Ghosts n' Stuff[Closed]

Roq was pacing. Clicks rippled from his talons and a snap punctuated each turn as his tail whipped against the air. Though his movements surged with power and urgency, there was no anxiety in the Jedi's mind. The Graarl's preferred form of meditation was one found with even, steady movement. Usually his morning flight filled this role, but the Grandmaster could not afford any distance from the temple this day.

So he paced. There was something different in the air, something at the edge of his consciousness that for many hours had refused to be identified. Roq did not fret, however, as he had experienced many such sensations in his life. It was simply a signal to continue to listen. The Force would reveal itself in time.

Suddenly, Roq froze in mid-step. His eyes widened, and his breath caught. In the next moment, the spell was broken, as the Grandmaster sprinted from the empty council room. He unfurled his wings as he charged down the hall, leaping at the end through the open arch of the window. The air caught the Jedi softly and he closed his eyes for a moment, letting the sun wash over his face. He reached out in the Force, broadcasting the message that had compelled his sudden action to the other Masters.

He quickly angled his wings and came around the edge of the temple, towards the point that drew him so strongly. Like ants to a crumb of bread below, people gathered. Roq swept downwards quickly, arcing towards the top of the stairs, braking with his wings before hitting the ground at a sprint.

The presence of the Grandmaster was nearly tangible, and the other Jedi stepped aside as the Graarl made his way down the steps. He examined his fallen friend, assured by the Force that his life still glowed strong, though not nearly with the fervent brightness it once had.

"Master, what's happened?" A small voice asked, a youngling that was quickly hushed by his teacher. But Roq turned and found the boy's eyes, and smiled.

"Go fetch the other council members. Jace Beleren has returned." Several of the Jedi tore themselves away from the sight and turned and sprinted off, to deliver the message, while Roq crouched at his friend's side.

"Jace," He said, voice clear and even. "Jace, can you hear me?"

"Jace"

The subdued voice called his name through the haze of pain. He could feel the heat of a lightsaber prickling his skin. His severely hindered vision was enough to make out a few hazy figures cloaked in darkness. Their beatings were harsh and without pause. He attempted to move but was immediately beat down once more. The cold floor had been his only respite, his only remedy for his current situation. Jace looked up once more at his tortures and their formless faces began to take shape. The darkness that moved like a predatory mist cautiously receded as if it shied away from some unknown enemy.

"Jace, can you hear me?"

This time the voice was much clearer, almost recognizable. The Jedi Master struggled to open his eyes. He was assaulted by the afternoon light yet its warm brought him comfort. His blurred vision began to adjust to his current surroundings and figures all around him began to take shape. It took a few more moments for his vision to fully adjust. He was greeted by the sight of familiar brown robes and more importantly, a unique but friendly face. A small pulse of the Force was all the confirmation he needed.

"Ah Roq, is it?" He finally said in a barely audible voice. There hadn't been much room for conversation at his previous 'residence'. "I seem to have tripped in my haste; my age is beginning to show," continued Jace with as much humor as he could muster for the moment.

He looked around once again and noticed that a great many Jedi had crowded around where he lay. Jace wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all but he had forgotten how to. The worried faces of younglings to the stoic masks of Knights. He was painfully aware of how he had abandoned them and it took every fiber of him to hide his shame. Remaining composed in the face of your enemy was easy compared to facing one's allies. Jace looked back at the Graarl and found solace that he did not deserve.

"It seems I've made quite a scene," stated Jace to Roq, "Help an old friend up, would you?" he said as he extended his hand to the Graarl. It would not do to have him laying around here. The galaxy was in the midst of war and Jace could not afford to show anymore weakness then he already had. There were things that needed to be done, foremost among them was to report his experience and findings to the High Council. They would have undoubtedly found a suitable replacement for him and Jace must provide the new Grandmaster with as much information as possible.

Jedi Master Rhissai Arckan didn't realize just how deeply she missed the temple until she laid those green eyes on it for the first time in months. She recalled how the excitement swelled in her heart like a rising torrent of water. The otherwise stoic woman wore a broad smile all that day and partway into the next. It vanished as she recounted her sojourn to the council. One can't exactly smile while admitting to what some may consider treason and many labelled desertion.

