Accidental Recruiter [juzt]

[Mara]

(((My sincerest apologies for the delay in getting this up…
I hope this opening is good for you to bring in Reiko? Otherwise, I can change it…)))


[…from x]

“Thank you again, Master Velam, for everything you’ve done. And I promise to ease back into my normal routine.” The Ishi-Tib healer smiled and inclined her star-shaped head as the Falleen knight lifted a clawed hand in farewell before moving to leave the medical wing of the temple. The elder Jedi watched her patient for a few moments before turning to attend to the many others still under her charge. She hoped Knight Zalq would indeed take it easy for a while, but she had met plenty of Jedi like the young Falleen and knew this would be wishful thinking.

With a partial limp betraying soreness, Xierra exited and pulled on her brown robe before heading towards the nearest turbolift where her padawan was waiting for her a few levels up. Master Velam had just removed the final kolto patch that had been treating the gash on her upper right leg, and it still felt a bit tender. However, the Falleen wouldn’t let herself stoop to using the Force as a crutch, her former master having pounded this ideal into her mind early on in her training. The pain was a reminder of her earlier rashness, and the Force would be better applied in more important pursuits than erasing the mere annoyance of a limp.

As she walked unevenly and waited for the ‘lift to descend, scenes from Makem Te flashed behind her dark eyes, inside her mind. The battle had already been in full swing by the time she and the other reinforcements had arrived. Xierra had quickly found herself engaged in a fierce duel with a Sith, more intense than the fight she had briefly endured on Rhen Var. She had been holding her own against the enemy, utilizing her full arsenal of lightsaber forms and combat training. But then she had grown overconfident and while performing a back-flip to change attack position had allowed her defense to slip. In that short moment, the Sith had struck, and only a last-second midair correction had saved her from losing her leg entirely.

Soon after, all the surviving Jedi had retreated from the planet and back to their headquarters atop the Citadel on Seraphim. After checking in with her padawan, Xierra had turned to the healers, most specifically Master Velam, for their ministrations. Besides being lucky enough to escape with whole leg intact, the blow had come from the Sith’s lightsaber, which had cauterized the opening and stopped most of the bleeding. But it had still been a deep enough gasp, and the Ishi-Tib had stitched the puckered opening closed as well as she could and covered it with a kolto patch. For the following month, the Falleen Jedi had needed to return regularly for checkups and replacement patches.

At one of their meetings, the amphibious Ishi-Tib healer, an expert in the anatomy of reptilian races, had told her that while the wound would eventually heal and scar over, the inner damage would most likely never fully recover. It was entirely possible that she would never regain full mobility in her right leg. But for a Jedi, this would not be a problem. Xierra had plenty of skills and knowledge to compensate for such a loss, and she could always adapt and learn more ways to overcome the injury. Something she would have plenty of time to devote to and become accustomed to; despite the healer’s attentions and the knight’s own rudimentary healing techniques, she had to accept her body’s slow recuperating process.

This was perhaps another blessing in disguise, being forced out of contention for any upcoming battles or dangerous missions in the next few weeks. She would have plenty of free time now to devote to her padawan’s training and lessons, something that they had only started to make headway on before she had been called to assist at Makem Te. Xierra had struggled over the decision to even leave Larkin at all but had eventually felt compelled, pulled by the Force and her allegiance to the Blades, to join the fray. The Falleen knight had been consoled by the possibility that the experience could help her padawan grow. In fact, she was on her way now to speak to the boy, gauge how he was doing since Caamas and his time alone spent on Seraphim. And whether she might need to employ yet different tactics to set him on the eventual path to knighthood.

Xierra slipped from the turbolift after riding it up a few floors and started on her search for her padawan.  Just a few minutes into the journey, she suddenly felt a strong presence in the Force around the corner from where she was, and it was obviously not her padawan Larkin. Neither was it strong enough to be one of the masters but something closer to her own level. Still, there was something… bright about the Jedi’s aura, an energy and excitement that lay beneath the surface. All the others she had passed in the mostly deserted halls at this level had been subdued, focused on their tasks. The Falleen continued around the bend, admittedly curious about what had this other Jedi so riled up and somewhat selfishly praying it was not another call to battle that she would miss this time around.


EDIT: housekeeping

[Juzt]

Reiko was angry very angry. Welling up inside of her was a tidal wave of emotion but at this particular moment in time it had no where to go. Reiko for a Jedi was an emotional person, it was not something she had ever been gifted at controlling. Meditation she was really to impatient for that to be of any use, music and physical training were her refuges. She played or sang or sweated out her emotions. It had surprised many that she had passed her trials, she was well known for being arrogant and proud but that was not real truth of it.

Deep in her heart she did not feel very worthy herself of the rank she had given. However, in order for her sanity to hold she had to give the opposite impression. She was never exactly popular but that never bothered her unduly, everyone else was a fool and she was right. However she knew this was not true. Her life as a Jedi had been filled with many disappointments. She had felt abandoned by her parents. They had initially said no when the watchman had come calling, they needed and heir to their business interests but then a little son came along and she did not matter any more. As a six year old she made the choice herself, and they did not try and stop her.

