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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
Padawan
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Jul 3, 2011 17:01:22 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 3, 2011 17:01:22 GMT -5
"Jedi in sector J... sound the alarm..."
Xell's mind began to race. Sherasti was injured and now she was found. He had to get past this guy by any means necessary. His saber's tip was trained on the man's chin though he sensed he was trying to stall for time. Xell would not allow it. Because he and Taric were both inside of the telepathy shielding armory persuading the man to simply stand aside was not an option... but his telekinisis seemed to work perfectly fine. Still, the force was no toy, and he would need to skillfully use all of his techniques to his disposal.
His eyes glanced around, taking in every bit of information in the room to be recieved. His hunch before was correct; explosive after explosive around them. To get past him and out of the door he could arm one. Surely the man would not wait to be killed just so that Xell would perish. The explosion would draw more attention to the sector he was in though, and he would never be able to take out the whole crew. Bad option.
What else Xell... think...
Another air vent. He would have to put the man down for good inorder to have time to make it into the air vent. The longer he spent fighting, the closer more Mandalorians got. Bad option.
Now is not the time to be passive. Your master could die in the time you're spending trying to think of a way not to kill someone. You have your saber now. You know what to do.
The boy was becoming agitated by his ex master's voice in his head. It was impossible for him to insert voices into his mind from so far away, but he did find it interesting that everything in his head that he considers a 'bad idea', was echoed in the gravely voice of his old friend. He would not submit however. For Sherasti's sake.
For whatever reason they have us here, they don't deserve to die for it I don't think. So I won't kill. Sherasti would never forgive me.
Xell jabbed his saber at the side of his opponent's head, intentionally avoiding a killing blow and forcing the man to move to the right. As he did he attempted to grab his other pistol, which was Xell's intention. He lifted his gun up blindingly fast... and still didn't manage to get the drop on Xell. He flicked his wrist to the right to drop the blad of his saber ontop of the other pistol's barrel. He was unarmed now.
Or so Xell thought.
Taric reached behind his back. Another pistol perhaps? A dagger? It didn't matter. Xell was not about to wait to find out. He pivoted to the far left and swung his saber across the back of his leg, causing a hissing noise as it carved through his tendon to make him buckle like a folding chair. The man screamed as he fell to one knee. With a smile Xell stepped off of his shoulder and hopped over him to the door before shoving it open and diving out of it. He could hear Taric's screams but paid them no mind. He would live. He would walk again too. Just no time soon without help.
The darker skinned Padawan took pride in his ingenuity and locked the door from outside before slowly guiding the blade down the edge of the door, welding it shut with the melted metal. He wouldn't be getting out any time soon. Just as he turned to look over the hallway he felt a rush of a familiar presence through his being. His master was okay. Use the force Xell. Let it guide you to me. Roger that master. I was held up by a few mandos. Nothing a Jedi Knight can't handle though, am I right? said Xell with an air of arrogance. It was just in a joking manner to imply that his feats were nothing for her to be worried about. He wanted her to be proud of him, but more importantly, he wanted Sherasti not to fear for him. He didn't want her to worry.
I'm on my way. Avoid conflict at any cost until I get there. said Xell in a less joking manner. It was as if he felt it was his duty to protect poor defenseless Sherasti. Whether it was because of how much he cared for her, or because his victories were going to his head was yet to be seen.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Jul 3, 2011 17:42:07 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 3, 2011 17:42:07 GMT -5
Sherasti smiled thinly before projecting a response to Xell.
You're not a Knight yet my supremely confident young Padawan. And I'm not in sector J.
The Togruta was pleased with her tactic. It bought them both time. She was the higher priority for the Mandalorians. That meant they'd carry out a wild bantha chase while she and Xell escaped to the hangar bay. Only she didn't know where the hangar bay was. And her mobility was pretty poor.
She stayed slumped against the wall, resting. She didn't have to use her eyes to be aware of her surroundings. Her hearing and her sense abilities with the Force gave her awareness enough.
In the mean time she needed to conserve every ounce of strength she had.
It was funny really. She was relying on her Padawan for a rescue when she'd gone ahead to keep him safe. The roles were reversed. The master should have been fighting to help the apprentice. Sherasti was far too humble for that to rankle her though. But she did feel it was a failure.
She was supposed to be the strong one. She was supposed to be the one with the plan. The one with the answers. But instead she'd wound up injured and lost a lot of blood. It was uncomfortable, and it made her feel inadequate. Xell deserved a better master.
