Private The Brain Demon

[Starlin Rand]

Tatooine was once described by Luke Skywalker as the planet farthest from the bright center of the universe. Starlin’s visit there so far seemed to confirm the accuracy of this description. Eight and a half centuries had done little to change the arid dustball, where moisture was farmed and slavery still lingered in the fringes of what qualified as Tatooine “society”.

As Starlin wandered the streets of Mos Eisley, the scrappy little settlement in which fateful meetings had occurred, he didn’t overtly try to look the part of a Jedi, but his pride in what he was remained clearly visible to anyone with the eyes to see it. His lightsaber was hidden beneath a sun-screening poncho that helped to hinder the dry heat somewhat, but neither his Jedi aura nor his stance or his walk were so disguised.

In a way, he was there on a pilgrimage—one of many trips to famous locales associated with his heroes which he had wanted to take, but hadn’t had the chance to embark on before now. Whatever he was searching for among the ephemera of the past, it had yet to become apparent.

A little ways ahead of him, he heard a scream. For several moments, no one around reacted to the sound. Their apathy made Starlin hesitate at first, but he was quick to overcome it, rushing to follow the source. He passed adobe buildings with closed doors and passerby minding their own business as if nothing was wrong, before finally coming upon the scene of a woman crying out as a staggering, drunken man lunged at her.

“Hey!” he exclaimed. “Back off!”

Mere words might not be enough, and he knew it. Starlin closed the distance, putting himself between the drunk and the sobbing woman. “Cool it, man!”

The drunk stumbled, collapsing in the dust, while the woman ran off. Starlin stooped, laying a hand on the fallen one’s shoulder and rolling them over on their back.

The man wasn’t drunk—he seemed to be having a seizure. Spittle foamed at his lips, and his eyes were bloodshot and glazed over. Starlin stood up, calling out, “Help! This guy needs a doctor!”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

Amani had pretty much known going in that she wasn’t going to like Tatooine. She especially didn’t like all the sand, almost as much as all the jokes people seemed to make about not liking sand. Alas, it was now the next stop on her never ending journey, and traveling to the less fortunate parts of the galaxy was more or less the entire purpose of her current duties.

If there was anything to say about Mos Eisley, it was that at the very least, it had a direct connection to wider galactic civilization. So many of her travels had brought her to remote planets where you’d be lucky if there was more than one tiny spaceport. Though, depending on her mood, the isolation was often welcomed.

Amani had only just settled into her cheaply rented room when a commotion rang out from outside. She sighed, hoping that whatever it was, she wasn’t going to have to bother with it. Only for a shout of “Help! This guy needs a doctor!” to arrive shortly after.

“Yep. Okay. Figures.” Amani nodded and quickly slipped out towards the source of the cries. Mos Eisley was practically synonymous with crime, she could only imagine what sort of mess awaited her. Some sort of fight? A stabbing? What Amani was not prepared for was the sight of a man apparently seizing on the ground as she slid to a halt in front of him.

“Stand back.” She attempted to usher away the other figure who had been near the man, before dropping to her knees to begin administering treatment. Her instincts told her to roll the man onto his side to open his airway, though as she did, Amani noticed the more alarming symptoms: Bloodshot eyes, a foaming mouth. “What-” She swung around to look at the other figure once again, “What the hell happened?”

 

[Starlin Rand]

A green (Mirialan?) chick came out of a nearby building and rolled the guy over. She seemed to know what she was doing, so Starlin stepped back to give her room to do her thing.

“Uhh, I just stumbled upon him—I heard this lady screaming, so I came to see what was the matter, and this dude looked like he was attacking her. He was stumbling around, so I thought maybe he was drunk, but then he fell down and started having some kind of fit—I can try to find the lady who was screaming, she went and she run off—“

The guy on the ground was getting worse, going into full blown convulsions. It looked violent and painful.

“Chit,” Starlin muttered, grimacing. “What in the feth... are you a doctor, ma’am, like a real doctor? Because this guy looks real fethin’ bad. There a hospital around here? Should I call somebody...?”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

Amani’s attention was split, between tending to the man and listening to Starlin’s explanation, her mind was racing for some kind of answer. After the man's convulsions became even more violent she jolted up, stunned by the events that were unfolding.

“Uh, if by ‘real doctor’ you mean ‘officially licensed physician’ then… no,” A clarification she had needed to make on more than a few occasions by now. “Even a place like this has to have some kind of medcenter, right?” With some convulsions there was little more to do than make sure the person was in a safe enough space to ride it out and tend to them once it was over, but this was obviously no normal circumstance. And with convulsions this violent it wasn’t like they could carry him anywhere,

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Amani turned back to Starlin, “Try and flag down someone else if you can.” Then she went back into action, whipping out her medkit and mentally running through her options. Though hers was more advanced than a typical medkit it was still limited in what it had to offer. She scoured its contents, procuring a common anticonvulsant and injecting it with trained efficiency. With little else to be done on her part, Amani stood back and hoped for the best.