Everything was laid bare. Eurachis, her misadventures with Kvothe, Ambria, the Stellar Mythics, her torture and subsequent escape on Onderon, the troubling droid girl that nearly killed her, her duel with Lamilia, and the mysterious man that helped her on Metellos. Not all of her tale was pleasant, and thankfully Lamilia was notably absent from the council chambers that day. Part of Rhissai was surprised at how sympathetic the High Council was to her, the other part remembered how her peers were. They welcomed her back and reminded her that they were their for her, but she would have to earn back any leadership.

A matter of a few months had passed like years as she recalled it, though while she went through her little crisis time felt as if it slowed to a crawl. Rhissai left the Council chamber when she was bid, and moved into the meditation chamber that she had used for decades prior to her leave from the Order. The door opened to reveal the familiar sight of a spartan circular room with dim lighting and a sweet smell. Everything was just as she recalled, but there was something more to it that made her feel ill at ease.

Was it just the room? Acidic green eyes darted to empty space as she took a moment to ask the Force just what made her feel so awkwardly. After a few moments a whisper entered her mind, one that was felt more than heard, that bid her to take a step outside of the temple's main door. A few minutes later she strolled out of the gate to see a small crowd being formed around a man she couldn't quite see, and Grandmaster Roq spiral down to its center. Moments later many of the crowd scattered to run past her, which caused Rhissai to investigate the source of the commotion.

What she saw made the sixty one year old woman stop dead in her tracks. Jace Beleren had returned. Grandmaster Beleren had been captured some time after Rhissai left, and while she did her best to search for him the closest she ever came was hearing the name of his captors. Nothing more. No location. No status. She didn't even know if he lived. Master Rhissai continued on towards the man who had fallen to the ground, and wrapped her hand around his as he held it up towards Roq.

Jace was a brother to her, and a friend when no one else was. He was one of the select few who remembered her fall, and tried to help her during it. "Master Beleren," a warm smile appeared on her face, "it looks like you're a hard man to kill." Rhiss' voice was calm and even, and as she helped him up the woman would be ready to support his standing, too. If he needed it, she would move his arm across her shoulders and wrap her arm around his back.

"Its good to see you again, Jace. Don't think I'll go easy on you for our first spar since either of our returns just because you stubbed your toe, though." Jokes and smiling warmly was a simple veneer for the deep concern she felt beneath. It was amazing he made it this far, and it would be a miracle if he made it to the closest healer.

It wasn't that surprising to see. Even after a year gone from the Temple on Coruscant, it seemed that the other healers had kept the Medical Wing the same in his absence, as if the mere environment alone would help bring him back. It hadn't been that, it had been through the coercions of both Grandmaster Roq, and his old friend, Master Rhissai. It had been a year, a year of waiting for her. The Jedi knew when the Force whispered to him, and knew that his destiny lay back on Coruscant for now, back to the Jedi, and now to work on the High Council.

He found it so strange, if there was one thing Levin was, it was humble about his standings within the Jedi, and for him to take on the title of Master was never part of his vision. The galaxy needed him though, he had to put his humility aside, as it meant being able to save more lives and aid his people as much as possible. It still didn't change how strange it was to be in his familiar ward though. His hand touched the exam table where he had first told Master Rhissai about her disease, and where his friend, Locke Nemsee, had confronted his fear of doctors. Even if Levin technically wasn't a doctor.

It was also where he had spent many years as a healer, working with hundreds, maybe even thousands of Jedi. Only ever losing the occasional life, and each life lost, had stuck with the man his entire life. Levin could literally name every single Jedi that he had been unable to save. Every. Single. One.

A frown creased his lips as he felt a stir within the Force. It rasped in his mind, and he could feel throughout the temple, that something was amiss. The Medical Ward was sound proof, so Levin couldn't hear anything. Then it hit him like a speeder going full tilt. Pain wracked his body and Levin gasped as he reached out to hold himself up against the exam table. He felt sheer exhaustion, indescribable pain, and a presence he had not felt in years...

