Control

[Kana Truden]

[member="Madeline Roux"]

The pain amplified as life began to fade. Kana working overtime to grant them a few final moments to say goodbye. She didn’t hear what the two were saying, Max’s last few words to Kana landing on ears too focused on quelling her own pain to notice. He faded and Kana let her focus go with a deep inhale for air. Her back began to rise up and down in rapid succession to find the power to go on. Madeline had pulled her into a hug by the time her own senses came back to it, Kana’s own hand moving up to pat the slave on her shoulder between the heavy breathing.

“I never got to say goodbye to my friends before I left.” Kana panted. “I just couldn’t sit back and let the same thing happen to you.”

Kana rose from the ground still panting, her hands sweeping at her knees to keep the bloodied rags from clinging to her skin. The slave wondered what would happen and Kana placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder. From behind the stage a new batch of soldiers were slowly leading other slaves into the open and out the door. It was about time Kana and Madeline did the same.

A finger snapped at one of the soldiers, exasperated as she was Kana pointed at Max’s body and nodded for the soldier to pick it up.

“He was a hero, bury him like one.” He hadn’t been one, but it’d ensure that Madeline had somewhere to go if she ever wanted to remember him. “Saved our lives.”

Lying was a bad habit, but it worked. Kana turned back to Madeline again to explain herself through a telepathic message.

It means they will bury him somewhere, and that you can come visit. My friends were all granted mass graves, or turned into Yuuzhan Vong slaves.

“As for you,” Kana said and turned to face Madeline in full. “You can come with me, I sense it in you and I think you can sense it in me too.”

“The force. The curse and the boon as it is.”

“I can train you, if you wish.”

 

[Madeline Roux]

[SIZE=10pt]It hurt Madeline to hear that Kana had been unable to say her goodbyes to her friends. She knew logically that a lot of things happen to keep someone from being able to make peace with the dying or dead, but it was still a painful, tender subject nonetheless. Something that sat so fresh and heavily in Madeline’s mind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]To Madeline, she had done nothing to deserve the kindness that Kana had placed upon her. Yes she had her back during the fight, and yes she was a slave - living a hardship most never had to deal with, but to her those were nothing to award her of taking the pain of her friend so she could say her goodbyes. Kana was one of the first people she had met that she felt she could place her trust in and not have it thrown back in her face. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Her eyes felt as though they grew two sizes when she heard the words tumble past her lips - telling the soldiers that Max was a hero and should be buried as one. All at once she had a swell of emotions, her throat tightened as tears threatened to spill and she couldn’t accurately get the words she had wanted to say to Kana out. She was grateful, and so incredibly happy that someone would think of something as simple as having him buried properly so she may one day come back and visit him. So instead, Madeline shifted her body offering assistance to Kana should she wish to or need to lean herself against her. Offering a smile, though sad around the edges, Madeline nodded her head in thanks. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Watching Kana’s lips carefully, Madeline was surprised at her answer to her question of what now. She had felt the force within Kana, and felt as though she had it within herself but to her it had always been an idea she toyed with, never anything solid. That is, until the woman before her confirmed it. She was presented with an option, one great that could lead her to an incredible future and to goals and dreams of hers she never felt possible. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“I would love that, Kana. Thank you.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Though it slightly scared her, she felt she was ready - pushing herself into the unknown could certainly prove dangerous, but it was something that left her feeling slightly euphoric. With a gentle nudge, Madeline nodded her head in the direction of a ship. Keeping pace with Kana, the girl helped her along until they arrived. Soldiers readying the ship they arrived on immediately made room when they saw Kana and the slave girl, assuring them it would only be a few minutes before they left and they were free to get settled or do as they wished - the soldiers mentioning a few times to the healer that they had things under control and that she should rest. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]When the two were finally left alone, Madeline turned to Kana offering a soft smile. “I know you probably want to rest but I have to ask. How old were you when you started training?” It wasn’t the full question she wanted to ask, her mind buzzing questions, bouncing between wondering if it would be more difficult for her to learn with how old she was to if she would make a good healer in the end. These were questions she knew she wouldn’t get a full answer to, especially the last one, and only time would tell. But Madeline couldn’t help herself from asking about the woman who saved her. She had wanted to learn more about her and could only hope that with time, they could become good friends as well.[/SIZE]

[member="Kana Truden"]​

 

[Kana Truden]

[member="Madeline Roux"]

Kindness was a free commodity, and after what Kana had been through it felt like the only one she had available to her. As such she would spread it as much as she could. It had taken her forty years to realize exactly how easy it was and once she had experienced it she couldn’t help but spread the message. Madeline hadn’t done anything to deserve the gifts she was ushered with, but given the chance and with the right encouragement she would know that she had the ability to do the same. In the end that was all that mattered. It wasn’t about doing good or evil, or about light or dark. It was about being there. As a healer that was what Kana had pledged to do and it was what she would keep doing. With her help Madeline stood the chance to do the same.

