First Do No Harm

[Kana Truden]

It had been time to live up to what she promised herself. Her skillset may have been more similar to a Sentinel but when it came to who she saw herself becoming and what she actually was the differences were enough to make her put the extra hours in.

Kana wanted to become one of the Order’s healers. She always had but the skillset and interests she had at the time of her induction to the Order spoke more in favor of a Sentinel. Slicing, gaining access to areas she shouldn’t have access to and physical exercise. Initially she had thought the departments within the Order to be set in stone. Something that had to be adhered but not until her return from Hoth had it struck her that just because she had these interests didn’t mean she were to throw her dreams away.

It was by following that train of thought the she had spent days - nearly weeks - in prolonged solitude around the archives and temple grounds as she looked over what theories and lessons she could find on how to apply the force to cure wounds and accelerate the healing. Of course, her inexperience with the subject had her running around in circles but Kana had never been one to quit.

In a dusty little corner she soaked in page for page and word for word of whatever information and theory she could find. There were so much more to it all than just poking yourself with needles, but the idea of venturing beyond needles and into more challenging 'training equipment' was daunting.

No, instead she repeated the lesson Master Alince had shown her. Word for word she whispered the instructions that had been relayed to her before her reaching out for another one of the books in the pile close to her.

"Primum non nocere - First do no harm..."

She totally hadn't heard that one before.

[member="Adele Adonai"]​

 

[Adele Adonai]

"What does that mean, Knight Truden?"

The feminine voice would pour from behind the young woman, originating from what appeared to be a young Iridonian female. The light within this particular archive room would cast faintly across the would be figure of Jedi Knight A'dele Adonai. She was the vision of cordial pleasantry, with her hands lightly resting over her belly one on top of the other.

The faint delicate lines and shadows of violet would grace her face, and dressed in typical white Voss Mystic robes with the cowl, one would take her to be an apparition. And rightly so if they knew her origins.

Ice blue eyes would peer curiously and a bit expectantly, waiting for Kana to reply.

 

[Kana Truden]

An unfamiliar voice called out her name and her head turned around the room looking for the source of it. Her book closed in a bang and she promptly stood up. A spin on her heel and she found herself staring at a… Ghost? Not just any ghost, it was Knight Adonai. That ghost Corvus had mentioned. For a second too long she stared at the apparition before shaking off the confusion and marvel.

“It means that in my duty as a healer or doctor I would swear to never cause more harm to a patient than when I first saw them. That in some cases inaction is a more suitable alternative to treatment if treatment doesn’t guarantee relief or other benefits.”

Kana carefully placed the book on the table behind her. “That’s from the first few pages. If you want my personal opinion I’d say it goes well with what it means to be one of the healers. They do not cause harm, they cure it. They do not seek to weaken someone, they reinvigorate and strengthen. They do everything I want to do.”

Or wished she could do. Her lips pursed as the floor suddenly became a lot more interesting, despite the fact that a friggin’ ghost was standing in front of her. A fact that still had that one question that begged to be answered. Eyes shot up and suddenly the floor wasn’t particularly interesting anymore.

“I’m sorry, but how is it that we can talk? I’ve read the reports from Alderaan and found your name on the lists. I mean, … I probably shouldn’t ask it, but how are you still alive, or… Not-dead?”

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

[member="Kana Truden"]

A hint of a cordial smile would play upon the Iridonian's seemingly incorporeal figure.

"Anything is possible with the aid of the Force," she said simply. And it was true. Vast miracles were possible with the Force; great feats. The question was really, on if the Force was but a mere tool or an extension of oneself when it was used.

"First do no harm." slowly her feminine form would start to gracefully drift in a small semi circle around the Jedi Knight. Ice blue eyes would pan over to Kana.

"So then, Knight Truden -- what comes second?"

 

[Kana Truden]

Seeing a ghost smile. The sneaking suspicion that a lot of things would be a first in this conversation grew larger for every syllable that passed between them and if Kana didn’t know better she would have thought she had finally gone mad if not for the mysterious calm around the two. It was that kind of soothing embrace that only the force could bring with it and that in itself was evidence enough to tell the knight that she wasn’t crazy at all. Drunk or tired, perhaps, but not crazy. Then the ghost asked a question and it was a good one nonetheless. Kana furrowed her eyebrows.

“The force.” It was the only answer she could think of. “As a jedi, if the first is to do no harm then the second is to 'cure' it with the force. Mend the wounds, take the pain away.”

Something about that answer didn’t feel quite right. It was a repetition of what she said first. The floor became interesting again as the billionth realization that she was being tested by a ghost kicked in, again. Suddenly test nerves applied and knowledge-blackouts occurred. All texts were forgotten except for that one line she had running on repeat. Perhaps the answer was more obvious than she seemed willing to believe.

“That's it. With the force as my guide the second step is to aide others.”