It didn't take hearing though for him to soon realize what was happening, as the Force itself seemed to turn his body away from the exam table, a Healer was needed, and Levin would answer the call. The Force felt as if it controlled his legs to follow the groups that were flowing out of the Temple and onto it's majestic entryway.

His face was a mask of calm as he strode forward with purpose. His boots thudded softly on the marble floors. Levin's eyes took in the sight before him. Jedi of all ages and species stood in a circle around three figures. Grand Master Roq, Master Rhissai... and Jace Beleren. As he approached the trio, a soft light only seen through the Force began to emanate from Lev's arms, a sign many who've seen the Jedi work knew that he was preparing himself to render aid.

"The sun sits high above the Jedi Temple... and Jace Beleren returns home.."

Levin said audible enough to announce his presence, but his voice still held that same level of serenity and confidence the Healer was known for. The crowd parted like a sea to a ship, and Levin strode forward through that space. As he did, he began remove his Healer's jacket. Not for any reason on Levin's behalf. Levin reached the trio and with fluid grace he whirled his jacket around until it helped cover Jace more. The man's robes were in tatters, and one as great as the former Grand Master deserved as much dignity as possible.

To aid Master Rhissai, Levin dipped low and grabbed Jace's other arm to help shoulder his weight. When his hands touched Jace, Levin began to push his will through the Force into Jace. He attempted to take on Jace's woes within himself, and felt his body quiver with the shared sensations he felt. This man, this poor man, had been through so much, and Levin was literally the only person in the galaxy who could feel that pain. I'm with you, brother... Levin whispered to him via the Force. Jace was no longer alone. He was amongst his family.

Roq smiled warmly at his stirring friend, then watched as Levin and Rhissai arrived, offering the needed aid. This was the strength of the Jedi order. It had a firm foundation, yes, but the true strength came from the way each pillar shared its burden with all the others.

The Jedi lead his friends up the steps, appreciating once more the dramatic majesty of the temple. It was what captured the heart of so many young Jedi, and though it was only a collection of rock and metal, it seemed by synechdoche to be so much more.

Spread across so many minds, the grief and pain were shallowed, the bottom of the pool another shade clearer. Like water before the bow of the ship, the many Jedi Roq passed slipped away. A few eyes brightened with the corporeal miracle, but Roq's kind gaze quickly showed them their duty, and they parted. In what might have been a heartbeat or a lifetime, they reached the medical ward, and the Jedi there quickly bowed and took their leave.

"Rest, friend." Roq said to Jace, then settled himself by the door with the quiet watchfulness of a guard dog. The others would be free to invest fully in the return of the grandmaster, for Roq would ensure that in these moments not a single flap of a moth's wings would escape his attention.

For, in great happiness, there was often great vulnerability.

There was a small sense of life beginning to creep into Jace even as he fought to stand in his broken and exhausted state. It may have simply been being within the grounds of the Jedi Temple or near to so many attuned to the light yet Jace sensed it was something else. Something that he was still a relative stranger to in all his years. A feeling which he had totally forgotten during his months of captivity. It was taken for granted during times of peace but proved reassuring during strife. Jace could feel it emanating from the Graarl but from other distinct sources as well.

Friendship.

It had been a completely alien concept to the former Grandmaster not so long ago. In his younger years there had been ambition which had been nearly offset by something much worse, revenge. Jace was given a second chance and strove to prove himself as a loyal Shadow of the Jedi Order. Duty became everything to Jace. The nature of his duties had ostracized him from most of the Order and at the time, he was content with the arrangement. There was only his next assignment and little time for anything else. Jace understood that there was a certain pragmatism to everything the Order did. He may have continued down the road of a Shadow if the Council hadn't decided to assign him a Padawan. The Jedi had changed slowly since then though his old nature always lurked under the surface.

