Learning to trust

[Northwood Galaxy]

Numbers shivered as she tried to eat some light soup. She had been going from feel hot to feeling co!d every few minutes.

She knew she was sick, but wasn't sure what to do about it. All her life, she was forced to tough it out.

So, Numbers did.

She trained and went on with the day, even deciding to sweep the floor when she had nothing to do.

By late afternoon, she had to sit down. Numbers finished her soup, it was a small bowl anyways.

However, her stomach wasn't too happy with the meal. She ended up throwing it back up in the garden, behind a bush. She sank onto a bench, panting and shaking.

What would the Jedi Master say?

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

[member="#24061"]

"Your lessons for today are concluded, you won't get anywhere trying to work in this state" Was what he ended up saying, actually, as a large hand would fall onto her shoulder from behind. Should the woman that he'd nicknamed "Numbers" would look up, she'd find her Master staring down at her. Letting out a sigh, he would shake his head. She hadn't exactly hidden her illness all that well.

"If this were a mission, we might have told you to tough it. But no point in dealing with early training while you're like this. You're better off resting."

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

"I'll be fine... Master..." She said dizzily. She tried to stand up, but her sight, and her head, spun.

She tried to fight it, to hide the sickness she herself was feeling.

But, for the first time, her body wasn't obeying. It rebelled openly against her. It wanted to rest, not be active anymore that day.

Numbers shuddered as she felt herself sink back onto the bench, She was scared..... she had lost the battle of will with her body.

Numbers gave up, shoulders shaking as she sobbed, tired and scared.

She had never lost before.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He shook his head in turn. "It's useless to train in this state" He remarked flatly, letting out a sigh. "If you can afford to rest, rest. Toughing it is for when you have to. This is not a have to. Part of being a Jedi is using your head, and having proper tact. If you go by pride, or not being a baby as some people might say... Then you will fail. Go by logic. Go by sense. And this is a very common sense indeed."

He stared a hole through her, his tone becoming more business-like. "You are dismissed for the day, Numbers. That is an order."

[member="#24061"]

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

"Yes....Master." Number stumbled into a bow and attempted to go back inside. Tired, she sat under a tree, thinking about what he said. Common sense? Wasn't that was what kept you alive?

He was talking about obeying your mind when it said your body wasn't fit to move. Yet..... Useless to train in her current state? She had seen slaves training and working when they were sicker than her. The only rest they had was death.

Her mind drifted as Numbers slipped into sleep.

The breeze was very comforting.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

That was true. Granted it was also true that slaves died quite often from being overworked and especially from working while they should not. So common sense indeed. The goal here was NOT dying, long enough to train and become a Jedi Knight. Padawans dying was very impractical.

Once Numbers had left, The Jedi Master would arrange for someone to check on there here and there - or at least send a medcal droid to do so.

They'd begin training again only when she was better.

[member="#24061"]

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

She slept for a good remainder of the day.

It was late afternoon when she woke up. Numbers blinked and shivered in the breeze. Standing, she dizzily went back inside.

She leaned against a pillar, hot with fever.

Numbers wanted help....but didn't know how to ask.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It wasn't long before a medical droid would track her down, inquiring as to her well-being. It seemed that her Master had gone out of his way to ensure that the medical droid knew she was sick, to check in on her, and to administer treatment if needed.

Of course, the Jedi Master himself was not present, as he had business of his own to attend to. But he was always a call away.

[member="#24061"]

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

Numbers leaned on the medical droid, allowing it to what it was programmed to do.

Master Dragonsflame cared. Otherwise he wouldn't of had a droid help her.

Perhaps there was some good people after all.

A few days later:
Numbers nervously knocked on the door to the master Jedi's quarters. "Master?" She croaked.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Granted, his "quarters" were more just an office for his briefing, and he was rarely there. He usually was off-planet and when he was off-mission he went home. But nobody knew where "home" was, he never told the Order where he resided, and didn't tell anyone for that matter. He liked his privacy.

But he was there, at least, after finishing training with his Padawans for the day. When he heard a knock, he would call out "Come in."

[member="#24061"]

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

She came in, nervously bowing. "Thank you..... Master." Numbers shivered as she waited to see his response.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi Master would gingerly stand to his feet, before turning and looking back at the Padawan curiously, quirking a brow and tilting his head at her remarks.

"For?"

[member="#24061"]

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

"For allowing the medical droid to heal me." Numbers said.

He seemed confused, but why?

He was her master, after all, why wouldn't he want thanks?

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He smirked faintly at that. Of course, he supposed. But he would turn, shrugging his shoulders.

"Ah, of course. You're welcome, I suppose. But truthfully... I was just doing what was right" He would respond. "Especially as your Master."

Giving thanks was fine, of course. He was just surprised she had gone out of her way to find him to do so, when she could have done so in passing. It should not have been a pressing matter for her, in his eyes. In his eyes, he was doing his job.

[member="#24061"]

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

She was silent for a moment...... What was right? .......

The Jedi were different! Numbers stood, trembling, unsure what to do.

Then she attacked the Jedi Master with a hug, weeping into his robes.

She found trust at last.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He was stunned for a moment as the Padawan would pull him into a hug. Sensing her emotions, he began to remember what he had found in her files one night after checking to make sure if she had any conditions he had to be aware of (Which proved fruitful in finding out one of his Padawans was blind so he could brush up on his sign language). Thinking back...

Ahh...

He understood now. He understood completely. So he would gingerly wrap his arms around the Padawan and just allow her to let it out, let her cry as he would only smile quietly. Once she had let it all out, he would kneel down from his 6'4 height to meet her eyes, before speaking gently.

"Numbers, I have a question to ask you... Your file says your name that you gave the Jedi is #24061... Your records say you were a slave at one point, I know that's a bit cruel to bring up in a tender moment, but while I have you here, I'm curious...

What was your name, before all that? I mean, like... Your real name. Your given name."

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

"Never had one, I never knew my parents. I have been a slave all my known life." Numbers sniffed, still clinging to the Jedi. She looked him in the eyes for the first time.

"I am not entirely blind, but most times I see shapes and colors." She steadied her breathing.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I see..." He spoke softly. "Truthfully, I called you Numbers before I knew you were a slave. I... Wanted to apologize, I realize now the nickname was incredibly insensitive" He would admit, scratching his head. "But... Do me a favor? And yourself too. Stop using the name, 24061" He would command, quirking a brow, but his tone was still gentle.

"You're not a slave anymore" He spoke softly, and a smirk crossed his lips at that. "Would you want me to help you find a name? It'd be best you give yourself one... To seal a new beginning. You're not a slave anymore... You're one of us. You're an equal, a sister. You should have a name to reflect that."

Thinking it over a moment, he would begin to work out a suggestion.

"What about... Dimah Nubaan?"

[member="#24061"]

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

Number gave a nod, wiping the tears from her face. "It is the name, as you call it, I have always known, but I will try not to use it anymore." She still held him in a hug, something she had never had before and didn't want it to end.

A new beginning, a new chapter in her story. Sounded like something that was doable.

No... something she wanted to do. Something she would fight to keep. Freedom was something she would grab and cling to like a starving animal.

Dimah Nubaan.... Numbers gave a small smile at the name. "I like it..... Master."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

I mean, it was two words... Dimah Nubaan, but whatever she wanted. He would smile in turn as he would slowly nod his head. "It's a new beginning for you... Embrace it. No need to look back on the past anymore, Dimah.. That's over now. Smile, and embrace this new world of yours. I think you'll enjoy it far better if you do."

He'd let her hang out for as long as she liked, as he patted her on the back. "Do you feel any better, Dimah?"

@Dimah Nubaan