Lead out of the den and onto the ships Kana turned to look at Madeline when she spoke.

“Nineteen.” She offered quite simply. “That was a good twenty years ago.”

And then she frowned. “Things were pretty tense back then.”

Kana indicated for Madeline to take a seat in front of her so that they could continue speaking. She wasn’t much for forcing meditation the first thing they did. It was mind-throbbingly boring as a beginner, and this wasn’t the time. Kana was tired, she had just kept a dying man from dying in pain and fear. It took as much out of her as it did for him and it was showing. Her eyes drooped and her stare seemed absent.

“We will have to run checks on you before we do anything, but I trust you will pass them without any real remarks.” Mainly because Madeline was a slave. It was not out of the question that the girl had severe trauma that could be exploited. “You will need to attend therapy within the Circle for the years you have spent here before we can get started on anything too serious.”

“Safety precaution. Just to make sure you aren’t a child-eating demon.” She smiled with a small chuckle bursting out her nose. “Heck, I passed. That should mean you pass it too without any issue.”

 

[Madeline Roux]

[SIZE=10pt]Taking the seat offered to her tentatively, Madeline watched Kana carefully. She had started much younger than Madeline was now and it registered yet again how strong Kana was. Madeline didn’t know the woman quite that well yet but from what she could tell the woman was incredibly strong willed - intelligent, caring, and had been through so much. Kana had let few things slip about her previous experiences. Things sounded tough, but it didn’t make Madeline pity the woman - in fact she found herself looking up to her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]For someone to have gone through everything Kana had and was still able to overcome her problems and stand tall was something Madeline admired. So instead of frowning she offered a light smile towards Kana - lips pulling up to reveal teeth and dimples on either side of her cheeks. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“They may have been tense but from what I can tell, they’ve only made you stronger.” She knew it probably wouldn’t mean much considering it was a long time passed, but Kana had shown her so much kindness it felt like a crime if Madeline didn’t pay it back towards her. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]When Kana mentioned Madeline having to attend therapy she understood that. She also understood having to go through checks to make sure she was stable. What threw her off guard though was the mental image of child-eating demons. Her brown eyes had grown wide - staring at Kana like she was the crazy one, before she broke out into a fit of giggles. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Or we could both be child-eating demons and just master illusionists?” She grinned then, hoping her joke would be read as one. Madeline knew that for some, humor was as good as a concrete slab - dull, bland, and incredibly uncomfortable to be around as a whole. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Clapping her hands together she leant back in her chair, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. It hadn’t hit her until that moment how exhausted she was. Madeline was hoping the two could sleep before she was subjected to poking and prodding and testing. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“When does the testing start?” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Kana Truden"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kana Truden]

[member="Madeline Roux"]

Kana’s lip twitched with a smile. If the tense few years had made her stronger she wasn’t sure, but she’d accept the compliment nonetheless. The slave girl also seemed willing to undergo the necessary procedures before she could really promise anything, and at least Kana could get a laugh out of the face the girl put on as she had mentioned child-eating demons. It faded into snickers and jokes, and Kana would do the same.

“No doubt. In fact we’re all made out of chocolate and the streets are paved with gold.” She perked her brow. The sunk again, serious mode on and all. “But no. The testing starts fairly soon, once we get back to Sulon. Once there you will speak to one of the other Jedi for a while before we get the chance to talk about potentially introducing you to the Circle of Healers, or whatever other direction you wish to head.”

“We are in a sense taking you away for our own sake as much as yours.” Kana decided to be upfront. “The chances of you going AgriCorps is there, but from what I have seen it is a very small chance.”

The blonde master caught herself. “... Right. AgriCorps. It’s where we send the force sensitives who fail the test. A way to keep them from finding the wrong influences.”