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

A'dele would give just a tiny quirk of a smile. One would almost miss it.

"Yes, we render aide." she would confirm. " Jedi are obliged to help those in need of aid whenever possible, and are expected to be able to prioritize quickly. "

She would tell Kana, her voice softly filling the chamber.

" The Jedi are taught that while saving one life was important, saving many lives was even more so. This principle does not mean a Jedi has to abandon other goals in every circumstance, but merely that a Jedi must do his or her best to make sure that they aide those who were most in need of assistance."

Pale ice blue eyes would then search Kana's own.

"How does one determine who is the most in need of assistance?"

 

[Kana Truden]

She had passed the test? She had passed the test! A sigh of relief calmed her nerves as the ghost confirmed her answer. Perhaps Kana knew more than she thought she did? In any case she readied herself for the ghosts next test. No doubt there would be more philosophy involved.

Her suspicions were confirmed as the second question came her way. A trick question nonetheless, technically.

“You don’t.” Kana shrugged. “A jedi values all life which means no person or creature takes precedence over another.”

Then again…

“... Unless one of them is severely bleeding and on death’s doorstep. Who to help is not a question of who it is as much as who is experiencing what.”

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

[member="Kana Truden"]

"Correct." came A'dele's soft confirmation. "However, there is more to it than that." she would tell the young woman.

"For there is no death. There is the Force." she would inform her. It was to say that there was no need to fear death. It was as natural of a cycle as it was to breath.

"While priority can be given to those with the most dire of needs, when faced in the midst of a great tragedy, one must be able to discern those that one can save.

And those that would best be left to the bosom of the Force."

Ultimately, a healer could not save all.

 

[Kana Truden]

“But surely one should try to save all?” Kana blurted out in surprise. “I mean, I-… It-...”

This was just unbelievable. A healer saved lives, that’s what they did. A conflict began brewing inside of her. Would Kana even be able to prioritize like that? Leave some to die on purpose for the sake of someone else? How would she make that decision?

Her jaw dropped and her mouth opened as she tried to find the words to describe what went on in her mind but there was nothing.

“We’re talking about leaving people to just… Die.”

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

[member="Kana Truden"]

"There is no death, Knight Truden." A'dele would repeat softly. It wasn't that she had to choose, is that a healer would undoubtedly come to a situation where resources would have to go to save more lives than one already at the brink of being welcomed to the Force.

"There is the Force."

"While the Force is infinite in its power," she would inform the young woman, "You are not." it was a realization she would have to understand.

 

[Kana Truden]

“But I mean, surely I should at least try.” Kana repeated in continued shock. “I realize I can’t help all but… I mean…”

She sighed. This was so not what she had expected to be introduced to when it came to life as a healer. What was the ghost saying? There is no death, there is the force. It was something about Kana not being able to help all, somehow. That she was not infinite.

“Then how do I even begin to determine who needs help?” She finally asked. “Are you saying that it shouldn’t be about priorities as much as… Something else? Am I overthinking it? It seems like you’re saying...”

“... I don’t know…”

Actually she had her idea. That she should save those that she could and that leaving someone else to their fate wasn’t the best idea, but the right idea. That sometimes doing the best and doing what’s right was not the same thing.

She remained quiet with a blank expression running down her face. There were questions and she had doubts about asking them.

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

"The Force will guide you," A'dele told [member="Kana Truden"]. It was likely the most confusing answer, but that was all that there was to it.

The Force would show the Jedi when it was a sapients time to enter the Force.

"There is no fear of death, Knight Truden. To fear death leads to fear, fear to anger, anger leads to suffering. One must learn to be able to let go."
"Not every situation would require such a difficult decision to make; but it is a decision that one must be prepared to take."

 

[Kana Truden]

The force would guide her? It had started to feel like a children’s rhyme. Everyone had heard it and everyone knew it would work plus none questioned it. It wasn’t a hard concept to grasp but for the doubtful it would prove confusing.

“So what you’re saying is that…” Kana slowly twist her head to the side. “... I shouldn’t fear having people die?”

Death was a certainty, Kana knew that much. “You’re saying that no matter what I do, people will still die even with my intervention. That no matter how hard I try I can’t save all and to believe such a thing would be pointless?”

“... That as a healer I help those who I can as much as I know how to help them, but to never be afraid to lose them?”

So she had been told that she had her limits and that to save all would be impossible. That she wasn't supposed to fear losing someone. That while it's not something that often happens she should be ready for the tough calls and not to fear the outcomes of the others.

“What you're saying is to trust the force to guide me in saving those that I can without worrying on the outcome for everyone around me.”

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

[member="Kana Truden"]

"Indeed." Adele would tell her. "Know that the Force is not the only way to serve others when it comes to healing. There are venues you can utilize to aide those around you. Do not be blindsided that the only way you are able to help us through the Force. "

Adele learned this herself with the circle of healers. They would teach her practical methods of healing without the use of the Force.

