Faction Guilt and Kindness (Jedi Praxeum)

[Juno Sabat]

The events of the 'Crisis of Cato Nemoida' as the news called it weighed heavily on Juno's soul. One might say that Juno had saved the Padawan Iris Arani 's life, but from what Juno had heard nearly every bone in her body had broken. Even with the skill of the Jedi healers of the Praxeum healing to time, let alone rehabilitation.

Like a typical teenager, Juno blamed herself for all this pain Iris felt. She should have been stronger, felt Iris falling and acted sooner, been a better telekinetic and broken her fall easier. Done something different.

The Praxeum in general were new friends. She had met Rhemti Totriddiam , Dagos Terrek and Lossa Aureus at the crystal caves. She felt good about Lossa as a friend, Rhemti seemed a decent guy, and Dagos wasn't bad either. She'd been invited to a 'paddy pack' group comm with a bunch of names she didn't know and mostly kept quiet, a bit intimidated in honesty. Today however, she made a new group comm that contained every comm she had access to except Iris. She wanted to organize something to help her out, cheer her up, and maybe get rid of some of the guilt she felt. She sent out a message to everyone, hoping for a little help.

Hey everyone, Juno here. I want to do something for Iris. I'm thinking about knitting her a sweater. Does anyone know her favorite color?

Briana Sal-Soren Justice Lesan Vizion Trozky
Mejalie Sato-Viren @Anyone else I missed

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Lying in a bed in a still largely unfamiliar environment, Kai was flicking idly through his datapad when the message arrived.

Hey everyone, Juno here. I want to do something for Iris. I'm thinking about knitting her a sweater. Does anyone know her favorite color?

He stared at it, or rather at the name it mentioned. Iris. In the dim light of his quarters aboard Tribunal Station, Kai's face darkened with color, a tangled knot of emotions rising up in his throat.

The list of additional contacts gave clues as to who the messenger was. He recognized some of the names as members of the Padawan group Iris had introduced him to. Kai's isolation from the rest of the galaxy had left him out of the loop, but hearing that something was up with Iris immediately roused his worry. He started to type out a response, wanting to know what was going on, was she okay, where was she now—only to stop himself. He erased everything he had written, afflicted by a profound sense of shame.

His thumb hovered over the block button, but still he hesitated. Iris. He had hurt her, but he still cared. He couldn't deny that.

After several more minutes hemming and hawing, he finally gave up and just answered this Juno Sabat's question.

She likes every color. Use them all.

Then, very slowly, he typed up the question he was afraid to ask:

What happened to Iris?

Iris Arani Briana Sal-Soren Mejalie Sato-Viren Justice Lesan Vizion Trozky Lossa Aureus Dagos Terrek Rhemti Totriddiam Juno Sabat​

 

[Juno Sabat]

Iris didn't know the name or comm frequency of the first response. The message confused her.

How can every color be Iris's favorite? That didn't seem right. She was about to ask before the second message came through and she stopped. Guilt fell again over the Twi'lek. She was shaking a little as she typed, but she managed a response.

She fought a sith and was thrown off a train. I tried to catch her, and I did but I wasn't strong enough. She got hurt pretty badly. I'm not sure if she can walk again yet.

Kai Bamarri Rhemti Totriddiam Dagos Terrek Lossa Aureus Vizion Trozky Briana Sal-Soren Mejalie Sato-Viren Justice Lesan

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

The ping of his datapad caused Rhemti to look up from the book he was reading, setting the tome down for a moment so as to check it out. A new comm group? His dark eyes glimmered in the light of the datapad as he read through the messages.

Hey everyone, Juno here. I want to do something for Iris. I'm thinking about knitting her a sweater. Does anyone know her favorite color?

She likes every color. Use them all.

What happened to Iris?

She fought a sith and was thrown off a train. I tried to catch her, and I did but I wasn't strong enough. She got hurt pretty badly. I'm not sure if she can walk again yet.

The Nautolan frowned, his hairless brow coming together as he thought about it. He remembered hearing about Iris, and then her accident, the incident, everything that had happened, he felt like he knew more about her than he should without even having spoken to her yet. His red and white fingers tapped across the screen as he made out his response.

If you need any help with making it, please let me know. I don't exactly know what knitting is, but I'm willing to learn if it means I can help Iris.

Iris, though Rhemti hadn't yet gotten the chance to meet her but he felt almost like they were siblings. His Master and her Master were engaged after all, and Kahlil was more like a father or uncle to him. The whole group was like a second family.

