Private Call Me a Saint

[Ishida Ashina]

CORUSCANT | JEDI TEMPLE | LIBRARY
Aeris Lashiec
I'm tryna shine a light on,
light on,
light on
​

She’d done the bare minimum for self-maintenance after The Alliance transport vessel returned from Nar Chunna to Coruscant. She’d showered, changed her clothes and eaten. Spoonfuls of noodles while her hair was still damp, and afforded herself the luxury of painting around her eyes.

Other than that, there was no time to waste. Ishida had at least gone so far as to seal the head of the drone into a cylinder with some sort of life-sustaining liquid. The medics aboard the transport had looked appalled, but still helped. It was a crude thing, and awkward to carry.

For the most part, Ishida abused her intimacy with The Force and had it hover alongside her at hip height as she power-walked through the temple halls toward the library.

While she was educated, it had been mostly by her parent’s instruction back on Atrisia, at Ashida estate. She had spent very little time at all at the Coruscanti information centre. Nevertheless, it’s layout was pretty intuitive and organized.

It took her little time at all to find a seat, disregarding everyone else around that were invested in their own curiosities, and unceremoniously her awkward container on the table next to her while she pulled up the archive information. Immediately, without any pattern or intense purpose, attempted to access a mish-mash of information on both alchemy, hide tanning, mask molding, and The Bryna’dûl’s planetary atmospheres and their lung composition. All thanks to the corpses kept aboard Prosperity.

So absorbed in the information the blue-glow offered that she paid no heed to the repulsed expressions of fellow students as they shifted their seats away from her. And the Bryn’adul drone head...which was starting to smell, despite its containment.

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

Ishida Ashina

Usually when someone described Aeris, they described her as the librarian that she was. Cold at times, organized and structured to a fault with more books-read-by-the-day than most of the people around the temple combined. She was kind to those that showed her respect, and patient with those that were brave enough to ask for help. In truth she was often displeased if not outright confused with her reputation.

But, sometimes things happened in her library and she understood exactly why. The rules that she set on how to behave weren’t all that far from what many considered common sense. No crumbles on the tables, keep greasy digits away from any form of paper page or surface that could prove difficult to clean. Now, there was not a single rule against smell, but that was because she had yet to encounter a situation in which it was called for, much less that of a decapitated head stored in preservatives.

However, there seemed to be a first for anything.

“Padawan Ashina.” Her stern voice echoed around the halls with a frustrated yet pointed call to the disturbance in her hall. “I will have to ask you to dispose of that head. Now.”

 

[Ishida Ashina]

“Padawan Ashina.”

Keeping her focus on the documentation on alchemized armour in front of her, Ishida only twitched slightly in response. She was just getting to the end of the sentence when the brash voice continued.

“I will have to ask you to dispose of that head. Now.”

"No." The Atrisian countered immediately, finishing her sentence and moving a small marker next to the end of the paragraph so she wouldn't lose her spot.

Finally, she turned around, sniffed, frowned, and tilted to look up that the Jedi Knight that kept the library so orderly.

"Ah, Knight Lashiec."

"This is an artefact." Ishida explained, her expression hardening. "I can refresh its containment system, but I won't get rid of it." She gestured to the readout on the screen, as if its contents would help plead her case on her behalf.

A though struck her, and she quickly went to enter in her credentials to forward some of the articles to her private datapad to read them outside the library. The alchemized details thunked an error noise loudly, and flashed FORBIDDEN ACTION :// INVALID CREDENTIALS :// MUST BE READ WITH SUPERVISION.

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

Ishida Ashina

Insolence. The calm veneer that had shrouded Aeris’ inner thoughts cracked for a moment as she recoiled at the Atrisian brat’s attitude. To assume that all Jedi got along with each other was to be naive, and while Aeris tried her best there were some that just didn’t go over smooth with Aeris. Ishida Ashina and her like-minded fool of a mentor, Sardun, were but two of those. They were short-sighted and prideful. Too thick-headed to see past their own nose and the harm they did.

“That is not an artifact, padawan. This is a decapitated head, put on display in a place of peace and understanding.” Aeris frowned at the kid and shook her head as she withdrew her own datapad to examine the request that had just popped up. “Instructions on how to skin animals, ways to field dress—”

Aeris stopped, lowered the pad and looked at Ishida.

“Why in the hell are you trying to—” She stopped yet again, eyes set on the head. “No. You are not doing what it seems that you are doing…”

 

[Ishida Ashina]

“That is not an artifact, padawan. This is a decapitated head, put on display in a place of peace and understanding.”

Ishida shifted in her seat, adjusting to look more permanently at this bump in the road on her way to knowledge. She would make a mask of this thing. She would leverage its ability to breathe on inhospitable worlds, so she wouldn't have to wear a non-menacing rebreather again. She was the carver, and she'd remind the Bryn'adûl of that the more and more they saw parts of their counterparts' carapaces outfitted on the little Atrisian warrior.

"It's resting peacefully. I'm trying to understand it." The teen countered, her jaw tightening and hardening at the place just below her ears. Her nose twitched, and for the first time she realized that it might indeed be time to refresh the containment the head was in, lest it spoil.

