Golden Link Casino

[Idarah]

Idejjen's eyes were fading fast, their vigilance waning through the dim haze of the Link's medical facilities... Were they hazy and dim? Or was it just him?

The monster didn't know and didn't care. a warmth burned fiercely in right his arm as Zara held on tight, making sure he was ok, but the inevitable weight was falling fast and Idejjen didn't know how long he could hold on to it before it crushed his weak attempts at reconciliation.

 

With her gaze held for two more seconds... Idejjen tried to push out a few words, but they came out a mumble instead. "Thank you..." Came out, thman ymon... and were barely above a whisper. Then Idejjen's eyes closed slowly and his breathing slowed.

 

_________________________________________________________

 

 

Idarah looked at the time dial flashing at her metal wrist and saw that it was already at 0. She looked at the monster on the bed who still breathed. She noticed slightly as Idejjen wavered, his strength was fading, but she could tell that he was putting up fight, even though his systems would fail no matter what he did.

 

He's a brave man...

 

Idarah looked up at Zara and shook her silver head, making light dance on the crown of her robotic forehead.

 

"By all accounts... He should already be dead and he will be soon, but he is putting up one hell of a fight." Idarah said as a small tear once again flexed its resistance, sliding all the way down her carbon fiber cheek before being wiped away.

[Zara Nargal]

Kalyani and Zara both struggled to keep their emotions in check as they watched Idejjen's last moments. It was so heartbreaking to stand there and not be able to do anything at all to save him. Zara knew basic first aid through the Force but nothing that would save him. She brushed the tears from her eyes again, finding that they were now running freely to the point where she was trying to smother sobs.

 

"Thank you..." Came out, thman ymon... and were barely above a whisper. Then Idejjen's eyes closed slowly and his breathing slowed.

 

"Don't..." Zara swallowed and tried again, "Don't try to speak Idejjen. We're here..." Her voice trailed off as he closed his eyes. As he took his last breath, Zara closed her tear stained eyes, Rest in Peace Idejjen... Opening them again she released his hand, placing it at his side as she looked up at the doctor. He confirmed what Zara already knew, that he had left them. Her gaze shifted to Idarah, noticing the tears that flowed down the metal face. Somehow it didn't surprise her that one of Ida's creations would have those kind of abilities. "Could you organise his funeral? Don't worry about the cost, the Link will take care of it."

 

She was turning to leave the room, when she saw Brina being placed on a bed in the emergency ward. "Brina?" Zara called out, bringing Kalyani with her as she approached, her eyes meeting with the doctor as he arrived at the same time that she and her daughter entered the room, "Brina... what's the matter? Are you okay?" Please don't let it be anything serious... I don't think we could handle more bad news...

[Brina Thalin]

Brina simply lay there as the droids moved methodically around her, drawing blood and tissue samples and hooking her up to an IV. She knew they knew what they were doing, but she always felt more comfortable with living doctors. So when Dr. Ran approached her, she met his eyes, waiting to hear what he had to say.

 

"It's back." That was one thing Brina appreciated about him; he never minced words. "There were a few diseased cells that slipped through and started multiplying."

 

Her heart sank. She had known what the prognosis would be, but she had hoped she was mistaken. "So can we start treatment again?"

 

Dr. Ran nodded slowly. "Yes, but I have to warn you that the chances are slimmer this time. Since it came back, that means your body's resistances to the disease are down, and so you might not respond well to the treatment."

 

She took the news unflinchingly. "I'd still like to try."

 

He smiled gently. "I knew you'd say that. Alright, I'll get it all set up."

 

As he left, she sighed. She had to resign herself to going through this again. But no sooner had he left than Zara and Kalyani burst in.

 

Brina could tell Zara had been crying. She grew concerned immediately, and knew instinctively that if she heard more bad news, it would send her into a downward spiral. So she put a smile on her face, and although it wavered, was determined to keep it there. "It's nothing." But she couldn't lie to her oldest friend. "It's...it's the old disease back again. Apparently the last treatment missed something." She winced as a wave of pain swept through her, but when it passed, she doggedly pursued good spirits. "But don't worry about me. I've conquered it before, and I'm sure I'll do it again."

 

She reached out and grasped Zara's hand. "Enough about me. What's wrong?"

[Zara Nargal]

Zara swallowed, trying to process this next blow. Her thoughts ran wild, "We'll get you the best doctors..." Shaking her head she added, "Not that Dr Ran isn't good... it's just that I don't want to loose you too..." The words were cut off with a choked off sob.

