Private Regeneration

[Ran Serys]

Ran Serys held her healing throat, as she thought of the battle on Woostri. She thought of the blood pooling under her limp body. She thought of the flesh she had sacrificed only to be uncertain of an enemy’s death. Multiple surgeries and a large blood transfusion, left her with a weak feeling in her bones and muscles. She felt as if she was less than herself. Still Ran lifted her head atop a heavily bandaged neck and looked forward, for the future would not wait for her mind and body to heal. She’d have to meet the future before she was ready, as so many often did.

The future led her away from the battle, away from the archives, and back to Selvaris. It led to a meeting with her newest pupil, Diogo Talon, a Jedi Padawan and Anzat she promised to help in his quest to control and curb the dangerous appetite he inherited. At the edge of a lush, rainy Selvaris jungle clearing Ran sat on a rock and waited for the young man as she thought back on their first meeting. Their introduction began with a lie and ended with emotional truths. She wondered if the heaviness of their introduction was an indicator of life to come. She closed her eyes and meditated on the future, using the force as a dowsing rod for her answers.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Dio was worse for wear, but well on the road to recovery. No bandages anymore, just raw pink flesh. First, captured by CV operatives, then blown to bits by a grenade—the Hapan Crisis hadn't been good to him. One of the few saving graces of being an Anzat was the enhanced regenerative capabilities. Plus, dating the Chief Healer's Padawan had its perks. Without those two things, he'd probably still be laid up in the Halls of Healing.

Ran seemed to have had her own brush with death on Woostri, if her injury was anything to go by. As Dio approached the forest clearing, he could see her heavily bandaged neck. She was worse for wear, too.

"Hello, Master Serys," Diogo said, tone warm and affectionate. He dipped his head slightly in a respectful bow. Normally introductions were prime real estate for quips, jokes, and ironic self-detachment. But ever since their first meeting, where irrevocable confessions bound them together, Dio had done away with pretension. It was something unique in his relationship with Ran and he quietly appreciated that. "It's good to see you, master. How are you?"

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

Perched atop the rock, Ran opened her eyes and set them on her new padawan. “Hello, Diogo.” She said hoarsely. It was clear the damage to her throat had reached her voice box, but still she healed, and still she smiled through the pain of preternatural regeneration.

“I’ve been better,” She said with a grimace. The volume of her voice was barely louder than a whisper, still she projected well enough. “Still I am happy to see you, and even happier to begin your training.” She meant it. She uncrossed her legs, and stood up from her stone seat, bare feet touching the green jungle floor. The rain had begun to clear and the sun shined through an opening in the canopy above the clearing. She put a firm hand on Diogo's shoulder as she walked into the sun’s rays, then turned to him as the light carved her silhouette in shadow.

“That said, before we begin I must know what kind of Jedi you hope to become.” She let the statement sit. “We will temper your mind and body in its fight against your Anzati compulsions, but that is just one thing we hope to accomplish. What more do you want from your Jedi training?” Ran continued standing up tall, and strong as she waited for the young man’s answer.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"I'm just glad you're alive. Would've sucked if my new master died before our training began," Dio joked, trying to dispel Ran's grimace with humor. "I'm happy, too." He grinned, feeling the reassuring weight of her hand on his shoulder. Though, the bare feet thing caught him off guard. Did she normally have her little piggies out like that? His gaze drifted upward and he watched as the Selvaris sunlight delightfully curved around her edges.

After Ran's question, Dio paused to think, absentmindedly messing with his bangs.

"I'm not sure. I'm limited by what I am. Not giving into my Anzat compulsions mean I can't control the Force like everyone else. I'm fast and strong, but I can't use telekinesis and stuff. I feel like I'm just a brute, or something, and I don't have much choice in that."

"I hear you're a wiz with lightsaber crafting, though," he said, smiling sheepishly. "I'd love to learn that from you. Might as well have two lightsabers since I can't use the Force correctly. Plus..." Dio unclipped his lightsaber and held it out for display. The pommel was scratched to shit, there was a crack near the activation stud, and there were little globs of solder that a clumsy hand had spilled onto the external components. Sometimes he was shocked the damn thing worked. "I think this one could use some love."

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

"I'm not sure. I'm limited by what I am. Not giving into my Anzat compulsions mean I can't control the Force like everyone else. I'm fast and strong, but I can't use telekinesis and stuff. I feel like I'm just a brute, or something, and I don't have much choice in that."

