Wingless Pixie

[Cathul Thuku]

Last time she saw Lyth, she was on Mandalore in a hospital attempting to learn Force-healing. When she realized that she is utterly unable to use space magic, Lyth fled that hospital in horror. But why did she came to Azure? Did she not trust that wide array of therapists now available on Mandalore as a result of a recent Crusade? That As-Aki never was without wings ever since she knew Lyth. She would realize that furniture commonly available to people much larger than 2 inches tall, and mature As-Aki are usually 8 inches tall or so. Perhaps being prone would be best for her at this time, for this session. Far from being her normal self, that As-Aki came to that place because, all of a sudden, she underwent a truly major change for an As-Aki: Cathul knew that a wingless As-Aki was vulnerable, not only physically but psychologically. She was about to discover what it really meant. And, in turn, Lyth trusted Cathul on multiple occasions.

"Your Grace, Lyth has arrived"

"Send her in"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

a tiny figure wobbled in on legs she had neglected muscles that she used screaming to be used but were no longer there they ached to be used.
"This is pointless. im fine. " Lyth lied trying to keep her face neutral.
she felt.... pointless. but that was a lie she had lost a huge part of her body, of most of her personality.
she wasn't Lyth a Fairy anymore.
no don't even admit what happened.
still memories of those sickening rips and snaps. of her rolling around of screams of " Put them back on."
she doubled over and emptied her stomach.
[member="Cathul Thuku"]
these working?[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"How can you say that you feel just fine, yet feel pointless in your Force-footprint?"

These were patient breeds that she found a little unpleasant to work with. If it was anything like that last patient, that was a lot better, at least she made an effort to expose what her problems were. But Lyth couldn't hide her problems like that. If there was any problems, Cathul hasn't gotten at their bottom yet. She was a Witch, with her own load of problems: she couldn't help but think of what it would take to fight other space wizards, especially Sith Lords: she knew that slugthrowers were one's main choice when fighting them. Although she was but an occasional fighter, when she did have to fight, may as well fight with high-quality stuff. If she had to fight using a slugthrower, she would probably want a big slugthrower capable of destroying swoops. She still had another crate of songsteel she could use to that end. To build her anti-vehicle rifle, using alusteel bullets, either 12.7x108s or 14.5x114s: other patients that used slugthrowers often talked about how a 12.7x108 was a good bullet to engage a Sith Lord.

"You mentioned an event containing something like Put them back on. When did that happen?"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

the mention of her panicked feverish begging hit her like a slug. Put them back on. she had yelled that


Mentions of her panicked feverish begging hit her like a slug. Put them back on, she had yelled that repeatedly in shock. It just reminded her of what she lossed.


Her face quivered.


"What do you want me to say? " She mumbled. " What happened is obvious. im weak pathetic. im farkind tiny with hollow bones made like glass. Farkin karker nearly killed me withone hand. ONE HAND AND HE WAS HALF DEAD ANH HE CRIPPLED ME AND CRUSHED ME. " She began to sob.


" Im weak. weak. im ... im .. what am i?"

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"All I wanted to know was when did all these nasty things happened. Now that you described what, I may be able to determine how to get you out of this mess"

Cathul had to conjure her memories of her with that patient - and she met with that As-Aki multiple times. Charzon too. When she first met that As-Aki, she heard Charzon mention that her broomstick would feel like a flying train to an As-Aki even when fully retracted. She still regularly uses a broomstick. As-Aki is a race of space pixies capable of using Force-powers. And that broomstick could seat 7 to 20 As-Aki depending on whether that flying train is extended or retracted, but this was single-file. Perhaps some As-Aki users outfitted it with a web of additional seating, and said web of seating allowed it to seat as many as 80, that is four abreast rather than one abreast. Then again, it's only hearsay and she couldn't confirm it. She was a Witch and proud of it. Proud of being as close to being a wand-wielding witch as she could get but she'd rather have some means to fight that wasn't Force-dependent.

"When I first met you, you said that you would be able to behave like a normal Mando provided you wear some six-foot-tall suit of armor. Can you still do that? See that broomstick nearby? You once said that you could fly it with that suit of armor on"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

" i use a walker.. looks like i'll need to make a new one. that'll be fun." she tried to compose herself.
" but i can bairely walk. can i ask you something?" she asked.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Is it about Charzon or Jessica? I'm sure they would help you out with a new walker, but in what other ways, other than your inability to fly, and making you weaker, does not having wings anymore change your life?"

