid to the military in urban areas to ensure assets of interest would fall under the sovereignty of the First Order. But she did not lament her fate, for she had willingly chosen the path she walked on.

"Tell me more about this planet, Kaine. And since I am already demanding for information, I would like to know more about yourself and your homeworld as well, considering how our conversation was so rudely interrupted back on Sullust."

 

[Kaine O'Doran]

|

|
Location: Entrance, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Status: Cheerful

Armor: Tunic
Equipment: Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

​

"Think of us friends, do you?"

Friends, she considered the two of them...friends. To have a friend wasn't a strange notion to Kaine, he already had friends...or he had friends. He wasn't sure where he stood with them now, having being exiled and branded a traitor and cast off from his home, his family, his tribe. He knew not of what they thought of them, though he doubted they thought nicely of him anymore. He wouldn't tell himself sweet-little-lies to comfort himself, for they were lies and nothing useful became of lies and deceit save for future tribulation and anguish. Although O'Doran had thought of the two of them as friends, he knew in himself that they were mere acquaintances. That was until Marr had admitted that she thought of him as a friend as well, and that it wasn't just a one-sided thing. He was fond of her, with her gentle nature that could also be hard and unrelenting as well, with how she treated him like he was no outsider but merely a stranger who needed help. Help that blossomed forth into a friendship, albeit a naive and new-borne one through shared experience of trauma and happiness. It was good enough for Kaine.

The tall male gurlanin was dragged forwards by the petite blonde woman, willingly giving up his strength and will-power to appease Marriskcal. He found her directness and eagerness cute and flattering, unlike of her determined and warrior-esque nature, it helped to offset her and made her stand-out to the man. The sight of rolling green hills before his fiery eyes was beautiful, it reminded him of Qiilura. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the movements of Marr, with her eyes expanding and her mouth hanging in a surprised gasp. Kaine couldn't help but grin at seeing the look on her face, the wilds were breathtaking and it seemed that Marr shared the same viewpoint, if not more-so.

AS soon as she asked about this planet, Kaine gave the blonde-woman a look of confusion. He knew not of what this world was, he knew not of it's purpose or even what it's name was. He had just taken her to this world because it was the closest one displayed on that strange blue map he saw in the metal tomb of a vessel.

"I don't know, know nothing I do of planet we on. My home...my home very natural, no smoke, lots of war, many animals. Very peaceful it is...and deadly. I came from tribe 'Yian', peaceful it was..."

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Field, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Contented
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

​

“I do,” she said, giving her companion a firm nod of her golden head. “Though we may be standing at the start of this particular story, I find myself becoming fond of you… And you seem to feel the same about my person–” The young woman unknowingly echoed Kaine’s sentiments as she spoke, her own aura curling around his presence to discern the truth of the feelings he held towards her. The male had barely any barriers in place to shroud his surface thoughts and emotions from bleeding, which meant that it was simple for someone who has a modicum of training to know his mind and heart. Much less for a creature who was forged to be a herald and hunter both.

Well, I suppose I will just have to teach him how to meditate and slowly form a natural barrier while we are at it, she thought to herself, wrinkling her nose at the very thought of staying still for hours on end. “–So we may as see where this path would lead us.” Perhaps they may become close friends. Perhaps they may even end up as foes. But the future was ever nebulous, and Marriskcal has always preferred to focus on the here and now.

Now that she was quite sure that Kaine was not about to demand that she return to her white empty room, the blonde allowed her victim’s arm to go free, her steps light as she stepped away from the ferrocrete surface and on to soft grass. A gentle breeze blew past the two beings, carrying with it a sweet scent as it tousled both pale gold and silver tresses. “Come along now, lest you fall behind~” she teased, gesturing for the taller male to walk by her side as she made her way through the tall grass and bright flowers towards the nearest copse of trees.

“We shall just have to add it to the list when we return to the facility then,” she decided. It was a little worrying that she had yet to learn much about the world and the people who were treating her, but as the Force continued to flow calmly. Marriskcal decided it could wait a little longer. “A lot of wars?” the blonde blinked, tilting her head in bemusement. From what little she could infer from his words, the world that Kaine has originated from was still filled with natural resources and remained mostly untouched by progress. But she found herself confused by his mentions of war and peace.