She knew she should not resent her little brother who she had occasionally spotted in news reels as her parents opened up a new factory on Wroona. It was hardly his fault, but she did. Her other disappointment was the manner in which she finally passed her last trial. Killing Jatt who she had adored and loved. She knew she had nothing to be guilty about, he turned to the darkside and became a danger, but she still felt it. Deep and gnawing at her.

Her latest disappointment was in training. Which was why this was not a frustration that could be worked out. She had come to Seraphim, as she understood there was a Master who trained people in Double bladed fighting. She was skilled with Ataru there was really no need to try and learn this, but in a curious way she was trying to honour the kind and shy Jatt she remembered as this was his favoured technique. However, she could not learn it. Something in her brain just made the technique impossibly hard. She knew it was a tough thing to learn and she should not feel disheartened at being unable to learn it but she did all the same. Her blue skin flushed violet round her cheeks from her frenetic stomping down the corridor.

The anger was entirely inward, she was not much of a Jedi. She felt this in her heart. Not much of anything really. She had been very inward looking most of her life so her skills in perception and sense tended to be quite poor which is why she did not notice the Falleen Jedi turning round the corner towards her. The Wroonian almost walked into her. Her first instinct was the blame the Falleen, she tossed her head angrily the Jedi's direction her long black flapping over her shoulder and her yellow eyes flashing. She mentally reigned herself in.

She raised her hands wide open and muttered “Sorry.” It was so soft it might easily have been missed. It was not a word she was accustomed to saying. She made to move on.

[Mara]

Coming around into the other corridor, she had to skid to a stop, surprised. The other Jedi she had felt--a blue-skinned humanoid as she saw now—had appeared right in front of her and had only fractionally missed colliding with her. Xierra backpedaled quickly to avoid getting too close in case the woman still hadn’t seen her, which was a bit peculiar she thought, and in the process she momentarily forgot her injury. She stumbled a bit when she put pressure on her right leg, the two lightsaber hilts at her hip clicking against each other and her body and a few strands of black hair falling in her face; a small grimace twisted her features.

The jolt of pain subsiding, Xierra recovered her balance soon enough, her arms coming up to steady her before dropping back down. Turning her attention back to the woman in front of her, she caught a murmured apology. The Falleen knight smiled and shook her head slightly in response, a green clawed hand coming up to tuck loose hair back out of the way of her dark eyes. She took the time then to briefly study the Jedi in front of her before speaking and noticed her species as Wroonian. It was a race she didn’t often encounter, and this was perhaps the first she had seen face-to-face. “It’s all right. No trouble. It happens sometimes. No harm done.” A vague hand gesture to emphasis her words.

She kept a friendly look on her face as she stood there, though inwardly her mind was going back to the oddness of the situation. Never before had Xierra had a Jedi almost run into her. Of course, she knew Jedi were not immune to distraction just as any being with a developed brain wasn’t, but their extrasensory skills in the Force gave them an extra edge that those without the Force wouldn’t have. It would alert them to an obstacle, and they would move around it. There were close calls from time to time but not as close as the Falleen had almost experienced just now with this young Wroonian woman, and Xierra found this startling curious.

Plus, she couldn’t shake off the implications that the strong presence of the Jedi in front of her gave her. Now that she was only a couple paces away, Xierra felt the full brunt of the Wroonian’s emotions through the Force. It wasn’t just a broad sense of excitement any longer, but something much sharper. There was disappointment, frustration… all understandable things for a Jedi to face as long as they were under control. But the Falleen was sensing something stronger, deeper from the woman—anger. And that was a dangerous pitfall to become attached to. She knew this from personal experience, not just the lessons that were pounded into her and other younglings. However, this was just a chance meeting with a stranger, and she wasn’t about to lecture or offer help unless solicited.

[Juzt]

Reiko found herself staring at the Falleen. She did no think she had ever seen one, and now she was stood before one that looked politely baffled by Reiko's behaviour. In truth her own lack of self control was another thing for Reiko to be frustrated about and hate herself for. Her old Master had always told her that she was one of the worst students at controlling her feelings that he had ever encountered. Yet somehow the darkside had not yet come calling to her door. However, complacency was death that much even Reiko understood.

It also occurred to Reiko that surely the Falleen could sense all this out pouting of emotion swirling in her mind. Reiko had never been blessed with strong telepathic abilities either so in many ways she was an open book to people. It was humiliating to her to be so open to other people. They could see all of her faults she was certain of that. She had at one time been certain that she would never make a Knight, her arrogance and lack of control off putting to many a Master. However, Master Pholox had seen something she could not see herself a steely determination to battle not just the world around her but her own frailties. It was a constant war to keep herself in control and in a perverse way it made her stronger and more determined. However, at times like this she simply felt tired.

