Yume wa Yoru Hiraku (Leori Sheltrak)

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Matsu heard her leave and remained there for just awhile longer while she thought about what she could go and do. She felt the young Vanr near her and the bacta patches were being removed as Matsu sat up stretching. Eight hours was a long time to lay still and six more would be more then she might be able to take. Right now all she wanted to do was enjoy a small amount of food and she was going towards the galley and letting her feet touch the cold floor feeling the chill in her spine. She felt better, maybe not full strength but she was able to move without the force, she could feel less pain in her limbs and joints. She made her way into the galley and got a packet of food out with a small smile opening it. Harmony arriving with a thin robe she could wear for modesty. "Thank you." She spoke to herself, the force and to Leori as she let the cooling sensation of silk touching the bacta while she sat down. She'd spend the next six hours while they traveled making sure she was ready for Leori when she awoke.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Six hours was not a long time for Leori, especially when meditating. In actuality, she’d had to cut back her sessions. Not so long ago, she’d found herself sitting in a ship without fuel because she’d meditated so long that she’d forgotten she needed to refuel before continuing to Voss. It wasn’t long before she was feeling revitalized and rested. She was ready to get back to work, but first she needed to eat.

That was something else that she had to remind herself to do frequently. Leori was a terrible workaholic. But that was slowly changing as she got older and the galaxy changed. And, her priorities were changing.

Hopping off the bed, she headed to the mess hall to find something to eat, and possibly some stim caf. Leori stuffed herself pretty quickly and was headed back to the medical bay on time almost to the minute. She smiled in greeting “How are you feeling now? A significant improvement on your mobility I would hope.”

The Jedi Master resumed her previous position and gestured for Matsu to resume hers.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Matsu looked at Leori as she stood there and gave a nod of her head. She was moving without the force numbing the pain or rushing into her muscles to move them. That was a plus it was still painful in places, she was very stiff and looked in ways very arthritic but she was able to move.... That was a plus while she walked slowly over to Leori and almost childlike showing it off. She didn't quite pull it off but allowing the master healer to see she could walk under her own power after years of being unable to or bed irdden should she lose connection to the force and it stop touching her. Well she was proud.

She went to the exam table while the vong and Vanr stood off to the side setting up the monitors for her vitals as before but it was lighter now, both seemed happy ever the vong who was usually stone faced and upset almost. Matsu turned her head to look at Leori and she relaxed her body. Still covered in scars but she felt lighter in the bed and blew out a small breath of air into the light. "I am ready to continue then we should be near the wellspring. We can refresh with the waters of it and use it to revitalize you after all of this hard work."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Leori smiled. “That does sound invigorating. An excellent place for you to do the same.” Then she closed her eyes and went back to work. There was still much work to do. Thankfully, Matsu’s system was agreeable and not fighting the work she was doing. It was never more frustrating than trying to fix a system that didn’t want to be fixed. But, that was not the case with this patient. This one was all too eager to get things moving. A lot of encouragement and her body would be significantly improved by the end of their journey together. The hours passed as they had previously and the Healer worked diligently and meticulously.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Matsu laid there now feeling it and thinking of where they were going as she breathed in deeply. The feeling of the force going into her body as she released her control of it. Letting it seep from her body and the muscles slightly trembled while she laid there feeling her pulse in her body at different parts as she focused. Her mind wandering from one to he other in a loop that soothed and let her fall into a healing trance that let her eyes slightly glow with the force while she let the blue light come from them under her pale eyelids. Matsu was expanding her mind and slowly she found herself at the lake.

"Welcome back Snowflake." Her eyes looked up and Matsu stood there feeling her body now, it was so... so well and healed. No fully she might never get full function back but enough that her jedi reflexes could make her that much stronger and faster. Matsu looked at the white haired Falleen who was sitting there by the lake shore and went sitting down. In the realm beyond shadows there was so much that could be done while she had a smile on her face. "Chora it brings me much joy to see you here." The smile only got wider while she sat down snuggling into the woman's arms.

