Private Forging a Connection - Kyra

[Coren Starchaser]

The fight was… well, he was apparently out of fighting shape, when it came to endurance and stamina. But when it came to the Force? He felt he was doing better than he had in a long time. As he stepped out of the Y-Wing, having sent a quick communication to Celeste Rigel , Coren patted the top of Porter’s dome. “When she calls back, let me know buddy.” He slid down the ladder. The second wave of Bryn, he was still unsure how they had pulled it out. The Force helped, for certain. And during that second battle, he seemingly awoke in the Force again, the connection between him and Celeste, the twins, and feeling Kaia and Kyra in the Force, even if the latter was… injured.

Seeing Kaia on the battlefield again helped. But she had taken a bit of a beating at the hands of the Bryn but she was still leaping into battle. And from what he heard, Kyra was injured helping others. Both of the girls were doing him proud. Kaia had let him know she was fine, when they had more reinforcements coming in and the first wave of defenders were able to be excused. As it wasn’t Coren’s command, he was able to head off world and up to the medical frigate.

Tossing his helmet back up to the seat of his Y-Wing, he made his way down to the triage rooms, seeking out where Kyra was. Seeing a medical droid, he was granted access to treatment rooms, and was given direction to where Kyra was, and stepped inside. Taking a seat by her bed. For once, the Joza is going to kill me thought was not the first to arise, instead it was more fear for her. But seeing her was enough to start to quell that…

“I’m here, Kyra.” He whispered as he sat by her.


Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

~Hours after Yurb~​

The word was on fire. It poured down from the sky. Bat talons tore at her skin. Toxic gas smothered and burned its wave through her throat. Metal careened down from the sky, pieces embedding into her body in sizzling chunks. She was frozen. Unable to move as the war zone tore her apart.

Piece by piece.

The images moved quickly, churning with no direction: Eyes flying away, pods exploding in an angry burst, a bat left with her arms. Her voice caught in her throat. She couldn’t even scream. The whistling sound of falling metal rang like a siren in her ear.


The hospital ship that had left the war zone was at its max capacity. Bodies were stabilized and left to rest. Nida laid unconscious on a bunk over, gauze shoved where her eye used to be. Kyra’s arm laid out in a loose split, the shape of the limb under the gauze inherently wrong. The bones were clearly set wrong, or rather, the pieces of them.

Kyra thrashed against the bedding, sweat beading over skin as the nightmare raged on.

 

[Brooke Waters]

dum

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He knew what it was like, well, he sort of remembered, the first time you ran into combat. The Jedi Master was sitting there, knowing that Kyra was declared ‘stable’ but still worrying all the same. He’d have to apologize to his wife, and to Kyra’s mother, but for now? Her own health was important. He wasn’t as strong of a healer as was required here. He could keep someone stable on the battlefield, but beyond that? That was why there was a whole discipline of Jedi who were healers.

Watching his daughter lay there, hearing the instruments beep he shook his head. This was why fought the way he did. But it wasn’t something he could keep up forever. He made his mistakes, yes, especially with who he lead his war against. As he watched again, though, it wasn’t all peaceful, how long had he been here?

Porter hadn’t contacted him, so all he was doing was waiting. But now Kyra was thrashing, he could feel the Force in turmoil in her mind. A deep breath he reached his hand, and extended what he hoped would be calm in the Force, pushing away his own down. “Kyra…” He whispered, hoping to make a connection to her.

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra's thrashing slowly faded away, the line's leaving her forehead as the red haze of terror left her unconscious. All was still and quiet for spell, the master's attempt effective as the girl drifted into an easier slumber.

And then there was a familiar bump... a mental tingle of awareness as the connection sparked to life and she reached out back. Their minds touched, his presence splashing across her like a glass of cold water.

She gasped, her body jerking as her eyes flew open. The nightmares followed her into the waking world, the cocoon of blankets feeling like the wait of the ship pinning her down. She thrashed and kicked, a series of shrill screams pulling from the girl as she fell into a fit of hysteria. She was trapped she was trapped she was trapped!

Hot tears streamed from her face as she screamed at a pitch most grew out of and fought against the blanket over her.

"Get em off, get em off getemoff," came the desperate sob, the girl tearing at her arm brace as if it was a bat too.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

His daughter was here and she was in… pain? Was it physical anymore? Was it psychic? Was it just shock? The Jedi Master hated situations like this, he’d been in numerous triage bays, there to greet the soldiers, thank them, share stories, and check in, to show they mattered. He wasn’t trying to read her thoughts, he knew what was going on. Soldiers when they came back were… sometimes different. But this was his daughter, she wasn’t a soldier, she didn’t have the upbringing of Jared and Kaia, nor the upbringing the twins would have.