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin started yelling for help again, standing in the middle of the street and waving his arms around. Eventually he caught the attention of one person, a Toydarian.

“What, another one? That’s the fourth one this week.” The Toydarian gave him the contact of a local medcenter, which he immediately called.

A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived. Medics decked out head to toe in protective suits disembarked, lifted the convulsing man onto a stretcher and into the vehicle, then disappeared as suddenly as they appeared. Starlin’s attempts to talk to them were largely ignored.

“This matter is being handled, please go about your business as usual,” he was told, just before the back doors of the ambulance were slammed shut. Starlin watched the vehicle speed away, scratching his head in disbelief.

“What the feth is going on around here?” he muttered to the Mirialan chick in the absence of anyone else left to listen. “There some kind of plague going around? Why didn’t anybody tell me? Don’t they have to warn travelers about this stuff?”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

Amani stepped aside to let the actual professionals do their job but was given the same cold shoulder treatment as Starlin, and the ambiguity of their response only furthered her own intrigue. She grumbled as the man was carted away in the ambulance, “Somehow I doubt Mos Eisley has particularly extensive medical care. I’m half-tempted to follow them,” Not that Amani alone would likely be a suitable replacement, but she couldn't help her curiosity.

“First I’ve heard of anything. Your guess is as good as mine,” She huffed, planting her hands on her hips. In the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of her forearm: traces of the man’s foamy saliva lingering on her sleeve, “Gross.” Amani reached into her medkit for a hygienic wipe, offering a spare to Starlin, “Make sure you didn’t get... something on you during that. And maybe do some deep cleaning when you get the chance. We don’t know if it’s contagious, but whatever the case it didn’t look pleasant.”

Just as she prepared to free herself of the unpleasant foam staining her sleeve, a different thought crossed the mirialan’s mind, “Well…” She looked back into her medkit and pulled out a swab, along with a substance analyzer, “With this we may not have to make guesses.” Amani cleaned off the saliva with the swab and began to scan it with the analyzer. In theory it could pick up any irregularities in the saliva, such as poison. There was a pause as she waited for the results, before finally she took it upon herself to make introductions, “Um, Amani. I’m a medic. I guess.”

 

[Starlin Rand]

Making a face, Starlin checked himself out. No signs of saliva or any other bodily fluids, though he felt compelled to take a shower and wash his clothes just to be safe. The last thing he needed was a disease like that.

The Mirialan chick pulled out a fancy device to scan the saliva sample with. While they waited for the results, she told him her name, Amani.

“The name’s Starlin,” he replied, with a bit of cockiness in his tone, as though he were proud of his name for whatever reason. “Starlin Rand. I’m a… uhhh, a visitor?”

Might not be a good idea to advertise that he was a Jedi. Nevermind that he had a Padawan rat tail braid and a lightsaber at his belt, though the latter was covered up by his very cool poncho.

The substance analyzer finished its analysis. Human saliva, no trace of pathogens or anything out of the ordinary. “Well, I guess that means you’re okay,” Starlin said. “Maybe he just had something wrong with his brain.”

Even as he spoke, he got a bad feeling about it. Something just wasn’t right with this whole situation. Starlin wasn’t a doctor or even a medic, but for there to be multiple cases of this, and yet it wasn’t contagious—that sounded like foul play.

“Feth it. Let’s go to the medcenter and check this out. I love a good mystery.” He started to walk in the same direction the ambulance had gone, inferring that Amani would follow.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

“Good call.” She cracked a smile at Starlin’s vague reply, “Not everyone is a fan of Jedi, especially out here. I won’t tell anyone.” Amani could usually recognize a Jedi when she saw one, especially those like him. Young, proud, maybe a little overconfident. She should know, she used to be the same way.

The analyzer results came back negative for any outside influences, though it only seemed to lead to more questions than answers. The two of them seemed to make the same connection as Starlin took her up on the proposal to head to the medcenter. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Amani stuck close to her impromptu partner as they weaved through the spaceport’s crowded streets, absorbing all the diverse sights and sounds they offered. Being in a crowded place like this would be a nice change of place, if it didn’t feel like every stranger side-eyed her for so much as being in the same space as them. “So, what brings you out here? You on a job?” If nothing else a casual conversation might at least make them look a little more natural.

 

[Starlin Rand]

“Rat tail gave it away, huh?”

Truth be told, Starlin had no idea where he was going or how to get to the medcenter. But that was fine. He could just trust in the Force to guide the way…

… right to a dusty directory, which told him where to go.

“Nah, not really. More like on a pilgrimage.” He wasn’t about to go talking her ear off about Luke Skywalker. That would be lame. Girls, especially girls named Amani, didn’t want to hear about all that history and legends heroism stuff.

