One Small Step Leads to Better Things

[Vina Zomo]

[SIZE=12pt]Location: Conference Room on the Barenth Medical Station, located above the planet Monastery[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Who: [member="Darth Metus"] [member="Ybinantru Isis"] [member="Jaster of clan Awaud "] [member="Anan Crimson"] [member="Armand Temi"] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Veni sat at the head of the table. The conference room was one of the original features of the station, and since it was in good condition, the workers had left it untouched. Well, mostly – the Devaronian had had them repaint the walls a tasteful light blue color. She found it to be soothing, particularly when conducting meetings.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Especially [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]when conducting meetings such as this one. This meeting was going to be conducted between a representative of Stargo Defense Enterprises and a few members of the Healer’s Guild in regards to supplies and other things in return for the guild’s services. If this went smoothly, Vina had ambitions to conduct a meeting with all of the leaders of factions and companies and have them sign a neutrality contract with her guild – essentially protecting her people from direct attacks. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Almost unconsciously, her hand went to the dark metal ring hanging on a chain around her neck. Since her husband’s death, Vina had stopped wearing it on her finger, but couldn’t bear to simply leave it. It had become a token with which the woman had sought comfort over her years. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rubbing the ring with her thumb, the woman looked at the other members of the Guild seated at the table. She had selected these four because she felt that they best represented the rest of the guild members, a quality which she considered important. Vina was far from being a dictator, so when there came about a decision that she felt would greatly impact the guild, she made sure to get a read on what the others would feel about it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Besides, conducting a one-on-one meeting with the representative of Stargo Defense Enterprises would feel wrong, as if she was going behind everyone’s backs. And speaking of the rep, if he didn’t appear soon Vina would become worried. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Once Darth Metus arrived, he would find a young healer waiting in the hangar to escort him to the conference room. [/SIZE]

 

[Armand Temi]

Armand was very interested to see this medical community get off the ground. Vina Zomo had done a heroic job organizing and arranging this agreement between the guild and Stargo Defense Enterprises and he could tell she wanted everything to go perfectly.

The Hapan tried to smile at her reassuringly. He clasped his hands in front of him and waited patiently for their representative to arrive.

[member="Darth Metus"] [member="Ybinantru Isis"] [member="Jaster of clan Awaud "][member="Anan Crimson"] [member="Vina Zomo"]

 

[Jaster Awaud]

[member="Vina Zomo"] [member="Armand Temi"]

Jaster has been busy since the station was found, medical supplies to be cataloged, equipment moved to there specified location, working with the contruction teams with rebuilding. These days were mostly spent in his office and working with security. Finally he was walking to the meeting room, accompanyes by two GH-7 medical analysis unit. He had bedding positions being built in the fifth wing, the bacta tanks they replaced were being put in storage and the mecical units were in charge of there replacement. The other was in charge of getting the hanger bay ready for supplies transported to the surface.

Jaster ship has been docked for a few months and his crew were very enjoying there time off. After filling out the paper work he walked into the meeting room to only see a portion of the people invited. He held another data pad with the equipment needed from the Stargo Defense Enterprises. Mostly Defence Equipment and medical supplies reserved for refugee camps on different planets, the most they needed were research equipment and other odds and ends to finalize the station.

"Hello ma'am, Admiral Jaster Awaud reporting as ordered with supply list in substitute for the Quartermaster." Jaster stood behind and right of Vina's chair. He finished and sat in his assigned seat.

 

[Juggerduck]

"The station's in surprisingly good shape for having been abandoned for so long," said Yb, entering the room. Taking a seat, she nodded to the other healers. "I've finished another round of interviews. Lots of good med techs; we should be okay from a triage and vitals perspective. A couple more internists won't hurt, and we're still short a handful of OB/GYNs, but I got wind of another ship coming in in two days. Guess we'll see what happens." She shrugged. "We need to increase our visibility. Word of mouth is helping, but a system-wide message on the HoloNet wouldn't be a bad idea either if we can afford it. Or," she added, thinking aloud, "maybe we can get the HoloNet News to come and do a story? Free publicity!"