Suddenly Jace was met with that odd comforting feeling once more. A familiar touch accompanied by a pair of brilliant green eyes. Her presence in the Force was as clear as day to him and reassuringly calm. Jace had last seen Rhissai when he chased her down after she left the Order. Her thoughts and actions were both troubled back then and he had feared she would turn to the Dark Side once again. Rhissai was one of the rare few who Jace considered a friend and even rarer that he had met her during his time as a Shadow. She had been his most capable sparring partner for many years. Her presence here was difficult to understand but such questions could be left for later.

"My body wishes it was otherwise," responded Jace to her initial comment. He had meant it as a joke but his tone was too grim. Despite his response, Jace accepted Rhissai's offer of support gratefully.

"Ha, don't forget who taught you," he replied weakly but this time with a sense of levity in his voice.

By Jace's count, approximately half the people he considered friends were now present. Therefore it came as an even greater surprise when he felt another familiar presence ringing clearly through the Force. It was of the purest light and took the form of a Jedi Healer. Jace had met Levin only after he had become a master but the man proved a stalwart companion. The Jedi watched as his friend moved to his other side and supported the rest of his weight. Even as Levin did so, Jace could feel his healing powers begin to seep into his broken body. Levin was second to none in using the Force to heal others. It was a temporary respite from his pain and exhaustion but nonetheless welcome. The message came clearly through the man's healing and Jace could not help but crack a tired but genuine smile.

"It seems I've made it in time for the reunion"

Jace took a moment to regard the three beings who stood at his side. All were significantly powerful Force and true paragons of the Order. Their pasts were not devoid of mistakes but such was the path of those with power. In the end they were all gathered at the foot of the Jedi Temple on this day despite all that had happened. The Jedi considered the one notable absence among those here, his oldest and closest friend. Vreem. No doubt he was leading the Blades honorably but Jace worried for the man. He was another man with a tainted past and this war would bring him to the brink, Jace had no doubt of that. Jace knew that he would have to make important decisions regarding his own future as well.

He let himself be led by his friends through the crowd of onlooking Jedi and into the Temple. There was a sense of comfort knowing that things had not changed while he was gone. Eventually they reached the medical ward where Jace rested himself upon a seat so as to no longer be physical burden to his friends. The Jedi let out a small sigh and attempted to stretch out slightly but immediately regretted the decision. There were too many wounds for him to simply ignore or just shrug off the pain. The Force was telling him that he would need to be in his normal condition as soon as possible. He was not one to rush things but there was a sense of urgency he could not ignore.

"I've managed to gather some information on my way here but unfortunately much of it was rather incoherent," Jace began to say before continuing, "How goes the War, the Order, and the Republic?" It was a loaded question but the Jedi's eyes were all business. He simply could not afford any further weakness when the Republic faced such a crisis and neither could let his friends worry any longer.

"And don't forget who regularly schools you in the sparring room, my dear friend," Rhiss smiled warmly as she assisted one of the few friends she had left to the medical wing of the temple. Her friends seemed to get in the habit of dieing. For a while she feared that Jace had succumb to the same end as her master, or first padawan before her. To say that she was thankful for seeing him alive and in one relative piece was an understatement.

Her heart soared even as she had one arm around his shoulder, and he had one around hers. His weight was small in comparison.

Rhissai winced as the man tried to stretch only to almost recoil in pain. Evidence of torture was apparent on the man's body as well as his soul. She knew this because the same sour tune floated from her own mind after her torture at the hands of some powerful Dark Jedi. His identity was still a mystery to her, and no part of the woman wanted to chase after him for vengeance. Fortunately few scars marred her face, her skill at the healing arts were to thank for that, but her limbs and torso weren't so fortunate.

That Dark Jedi did enjoy those scalpels of his.

Her expression darkened even further at the mention of the war. It wasn't good. Not much had happened in the year that she was gone or he was captured, thankfully. "The Mandalorians have retaken Shogun and Ordo. Much of the outer rim worlds have either fallen or turned their coat. Not much has changed with the Order or the Republic, though. Other than Master Roq taking over for you, of course. But you knew that already, I suspect.