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
Padawan
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Jul 5, 2011 20:11:30 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 5, 2011 20:11:30 GMT -5
Xell was running full speed. He couldn't afford to be stealthy now, Sherasti was losing hope. He could feel her debating amongst herself as to whether or not she was doing her job correctly as a Master. It hurt Xell to his core, more so than knowing she was bleeding out.
Master... for you to be so young and to have helped me improve in such short a time has to count for something. And you should not regret having to rely on me. The fact that you can rely on me is proof that you're doing your job, right?
His telepathic reach homed in on his master's familiar aura. It was not the serene glow that resonated from her like usual. It was a stagnant one. One of confusion and disappointment. Xell circled down a long staircase looking for his master aswell as watching out for oncoming enemies.
Hey... if it makes you feel any better I got kicked around pretty good too. My head's killing me, every muscle in my body feels like they're about to tear, and I still feel like I've let you down by not running when I should have. So... it's not like my actions didn't have consequences that I'm not aware of.
Xell fell silent. The aura got bigger, symbolizing he was closing in on the signature. When the signal reached it's greatest resonance Xell whispered out to his master as he had not seen her yet. She was in the immediate area for sure though.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Jul 5, 2011 20:26:30 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 5, 2011 20:26:30 GMT -5
Sherasti could sense Xell's presence near her, and she could hear him as well. He was somewhere behind her and to her left. Her spatial senses and her telepathic bond with her Padawan meant she had a perfect idea of where he was even he didn't know where she was.
She didn't have the time to talk to him about what he was saying. She only hoped he was in tune enough with her emotions to sense what she was feeling was temporary. Assuming they both lived through the day she probably wouldn't feel like such a failure.
"I'm here Xell." Sherasti called out as she rose shakily to her feet, trying to ignore the pain in her side.
The Jedi wrapped her outer robe around her more tightly, serving the dual purpose of concealing her figure and the bloody injury in her side. Both would be distractions to her Padawan.
Even though physically she was waning, mentally she forced herself into a second wind. She had no idea where the hangar was from their current location, and no amount of Force sense was going to give her a road map. But there was a computer panel on the wall.
She moved unsteadily to it, her sense of balance slightly off thanks to her abrupt rise. The Togruta leaned against the bulkhead and looked to her Padawan.
"Can you find the hangar bay from this terminal?"
It was a hope. If they were near the bay she'd come with him and they'd leave together. If not... Well, if not she certainly wouldn't be able to make it across the entire ship or by foot. At the absolute worst she'd say her goodbyes to Xell and hope she'd laid a foundation for his next master.
She locked away that thought deep inside. Xell didn't need to face that prospect unless there was no other option.
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
Padawan
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Jul 5, 2011 21:42:49 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 5, 2011 21:42:49 GMT -5
Xell smirked. He wasn't quite skilled enough in telepathy to rip the information from a Mandalorian's memory, but he definately was adept at hacking technology. Still, finding the intel from other sources would have been preferable to hacking as the people here likely would have taken safety precautions to notify them whenever their tech is under attack.
The nerdy padawan cracked his knuckles before clicking away at button after button in rapid succession. A few moments waiting through loading screens and he was already bombarded with all sorts of firewalls and security programs.
Hm. Well, that's not good.
Xell took out his lightsaber and smashed it continuously against the terminal until the casing had sprung open revealing all of the devise's electronic innards. He crossed a few wires and sure enough, after a while he was past the most dangerous portion of their little stealthy recon mission.
"Okay. No audible alarms going off. Doesn't mean I can afford to slow down. You sit down and relax master." said Xell. It was taking all of his will to avoid embracing her but he was managing.
"We're getting out of here. Both of us. Don't worry."
It took some doing, but Xell managed to read through the code successfully and find the blueprints for the entire area.
Got it! Come on!
With a rush Xell placed the hulking beauty's arm over his sholder and wrapped his arm around her to rush toward the hangar.
Good news is it's not far. Bad news is we're definately gonna be expected to either head for our own ship, or head for the hangar, so I wouldn't be surprised if the most direct path is already crawling with Mandalorians. If Orren were here, we'd plow through them. But I'm guessing you're in no position for that kind of fun. So? What's the plan?" asked Xell.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Jul 5, 2011 22:07:08 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 5, 2011 22:07:08 GMT -5
The hangar was only one deck down from them according to the blueprints, which meant Sherasti wasn't likely to die on the way there. But Xell was right, they'd have the hangar guarded.