“The Force is a strange power, Diogo. It manifests in everyone differently. Saying you are "just a brute" may be untrue.” Ran responded. “In fact, I know it is.” She confirmed. “A jedi is not their connection to the Force. A jedi is more than that. Just like the Force, a jedi is the sum of everything that makes it. Mind, Body, and Soul, then there is the Force.” The Knight continued.

“So you do, in fact, have a choice in that.” There was certainty in her words. “If I were you I’d do well to remember it.”

Ran knew of certain Jedi holocrons in the archives that would support her stance. She’d recommend them to Diogo, the tales and teachings of Jedi who were limited in their ability to use the Force but still went on to accomplish extraordinary feats.

"I hear you're a wiz with lightsaber crafting, though," he said, smiling sheepishly. "I'd love to learn that from you. Might as well have two lightsabers since I can't use the Force correctly. Plus...I think this one could use some love."

“It certainly could.” She agreed and examined. “May I?” She asked for permission before reaching for the damaged but working saber. She liked its design still, and thought about the lightsaber parts she had crafted in her workshop and what they could and couldn’t use to restore the lightsaber. It seemed most of the imperfections were superficial. Ran usually erred on the side of practicality. If it worked, it worked. A lightsaber, however, was a weapon, a tool, and an extension of the Jedi who wielded it. It was something to be honored, just as one honored themself. “I will teach you what I know of saber construction and combat.” Ran agreed. “Do you have a crystal for this second saber? If not, that is where we’ll start– today.” Unless Diogo objected, the duo would begin their first lesson and trek as master and padawan.

Tags: Diogo Talon
​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Dio's brow furrowed. He didn't respond right away, absorbing Ran's explanation with a healthy dose of skepticism. He was inclined to believe her, but the Force was strange, ineffable, esoteric in a way. Never one for the mystical aspects, Dio had always experienced the Force as a physical manifestation. A way to strengthen or speed his body, for instance. It was tangible, he could feel it in his muscles and bones and flesh. But if Ran saw potential in him, understood there was more he wasn't seeing, he'd take that to heart.

"How did you figure this stuff out when you were a Padawan?" Dio asked, his eyes drifting from her feet to her face. He hoped she could provide him with something to latch onto. A direction. Specific steps to take. Something tangible.

Diogo handed her his lightsaber, quietly grateful she didn't start taking it apart. If the outside looked like chit, the internal components looked like the underside of a mangy bantha. She'd probably see it eventually, though.

"I don't have a crystal," he admitted. "Are there crystal caves on Selvaris?"

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

"How did you figure this stuff out when you were a Padawan?"

“Easily,” Ran began to answer. “And Instinctually.” She continued. “I was well into adulthood when I came to the order, and I had been an elite Sith commando my entire life. I was designed to be a soldier, but I was born to be a Jedi.” She sighed. “It is a complicated and long story for another time. Just know it ends with me being a wellspring in the force. An arrow that had been drawn back for too long, and then let fly. Imagine my surprise when I soared, and still have yet to come down.” She explained in small truths and metaphors.

“My force potential, my sharp instincts, and my lack of preconceived notions about what freedom and life outside of war meant are what gave me an edge in my Jedi education. Because I was unburdened by life in a way few others were, my instincts in the force didn’t need to overcome insecurity, beliefs or preconceived notions, or even my own natural limits. There were mentors, friends, and my own master, Quis Ven'nari , who would guide me, but to me, instinct is everything. My instincts are tied to the force and so I let them guide me in my training, in danger, and in my life. Some would say I took to the force and my training like a fish to water. It was all very natural.”

She took a long lingering look at Diogo as if she was questioning something. “Whether you want to operate within the limits you currently have, or surpass them, overcoming your insecurities about your ancestral nature could help. Freeing yourself from that burden will prove easier said than done, but I’m sure it would be to your benefit."

"I don't have a crystal," he admitted. "Are there crystal caves on Selvaris?"

“There are,” Ran nodded. “But the path to them is inaccessible by starship or transport ship. It’ll be several days of marching before we make it to our destination, but we can cut down on that time by riding on the backs of the native animals.” Ran explained. “Would you like to set off on foot or ride an orbak?” Ran asked. “Me, I quite like animals.”

Tags: Diogo Talon
​