[member="Vina Zomo"] Darth Metus Jaster of clan Awaud Anan Crimson Armand Temi

 

[Vina Zomo]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Darth Metus"] [member="Ybinantru Isis"] [member="Jaster of clan Awaud "] [member="Anan Crimson"] [member="Armand Temi"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Vina’s hand dropped back into her lap when she caught Armand’s attempt to reassure her. Flashing him a small smile in return, she couldn’t help but wonder if she really did look as nervous as she felt. This was a bit worrisome, for how could the other healers really back this contract if their own leader was nervous? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Or maybe he simply used the Force?[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] That was more likely. If Vina recalled correctly, the young man (for he was certainly younger than her!) had been training in the ways of the Force, when he wasn’t busy with his clinic. Granted, Armand specialised in making people look young again, but his other credentials were certainly eye-catching, and the Devaronian had been more than happy to welcome the Hapan to her guild. I wonder if he’s still in training, she thought idly. Not that she’d confront him about it – the expertise of Force manipulation a person had was one thing which never bothered her; and anyway, if he wanted to talk to her he could. If not, she wouldn’t press it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]All at once, her mind wandered to another Force User, one from another place, another time…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Whatever brought that up?[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] It had been years – decades, almost – since she’d thought of him. Why the sudden visit to the past? It must be my nerves, she decided. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Jaster’s entrance was a welcome distraction from her thoughts. Nodding in acknowledgement to him, Vina also reflected on the man. More of a security captain than anything else, the human had nonetheless proven to be especially valuable to pushing the Healer’s Guild to the next level, and the Head Healer was certain the group would not be where they were without him. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Before she could respond, though, the third member she’d invited also made an appearance. While rough around the edges, Vina saw potential in the young Chiss and sought to help Yb come to the peak of her healing abilities. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Smiling in greeting, the Devaronian waited until Yb was done speaking before opening her own mouth. “I’m glad everything is going well so far, Ybinantru,” she said, pleased that she didn’t stumble over the girl’s slightly complex name. The side of her mouth jumped upward. “And a HoloNet story wouldn’t be a bad idea, but I have a feeling it wouldn’t be free publicity. Even so, we can discuss that after this meeting.” She then turned to Jaster, murmuring a “thank-you” as she took the datapad from him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Perusing it slightly, she looked back up. “This list is excellent, Jaster. Thank you.” Vina set it down on the table, glancing at the clock. If Anan and Darth Metus didn’t hurry, they would be late. Ah, well. It gave her more time to talk with these three. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Hands folded in her lap, the healer affected a more serious attitude, one which didn’t need to be faked. Looking at all three members, she asked solemnly, “How are things in regards to the…the mass disappearance?” This of course was in reference to the mysterious and greatly alarming galactic phenomenon, resulting in thousands of people from all over being – if the reports she’d heard were right – teleported to a physical manifestation of hell. Thousands of riots had broken out as families were separated and businesses found themselves missing employees. Busy with requests from several groups asking for healers in lieu of the riots, Vina had regretfully not been able to get a grasp on who and how many people had disappeared within their own ranks. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Unbidden, she couldn’t help but think, Was he gone, too?[/SIZE]

 

[Jaster Awaud]

[member="Vina Zomo"]

Jaster stood to address the mass disappearance that happened earlier this week. He had been under a lot of pressure from governments for assistance in refugee retrieval. "Ma'am, all of our security forces have been dispatched to all 10 refugee camps to secure rioters," Jaster held another data pad and looked it over, "the base is at low security with 400 security officers, 1,000 researchers, and 800 engeneers. We need droids and ships to better proceed from this problem."

He finished and sat down, looking at other data pads for equipment to be placed and moved to other refugee camps.

 

[Juggerduck]

"No one seems to know anything," added Ybinantru. "A lot of panic. People are announcing the End Times, or some sort of cosmic retribution. I've even heard talk of a new Yuuzhan Vong invasion from beyond the galaxy. A lot of noise."

[member="Vina Zomo"]