“But I trust you won’t go there.”

Hopefully.

 

[Madeline Roux]

[SIZE=10pt]Somewhere, deep in Madeline’s mind she worried that she would somehow fail the testing and be unable to actually begin her training. She understood of course, the necessity of all the testing and therapy, but it didn’t stop the doubt in her mind from surfacing and growing - an angry ball of energy weighing heavily down on her mind. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]It was a quiet static, a hum that buzzed in the back of her mind and reminded her of all the times in the past when she had acted on impulses and done what she thought was best only to have it backfire and end up as a painful reminder of just what happens when someone as low as herself stood their ground. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]As different as it had been already in Kana’s presence, Madeline knew it was uncalled for and completely judgemental but something she couldn’t help - so maybe the therapy and testing [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]would[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] be helpful after all. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She wasn’t crazy, at least not in the sense that referred to demonic children eating kind of crazy, this she was sure of but she had a fear that the behaviors that had been so engraved in her mind would set her back, keep her from doing the things she had wanted to do, wanted to become. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Her face had clearly shown her confusion when Kana mentioned AgriCorps. It was a term she had never ‘heard’ before, but she was thankful for the quick explanation without having to ask.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Fingers wove around the fabric of the ends of her shirt, a nervous habit of picking at the frayed ends when she was nervous, she could do nothing but nod for a moment.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“I never knew there was a specific place that… people who failed the tests were sent. I know it’s stupid to think that but I see how that would be smart to send people away for the safety of everyone.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Pausing she let out a soft sigh, before worried eyes met Kana’s again. “How long does it take to get the results back? Is it fairly quick?” Madeline was more nervous about the wait time versus the actual results, though she did her best to quell it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A nervous laugh came out then, raising her hand to shakily run it through her hair. “I am sorry - seems I can’t stop thinking of more and more questions. I should let you rest.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Kana Truden"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kana Truden]

[member="Madeline Roux"]

“Few do.” Kana smiled. “Like I said, from what I have seen you will most likely not go there. Probably.”

The ship had entered space by the time the world began to grow blurry again. The prolonging of Max’s life had costed Kana energy she had not foreseen she’d spend that day. It put the other endeavours on her schedule at risk, but at least she had given a girl the time to give a proper farewell to her friend. In the end she could only hope to someday get what she gave and settle for that. And what if the girl did pass the tests? Kana’s lips thinned as she looked at the slave. She certainly hadn’t planned on taking on any apprentices, but the force worked in mysterious ways sometimes. Perhaps it had drawn them together for a reason, or maybe that was just superstitious nonsense. Regardless it would without a doubt fall upon Kana to take care of this girl.

Here eyes began to close as if on instinct and her head slump from her shoulders before she caught herself.

“I need to rest, kid.” Kana groaned and dragged a hand across her face. “Been a long day.”

Hopefully, Madeline would understand.

 

[Madeline Roux]

Madeline and Kana had said their good-nights fairly quickly after that. Madeline felt bad for having kept Kana up longer than intended, especially after all she had done for her but her wandering mind couldn’t help but pull more and more questions out of thin air.

She went to bed mind reeling and fully exhausted and passed out shortly after her head hit the pillow.

The next couple of days passed by in a blur and finally, finally they made it to Sulon. The whole trip to Sulon Madeline had been so full of nerves she thought for sure Kana was ready to tie her to a chair to keep her from bouncing around anymore. Madeline was constantly throwing herself into projects and helping around on the ship as much as she could to try and keep the jitters from overtaking her completely.

Kana had looked all too relieved when they had arrived on Sulon. Madeline offered the woman a sheepish smile - it was after all her first time really being in a situation like this, and the girl didn’t quite know how to act.

“I swear I’m not usually like this, I just… I guess I’m really nervous?” Running her hand through her hair she let out a nervous chuckle. “I don’t know why though. It seems you have more faith in me than I do of myself.”

[member="Kana Truden"]​

 

[Kana Truden]

[member="Madeline Roux"]

It was no surprise that after having seen what she had seen Kana could sleep like a baby even after that night. The blood had been washed off of her hands, physically that is, and she had then gone to bed and fallen into a deep slumber almost in an instant. Dreams of a brighter future clouded Kana’s mind whereas it had once been nightmares of a rotten past. Having been the one to bring Madeline along she’d have been the one to share her quarters with the new hopeful, letting the as of now former slave sleep on an improvised bed consisting of a few spare mattresses stacked on top of one another to cushion the floor at least somewhat.