She had her own upbringing and he wasn’t there for it. But he’d be here now.

As she screamed awake and started tearing for her brace he stood up and moved to the side of the bed, trying to pull her into an awkward embrace. “Kyra… Its ok. You did well, you’re safe.” His voice as calm and cool as he could allow it. “You’re on the ship, we’re heading home.” He looked at her. This was what he thought it was, but it was different, seeing it come from someone so young.

This was why he fought.

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

Her hands tore at him, hitting and tearing ineffectively, as her disoriented mind morphed him into a threat. Her screams dissolved into moans of pain, the use of her shattered arm catching up to her. Pain unlike anything she had felt before blossomed through her-- pinpricks of light so violent she saw it behind her eyelids. She slumped into his arms, her eyes rolling back as she went under for a moment.

A soft groan fell from her lips, her good hand twisting into the fabric of his shirt as she stirred and grabbed at him.

"D-Dad?" she whispered, the strength gone from her voice. Blood rushed through her body in a hot flash, pounding in her head. "Dad," came the delirious repeat. "Dad. Take it back. Take it back-" She had had a twilik's hand in hers when the ship came down. A little girl. She had released her to shield Nida. Her blue face bubbled to mind above all in that moment. A sob fell from her lips, soft cries being all she could process.

All she could handle.

So she clung to him instead, hot tears wetting his shirt. He tasted of sweat.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

It was different when it was someone you had sworn to protect. That was the majority of the galaxy if anyone was keeping score of who Coren swore to protect. But Kyra was also a Padawan, he didn’t want them see this. And She was his daughter, he wanted her even less to see this. He had worked on making his peace with his son and other daughter, about how he hadn’t been there, but he cared. And they were both fairly receptive. It seemed to push Jared into a different trajectory than he’d been on, and Kaia, well she was trying to follow his footsteps. But Kyra? He hadn’t been certain she was his, but all the same, he was going to defend her, make the galaxy better for her.

And now that she was his? He could see his twin girls, years down the line. They didn’t deserve this. None of them did. His own or anyone else’s, but it was a fact of the galaxy. He could only teach them, make sure they were ready. And be there when they needed the hand up.

He held her hand against his chest as he looked down. Dad. That made him feel warm but cold all at the same time, maybe it was the tone. Maybe it was who it was. She called for him again. “Take what back?” He wrapped an arm around her, trying his best to cradle her. He didn’t want to be overbearing, but she needed something, he thought.

In the Force, he was still trying to exude calm as he held her. “Its okay… You did everything you could.”

Everything wasn't always going to go right.

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra could only break down into sobs, the horror of what they had endured running circles through her head. It wasn't any one moment or event she could pin down and blame for her grief. The emotions poured forward, raw and uncompromising as she found comfort in his arms. She didn't think about the owner, her anger at him felt so small in this moment.

She had realized on the field how important he was to her. A small part of her was relieved to get a chance to say it. War was nothing like she had anticipated. The shame of it drove her to cry harder, her body rocking against his.

"M-My sister. My Master?" She pushed at him, her movements wild and blind as she seemed ready to hop up and find them. Oh Force. The ship. Her stomach twisted, threatening to vomit. "Where is Nida??"

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The Master felt terrible he couldn’t fix this. He didn’t have the skills to fix everything. He wished he did. Sometimes having a great goal and a less than perfect execution was the problem. The Jedi watched his daughter, he knew what she had gone through. Maybe not exactly, not in her head where it counted, but definitely part of it. He had experienced loss, but how long as the Defender of the Light been in this fight? Decades is what it felt like, and it wasn’t wrong, what, two decades of fighting? Maybe?

Time… right?

Remembering the feeling of her own signature changing in the Force as he dropped into he conflict on Yurb, intent on changing the tide and providing a rallying point and a target. He wasn’t looking to die, but he didn’t want others to either. “They’re both fine. Nida… she’s injured, but she’s in this room, I believe they have her for scans.” Watching Kyra’s eyes he nodded.

“And Caedyn, well he’s a tough nut to crack, but he’s here.” Around… somewhere? “We suffered but there was great good performed by those who did, and didn’t.”

Kyra Perl