Impostor syndrome often surfaces in cases like these. When they feel that their own success is due to other factors and patients afflicted with it often seem to be living of fear of that one moment that will expose them as frauds - when they are actually exposed as such, it would no longer be about impostor syndrome, but another illness. Depression perhaps. Maybe some bit of SSRIs or benzodiazepines would help but dosing for an As-Aki would require splitting one pill in 30 parts: antidepressant pills currently available in mass-production are designed for humans or Near-Humans: As-Aki need way, way less. One antidepressant pill is enough to kill multiple As-Aki instantly: it would overload their brains way too fast to be true. She knew Lyth had a rather well-trained brain, so she could actually build a micro-walker.

"In what ways did your wings' loss affect your thought patterns? You were a smart cookie back then"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

" they dont iguess it's your Liku ive seen some Twi-lek with them amputated. i i dunno how dose that effect them? my wings effected my whole body. my weight how i walked. hell i almost never walked."

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Twi'leks with completely amputated lekku are often very clumsy and have memory problems"

Especially if they are completely amputated: at a lekku's top, is housed areas of their brains dealing with memory and motor functions. If you're talking about amputation below a certain point, like Rianna Saren, then you may lose some ability to communicate among Twi'leks, but can be mostly restored if proper use of prosthetics is made. Cathul knew As-Aki often relied on flight in their normal condition. And she knew many Mandos would readily consult a physiotherapist after sustaining combat injuries so that they can be nursed back to health and fight again. But were they reluctant to consult psychotherapists because there was a shortage or psychotherapy was inattractive among vode because it had a reputation of overworked practitioners? These sorts of things were "chicken-and-egg" types of things.

"I know you used to say, I can fly, I have no use for walking, but now that you're wingless, maybe a physiotherapist would be your best bet to help you out with walking. It seems surprising that Mandos have so many physios for one psychotherapist"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

Lyth was frustrated. it was if she was talking to her as a child.
"That wasn't my point. im frekin useless. it's easy for you... you're .. you're big. im not strong im not fast im not brave..." she broke down sobbing " Im frekin tiny. im 2 inches tall and i never saw myself as small till now."

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"I never saw As-Aki deprived of their wings to be honest. You're one-of-a-kind in my career"

Not that she would expect to see a whole lot of As-Aki to begin with. Most As-Aki are most comfortable seeing their own kind for healthcare, and remain on their homeworlds. An average As-Aki will rarely go off-world: its sheer size will scare them no matter what. But it was difficult for any therapist to imagine a plethora of problems facing a patient with a massive size discrepancy compared to their helpers. Many therapists would simply be shocked by such a patient, let alone one with problems similar, very similar to those of that As-Aki standing in front of her. She had to be careful not to sneeze, or to otherwise keep that room free of any air currents: Cathul understood as much about problems faced by that patient. She learned here that flightless As-Aki were fragile, perhaps overwhelmingly so. But there was one skill Cathul remembered Lyth ever using in front of her that would still be of use, regardless of that person's ability to fly: microengineering. Cathul saw Lyth make use of her microengineering talents when designing these broomsticks before they were released. So she proceeds to ask her next question pertaining to it with that in mind.

"Microengineering, useless? You're not completely useless, but losing your wings definitely is a big shock to your two-inch self"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

" Try walking when your muscles have evolved to incorporate a muscle that isn't there anymore." she cried sobbing.
" i was in a freking walker and i was crippled." she sobbed.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Horrible, but with a physiotherapist, in a few months you will be able to walk without tripping over and over. For a while, it is as you said: you'll be clumsy"

That closest thing to a patient in Lyth's situation that she ever as a therapist faced was a Gria patient that got her wings clipped in a similar incident. In similar situations she would recommend a patient to go see a physiotherapist in conjunction to her. But Grias are a little taller than Jawas or Ewoks, while shorter than most human/Near-Human species. But what kind of physiotherapist available on Mandalore or on Azure would even take As-Aki patients? Because all these physiotherapists she knew were on these two worlds, and Mandalore more so than Azure. Azure had exactly one physiotherapist but that could be forgiven, given Azure's currently minuscule population. What Cathul knew about public health was that proper infrastructure required proper amounts of healthcare professionals, including but not limted to, allied healthcare professionals. And also proper hygiene facilities, for which line items have been budgeted, alongside healthcare professionals, in that very first budget she released as governor of Azure.

"You know what a physiotherapist is? That kind of healthcare professional that help people regain some physical functionality after they get post-traumatic surgeries"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

[member="Cathul Thuku"]
" I know what a physio therapist is i know wast a quantum molecular khyber dilithium structure regulation motivator is. my problem DOCTOR is i am in shock i suffered a tremendous neurological an psychological shock. i lost limbs. limbs i used . limbs that they dont make prosthetic for. everything is a threat now im 2 inches tall i cant be at head height like i usually fly. " she sadly admitted.
" I never saw everything a frightning. now every foot step is a potential crush."