She sighed heavily and sat down on a near by bench, she leaned back her head touching the wall behind and her eyes closed. Meditation had never really worked much for her however running favourite tunes and songs of hers through her head helped her relax just a little bit. Where would she be if it were not for all the music she loved? Probably a renegade on the run doing unspeakable things to people. She could be rude callous and arrogant but she was not cruel and vicious.

She might have been easy to see through but she had no wish to tell this stranger anything even if she could work it out herself. Slef reliance, never let anyone do something you should do yourself.

“Sometimes I hate being a Jedi.” She did not realise she had said this aloud. It would have horrified her for her to realise that someone else had heard her express this weakness but it was true.

[Mara]

(((Sorry for the delay in response here…)))


Xierra, watching the Wroonian Jedi move to seat herself on a stone bench laid against the opposite wall, had been ready to put the whole encounter behind her and continue her on her way with a polite nod. She had somewhere to be, after all, and the blue-skinned female didn’t seem inclined to further conversation between the two of them. In fact, she had already straightened out her clothing and taken a couple steps forward down the hallway, her head inclined in farewell towards the other woman. The Falleen knew when a matter was closed and no longer needed her attention; it was a choice she had weighed back and forth in the matter of seconds and easily made.

But then something stopped her in her tracks. She had heard the other Jedi mutter something that had made her pause and reassess. Confused by what she thought the Wroonian had said, Xierra turned to her memory and ran back the last few seconds in her mind. A couple replays confirmed it for her. The knight had a moment of indecision. Once again, she felt compelled to help the woman in some way, but she also did not want to interfere, a move that could prove to worsen the situation if not done with careful tact. On top of everything else, she had never met this Jedi before, didn’t know her or her past, her sensibilities. Pretending she hadn’t caught the murmured words and walking onward, never to see her again, would be the safest route.

However, something within the Falleen stirred, and she turned around, slowly limping back on her sore leg to the bench where the Wroonian woman reclined. She was used to taking risks, and in her mind, this was a relatively low-cost one compared to others in her past. Throwing all caution to the wind, Xierra perched near the other Jedi, careful to keep a few inches of space between them in case of a bad reaction. Turning her dark eyes on the other, she poured serenity into the Force as she spoke, her words calm and measured. “Forgive me for prying, but I overheard what you said. Those are pretty strong words. Why do you feel that way? Has something happened?”

[Juzt]

Reiko lowered her head to look at the other Jedi. She regarded her with, her yellow eyes in a disturbing x-ray like way. It looked rather like she was focusing on a point inside the other Jedi's skull. She sighed and looked up at the roof. "Its nothing." She uttered the biggest lie in the Galaxy. There were all sorts of worries bubbling under the surface, she blamed herself that as a result of having to kill a man she had once loved she had earned her place as a Knight.

She did not feel like Jedi materiel, she was arrogant prideful all mingled with tiny bits of self loathing. She wore her heart on her sleeve to quote an overused phrase. Her ego was indomitable, but fragile like a huge tower that a strong gust of breeze could flatten in a second.

"Its nothing that another Jedi would consider important just me being silly." She said bitterly. Learning to use a double bladed lightsaber was tough, but she had become determined to. Some how she seemed to think it may bring back Jatt in some way by fighting like he did, but in truth she did not need to know this technique and it was too tough for her. She was just holding on to the past grieving, exactly what a Jedi should not do.

She looked squarely at the other Jedi, who had been kind enough to talk to her. "I am sorry." She said softly "No need for me to snap at you. I am not a very good Jedi."

[Mara]

(((Post seems a bit rough to me, but at least I think I got Xierra's point across, lol...)))


She sat quietly as the Wroonian regarded her with a penetrating gaze for a few moments, conscious of the potential for violence. Though the Falleen was used to taking risks and dealing with their consequences, good or bad, she also knew that provoking this obviously troubled young Jedi any further could rupture any future progress she would have hoped to make with her. And so Xierra endured the silence in calm, waiting for an answer to her inquiries so that she could begin to help the blue-skinned woman if she was at all able to. Once tangled, it was not an easy task to break free.

Xierra had thought the other Jedi had been about to explain her comment as she stared at her and had been prepared to offer comfort. But instead, she turned away and blew her off with an outright falsehood. She could tell that something was bothering the young Wroonian, not the least of which was her feeling of failure as a Jedi, a notion not all that uncommon among the Order, especially in the inexperienced. However, pointing out this denial would not solve anything; the Falleen knight would bide her time until this Jedi relaxed in her company, letting down her guard and opening up.

At the young woman’s murmured apology, she shook her head gently and smiled. “No need to be sorry. I can feel you’re upset about something. Jedi are not perfect all the time. It’s good to get out our strong emotions and work through them in a positive manner, not letting them lead to anger and the dark side.” Xierra lifted a green-clawed hand, thinking to rest it on the Wroonian’s arm but then thought better of it, replacing it in her lap. “Admitting your troubles is far from silly, I assure you. I'm here. Talk to me. Why do you feel this way?” She had had difficulty herself in admitting her issues with her padawan’s training, but once she had voiced them to another, she had felt better after the conversation. Hopefully she could pay it forward with this young Jedi.