As she woke up each day Kana would then spend a lot of her time talking to Madeline about the responsibilities of a healer much more than that of the responsibility of a jedi. Kana was no longer a fighter, and she had no intentions of training one either. It was bias at its best, and a greater part of Kana considered her decision to be for the betterment of everyone. There was already a lack of healers after all. The blonde had no intentions of letting the numbers drop even further when she had the option to help it.

As they arrived on Sulon she would let Madeline step off the ramp first, her arm resting against the frame of the lowered loading ramp as she watched the girl stutter with a grin.

“Eh, I was in the same seat.” Kana seemed far more carefree here. She was home after all. Or rather, somewhat at home. The place she came to when she needed to unwind, which wasn’t as often as it once had since she took it upon herself to travel the galaxy and help spread word of the Circle of Healers. Somewhere around here was the boss of the base, [member="Avalore Eden"], but Kana hadn’t made any plans to introduce Madeline to the woman just yet. The psyche evaluations were more important to get underway, but once those were done… Perhaps.

Though Kana suspected she would bring Maddie with her into the galaxy at the first opportunity that showed itself. Their place wasn’t around the Katarn homestead, at least not anymore. Kana was more than willing to be a teacher-on-the-go. That was how she had brought Damian into the fold, and that was how she would bring Madeline into it as well. It fitted her and it brought good to the places she went. It really couldn’t get much better than that.

“I believe in you because this is not a test that you can fail.” Kana chuckled as she pushed herself off of the doorframe and stepped down the ramp to Madeline. “You have seen enough to warrant it, but you also seem strong enough to make it. I believe in you, I do.”

“Like I said, the test is really just to make sure that you are good to go and that we aren’t raising the next Darth Vader or something like that.” The healer put her hand on the apprentice’s shoulder and lead her away from the house and towards a hill overlooking it. “I’ve already sent word ahead of time. They know that you are here with me. We’ll be done before the end of the day.”

“I believe in you, and I will be there when they talk to you. There is nothing to fear whatsoever.”

 

[Madeline Roux]

It was bright.

This was the first thought that entered Madeline’s mind. The second being that it was warm. She had travelled - carted around like cattle, going wherever the highest bidder took her but Madeline never considered that travelling. To her, travelling included seeing sights the locals just look over as an everyday thing. It included trying new foods and exploring and opening herself up to new experiences as she herself grew as a person. The way she travelled before was not travelling.

Madeline found it disturbing that people still bought and sold being’s without a care for the person’s health and well-being. It was all about the profit, always about making a profit. She supposed there was really no way of completely eradicating it, and if there were they were doing a terrible job of locking down on it. Though with how large the galaxy happened to be things could always slip through the cracks.

She was free now though, and had seen the actions of individuals like Kana who were working diligently on cracking down on slave trades. Madeline made a mental note to try and be like that one day. It all started here though, on Sulon.

Madeline was thankful when Kana reassured her that she would not be going through this alone. It was a prominent fear of hers that had been buzzing in the back of her mind since they had started their trip here. She kept it under wraps, not wanting to divulge her fears onto Kana or anyone else and instead was left with her nerve endings crackling under her skin like the dull flame of a campfire at the end of the night. It felt silly, to be scared of being alone - especially when she had been alone for so long. But Kana to Maddie was a beacon of hope, signs of a brighter future, and something she wasn’t quite sure she could stray too far from just yet.

Childish, sure but Madeline couldn’t find it in herself to care. So instead she walked down the platform and as soon as her feet touched solid ground she turned to Kana, a wary but bright smile on her face. She had calmed, shoulders relaxing and taking deeper and longer breaths.

Steadying herself she spoke, voice more even than it had been since Kana had met the girl, and that in itself spoke a thousand words.

“Let’s do this.”

A new sense of resolve washed over her, and it practically poured out of her. Washing away all the fear and nerves, at least for now.

[member="Kana Truden"]​

 

[Kana Truden]

[member="Madeline Roux"]

Diligently might have been an overstatement. Kana and the people like her were more often than not simply attached to operations like the one that freed Madeline. There were units that worked towards a constant emancipation of slaves, but Kana was not in any of those units. Not as an active member at least. Healers were too and far between for that.