No. You are not doing what it seems that you are doing…”

A small, pointedly devilish grin peeled across her mouth and she gave way to a slow nod, encouraging Aeris' understanding further.

"Yes. Their technology is too useful to just be wasted to kills each battle." The little Ashina explained. Her family had invented a unique type of steel that revolutionized weapons in Atrisia; part of that genetic scheming was baked into her blood.

Narrowing her eyes, she arched a white brow. "Problem?"

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

Ishida Ashina

The clicking sound of her pad echoed around the library with a solemn bounce across the halls. A deep breath entered through Aeris nose before she blew it out with a slow exhale to focus on herself again.

“I want to make this explicitly clear, Padawan Ashina.” Aeris said and carefully, methodically put the datapad down on the table. The palms of her hands spread out against the hardwood surface with a heavy lean over the Atrisian brat, her nostrils flared from the stench that the pale-haired, pale-skinned, deranged little psychopath had brought into the library, and that was not just in regards to the decomposing head in a canister. “I refuse to be an accessory to this lunacy.”

“To raise your blade against an opponent is one thing. To defeat them is another.” And that, right there, was when Aeris scoffed. “But to skin them, alchemize their very essence into a piece of armor to adorn on the field.”

“There is no reason for me to even remotely consider approving this request unless I want to send you down an even darker path than the one you are already on.”

Aeris grabbed the pad again and began to reach for the reject button.

 

[Ishida Ashina]

The librarian levelled her tone, her height advantage making it as though she were looking down on the Padawan both literally and figuratively.
Ishida forced herself to remain resolute, complacent to the accusations of insanity and going to far.

..unless I want to send you down an even darker path than the one you are already on.”

She opened her mouth to speak and quickly clicked it shut. A darker path than she's already on? Turning pallid, Ishida stiffened. A creeping chill resonated about her shoulders, tightening and cooling vertebrae by vertebrae as if she could feel the sensation congealing through her spine.

Aeris' implications held the same warning edge her master's had, but lacked the implied outcome to make it truly menacing.

"That is the path of the Dark and you do not want to tread those grounds."

For once, Ishida's lack of words was not due to her unwillingness to speak, but from her actual state of speechlessness.

"..." Her noise was wordless, but sounded like the start of a sentence "Dark path?"

Her brows knit, furrowing in consideration. How could wanting to leverage alien technology for our advantage fall into that category? Sure, it would make her look gruesome, and she'd tout the triumph of face-stealer but the consideration behind it was to further their advances.

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

A deep sigh blew from Aeris’ nose. Her eyes closed and she glanced up at Ishida who didn’t seem to understand what she was saying. On one hand she wanted to lecture her there and then, but this really wasn’t the place for it, not to mention that it wasn’t Aeris’ place to do so. That honor was in the hands of her psycho-daddy of a master, much to the despair of anyone who saw the futility in this grudge that they all held onto.

“You…” Aeris shook her head and sighed again, motioned for Ishida to get up. “This is not the place for this. Follow me.”


The librarian would lead the Atrisian student into another room, an office that Aeris usually worked in. She took a seat in a squeaky chair and motioned for Ishida to sit in the one in front of her desk.

“This… Idea, that you have.” Aeris said and shook her head. “It is revolting. Dehumanizing, not to them but to you. Quite frankly it is something that I cannot believe you even thought to be a good idea in the first place.”

Her nostrils scrunched from the smell that reeked from the container.

“What made you want to do this, Padawan Ashina?” Aeris asked and calmly leaned back in her chair. “Why do you want to cross this threshold?”

Ishida Ashina

 

[Ishida Ashina]

Aeris Lashiec never rejected nor affirmed her request for access. Instead, she just..left it.

Ishida's narrow mouth drew into a tight line, and she felt a twitch pull at her upper lip into the smallest inclination of a snarl. This wasn't the place. Such a sacrosanct location. Such attachment.

Regardless of her internal scoldings, she bookmarked her research and associated it to her profile before she collected up the handle of the containment and followed after the librarian.

As it had been earlier, the librarian was quick to level accusations. Apparently! The only spine Aeris had was that of bound volumes held within her grip.

Angrily, Ishida's grip tightened on the handle of the Bryn head's containment.

"The threshold of knowledge?" She challenged back, shaking her head. "I intend to turn this into a rebreather. Their worlds are inhospitable to our lungs. I want them to see that we can not only survive in their environments," To drive her point home, she tapped a finger nail on the glass "But thrive."

"With all due respect, Knight Lashiec,..." (waning amounts) "I'm surprised at your position."

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

"A rebreather?" Aeris looked perplexed. Such an effort was not the task of just any Jedi, much less a Padawan. "You can be however surprised you want. The point still stands that in the face of rejection, you chose anger. When you were faced with the discomfort of your fellow students, you chose apathy. The only aspect you follow in this is knowledge, yet you forget about the others: peace, serenity, harmony.”

The pad was placed on the desk. It wouldn’t be confirmed or denied any time soon if this kept up.