“This is a special place for Jedi. Couple of famous heroes were either born or raised here. People I admire.”

They reached the medcenter, a scrappy, squat little facility a little ways outside Mos Eisley’s outskirts. Starlin stepped through the automatic doors of the entrance, and immediately was hit by a wave of foreboding.

“Uh…” He looked around, wondering what was causing the intense bad feeling to surface. There were patients in the waiting room, receptionists at the desk, nurses and doctors milling about. Nothing explicitly abnormal about the place, aside from that feeling. “Should we—we should talk to someone in charge, I guess?”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

“So I’ve heard.” For a moment it had almost passed her by that she wouldn’t be recognized as a Jedi herself. Amani knew well enough about the planet’s relations to the order, but humored the mini-lesson all the same. She wasn’t keen on exploring her past anyway. “Hope you find what you’re looking for.”

The interior of the medcenter felt familiar to most other medical facilities Amani had visited, aside from whatever suspicions they had about recent goings-on. “Good idea.” She glanced around to make sure the two of them were out of earshot from anyone else, “Are you a good… improviser?” She let the intent of her message hang in the air for a moment before continuing, “Maybe act as a distraction for the receptionist, or one of the doctors, I’ll slip into the wards and try to find what we’re looking for. See if you can glean any info from ‘em?”

It was an uncharacteristically roguish plan for Amani, but she was now intent on seeing it through, and without knowing the hospital's policies and given how ambiguous their last interaction was, she figured it best to keep things under the radar. Besides, if anyone was going to be able to act like they were supposed to be there, it was probably her. She waited for a response, otherwise ready to make her move if Starlin was going to go along with it.

 

[Starlin Rand]

At her suggestion that he cause a distraction, Starlin grinned. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Veering away from her, he disappeared around a corner for a few seconds, returning with damp hair and a wet face and neck. He slowed his walk to an intoxicated stagger as he made his way to the receptionist’s desk. “I needa see a patient,” he slurred. “Imma doctor.”

The receptionist looked at him, frowning. “Sir, have you been drinking?”

“No." He shook his head vigorously. "No drinks. Been walkin’ all day in the heat to get here, an’ you have the nerve to ask if’m drunk?..."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

Starlin’s stunt managed to elicit a stifled laugh from Amani, though quickly she suppressed it as soon as she saw her opportunity. One of the doctors walked into the reception area, and Amani slid in through the door behind him.

As it often goes, act like you belong, and most people probably won’t question it. And here, Amani was in her element, being all too familiar with hospital decorum from her years of training. With enough searching she found the right ward, and the room which held the man they had found on the street. Inside, doctors were already at work, and on the wall, an MRI scan of the man's brain. Amani was no neurosurgeon, but she could still recognize its distinct irregularities; Namely, the presence of some foreign thing on the inside. She raised her personal datapad, snapping a picture of the scan. If she could just get a closer look-

“Excuse me.” A voice from behind made Amani swing around in surprise. There a tall doctor stood eyeing her suspiciously. An awkward silence followed as Amani tried to formulate a response.

“......Hi!” Smooth. “Um. I’m supposed to be at a med student observation in the… CCU? I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction?”

“Suuure. Just head all the way down to the far side of the building. Follow the signs and it’ll lead you right to it.”

“Great! Thanks so much.” She gave the doctor a wide smile, distancing herself from the conversation as quickly as possible to avoid any further questioning, taking a roundabout path back towards the front of the hospital. Peeking back into the reception area to check Starlin’s progress, she made what could debatably be described as an attempt to get his attention, mostly in the form of making panicked faces in his direction.

 

[Starlin Rand]

The receptionist had gotten the attention of a nurse, who was convinced Starlin was suffering from heatstroke. They had taken his temperature, mopped up the “sweat” from his brow with a towel, and were about to bring him a hospital bed when Starlin saw Amani out of the corner of his eye.

“On second thought, I feel great!” he exclaimed cheerfully. Before anyone could stop him, he had marched out of the waiting area and met up with the Mirialan, following her outside the medcenter.

“Did you find anything?”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

“Not as much as I’d have liked. But...” She showed him the snapshot she had taken of the brain scan, “There was this.” It was relatively easy to understand, even for someone without any real medical training. The image of the brain was for all intents and purposes normal, spare the presence of a small shape nestled into it, standing out clearly among the rest of the brain’s features.

“I’m not sure what to make of it. My first instinct was a tumor but that doesn’t…” She trailed off as she tried to piece the puzzle together. “...Some kind of parasite? Like a bio-agent?” For there to be a lack of any apparent contagion, then there must be a third party at play. “Any ideas?”

 

[Starlin Rand]

When Amani showed him the photo of the brain scan, Starlin was instantly struck by that same feeling of dread, a niggling sense of this isn’t right. She pointed to the weird mass within the brain, suggesting it might be a parasite or a bio-agent of some sort.