"Levin," she glanced to the incorruptible man with a pleading look in her eye, "he can be healed, right?" Jace was her closest friend. The only man who knew her before she fell to the dark side all those years ago. He was, really, the only man who understood her. She wouldn't forgive herself if he were to perish.

As Levin adjusted to better help carry Jace, the former Grandmaster spoke. The Healer stared at Jace for a moment. There was a reunion of some kind planned? Levin was just about to open his mouth and comment on there not being any sort of event planned at the Temple for Jace to be in time for... when he realized he was taking Jace too literally. Thanks to Aoife's more or less socializing of Levin, he was beginning to understand sarcasm finally after nearly fifty years. Almost starting to learn, more accurately.

The group began to move, a somber stroll towards Levin's wing of the temple. With each step Levin methodically would row clean, positive charged amounts of the Force into and out of Jace, taking care to keep him sustained and comforted the best he could without going into full focus. It wouldn't be enough to completely wash away the Jedi's pain, but it would be enough to help him continue to stay conscious. They moved at a quick clip, time was of the essence, and as everyone entered his room, he let Rhissai help Jace to a seat and began filing through his medical equipment.

"Jace Beleren, I would advice against further movement until I begin."

Levin chastised his friend as he felt Jace's presence roil with pain at moving. Though he had not known the former Grandmaster as well as he could have, Levin sensed the man's purity, his clean will, and his desire to do good by the Galaxy. A paragon of the Jedi to be certain. And now, a scratched and marred statue to his will. Lev would renew Jace into his glory.

He let Rhissai respond to the question, and took his coat away from Jace's shoulders. His eyes darted to make sure the door was closed, both for Jace's dignity and for the privacy that would be needed for such a conversation. Once certain, Levin once more put an arm around Jace and moved him from the seat to his exam/healing table. Before helping Jace lay back, Levin removed the remaining tatters of the tops of his robes. They would do nothing but hinder his ability to find wounds and heal them. Levin had not asked permission to disrobe the former Grandmaster of the Order. But that didn't stop the Healer, he had long transcended being bothered by a nude form, in his line of work, he saw more nudity than most other Jedi. It was never anything exciting of course, Levin was not one to become hot and bothered by the site of wounded, infected flesh.

The Healer moved Jace to a more horizontal position, and stood to the right side of the table as Rhissai spoke to him. Levin looked over Jace's body and met her concerned eyes afterwards, and nodded once. There were no words needed in response. He understood that Rhissai hadn't realized fully just whom she was asking this to. But concern for a good friend sometimes made one forget all the variables. Something Levin was becoming more familiar with.

Levin let his eyes flutter shut as he opened his mind and spirit to the Force. Its energies began to fill his stores, pure and clean, fresh and untainted. This was the purity that was the Jedi Temple, and its denizens. The Healer literally pulled upon the strength of kinship that was pervasive through out the temple and it would cause his aura in the Force to ignite and nearly hum with energy. His right hand moved up to gently rest on Jace's forehead while his left hovered just over the Jedi's chest as well. Rest... Levin whispered to Jace through the Force as his presence began to mingle and bind with Jace's.

Jedi were normally not allowed to interfere with another in such a way, but when it was done by a Healer, the event was less invasive and more gentle melding of minds. Levin's body began to burn and ache as he began to take on Jace's pain. The more intense the pain within his body became, the less of it Jace would actually feel. Sweat began to form on Levin's brow as he focused deeper into his friend. Three cracked ribs. One broken. Many lacerations, wretched left shoulder, and even a couple broken fingers. More and more, signs of torture showed within the patient. Signatures left by toxins too were picked up, Jace had been drugged several times with foreign agents. Lev's brow would furrow as his hand that rested above Jace's chest would begin to circle, tendrils of the Force moving within the man's body to eradicate and break down these toxin remnants- no doubt still there to cause further harm.