“I can admire your dedication to finding a solution to the Bryn’adul problem, but unless you can find someone to help you in these studies, I will not be accepting your request.”

Ishida Ashina

 

[Ishida Ashina]

With glossed over eyes, Ishida's expression remained listless as Aeris Lashiec rolled through the virtues a Jedi should have. And how they related to her adventure in the library. It seemed like such a small detail to be so pressed on.

It sounded like a series of hurdles before the librarian revealed the final gate.

For a moment, Ishida was silent. Pondering.

To avoid looking at the Jedi Knight, she stared at the lines and ridges of the floating head in the tank. She hadn't hauled this back from the battlefield to be rejected and denied. By whatever means, she'd get this thing's teeth stretched over her mouth. She'd look ferocious on the battlefield and those that looked upon her would despair because she, Light's Retribution, had defeated the Bryn'adûl and wore them like a trophy.

And to do that, she had to be polite. She couldn't be as nerf-headed as her father. She had to be like the lotus, delicate and approachable. Like her mother.

Making a small sound at the back of her throat, she looked up at Aeris. Ishida only had a few names that came immediately to mind. Auteme (who had suggested she make more friends...like right now, that would have been a good reason to have more friends. More access to hidden library data) or Bernard . They both seemed detail oriented and nerdy enough.

And maybe wouldn't tell on her to Sardun.

"Do you suggest anyone?" Thoughtful pause. Be nice. "Could you help?"

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

Ishida Ashina // Dagon Kaze (Mentioned only)

This was the part about preconceptions and airing them that sucked the most. Now that it was all out in the open, Ishida either began to feign ignorance, manners, or both. In an effort to bury the hatchet before it was really put to use, Aeris reached up to scratch behind her ear and gave off a long, almost relieved sigh.

“Knight Denko-Durren is a good font of both knowledge and common sense.” She said and took a seat, pulled the pad into her hands and sifted through the books that Ishida wanted to borrow again. “Beyond that…”

“Actually, there is another that I think could help you as well.”

Oh, Sardun would hate this one…

“Padawan, same as you.” Aeris slowly began to nod. “Dagon Kaze.”

At least Dagon was someone that she felt comfortable with slapping across the face if he didn’t try to imprint some damn common sense on this girl.

 

[Ishida Ashina]

There was no politeness that framed her rejection: "Absolutely not."

Her arms folded across her chest and she tightened, giving a shake of her head.

"Why would you suggest him. He fell to the darkside."

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

"Because he is someone that I know that I can trust." Aeris stated quite simply. "Why? You make it seem like he has done something to you."

 

[Ishida Ashina]

The words hit Ishida like a A-A5 speeder truck. She could trust him?

With narrowing eyes, she glowered at the overlord of bound volumes. The blonde woman was a fool. Granted, Ishida didn't know anything about Dagon Kaze other than his apparent fanboying over The Sword of The Jedi and that he'd fallen to the darkside. He was only alive because her master was merciful. That one time.

"He put another's life in peril because of his short sightedness and he fell to the darkside." She reiterated, recounting the lesson from Sardun.

Still, that gate was blocked. She had to get out of this somehow, without threatening to level Padawan Kaze to the ground: "I wouldn't feel safe working with him."

Tightening her jaw, she clenched her teeth and sawed them left-to right. "How can you trust him?"

Aeris Lashiec

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

"Because I know that he is capable of learning from his mistakes, same as you." Aeris said, once again quite simply so. "What happened to Knight Arden was unnecessary and unfortunate, yes, but I fail to see how distrusting and shunning him for a moment of weakness bolsters us as a faith."

"Are you saying Dagon has let this happen again since the incident with Knight Arden?"

 

[Ishida Ashina]

Ishida's eyes were anywhere but the tablet. She knew where it was. She knew how fast it'd take to get to it, now that Aeris Lashiec had set it down, and she knew where the door was. She could get it and out in under twenty seconds, that she was sure of.

The tank with the head in it might spill a little, but she needed to replace the coolant anyway.

"I don't know." She sniffed. "I don't make Padawan Kaze my business, and I certainly don't want him invested in mine.

What does he know of alchemy, anyway? Wouldn't it be more prudent to have someone supervising who has some knowledge of what I'm looking to learn?"

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

"If you don't know, then why do you assume that he would not change?" Aeris countered. "And he wouldn't be there to help and assist, he would be there to keep you in line and report to someone, anyone, that you are following proper procedure on this."

"There is nothing stopping you from having two assistants in this."

Ishida Ashina

 

[Ishida Ashina]

Now she flicked her gaze to the data pad. It sat there, humming as technology tended to hum, like an alluring trap.

Then back to Aeris Lashiec with a grunt.

With nothing less than an air of petulance, she sank into her posture and folded her arms across her chest. Deepening her frown, she hem-hawed the offer and poked the inside of her cheeks with her tongue.

"There's no-one else you..." she groaned. "I guess..Auteme would be into this sort of thing."

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

"I am not assigning anyone to you, I am saying that you need to find someone to help you out or at the very least supervise you, and if you fail to do so I would resort to assigning Dagon because he is someone that I know would report back to me."

Ishida Ashina