Kai Bamarri Briana Sal-Soren Dagos Terrek Lossa Aureus Juno Sabat Vizion Trozky Mejalie Sato-Viren Justice Lesan

 

[Madison Starr]

Coruscant

Madison was sitting in a posh cafe in the Senate District enjoying herself when her phone beeped. It was her Jedi Chat App. She usually ignored it given how much older she was from most Padawans living around the repair-heavy Coruscant Temple. But today, as she skimmed the updates, she noticed a familiar name.

"Iris?"

The strange teenage girl who saw the world in 'colors'. Madison remembered her.

"I didn't know she was deployed on Cato? That's awful!"

A strong feeling of dread crept over her. Cato had been terrible. So many Jedi lead into a kill box. Madison couldn't believe anybody like Iris had been there too. It was no situation for someone her age. So many close calls. So many bad memories.

"Damn."

She put her phone away and took a minute to think. What could she possibly do for Iris? Hmm. Ah! Then Madison remembered the Lightsaber Crystal that Nadine had given her recently. Madison didn't have a use for the giant thing. Surely it was the perfect Jedi'ish gift for Jedi'ish people. Yeah.

She'd have to try. So Madison pulled up her phone again,

Anybody have contact info for Iris? This is Padawan Starr of Coruscant Temple. Iris and I took a painting class together. I'd love to help.

Juno Sabat Kai Bamarri Rhemti Totriddiam

 

[Dagos Terrek]

It was late. Probably too late to still be awake but sleep hadn’t been coming as easy after leaving Cato Neimoidia. He had been so exhausted right after his part had been played during that conflict that he’d slept for two days straight but ever since then he found it harder and harder to just rest.

His comm buzzed on the bed near him. That was strange, his comm hardly ever went off unless there was an alert for a new message that the Concord needed to send Jedi someplace but it was too late for one of those. He ignored it. Sleep was more important, he would check the message in the morning.

He popped the end of the spliff in his mouth and took a deep drag. Burning spice smoke filled his lungs causing him to cough violently. He still was not used to taking the stuff. One might wonder where a fifteen year old Jedi padawan got his hands on a stash of Avabush but Dagos had grown up on Nar Shaddaa and was nothing else if not resourceful.

He finished coughing after a minute or so and took a drink of his purpleberry spryte. His throat was dry, his chest hurt and his head was floaty but his eyes were heavy. He would be sleeping soon. He hoped.

His comm buzzed again. And again. And again. And even again.

He picked it up and went through all the messages that had been sent. Juno Sabat a padawan he had met on Ossus had sent out a mass message, it turned out she and several other of the padawan’s he had met had been involved at the conflict on Cato Neimoidia and that something bad had happened to Iris Arani .

There were messages from Rhemti Totriddiam who he had met the same day he met Juno and from Kai Bamarri who Dagos did not know, There was message from Madison Starr too, he had fought alongside her at Cato. Wow, Iris had really touched a lot of people. They were all so eager and willing to help.

He wanted to help. He picked up the comm and typed half a message before deleting the words and putting it back down. What could he say? What could he do? He barely knew Iris. they had spent some time together eating noodles and chatting and Dag did find her interesting and nice, if a little spacey but he doubted she considered him any kind of friend.

He thought of the first time he and Iris had met, in that noodle bar on Commenor and an idea hit him. He went to the desk in his dorm room, turned on the computer and began searching up soup recipes. He remembered that she had liked the spicy ones. In the morning he would find a way to Ossus he decided. After he went to the grocery store.

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Themes:
Tag: Kai Bamarri , Dagos Terrek , Madison Starr, Rhemti Totriddiam , Lossa Aureus , Juno Sabat , Vizion Trozky , Justice Lesan , Mejalie Sato-Viren

She felt stiff, having sat for much too long in the visitors chair next to Iris’, who was currently fast asleep in her cot within the infirmary. The last week blurred together. Cato, Iris’ injury. The waiting. Physicians came by routinely to check on vitals and how she was progressing, to make sure she was comfortable. Briana assisted where she could, even if her only role was to try and be a constant presence of comfort.

When the messages started coming through at rapid-fire speeds, she took it as an opportunity to stretch and groaned to her feet, quietly exiting the room.

Some numbers she recognized, others she didn’t, and one in particular made her sigh heavily through her nose.

<Yeah, all of the colors sound right. Maybe some rainbow yarn? I don't mind buying the thread. I think she’d love that.>

It brought some relief, knowing there were so many that cared and wanted to help Iris get better. <I’ll send over the contact info to you now, Starr.>

With the press of a few buttons, the pertinent details requested were sent off.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Justice was sitting quietly.