"Xell, there comes a time when you feel you have nothing left but you have to push anyway. When that day comes, push past it. Empty yourself and let the Force control you."
She gratefully moved her arm from her side and draped it over her shorter Padawan's shoulders. Then she simply gave him a look of tired determination. "That means we're going to the hangar bay and doing what we have to."
The Togruta would empty herself completely and let the Force move through her once they reached the cargo bay. It didn't take much strength to deflect blaster fire. Between that and Xell's telekinetic abilities there was still hope for them.
The journey down to the hangar bay was relatively quick considering Sherasti spent all of it leaning on her Padawan. But she still managed to dictate strategy. Make it to an airspeeder of some sort and get back to the ship. Then take off and head anywhere else.
Outside the door to the hangar bay Sherasti removed her arm from her Padawan and held her lightsaber in her hand. It was time to put her credits where her mouth was.
The door slid open, and sure enough there were five Mandalorians to be seen.
One Mandalorian in particular stood out, probably because he had the nicest armor.
"You caused us far too much trouble for a pair of Jedi. But the problem with you people is that you always try to get too clever. After losing that much blood you weren't walking anywhere by yourself, and the fact that your idiotic little friend came racing here to help you meant he wasn't going to leave without you. That left one option. And now you're trapped. Beg, and maybe I'll make it worth your while."
At their silence he chuckled slightly. "Your loss. Kill them both."
The Mandalorians opened fire...
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 19:43:53 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 6, 2011 19:43:53 GMT -5
Xell smiled at Sherasti's resolve and picked up the pace. Though she stuck fast to her vows of peaceful resolution to any and all altercations she was showing that she was not so gullible as to believe violence will not be necessary at some point in time. It was probably Orren's never-say-die attitude that rubbed off on Xell that was exciting him so much right now, but he would whatever it was, it would steel his reseolve just as much as hers.
"That means we're going to the hangar bay and doing what we have to."
"I was hoping you'd say that. Let's go."
Sherasti and Xell made their way down to the hangar and were not suprised to find it defended by one particularly intimidating Mandolorian aswell as a small brigade. Xell looked them over aswell as the environment. The room wasn't particularly big... but big enough. They were 2 feet from the entrance and there was a several foot divide between they and their aggressors.
Hanging lights above us... maby 15, 20 feet... ship behind them hidden by those giant shutters likely. There's only 5 but they're armed to the teeth master, so--
Xell's train of thought was broken by the leader's arrogant remarks.
"Beg, and maybe I'll make it worth your while."
Try not to blink, Sherasti. You might miss me in action.
"Your loss. Kill them both."
As Xell's opponents trained their sights on Sherasti with their blasters in hopes of taking out the weakened opponent first, Xell leapt infront of her and began putting his initial form skill to work. Blaster bolt after blaster bolt was deflected, crashing harmlessly against walls and the cieling. As he did so he slowly stepped forward to give Sherasti breathing room to make her own counter attack.
They want to make me wear myself down protecting you... they're probably not counting on you performing a telepathic assault. Whatever you do, do it quick. I've never attempted to deflect 5 rapid fire weapons before and... it's not as easy as you guys make it look...
The bullets began aiming for areas that Xell wasn't too good at defending and he began being pushed back. With a bit of luck Xell managed to deflect one bullet upwards to one of the hanging lights, causing sparks to fly before the light fell, crashing into one of the unsuspecting Mandalorian's standing beneath it. He screamed in pain as his metallic armor stunned him to the core before he fell to the ground, blaster fire raining out in awkward directions before he passed out. One of the bolts nicked Xell's left bicept, but despite a sharp burning sensation it wasn't a close enough hit to take him out of the fight. He simply winced and cursed his luck.
The distraction from the wriggling Mandalorian was enough for Xell to catch a second wind and hop out of Sherasti's way.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 20:03:54 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 6, 2011 20:03:54 GMT -5
As Xell moved aside, Sherasti's own blade filled the gap and swatted aside blaster fire with a graceful ease that came more from the Force than from the Jedi.
She'd never assaulted anyone telepathically before, and she wasn't about to now. Her telepathic efforts were geared to confuse a foe or to persuade him. But you couldn't persuade anyone to do something they honestly would never do, which made it something useless in a combat situation.