Maddie was afraid though. Kana would figure it was reasonable for her to be as such. When Kana herself had joined the order it was under circumstances that picked her up from just about her own equivalent of rock bottom. She had no friends to really speak of, a job leading nowhere, a family that didn’t care about her and outright though — no, hoped — that she was dead… Things weren’t coming up Kana at all. Not until she had met Corvus, but even then that was seemingly also destined to fail.

Not until Kana was old, in recent years, had she found the ability to forgive herself.

For whatever reasons Madeline would come up with in their time together, Kana could only hope that her newfound apprentice was able to figure it all out at a far younger age. The two approached the meeting spot and the two masters atop of a small ridge overlooking the homestead. They motioned for the two to sit down and Kana would take a seat on the floor, crossing her legs before motioning at Madeline to do the same.

“You are Madeline Roux then.” One of the masters said, an elderly woman. A rodian whose voice seemed to weave each word that parted her lips with the kindness one would expect from someone of her stature. “Kana told us precious little about you. Except that you are a former slave.”

“The master healer,” The other master said and gave Kana a sharp look. “Has a tendency to be perhaps a bit too brief in her dealings.” He said to which Kana would bow her head and scratch at her neck in shame. “I am Master Wessiri,” He then motioned at the elderly lady. “And this is Master Shen-Jon.”

“This is all very simple.” Master Shen-Jon continued.

“We ask you a few questions and you just answer them as truthfully as you can.” Master Wessiri finished her off.

Between them, a message whispered onto Maddie’s mind.

They do this all the time, always letting the other finish their sentences. It’s annoying as hell.

Another look from Master Wessiri made Kana roll her shoulders and shake her head with a feigned cluelessness behind her. It was just the truth, Madeline deserved that much, right? Regardless both Masters rolled their eyes and shook their heads in a near-synchronous manner before leveling on Maddie again.

“How are you feeling right now?”

 

[Madeline Roux]

[SIZE=10pt]The nerves in her stomach built up until Madeline was sure she would throw up. The closer they got to the meeting spot, figures being able to be made out had her arms covering themselves in goosebumps, hair standing on end.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The truth was, she wasn’t sure what to expect from this meeting. Maddie had hoped for things to go well, but things rarely worked out that way for her, and as much as she tried not to let her mind get to her, it had a way of creeping up on her at unexpected times. It was something she hoped to get better control of, something that would have to come in due time. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Take a seat next to Kana, one leg crossed over the other, hands sitting in her lap. She looked up at the individuals before them - all filled with the kind of knowledge Madeline could only hope to acquire one day. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A meek nod of her head followed them mentioning her name - [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]of course they knew her name, Kana would have had to tell them[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] - and that she was a former slave. She didn’t mind people knowing that - it was a part of her life for so long that she didn’t know anything else. A voice buzzed inside her head - a whisper, calming in nature with a hint of sass. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]It was Kana. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Madeline had to keep herself from snorting out loud at her comment. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]This was something they did all the time? She could imagine how that would get repetitive and annoying after a while.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]It wasn’t long before the questioning began - and with a roll of her shoulders she squared herself, preparing to answer honestly. Hopefully it would go by quickly if she did so.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Truthfully? Exhausted. A little scared, I feel… very much out of my element.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Kana Truden"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kana Truden]

That queasy smile was hard to miss. Kana had felt the very same way when she met a Jedi Master for the first time as well. For her it had been nearly two decades ago now. Kana’s eyes opened to look at the palm of her hand and then the skin that covered her fingers. There were signs of aging there now that hadn’t been there when she had first joined. Trophies of hard work and perseverance. Trophies that would be Maddie’s just as much, with luck, once Kana herself was gone or retired. If there was such a thing. Point being in a long time from now.

“That’s natural.” Shen-Jon smiled at her.

“If the Master Truden is done interrupting us,” Wessiri gave the blonde master healer a most serious glance. “We are ready to go.”

“Do you know where you are from, at all?” Shen-Jon asked and continued to smile. “Any memories of your family or friends?”

“We understand this might be hard to think about, but we need to know who you are. What you are going through, and what we can do to repair the damage you might have suffered over the years.” Wessiri’s angry glance at Kana shifted to Maddie and into a smile of her own. “We can sense fear in you.”

“Is there something on your mind?”

[member="Madeline Roux"]