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Are you sure there aren't some As-Aki prosthetics makers capable of replacing one As-Aki's wings? I mean, on Asop or something"

Surely some As-Aki got their own wings clipped in freak accidents such as that one. A physiotherapist would be of aid to her, with or without prosthetic wings, just in different fashions in each case. On one hand a physiotherapist would help that As-Aki get used to their wings again, on another hand, such a specialist would help her walk. She hoped that As-Aki would take better care of their health than some Mandos do. She has seen all too many Mandos carry on with their own battlefield duties even when healthcare professionals would tell them otherwise. Cathul was trying to help, really, and not only she took that Hippocratic oath back on Ando Prime, she felt that Azure's future among Mandalorian Clans would depend on her own ability to cater to residents' needs. Even though free healthcare was only one ingredient, she knew that it was rather expensive and even more so when more specialized services were required. They want their tax monies to be put to good use.

"There has to be other As-Aki who got their own wings clipped under similar circumstances to yours"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

" Asop is a dead barren planet with an Ethanol atmosphere and Alcohol for water. look i know you are trying im thankful i truly am. but this this is psychological Doc. " she thaught about her question.


" Im a Mando not As-Aki i may Be As-Aki by species but i wasn't born on that home world technically im a spacer i was born on a freighter heading to Tattooin. but i heard that wen we lose our wings we die, predators ect.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"You mean die at predators' hands! As long as you avoid predators in any shape or form, you will be fine"

Sure for an As-Aki, she had an eloquent demonstration that losing wings was a big deal to them, but she never knew to what extent. Most patients were flightless, but what winged patients she had, did not lose their wings. For non-medical purposes she was a Mando, but for medical purposes she is and always will be an As-Aki. Hopefully Lyth would understand... but she never covered Lyth's loss of her ability to use space magic. She knew that space wizards, such as herself, would be deeply affected if their ability to use space magic was removed long-term, let alone permanently. Several space wizards were just fine being cut off from space magic for short amounts of time but as they begin to feel incomfort, then they realize how much space magic matters to them. Cathul was just a space witch that never experienced one such thing, so she wouldn't quite know how uncomfortable it would feel to be in such a situation where one becomes unable to use space magic long-term.

"I see that you're no longer able to use space magic! Also, you see, space magic can sometimes be a liability as much as it can be a tool"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Lyth Meran]

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

"" I never used that all that much but.. it's like i dont know you know those hot springs on Rhygan?theons that are all salty and you guys can float in?i suppose its like that im shut off from a sensation? if that makes sense? its like my wings. i cant feal them but i can. dose that make sense?"

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"As if you were around a Void Stone: that's how I would feel if I was unable to use space magic. And man would I feel empty if I was unable to use space magic. It might not be as big a deal to you than losing your wings, however"

These hot springs on Rhygan were also referred to as Dead Springs among baar'ure and biologists because there were no lifeforms in that location. But truly Lyth's description of her feelings do not make her case justice. But as Cathul explained to Lyth what that As-Aki's case entailed, if it was to happen to her, a prospector just opened a channel to her while she still is in consultation with a patient. A little rude, but that announcement could have major implications for Azure's economic future. Or at least for a year or two. She would never imagine making such a discovery here on Azure, rogue planet that it was, and which had rather cloudy, but had very, very little sunlight because it was so far away from any star. Cathul was receptive for any suggestion that would be of any help about putting its economy up and running, especially as it pertained to its fiscal situation.

"Speaking of void stones, Your Grace, we just discovered a deposit of Void Stones somehwere in Azure's depths" a prospector reported to Cathul in comms.

"Good. Now when can we expect our first shipment of void stones?"

[member="Lyth Meran"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Our first shipment should be done in about a week or so. if you my advice, you have a solution for Azure's public finances right here"

"Good. May that batch be auctioned on public auctioneering channels"

How effective will that solution be? Depends on how much a limited supply of void stones is worth. Limited cortosis supplies, which are brittle but lightsaber-resistant, could fetch over 100M, but much of which was paid for in items, more specifically organic ships. Perhaps here a limited supply of void stones would be worth multi-million amounts, too. Void stones allow users to dampen space magic, and even neutralize it completely in close-quarters combat. Given how personal protection equipment manufacturers across so many worlds seem to sell products in an attempt to defend their customers against Force-users, high cost is practically guaranteed. But she knew she couldn't bank on selling Force-dampeners forever. This is where Azure's tax code comes in. Most of its tax revenues were land taxes, and business taxes as royalties on natural resources such as marine salt and seafood.

"Void stones are of no use to me as a space witch, and of no use to Azure's residents. However, defense industries, Mando or not, will pay top credit for these"

"Whatever you say, Your Grace"