Alone.

His arm ached, or where he thought his arm should ache. There were still phantom pains which kept the young Lesan awake at night. Sleep was hard to come by since the injury, at least without medical help. When the messages started coming through, Just had been awake for some time. Time blurred. He was not sure whether it was morning or evening, or the middle of the night. All Just knew was what he had been reading.

Iris had been hurt.

The young padawan looked at the last message which had come through. It was from one of his best friends, Bri. He nodded.

<^This>

It was the only thing Justice replied in the chain as he got out from his bed. Still wearing a tank top, which made his cybernetic more than obvious, and a pair of athletic pants, the boy left the comfort of his room and started to pad barefoot down the corridor. He knew where she would be, and right now she needed a friend.

Justice walked the hall absentminded. It was a path he had memorized by his own frequent trips. He rounded the corner to where Briana Sal-Soren was standing, and without a word wrapped her into a hug.

"I'm sorry."

Kai Bamarri , Dagos Terrek , Madison Starr , Rhemti Totriddiam , Lossa Aureus , Juno Sabat , Vizion Trozky , Judah Lesan , Mejalie Sato-Viren

 

[Juno Sabat]

If you need any help with making it, please let me know. I don't exactly know what knitting is, but I'm willing to learn if it means I can help Iris.

Anybody have contact info for Iris? This is Padawan Starr of Coruscant Temple. Iris and I took a painting class together. I'd love to help.

<Yeah, all of the colors sound right. Maybe some rainbow yarn? I don't mind buying the thread. I think she’d love that.>

<^This>

<I’ll send over the contact info to you now, Starr.>

The group comm had picked up a bit of steam, and it seemed that a flurry of colors was the best choice. Juno typed up another couple responses.

<Sounds like a rainbow yarn is the best way to go.>

<I don't really know how another person could help with knitting, but I'll be going Tion tomorrow morning to pickup yarn. If anyone else wants to go with me we can pick up some other crafts or a cake or something.>

Juno sent out the response and prepped her ship. Hopefully she'd do some good tomorrow.


Kai Bamarri Rhemti Totriddiam Dagos Terrek Justice Lesan Briana Sal-Soren Madison Starr

 

[Madison Starr]

Coruscant

Briana was kind enough to pass along contact info for Iris. So Madison immediately began making gift preparations for her new Lightsaber crystal. Hopefully, Iris would receive the digital confirmation code whenever she woke up and checked her messages. Then, she could pick up the gift anytime she passed by Coruscant Temple.

"Nice. Now I guess we'll just wait and see how she recovers. Hopefully. It's soon."

Madison was hopeful for the poor girl. Jedi healing could do miracles, she understood. So hopefully she'd be up and running again soon.

She finished her coffee and returned to the Temple to prep her gift. Happy to do even a little to help.

/fin

 

[Ilias Nytrau]

THEME: Jungle Ambience
TAGS: Briana Sal-Soren | Justice Lesan | Juno Sabat
Dagos Terrek | Rhemti Totriddiam | Kai Bamarri

When it came to larger operations, such as the one on Cato Neimoidia where Sith were involved, that anyone would come away with injury was the rule, rather than exception. As such, healers had been prepared to take Iris Arani off of the medics' hands, and get right to work. Healing by way of the Force was not instantaneous with the degree of injury Miss Arani suffered - rather, it aided the body in its own processes, speeding it up, yes, but bone needed more care to be certain it knitted back together properly. On the whole, healing bone took more energy and time both because of these limitations, and the limits of the healers themselves.

While fixing himself some tea, Ilias thought about the notes the receiving team had left him, and how he would turn the documentation of this case into lessons, and feedback for the persons involved. Though a percentage of his work was administrative, the 925-year-old half-Morellian still got directly involved in care, and once his tea had steeped, he made his way to the medbay to check up on the condition of the young painter.

As he approached, he saw two padawans embracing just outside the entrance; recall gave him their names, as per their patient files, and that one of the two had suffered loss of a limb. He distinctly recalled notations of the incident, and signing off on the boy's care plan.

"Miss Sal-Soren, Mister Lesan," he greeted, halting briefly outside the entrance with the steaming mug in hand; he looked to Justice as the pair separated, "how is your arm doing?"

Even with advances in cybernetics, phantom pain was still a common issue with loss of limbs, regardless of how the limb was lost. The degree of integration with the body that artificial limbs now had, much like nine centuries ago, still presented issues with rejection in some cases. The phantom pain, however, would subside in time, as the brain "rewired" the system of nerves to accommodate the new reality.