Instead she opted for quick two-part use of the force. She confused one of the Mandalorians in the rear, befuddling his senses and throwing him off balance while she took her left hand away from her side.
The Jedi reached out with the force and jerked the man's arm so his blaster was pointed at the leader of the group. The blaster unleashed a volley on the leader, knocking him to the ground. Underneath all that armor he was still alive, but he was definitely down for the count.
A quick push with the force, and the man she'd confused went flying backwards. And that left only two Mandalorians still shooting. Which was two too many. But it was enough for the Jedi to deflect their much-slackened fire.
Sherasti was fading now, and fading quickly. Her arms were getting awfully heavy. She backed up slowly towards one of the speeders, silently imploring Xell to do the same. And praying he knew how to fly.
She deflected a spurt of blaster fire back at the one who'd sent it towards her, who promptly ducked for cover. It gave her the opening she needed to slide into the passenger seat of the speeder. Her saber fell from her grip and deactivated on the floor of the craft. She was out of the fight now, but with only two enemies on the defensive she was confident in Xell's ability to get them both to safety.
"Let's go..." She whispered feebly.
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 20:37:40 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 6, 2011 20:37:40 GMT -5
Xell followed behind his master and deflected more bolts as they neared the speeders. He had worked on a few in the enclave hangar and rode on one a few times, but driving one? Well, there was a first time for everything. He knew the workings of it so actually driving it should not be a problem. And even
"Let's go..."
Xell nodded as he stood fast making a wall of lightsaber swipes to prevent any bolts from striking his master as she feebly managed to place herself inside of the speeder. They lucked out: it was one of the multi-person speeders rather than the bike type. She could rest without needing to hold on to him.
And it was a good thing, because it seemed she was mere seconds away from passing out.
"Stay with me master, we're getting outta here!"
Xell looked over the console and got ready to attempt a hastened hijacking but the force was with him. The light gleamed off of the keys and brought a smile to the Padawan's face.
Keys in the ignition. Awesome.
Rather than wait for the shutter to open Xell caused the speeder to slam straight through, shaking Sherasti like a ragdoll as she lay in the back seat.
"Sorry! We'll be back to our ship in no time, you just hold on!"
About half an hour later...
The speeder hovered through the jagged canyon dodging blaster fire from the two remaining Mando's. Xell had run the "obstacle course" earlier, so he knew just what to do to save he and his master.
He circled around to one of the little string traps he managed to avoid and used his telekinisis to rip the string at the right moment. Sure enough the speeder behind him crossed under neath the falling boulder that smashed into the hood of the speeder, sending their pursuers spiraling around with the banged up miniship.
They crashed into a nearby stalagmite, crushing it to bits before sliding across the ground upside down. They were incapable of following, but they were left with their lives.
Xell smiled to himself and put the pedal to the metal, their ship now coming into sight.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 20:51:59 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 6, 2011 20:51:59 GMT -5
Sherasti improved for the first few minutes of the escape, the wind on her cheeks restoring some sensation. But it didn't last. They'd passed the entire night cycle on the planetoid and it was a blistering heat even early in the morning.
The speeder came to a stop finally at the landing pad they'd left the ship on. Everything was as it had been, down to the tiniest detail. The Mandalorians hadn't torn the ship apart in their search.
Sherasti stepped out of the back seat and onto the pad, but as she did everything seemed to spin around her and the edges of her vision blurred. Then everything went black as she tried to take another step.
The Togruta Jedi passed out and crumpled to the ground, her robe flapping open in the wind and revealing her blood-stained side. The makeshift bandage she'd attached was as crimson as her skin now. She was clearly worse-off than she'd let her Padawan believe.
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 21:49:31 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 6, 2011 21:49:31 GMT -5
"No... No no nonononono! Sherasti! Master, get up!" screamed Xell, his words falling on near deaf ears as Sherasti drifted away from him, her aura fading. Xell cursed his inability to notice something so dire. Was he revelling in his victory? Was he just so much of an idiot his empathic connection to his master couldn't reveal something like this in the heat of battle?
Now was not the time to feel sorry for himself. It was the time to save his master's life.
"You're not dying. I won't let you. You won't die. You... you can't..."
Xell, despite Sherasti's amazonian stature was not too bulky of a frame for him to pick her up and carry her further into the ship. His adrenaline likely boosted his physical abilities greater than natural, but still. He was a trained Jedi. He was physically fit enough to carry a damsel with little trouble.