That was the easy part, the obvious nemesis within Jace's body. His mind would map out each wound individually, almost highlighted within the Force to the Healer. He would not stop the mapping technique until Jace's body was lit up in the Force, there was so much damage. But Levin wasn't made head of the Healers for his stunning sense of humor. He focused his mind with singular determination and let healing energies wash into Jace, the feeling described by many patients as if being lowered into warm, bubbly water that soothed every ache and pain. Unless that person was Locke Nemsee.

In a mere hour, Jace would look nearly like another person, back to his old self again. The various cuts had been sealed with barely a hairline scar left, and the broken bones had been popped back into place, and mended to their proper state. Levin exhaled slowly as he finished the exercise, during that hour, he had been completely unaware of anything the other three Jedi may of said, his concentration had been that deep into repairing Jace. The Healer's body trembled slightly after putting forth so much effort, and he used a casual pull of the Force to pull a wheeled stool over to where he stood, and lowered himself down to sit on it, and run his hands through his now sweat filled hair. His eyes turned to meet Jace's, and the Healer spoke.

"Jace Beleren. Please sit up and move your hands, it will help the mended bone not be so stiff."

Roq's frill twitched at the mention of his name. Something about hearing Rhissai say that he had taken over for Jace bothered the Graarl ever so slightly, but he knew this had more to do with himself than any error on Rhissai's part. It was true, and he was quite grateful that she had not said anything about replacing. There was no replacing Jace Beleren.

The Graarl felt the force shift at Levin's touch, bending the fabric to slope gently towards him, gathering its loose energies. Roq poured his own power in, letting it flow into the healer and in turn into their friend. The sensation was something like standing in a brisk wind, which drew the heat from his scales. As he kept his vigil, the master began to absently hum, an old song from the firesides of Ruusan.

Several times throughout the hour, Jedi called upon the room, searching either for space, a word from Roq, or Jace himself. Politely, the Graarl dismissed them, and the sentences had rolled over his tongue so many times that they seemed to have become a single word.

Roq could feel Levin conclude his work, and he turned from the door and approached the bedside, wings and talons rustling against the stone.

As Jace stood, Roq grinned widely, eyes softening from their customary look of thought. There was a warmth in the air, and it was difficult to tell if it came from the air or from the Force.

"Welcome back, Grandmaster."

"Clearly you are confusing me with someone else," responded Jace in a soft, but friendly tone. It had become somewhat of a time-honored tradition for the two. He had taught the woman but she was almost his equal if not already so. Even he could no longer predict the winner of their friendly bouts. Sadly he could not remember the last time they had sparred; it had been ever so long ago. Rhissai had experienced significant changes of her own during the last few years. Still, it was good to see her at the Temple even if he was somewhat confused as to why she was here.

"Duly noted," replied the former Grandmaster to the Healer. Jace had no intention of going anywhere for the moment and could not even if he had wanted. Saying his body was in a terrible condition was a gross understatement. Even with his resilience, Jace was surprised that he was not dead or at least in a coma. He hoped Levin would spare him the exact details on the extent of his injuries. The Jedi Master was painfully aware of which parts of his body were injured.

Despite the healing he was received, the Jedi could feel himself slowly slip from consciousness. His eyes were heavy, not with weariness but rather from the release of a heavy burden.

"Change is inevitable..." muttered Jace ominously before a sweet respite took him.

He longer spoke, but thought instead. The Jedi Master considered the news that his friend had given him. War had proceeded, that much was to be expected. Yet he had heard many disturbing things on his way to the Temple and they seemed to have been true, at least in part. The Republic was not winning the war. Jace was still reassured in the fact that the Order had not decided to officially join the war. He had many doubts but he believed the argument he had made in the Council all those months ago was still right. The division of the Jedi Order was one of the many burdens he could not easily shrug off.

His thoughts slowly began to turn away from such things as a warmth embraced him. It was a feeling he had not known for many months. Kindred spirits in the Force. Jace could only explain it as being bathed in light. The pain was still there but it had become more a dull ache now. He could gradually feel himself becoming revitalized. The Jedi was aware of everything and nothing at the same time. Jace could sense his comrades in the room along with the hundreds of other Jedi yet he felt completely removed from the equation. It sounded unpleasant but it was not in this case. The Jedi Master needed regain both his identity and his purpose. Nothing was completely clear yet it proved a good start.