​

 

[Kaine O'Doran]

|

|
Location: Entrance, Medical Facility, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Status: Cheerful

Armor: Tunic
Equipment: Crimson Lightsaber (1x) | Ballistic Knife (1x)
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

At the mention of him becoming fond of her, Kaine gave her a curious and questioning look. He had no idea as to how she was able to detect what he was thinking and his feelings about her as a friend and it unnerved the male. To have his thoughts so easily 'read' was concerning to him and troubling, as if he had no safety within the confines of his own mind, the haven of his own, personal thoughts. It made him question as to whether the blonde-haired woman could always read his thoughts since the two of them had first met. He didn't know how she did it or with what device or ability allowed her to do such a thing, though it made him wary of what he thought around her. Even though he wasn't certain that she had read his thoughts, the comment alone from Marr spoke of suspicious actions to the gurlanin. Though, he gave the concept no more thought and chose not to voice it. Better to keep private traitorous thoughts to one's self than to expunge them aloud after all.

His orange eyes gazed across the verdant green hills, memories of a world un-corrupted by pollution and metal infrastructure resurfacing to his mind as he was reminded of Qiilura repeatably by such a site. It was...peaceful to be out here, away from all of the machines and all of the unnatural creations of this Galaxy. To be in such close proximity to said things made Kaine feel a strange sensation, as though he didn't belong. In time, he knew he would adapt and overcome to such things. Though for the moment being, he felt out of place. A gurlanin alone in the Galaxy was a terrible thing. Especially so among the advanced technology of the Galaxy.

Kaine had been carried away with staring at the rolling green hills up and until Marriskcal had called out to him to get his attention. After the realization that he was just standing there with Marr not at his side, O'Doran quickly caught up to the side of the blonde-woman. As the pair walked together, a field of flowers began to come into view slowly, just a little beyond the horizon, the edges of it visible to the naked eye.

"Wars, yes. Nomadic though, small fights, territory, power, supplies. Simple yes, necessary yes, to survive. Peace it is as well, forests everywhere, everything there to wish for nature." Kaine knew he was butchering how to describe his home of Qiilura, though he found it difficult with his limited vocabulary to properly describe anything, let alone his homeworld.

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, the epitome of a bad patient
Equipment: Lightsaber (Blue) & Vibro-Arbir Blades
Location: Field, Undisclosed Planet in Sith Empire space
Status: Focused
Allies: [member="Kaine O'Doran"]

​

Humming softly as Kaine weaved his story in a halting manner that she was becoming familiar with, the young woman leaned down every now and then to pick a bright bloom or two. As the other fell silent, Marriskcal picked backed up the thread of conversation as they continued their sedate walk across the peaceful field. “I… cannot imagine what it is like,” she admitted with a gentle shake of her head. “It is very different from the only life that I have known.”

By the time they reached the edge of the grove, Marriskcal had gathered an armful of vivid blossoms. It was with a happy little sigh that the blonde seated herself on the grass, giving her companion a cheerful grin as she patted the place beside her. “But… I think… even if I am not quite certain how I would fare on your world as a youngling, it sounds like a lovely place.” Life would have been hard, with the constant fear and worry and struggle. But the glimpses of peaceful moments and the wistful shade of his voice made it seem like it was worth every hardship.

A part of her wanted to talk about her own childhood on the wintry peak of Canaitith, there was not much for her to talk about. Her life revolved around a recurring rote of studies and training as she honed her skills. And perhaps if she did not aspire to walk the path of the Praetorian Guard, her life would have been a little less harsh. But she has never regretted it, for she was proud that she was chosen to serve. “I lived a sheltered life, and most of my knowledge comes from datacrons or records.”

She allowed the gathered flowers to tumble on to her lap, picking a sunbright bloom up and holding it near her companion’s silver hair. “Mhm, I think this colour would suit you well.” With a focused furrow to her brows, the blonde plucked another flower and began to weave the stalks together. “If I ever find the chance, I would very much like to visit your homeworld one day. What is its name and which part of the Galaxy is it located in?” While it was rare that she would ever find time to travel, Marriskcal still liked to dream and hope.

​