He lay the downed Togrutan onto a blanket set out for meditation and began removing her outer robes. The ship was in it's ascent into the sky, so they were safe now. After seeing the injury Xell nearly fainted. He placed a hand to his mouth, the sight of so much blood made him gag. He had seen death, but he had never seen gore, and it was definately something he wasn't prepared for. It was horrific. The smell was peculiar. It was unique and likely something he would never forget.
Get it together. Help her!
Xell took off like a scared thimiar into the the lavoratory and opened the medicine cabinet to find everything... anything that could help. Gauze, stitching, painkillers, anything at all. He found... wound disinfectant. The Padawan winced from looking at it. He remembered his teacher placing some on his scraped knee as a child. He was in tears for an hour. Hopefully Sherasti could handle it. She definately wasn't a 5 year old. Suddenly the memory brought about an epiphany.
"Sickbay!"
Xell rushed to the sick bay of the ship. It wasn't meant for a large group of people but it certainly had the necessary facilities for a Jedi and his or her Padawan.
Wait... Master Urrik's Padawan! He's a Togrutan, right...?
Sure enough in the cold storage area of the sick bay he found Togrutan blood. Xell removed the packet and sat it on the operating table before doubling back to the room Sherasti lay in. He didn't think he could be motivated to move any faster, but sure enough he broke into a full sprint after seeing his master in a pool of her own essence. Xell broke into a full sprint before landing beside her, sliding into place on the floor before scooping her up along with the blanket.
Minutes later in Sick Bay...
Sherasti lay down on the operating table, I.V. hooked into her right elbow. Xell bit his bottom lip and screwed the top off of the bottle in his hand before pouring a third of the disinfectant over the wound, washing away alot of the blood around her side. He shoved his sleeves up his forearms before turning to his left and saying aloud: "Surgical suture. Humanoid subject. Togrutan. Female. Perform weight and measurement scan.". A hologram appeared next to him with a recorded message talking to him. A light shined across Sherasti as a holographic image was produced above her own body.
Step 1. Disinfect the wounded area--"
"Done. Next step."
Xell picked up the needle and thread and, with his blood soaked hands began digging in, tracing the actions made by the electronic doctor on the holo-Sherasti. It was the brains, and he was it's hands. His work wasn't as pretty as the image he was following, but no more blood was coming out of his master, and she was still breathing. That was a good thing.
After patching up Sherasti Xell made sure her readings were okay. Everything seemed fine, but once again he was no doctor. The IV was hooked up. She was recieving blood. She was breathing. But had he done enough? Was it the right type of blood? Do Togrutans even have differing blood types?
Time would tell.
Listen Sherasti. You can't die on me. What kind of a Master leaves their Padawan behind? Is this my newest lesson? How to give up? How to let the badguys win?
Xell placed a hand on Sherasti's and pulled his seat closer.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 22:15:38 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 6, 2011 22:15:38 GMT -5
It wasn't until late the next day when Sherasti finally woke up. It wasn't surprising given the length of time she'd been awake and how much blood she'd lost. Fortunately though her internal organs had emerged unscathed. It was just a matter of letting her body produce new blood to join the transfusion she'd been given.
Her sleep had been a long mixture of dreams and memories blurred together. In particular her last time spent recovering from a major injury, on Pantolomin. Master Pedara had stayed by her side the whole time. And she half-imagined he was there with her now. At the very least someone was at her side. And that was enough for her dreams to be peaceful.
The Togruta's eyelids flickered and slowly opened. She took a breath and coughed, the motion pulling at her sutures a little. It caused her to wince, but instantly she could tell she was in better shape than she had been when she'd passed out.
She was laid out on a medical bed, missing her upper robes entirely. Her lower body was still covered in the dress she wore, and she could feel her sash. She moved her hand over it idly, stroking the fabric. The motion made her realize something was in her wrist. An IV. She also noticed her side was bandaged properly.
"Xell?" She called softly, realizing in all likelihood her Padawan had saved her life. She owed him her thanks.
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 22:58:33 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 6, 2011 22:58:33 GMT -5
Sherasti called out to her Padawan, but in her weakness didn't speak loudly enough to wake him. If she had turned to her left she would have seen the young Padawan looking ragged, still dressed in the clothing he wore prior to her operation. Blood was caked up to his elbows. His eyes had bags underneath him and he had procurred a five o' clock shadow. If she were close enough she could have smelled the sweat of the day before.