Eventually the former Grandmaster opened his eyes to the sight of his three friends. Jace was unsure of how long he had been out but it was all for the better. The Jedi's injuries seemed nearly non-existent, at least the physical ones. Still, his mind was more at ease than it had been quite a long time. He nodded towards Levin, the Healer would be able to sense his gratitude through the Force. Jace sat up gingerly, expecting pain, but was pleasantly surprised instead. Of course the pain had not completely disappeared, it no longer threatened his consciousness. He moved his arms as instructed, slowly but with sure movements.

"Thank you Master Caelum, as always your skills in healing never fail to astound," remarked Jace, his voice sounding noticeably stronger. He nodded to the healer once more before turning his attention the Graarl.

"As I understand it, congratulations are in order; you are the Grandmaster now. You are far better suited to the position than I ever was," noted the Jedi Master. He struggled to keep the bitterness out of his words. He was not mad that he had been replaced or any such childish thing. Jace was ashamed of himself for the situation he had gotten into. The ramifications of his capture could have struck a huge blow to Jedi morale. He was lucky beyond all imagination in this case.

"Surely there is no need for all of you to remain here? As you can see, I am well healed thanks to Master Caelum. I would not keep you from your other duties."

Guilt churned within the Jedi Master. He had been sincere when he said Roq was better suited to be Grandmaster but that meant a great burden had been laid upon his friend. Jace could see the beads of perspiration run down Levin's face, surely his skills could have been used to better purpose. He looked at Rhissai and saw the worry in her face. Jace barely managed to suppress whatever guilt and shame threatened to spill over. He had caused his friends enough trouble, the former Grandmaster was not sure he could handle their pity.

A small smirk pulled a corner of Rhissai's lips to the side at Jace's retort, and she could only shake her head. It was true that he had taught her all that she knew of lightning fist, but that was one of the many styles that she knew. Their bouts had turned from Jace showing her just how well and often gravity worked to a toss up over the years, but for the life of her she couldn't quite remember which of the two had won their last session. Rhissai liked to think that it was her.

Jace had slipped under for a few minutes by the time that the aged Jedi took her seat by the door as if some assassin would burst through at any moment. Months on the run had taught her the full meaning of phrase 'complacency kills,' and she had the scars to prove it. Flashes of the events on Onderon came and went as she watched Levin work, and other memories, too. That brief meeting with the blonde man, assassinating a crime lord on Nal Hutta, and even her stint with the Stellar Mythics. Etherium still called to her from all of those lightyears away, but if Rhissai was anything she was willful. She was stronger than the drug that had ensnared her mind for so long, and would remain so until the day the desire to take it one last time had left her.

Even so, the desire to take one final hit of the hallucinogen only grew as she sat silently with only her thoughts to converse with. Fortunately Jace began to rouse when the urge seemed to reach its crescendo, and so she rose to her feet and placed her focus on him to divert her attention away from the stuff. Worry broke through the stoic mask that had been beaten into her at times as he spoke, but quickly disappeared once he was finished.

It wasn't worry over the fact that his body may not be fully mended, but her concerns were over his mind. Not even Levin's great command of the healing arts could mend a wound of the mind, nor remove its scars. Even Rhissai's great power over Telepathy couldn't accomplish such a feat. Not without great focus and a chance to break the very thing she attempted to fix, at least. Creating scars was considerably easier than treating them, it seemed.

"Of course there's no need for us to be here, Jace," she smirked a little, "my schedule's pretty empty, anyways. Unless you want to be alone?" Her question was genuine but the truth was that Rhissai hadn't been allowed to visit the bathroom without asking three knights and four masters since her return.

This made her wonder if they wanted her back at all. Trust had been broken, yes, but she still expected to have some recognition of the over five decades of good service to the Order. These were musings for another time, though. One that didn't involve her best and only friend's return to the temple after his time in captivity.