After a moment, she would look at Kans. "with that in mind-- what would you like to learn?"

 

[Kana Truden]

“I know some of the basics to this.” Kana admitted somewhat proudly. “Small pricks of needles, splinters and the types.”

“But I don’t know much beyond that.” Her arms slumped by her side as she shook her head. “I figured that someday I would move on with it and tackle something more challenging like cuts or blaster wounds but without much for supervision and guidance it’s not something I felt comfortable taking on by myself.”

“There are so few healers left to help instruct these days and I’ve been hesitant to approach them with the on-going hostilities between us and the One Sith.”

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

[member="Kana Truden"]

"Then we shall begin by the most basic of concepts." A'dele would tell her. "Accelerate healing."

Accelerate healing was a method of using the Lighside of the Force to speed up the body's natural healing properties. It was not an instant fix, but would ensure a far more gentler method of healing over a period of time. However, in order to do this, one had to be aware and adept at being able to sense life and a sapient's body prior to.

"Knight Truden, we will begin by using yourself as a subject." A'dele instructed her. "Please, find your center, and focus upon yourself. Use the Force to map our your body and its natural processes. Every nerve, vein, and muscle.

For it is only when one can understand how the Force works within the body, that one can encourage it to accelerate the healing of it."

 

[Kana Truden]

Basic concepts was a good start and clearing her mind was certainly something Kana could do. However, the idea of using herself as a test subject was a bit unnerving. Call it a bad feeling, but would Kana have to stab herself with a knife soon? Felt like.

Focus set upon herself. To map the body, imagine nerves and veins as well as muscles. In a sense it reminded her of Malacia, not that the effects would be the same. Hopefully. She could certainly live without the nausea.

She placed herself on the ground and leaned her head on one of the great bookcases. A deep breath was followed by another as she set out to retrace what she had done once before. To envision her body, every nerve and muscle with the force. To understand and see them in action and reaction. It wasn’t easy but she still managed to do it.

She continued the breathing and envisioning as she awaited Adele’s further instructions.

[member="Adele Adonai"]

 

[Adele Adonai]

[member="Kana Truden"]

A'dele's voice would flow over and resonate around Kana. " From here, Knight Truden... focus further. Narrow down to the building blocks of life." she would instruct.

This was as much of a lesson in Art of Small as it was in healing. However, the Force works on foundations and from that one can layer upon another layer to progress and master a craft.

"Healing involves as much as an awareness of how a body is built as much as what makes it. Accelerating healing is much about speeding up the healing process of a body as it was to increase the effectiveness of healing equipment.

The body is full of different humors, and understanding how the Force flows within and permeates within the body can help you become the needle and thread to ease maladies away as much as to ensure the proper flow of blood."

 

[Kana Truden]

Building blocks of life. Was she talking about the cells in Kana’s body? It made sense in that whole unifying force kind of way, but to focus on the cells that built a person. Now that was… That was a lot and so very small. Still, Kana was not one to question the force. At least not anymore. Awareness of the body and what makes or breaks it. Was after all no subject Kana was a total stranger to at this point.

The books she had read as a complement at the very moment before meeting [member="Adele Adonai"] had explained it all in what Kana would guess a force user could call ‘layman terms’. Blood circulating, muscles extending and retracting, all of the practical aspects of a body. When given a moment to truly think on it it all became so obvious. Of course the cells in her body would be part of the force! Most living things were, were they not? Cells -- though small in size -- were much like the force. Invisible to the naked eye but still very much present. That they’d work in symbiosis was obvious!

That was what she was supposed to meditate on, what she was supposed to envision. A body in movement and what made it work the way it did. To envision not just the nervous system in work, but the entire being.

It felt like the right idea, however knowing, meditating and envisioning it all was three widely different things.

Slowly but steadily she tried to think of her entire structure as a human. Observe each cell inside of her as they performed their duties. It was a daunting notion, but a doable one to be sure as even more slowly and still steady a mental projection of her body was built in her mind.

Daunting just turned into awesome. So very awesome.

 

[Adele Adonai]

[member="Kana Truden"]

The Jedi Knight was doing well. Slowly but steadily, she was learning.

"Well done, Knight Truden." A'dele's ghostly voice would flow over the younger woman. "Your awareness of how the body functions is what will aid you in accelerate healing not only in yourself, but in others."

However the praise will still come with a reminder. "Healing in it of itself is a wearying task; it is not an instant cure -- but a stabilizer and a method to enhance a body's natural healing ability.

If you do this over a period of time, remember that to bring harm to yourself means risking being unable to help others. Take an appropriate amount of rest in between sessions, do not wear yourself out.

If the healer falls so will the lives that you might have been able to stabilize had one taken the precaution to not go overboard and harm yourself."