His head was tilted uncomfortably and his hand was outstretched to the operating table as if he were reaching for Sherasti's again. It wasn't odd for him to fall asleep after such a difficult ordeal like yesterday's. Anyone would be exhausted. He however didn't keel over as soon as he was done with Sherasti's medical emergency.
Upon Xell's stomach was his Guide to the Galaxy, the book he was using to bone up on his Togrutan cultural knowledge. He was looking up Togrutan folk remedies and artifacts. Things that would help Sherasti feel that she was in good hands while out cold. And when she woke up she would hopefully appreciate the extra work Xell put forth.
In the Padawan's other hand was a small object that resembled something the Togrutans would give to ailing children to take their minds off of the pain while in hospitals. A small trinket like an animal shaped straw doll or maybe a stuffed thimiar. Xell's however was made of the fur he found from the trash, a piece of his own clothing, and odds and ends that could be found around the ship.
It was a small dark skinned man with a huge grin and a blue sword... and thimiar ears. And a tail. It was Xell. As a Jedi thimiar.
"Mmm... uh...wh-wha?"
Xell began opening his eyes. As he did he stood up, the book on his chest fell backwards to reveal the last chapter he was reading up on was Togrutan mating rituals. Coincidentally, obviously.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
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Jul 6, 2011 23:13:30 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 6, 2011 23:13:30 GMT -5
Sherasti regained her senses a little more fully and noticed Xell was to her left. His hand was reaching out as if to take hers. She obliged it and held his hand, stroking the back of it gently with her thumb and giving it a slight squeeze to let Xell know she was there.
In her other hand she felt something soft. She carefully raised it and noticed a small doll made out of... the thimiar she'd eaten for breakfast two days ago? After a moment she realized it was Xell, stylized to look like a thimiar. Vaguely she wondered if he knew what a thimiar really was and what its purpose was. She glanced over at him and noticed the open book he was reading, the same one he'd been reading on the day they'd first me. It seemed like years ago. Currently it was on a chapter about Togruta mating.
Sherasti couldn't help but chuckle. She really wondered whether or not anything in that book was right. Apparently hadn't taught him anything about her diet.
Her gaze fixed on Xell now, and she noticed he was a bit of a wreck. Unshaven, bleary-eyed, wrinkled, and covered in her blood. She felt a little guilty for putting him through the ordeal.
She did the only thing she could to reward him. She smiled as she held his hand. It was a warm smile, one that spoke volumes. It quite clearly said 'thank you Xell for saving my life' without the Togruta so much as saying a word.
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
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Jul 7, 2011 20:10:42 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 7, 2011 20:10:42 GMT -5
Xell smiled back to Sherasti as he stood up from his position. He winced from his neck returning to it's natural position. He squeezed his master's hand in return and rubbed the back of his aching neck with the other.
"Hey there sleepy head. You've been out cold all day." said the weary sounding Padawan. Xell turned to go find his master some food.
Not sure that Sherasti would enjoy basic foods he enjoyed Xell decided to put together the simplest of rations left in the refrigerator. While he knew nothing of Togrutan cuisine, Xell did know that most of what they were fed at the enclave were meals designed to be both cheap and edible by the majority of races in the Order's employ, so whether the taste was good or not Sherasti could stomach the stewed vegetables and meats he threw together.
Xell brought back the bowl and set it next to Sherasti with a spoon and some bread. It was better than nothing.
"..." the worried youth kept silent while waiting for Sherasti to say something... anything to prove to him that she was no longer on death's bed. He wanted to joke around with her and brag about his skill in his first trial, but his fear had not subsided. Looking at her he could only see red. And not the red of her rust colored skin, but her blood. The blood that still caked his hands and wrists.
Tears welled up in Xell's eyes, but he choked them back.
Meanwhile, back on Coruscant
Master Urrik sat before a hologram of Orren, who seemed to be beside himself with excitement.
"Oh, you would have been proud of the pup. He has improved both in mastery of the force and knowledge of combat. I don't have to tell you the threat a group of mandalorian mercs represent. In fact--"
"I'll thank you to leave reports of Xell's feats to his master, Orren. He's her responsibility now and you have other more pressing matters to attend to. I trust your mission is not being hindered by any unforseen situations?"