"I am always here just out of reach and in your thoughts. I can watch and see much as you slowly try to heal yourself so you can protect Hanna.. I saw her... pretty girl but then you always had an eye for them as I recall." Matsu felt the warmth in her cheeks while she just waited there for a moment and smiled. "Yes, I could protect her before but my energies were divided and in conflict, now they will be able to be focused. I hope to honor her and do everything to make her happy after she has gone through so much." She relaxed but couldn't stay, this was a fleeting moment and time would pass as she closed her eyes and opened them again.

Harmony was there looking at them and speaking as Matsu flicked her eyes to Leori who was concentrating. "Master we have dropped out of hyperspace, the Harlequin is landing on the planet and there seems to be some celebration." Matsu gave a nod to that, the wellspring was a fountain that came from deep within the planet and every year they had a ritual for it as it always renewed. Matsu was relaxed and prepared for anything as she spoke from her laying position and didn't need to move her hands. "Thank you harmony, we shall go and see what comes from it while we enjoy the festivities. The waters of the force will be a renewal for the spirit."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Leori opened her eyes as she was addressed. With a nod and a smile she replied. “Well then, let us join the celebration and rejuvenate ourselves.” She stood and headed toward her quarters. “Allow me to change for the occasion and freshen up. I will be ready when we land.”

The Jedi Master left the room and headed to shower and change her clothes to something more appropriate for the celebration. By the time the ship set down on the ground, she was ready to depart with the others.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Matsu gave a nod of her head to that and rose from the table. She needed to shower, as soothing as bacta on the skin felt she couldn't really wear clothing with it on her as she moved looking at Harmony and giving a no of her head. Matsu smiled feeling her body now while she stood in the shower and looked it over clinically. Leori had been healing her muscles and even still she felt weak.. she felt the pain where atrophi had come from laying in a bed recovering for that time. Her body was wrecked but now she had a new lease able to dedicate more energy to the force instead of simply moving her body because she can't do it under her own power. Matsu exited the shower and dried off changing into a sarashi and long pants made for getting wet just in case as well as a long sleeved shirt more akin to a bodysuit while she moved off to enjoy herself getting a hat and her trench coat. The wellspring was a force nexus of renewal that they could use. She wasn't going to let the healer have all the fun while they didn't have to fight or deal with problems.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Leori narrowed her eyes upon seeing Matsu dressed, completely covered. “Is this a cold world?” She asked with her head tilted. She may have to reconsider her attire if that was the case. The Jedi Master wore a long flowing dress with no sleeves and showing a tasteful amount of skin. Or perhaps her travelling companion was simply more modest than she was. Or, she didn’t have the ability to control her body temperature with everything else going on within her body.

She opened the hatch to find out….

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

The world wasn't warm, but it wasn't frozen that nice mixture there is felt world in the morning and evening then was warmer the time in between. Matsu was standing there and looking for a moment while the festival for the wellsrping came alive. What was a large religious experience and still was always drew onlookers and ones who sought it like they did... now it was just a matter of feeding those people and until the moment came providing some form of excitement. The boost to economy wouldn't be to bad either she guessed while moving and looking at Leori offered a wide smile to it all. "It is a wonderful place, I'll have to remember to bring someone special here when the time comes. Never know what might be found." She kept walking inwards and held a small hand to keep her hat on with some of the wind bringing the scents of food.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

The breeze reached her face and hair almost immediately upon the hatch opening. It wasn’t a temperate world, but she wasn’t being hit in the face by snow, so that was a bonus in her mind. She might be a little chilly, but she could certainly fix that if the need arose.

Leori stepped out and looked to Matsu. It was interesting. Most Jedi were not so open or forward about their personal hopes and wishes for the future. She certainly didn’t speak so longingly about such a place when she was the younger woman’s age. In fact, she still didn’t, even now that her priorities were much different than they had been at Matsu’s age. It was funny how some things changed and others did not.

“I will mention it to Jack that much is certain. But let us see where the day takes us before we make the decision to return, hmm?” She offered the woman a smile and gestured for her to lead the way.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Matsu gave a nod of her head to that and was moving now as she looked to the jedi master and healer who had been helping her more then she ever thought possible. A small smile on her face showing more enjoyment while she stretched her body letting it pop all over as she moved. "Yes lets see what there is here." She gathered her thoughts reducing how many she was watching with her senses to take in the small shops that were selling foods, clothing and some small children's toys as Matsu was walking slowly through it. The wellspring was up ahead and people were before it praying and treating it like the event it was. A wonderful time of the year while it seemed to renew itself. She was letting her eyes roam over some of the food while she got a few skewers of meat and cooked veggies.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Leori caught the scent of something. She wasn’t entirely sure what, but it smelled good enough to eat, and that was good enough for her. It’s not like she was a proper eater anyway. And she managed to burn off everything she ate and then some with her rigorous training and work schedules. Not so while on a vacation of sort, but still.