“I dunno.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his brow furrowed. “I’m not a… well, you know I’m not a doctor or nothin’. But doesn’t that seem more like a…”

It came to him abruptly. He had seen this before. Just not on a brain scan, but given what it was, perhaps that wasn’t so bizarre after all.

“That’s the symbol!” he hissed. “The crescent above the circle… the Cult of the Brain Demon!”

Only after the words left his mouth did he realize how ridiculous they sounded. After all, he had laughed the first time he heard the name too. Quickly he tried to explain.

“It's a Dark Side cult that was founded sometime during the Gulag Plague. Really nasty, sadistic motherfethers. Their big thing is that they absorb people’s minds… although I thought they just did that among themselves, as a way of advancing through the ranks.” The obvious answer to that, then, was that the Cult had an established presence here on Tatooine. Lovely.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

Amani struck him with an acute side-eyed look. It certainly sounded ridiculous, was he making some kind of pop culture reference she was missing out on? His quick explanation managed to quickly draw her focus back in, though at which point her confusion evolved into a sardonic chuckle. And to think her streak of going without any dark side related incidents was finally at an end. “Oh, awesome. Now those I actively try to avoid.”

Quickly, though, her snark dropped and again her tone changed, now to one of reluctance. “Um, look, clearly you’re the expert between us on this cult thing. Don’t suppose you can just call some of your Jedi buddies in and clean this mess up?” There was a hint of doubt in her voice, though it was clear she was suspiciously trying to distance herself from the responsibility.

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin winced. “Uh… that’s where things get complicated.”

It wasn’t just that the Jedi were busy doing other things, or that getting them here would take too long. As far as he knew, the Silver Jedi weren’t really aware of the Cult’s existence. Maybe they had some files on it somewhere, but it wasn’t even a minor concern of theirs. Starlin’s own experience with the Cult had come from his adventures with his first master… who had significant personal ties to them going back centuries.

“Bottom line, no, I can’t just call up my Jedi buddies to come and deal with this. That would be too easy.” Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, ruffling his curls as he bit his lip, trying to think of a solution. He shrugged. “I mean, you don’t have to be involved in this, Amani. It’s not your problem. So you’re off the hook, at least.”

Starlin wasn’t. He most definitely wasn’t. In fact, this entire thing might very well be his problem, and his alone. Not cool, dude.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

For a split-second, Amani very nearly took him up on that offer. She even turned away, trying to compel herself into leaving before just as quickly she swung back around, “Chit.” That look he had was all too familiar to her. Having your back against the wall, alone. It wasn’t the sort of position she’d like to find herself in again.

“Ok, ok. No, I’ll help,” She resigned, as if he had made some excessive effort to persuade her into doing so. “So what’s the sitch? It’s a brain sucking dark side cult, no big deal. I don’t suppose a friendly chat would be enough to convince them to cut it out?” Almost certainly wishful thinking, but Amani wasn’t exactly excited about the concept of getting into a fight, especially with dark siders. Whatever the case, she was in it for the long haul now.

 

[Starlin Rand]

“Even though you’re not a Jedi, I’m gonna need all the help I can get.” Starlin managed to hide his smile with some difficulty, though he did snort when she suggested a friendly chat with the Cult might solve the situation.

“Yeah, no. There’s no reasoning with these guys. They’re fanatics.” He grimaced, memories of cleansing ruins with his master surfacing. “They tend to be drawn to areas infested with corruption and negative energy. If we can locate a Dark Side nexus somewhere near here, it’s very likely that’s where they’re gathering.”

Although finding such a place was no easy matter, either. Asking the natives would draw suspicion, and cultists might be hidden among their ranks. It wasn’t as if they could look it up in the local library’s records, either.

“I can use the Force to try and find the nexus. Through uh, deep Jedi meditation, or whatever.” He had never tried to do something like that, but with the Force, all things were possible. “Unless you have any ideas where it might be. You’ve been here longer than I have, right?”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Starlin Rand

“Figured as much,” Amani sighed, “It always ends in a fight.” Perhaps she really was just destined to fall into conflict after conflict until the end of days.

Though she had never run into this group before, it wouldn’t be her first rodeo with an evil cult. At least their types were consistent. They were drawn to places of dark power like moths to a flame. It was just a matter of finding it. “Sorry, Tatooine’s still a new experience for me. I only just got here a little bit ago.” She spun on her heels, ushering for Starlin to follow, “Follow me, I’ve got a room set up at a hotel close by. You can use it for some peace and quiet while you meditate, if you want. Besides, I’ll need to grab some things from there if we’re really going to do this.” It wouldn’t take long to arrive, and once inside she would offer what spartan accommodations the room had to offer for Starlin’s use.