Orren's smile faded before the haggard old man cleared his throat and forced himself back on topic. He was excited for his Padawan's development. His Padawan.
"Ofcourse not Master Urrik. Everything is according to plan."
Back to Sherasti and Xell...
Xell began pacing back and forth yammering about the possibility of Sherasti dying from infection, or him accidentally leaving needles inside her, or him finding out her weight and measurements while she was asleep thanks to the onboard computer scanning her. The more he talked, the more flustered he became.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
Master
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Jul 7, 2011 20:39:52 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 7, 2011 20:39:52 GMT -5
Sherasti laughed softly. She'd never seen Xell like that before. So full of worry and so caring, while still being very much the same awkward youth she'd grown fond of. It was actually quite amusing. Duality always intrigued her.
"Xell, I'm going to be fine. I'll be there when you're made a Knight, and I won't leave you without a master. You have my word."
The wounded Togruta was in a much more vertical position now that the bed was adjusted to her liking. And she was also considerably more awake and alert than she had been even a few minutes ago.
Certainly it wasn't the food though. The cooked meat and vegetables were, well, a bit bland. And bread was of dubious edibility for her. Carnivorous species and empty carbohydrates didn't mix well.
She briefly contemplated asking Xell to bring her a thimiar, but decided against it. It wasn't clear whether or not he knew they were for eating. And she highly doubted he'd want to see it dispatched or that he'd be willing to leave her alone long enough to eat it.
Sherasti reclined the bed back again slightly. She couldn't move the way she'd like, but she was comfortable enough all things considered. The temperature was on the cold side for her in the room. She was still in her undress halter top, though it was blood-stained all across the side.
"Would you mind heading to my quarters and bringing me a spare set of robes?"
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
Padawan
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Jul 7, 2011 21:09:59 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 7, 2011 21:09:59 GMT -5
Xell whiped his eyes and chuckled. He was being childish. He knew Sherasti would never die so easily.
"...Okay. Okay. You're right. I'm over reacting."
Sherasti picked over her soup. She obviously didn't find it much to her liking. Come to think of it, he had never seen the Togruta knight eat anything for that matter. He hadn't the slightest clue what she prefered in a meal.
Before he could ask her, Sherasti made a request.
"Would you mind heading to my quarters and bringing me a spare set of robes?"
Xell glanced down. With the dire situation he completely forgot his master was showing more skin than she would prefer.
"Oh... sorry. I kind of had to do that. To dress your wound I mean. said Xell hastily as he left to go to Sherasti's quarters. He averted his eyes quickly as not to begin staring, as he often does.
A simple tap of a button opened the door to Sherasti's quarters. Xell walked in one step at a time, making a point to slowly take in everything he saw. Jedi or not, Sherasti was a woman, and her quarters reflected that. It smelled of flowers as opposed to the smell of Xell's own quarters, which had a pungent gym sock and stale food odor.
Xell breathed in the floral aroma deeply, which brought a smile to his face. He then pressed on until he found her clothing drawers. He opened each one in hopes of finding jedi robes. The first was underware. Wrong drawer. The second was pants. The first one was double checked. Sure enough it was underware. Onward to the third drawer he found coats and hoods. Again, the first drawer was returned to. Perhaps there was a... a belt or something in there she would need.
Nope. Just underwear. After a few more moments Xell removed the correct items from the drawer he needed before being distracted by a cardboard box above the dresser.
"Mew! Mew mew! Mew!"
"Uh... hello?" asked Xell. The box began shaking. It had holes in the sides as if something alive needed them for air. Xell sat the clothes on Sherasti's bed and slowly removed the lid to the box to find some sort of rodent.
Xell grinned from ear to ear like a cheshire cat. He had never had a pet before! They forbade them at the enclave, so the most he ever saw was the occasionally bird. But this guy seemed to like Xell. He leapt from the box and landed it's tiny claws into his robes before inquisitivey climbing up his chest and sniffing his neck.
"Hah hah! Stop! That tickles!" squealed Xell as he placed a hand on the rodent's head. It backed away, startled, before sniffing the boy's palm and licking his fingers. "Wait, I know what you are! You're a thimiar! Thimiar... thimi... Timmy! We'll call you Timmy!"
"MEEEEEWWWWW!!!" squealed the rodent.
"Wanna go see Sherasti? Wanna go? Huh?"