While Matsu was attracted to the meat on a stick, the Jedi Master was content to gnaw it right off the bone, with little modesty. The brunette smiled as she chewed. It was perfect. Not tough, but not too tender either. And very moist. Most excellent.

“Mmmm.” She mumbled before gnawing off way more than she should have been able to politely chew. Though the Jedi Master did have the good sense to stand still while eating.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Matsu looked at Leori eating and grinned a little to that, she was just like Matsu in that when something was good why waste it.. The meat would have been terrible if you took little nips when it is made to be eaten in messy bites. The small smile on her face though while she gnawed and tore at the meat getting it with a piece of veggie. She was standing still as well if only to avoid knocking something and poking her eye out.. that would be a hard way to explain an injury after all the work that had been done to heal her. "This is very good." She was looking and smiling more and more finishing one of the sticks and getting the other while she looked around there were some small trinkets and she bought a small pair for her daughters. salt and pepper shakers with two nexu grinning. "So there is another favor I wonder about. Do you happen to have a padawan Master Sheltrak?"

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Leori still had her mouth full of food when Matsu made her inquiry. She shook her head, indicating that she did not, and chewed as quickly as she could without choking before speaking. “I do not. I haven’t had a padawan in long time…” The Jedi Master trailed off. In fact, her last padawan was Marcello. And he was no longer a padawan.

She still thought about him from time to time. And paused to do so again for just a moment, since she realized that she had stopped speaking and it might be awkward. Leori cleared her throat. “Did you have one in mind?”

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"Well.." Matsu took another bite between her words and finished wiping at some of the juice on her chin while she walked. "Well my daughter Orihime needs a master, she was being taught by Aleidis before she went semi bizarre and became a martyr for her own mind. Now Orihime has no master and might fall behind." She was thinking about it and walking more while she looked at Leori and all around them more. "I taught her several things as well and her sister is being taught by their cousin Nico."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

The Jedi Master listened to Matsu as she spoke of her daughter’s previous training and current situation. She had begun some lessons with several people, which was not exactly the most effective strategy when learning. “How old are your daughters?” Not that age was important when studying the Force, but it would hopefully give her an idea of where the child should be compared to those that started even before they could walk at the Temples.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"They are both 12." She had a small smile on her face and thought about it while she was walking further through the area and into a more open section. Her enjoyment of the situation came now more then ever as it got quiet and she felt the energies of the force all around her. She had been around and her daughters had gotten several masters but not by choice, ones come and go and she had found some jedi were very... easily swayed to just leaving when they met resistance in the order. Some left because of the stress and political drama that was used to limit some, others left because despte having everything they just wanted more and weren't allowed to have it.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

“Twins?” Leori inquired. “That must have been difficult for you when they were young.” She followed Matsu. “Tell me about them.” She offered, still holding the remains of her delicious snack.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Difficult? Not quite she had always been good with them and they knew what they were doing within the jedi from a young age as Matsu thought about it walking. "Well raising them in the jedi temples made it easier, they were usually hidden from danger and could be cared for with the other children before being taken to learn the first lessons. They have been within a jedi temples since the day they were born and rarely leaving it much like my sister was. I was raised by Imperial knights so the confines of the temples is a small problem for me. Given everything else I much prefer this, traveling and stretching my legs as it were."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Leori blinked. “Sorry, I assumed too much.” She hadn’t realized that she and her daughters had been among the Jedi for the whole of her children’s lives and then some. Then again, it’s not like she had met every Jedi in the galaxy. Nor could she possibly do so ever.

“Yes, I agree the freedom is preferable. Unfortunately, I also know that it never lasts.” Eventually she would return to active duty. It was simply how she worked. The Jedi Master worked herself to the ground, then travelled around for a time before returning to burning herself out. It was a vicious cycle for Leori, but it was her way.