Private The Plans of Mice and Men

[Rik Perris]

To: Rik Perris
From: Briana Sal-Soren
Subject: New Padawan Assignment – Ceri Fraissi

Rik, I hope this message finds you well. I won’t be able to meet in person for a while, but that doesn't mean there aren't still matters that need to be handled.

As the title of this message indicates, I’m contacting you on your new Padawan, Ceri Fraissi. Unfortunately, this is not a pleasant follow up. Ceri was one of the Padawans who was present at the recently disastrous Wedding for Prince Astor Daaray on Hapes, and I'm deeply concerned about how those events may have affected her spirit and overall outlook since she last left Naboo. I trust you will give her the extra care, guidance, and patience that she requires; not only for her growth as a Jedi, but for the continued healing she will need as she adjusts.

The finer details of how you choose to handle this, I will leave to your professional discretion. If you need anything or have any concerns, send it through official channels. I’ll respond when I can.

Briana

JEDI REFECTORY
Shiraya's Sanctuary
Gallo Mountains, Naboo

Jedi Knight Rik Perris had been awake since prior to dawn and had squared away his morning rituals with the usual efficiency despite what weighed on his mind. The ability to deliberately compartmentalise his thoughts where warranted - and it often was - tended to be a boon, but as Rik sat in the Jedi Refectory of Shiraya’s Sanctuary the following morning, his fingers laced together between his knees while awaiting the arrival of a likely traumatised teenage girl, he unraveled his thoughts a little to go over the facts, feeling a little underprepared despite how much he knew he was ready for the responsibility.

There had been no knowing what to expect when he had registered his intent to take on and train a padawan, as well as mentor other padawans (and his peers, which was in the realm of possibility), but he had imagined it would be a bit of a cross between being an older brother, which he knew a great deal about; a parent, which he had only his parents’ good example to go by; and a friend. What he couldn’t predict was what kind of padawan he was given to work with, and as of yesterday, an unfortunate layer added to that challenge.

Receiving such a message as the one Briana had sent the prior afternoon, so soon after being assigned a padawan, might have felt like whiplash for any Jedi, but he had watched the live coverage of the massacre. His realisations in witnessing it told him what could be coming his way, but they also made his heart sink. For Briana in what she lost, and for the padawan he was about to meet, because of what she must have seen.

So, by the time Briana’s message arrived, Rik had already begun reformulating his loose thoughts for what Ceri’s early days as his padawan could possibly encompass, reassessing in the wake of that unfortunate event… and on the basis of ramping up action he had been advised of via Foundation channels he was recently plugged into, when the fallout from the massacre exploded across the Consortium.

They were readying to ship out to Hapes, and soon, which meant he wouldn’t have much direct time for Ceri at first. That was frustrating - he couldn’t in good conscience bring a freshly minted padawan to an active conflict zone, traumatized or not, with virtually no preparation - but if there was anything Rik knew from his lesser experience of mentoring other youths, it was that nothing could be solved in a day, two days, much less a week, anyway; like with getting to know and working with any of those youths, he was going to have to play it by ear.

Let himself be guided, as much as he was to do the guiding.

And maybe do things a little differently.

Ceri Fraissi​

 

[Ceri Fraissi]

SPARKY
SHIRAYA'S SANCTUARY | NABOO
TAG: Rik Perris

HEROES AND VILIANS​

She struggled to sleep.

The first night back home after a sleepless two of travel was one of overwhelming emotions and nightmares. She'd spent most of the night clinging to her plush cat and crying about the lives lost and no justice prevailing despite the amount of Jedi and officers in the room. What would come of the nightmare that happened to the Prince and his bride.

To Ceri, it might as well have been raining when she got up the next day. For once, she didn't notice the sun or the peko-pekos. She knew she had to meet her master, but the excitement at the prospect that she had before the wedding, was gone. So she wandered through the halls toward the Refectory as if on autopilot.

The entire Sanctuary was subdued. By now, everyone knew what happened and a quiet vigil had settled on them. There weren't many around, as most spent the morning in meditation or some other craft that brought them peace.

So it was easy to find her master, even on autopilot.

As she stepped into the garden area and saw his somber frame waiting for her, she balked for a second. Like a wall, the need to hear that it will all be okay, that everyone else would be fine, hit her. But his posture sort of shattered that hope. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she swallowed through them.

"M-morning, Master Perris. I...I understand that I'm to be your Padawan..."