"M-m-m-mew..." whimpered the thimiar before it crawed inside of Xell's collar. It shivered in fear.
Xell's eyebrow rose in surprise. The thimiar sure didn't seem like he wanted to see Sherasti. Maybe she was a mean owner? What girl could hate such a cute widdle aminal?
"Come on fella, we'll go see Sherry!" Xell gleefully picked up Sherasti's clothing and headed back to Sick Bay.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
Master
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Jul 7, 2011 21:39:05 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 7, 2011 21:39:05 GMT -5
Sherasti saw Xell reenter, clothing in hand about a minute longer than she'd expected him to take. Maybe he'd gotten a little confused.
She held out her arm and took the pile of clothing, gingerly sliding off the bed and letting her toes touch the ground first. Then the rest of her feet. Then she put weight onto her legs, and was quite pleased to see she was steady, even if her side was still incredibly tender.
Her arm was free from the IV, for the moment at least, and she motioned Xell out of the room.
Then when he'd left she began the arduous task of undressing without straining her side. It was slow, it was painstaking, and she almost fell over twice. But at the end of ten minutes she was clothed again and Xell was back in the room. With a visitor who she just now noticed. He was carrying a thimiar that was trying to burrow into his shirt.
She had to say it was touching how thoughtful he was. He must have noticed that she wasn't eating the soup and thought to bring her something a little more to Togruta tastes. Quite thoughtful indeed.
Sherasti smiled gratefully at him again. "A thimiar! Thank you Xell, you're very thoughtful. But I'm honestly not hungry right now."
She looked at him and saw an uncomprehending look on his face. She wasn't sure why for a moment, then it clicked. He had no idea that the thimiar was a food staple on Shili. Somehow either that guide hadn't said so or he'd missed that part in reading.
Sherasti stared blankly at him. Well this is awkward...
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last online Dec 28, 2015 2:36:26 GMT -5
Padawan
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Jul 14, 2011 22:22:36 GMT -5
Post by ninjabot on Jul 14, 2011 22:22:36 GMT -5
Xell smiled as he walked back in to see that his master was back to being her normal, beautiful, centered self. He glanced down at Timmy and made a kissy face before preparing to talk to her.
Sherasti had to say it was touching how thoughtful Xell was. He must have noticed that she wasn't eating the soup and thought to bring her something a little more to Togruta tastes. Quite thoughtful indeed, if that was indeed his intention. Xell skipped over the Togrutan cuisine chapter in hopes of more lewd and unmentionable fair, but the look Sherasti had told him that she wasn't looking at the Thimiar in a cuddly wuddly manner, but rather in a rumbly-in-my-tumbly manner.
W-why is she looking at him like that? She's scaring Timmy! She's scaring me too...
"A thimiar! Thank you Xell, you're very thoughtful. But I'm honestly not hungry right now."
Xell's eyes widened in horror. She couldn't be serious. She wants to EAT a living animal?! Isn't there some sort of Jedi rule against killing sentients? And then EATING them!?
The two staired at eachother for a good 60 seconds. Xell thought back to every time he never saw her eating... how often were animals being slaughtered in her chambers while he was in his room?Ofcourse, that explained her terrible cooking habits. She's used to eating anything that scurries across her path. The Padawan decided he would keep an eye on Timmy until they touch down.
"You know what? How about we talk about the other day. Feeling good? How was my first mission under a new master?" Xell asked with a smile. He covered his arms over the squirming animal inside of his shirt.
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last online Apr 19, 2013 18:45:53 GMT -5
Master
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Jul 14, 2011 22:44:31 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 14, 2011 22:44:31 GMT -5
Sherasti gave Xell an honestly apologetic look. "Xell, I have to eat too. I'm sorry, but it is the way of my people. And the way of nature." the Togruta Jedi said softly as she clasped her hands and rested, looking tired still, though her signature sense of peace was now fully restored.
But when Xell turned the topic towards the mission, she was more than willing to oblige. There was much to discuss after all.
"Your first mission went well despite me. You did well my Padawan, but your master did not. She owes you her life. And won't forget that fact." Sherasti added with a sweet smile, a slightly sheepish one which only made it sweeter still.
"You faced the possibility of losing your master, and even your life too. But you still stayed true to what you knew was right. As far as I'm concerned, you passed the Trial of Courage. I will make sure that information is recorded. And next time, I'll arrange the Trial of Skill."
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