 

She swallowed again then answered Brina's question as to what was wrong, "Idejjen just died. Ida told us before she left that he only had a short time to live... he's gone..."

 

What wasn't said was how close Zara had been with the construct. She had relied on him not only as an employee but as a friend no matter what form he had taken. It's a shame I never learnt how to heal with the Force... Sabian only showed me how to heal a cut or the simple things... even with my clan magic I couldn't do anything for him... Zara's eyes lit up as an idea hit her, "Brina... we'll get that Jedi Healer... I hear she can cure anything... surely she could heal you!"

--

Kalyani stood beside Brina's bed along with her mother. She remained quiet, still upset at Idejjen's passing and also hearing that Aunty Brina was sick again. It's not fair!

[Brina Thalin]

The news about Idejjen was a shock. Brina hadn't even known he was sick, much less dying. She bit her lip. She'd miss their big head of security. He had been a loyal employee and a friend.

 

She sat up and laid a hand on Zara's. "He led a good life. He will be missed."

 

The red-head laid back again on the pillows. She was about to assure Zara that everything would be fine when her friend started and quickly shared her idea. Hope kindled in Brina. "Do you really think we could get her to come? I'm sure she's busy...that she has more important people to heal." But despite her doubtful words, she couldn't help hoping that they could get her to come. She knew that if anyone could heal her for good, it would be the Jedi healer.

 

A small smile crossed her face. "What do we have to lose by asking, huh?"

[Zara Nargal]

Zara gave herself a mental talking to, intent on looking at the positives and pushing her grief to the back of her mind to deal with once she was alone. She listened as her friend took on board her suggestion regarding the Jedi Healer.

 

"We don't have anything to lose by asking. Lets hope that she will come." Zara fell thoughtful, "Now, where should we send the message to? I wonder where she would be?" As if a light-bulb flashed on above her head she added with some enthusiasm, "We can ask Kheldar to get her a message! He's got contacts all over the place. I'll just send him a message now."

 

Zara closed her eyes as she thought about what to put in the message. With her internal comm chip she sent off a message to the Merchant Prince.

 

"There. Message sent to Kheldar. Now we wait for a response."

[King Kheldar vos Correlli]

Kheldar's reply comes back quickly on a secured and encrypted line:

 

Zara,

 

Haven't been too in touch with Kane or Ronin. Ronin seems to have vanished into parts unknown. Even my best sources are having trouble pinning them down, which is saying something. The family's well, was spending time the the wife, kids, and sister-in-law, but had to come back to Coruscant to check on some business matters.

 

I've contacted Skye and she's been informed of the situation.

 

-Kheldar out.

[Zara Nargal]

Zara was grateful of the quick reply from Kheldar. That he hadn't heard from Kane... or Ronin for that matter, concerned her but she would leave doing anything about that until she had Brina better.

 

"Brina, I've just got a message back from Kheldar. He sent a message to Master Organa. I guess we wait now until we hear from her..."

 

The Dathomiri brought a chair over and made herself comfortable next to Brina's bedside. She was very concerned about her best friend. Zara nodded to Kalyani as her daughter said she was going to go back to the apartment. Kali lent over and gave her Aunt a kiss on the cheek before she headed off.

[Skye Organa]

~~ An encrypted comm comes in to Brina Thalin ~~

 

I received a comm. via Kheldar vos Corelli regarding your relapse. I will arrive soon to assess and treat you. In the mean time could you get your Doctor to send me your file so that I can review it in transit.

 

Jedi Master Skye Organa

 

~~ end comm ~~

[Brina Thalin]

When the comm came in, it was as good of news as Brina could hope for. She told Dr. Ran to forward her file to the Jedi, then clasped Zara's hand. "Thank you." They both knew that this Jedi was quite possibly her only chance of making a full recovery.

 

Brina didn't like that. She didn't like that the mysterious Force was the only thing that could help her now. But she had grown used to Force-users a bit. She still didn't have much contact with them--besides Zara, that is. But she didn't really consider Zara to be a Force-user. Possibly because she was never really trained. She knew that Draken and Sabian had both offered Zara training, and that she had spent some time with her sisters on Dathomir, but the Force didn't seem like it was part of her friend's everyday life, so that made it different.

 

As she leaned back, she realized that she was fairly certain she hadn't come across a real Force user since Sabian, as long as one didn't include Mr. Vortex. And for some reason, he was exempt too. The thought intruiged Brina, but she assumed it was simply because he was first and foremost a businessman now, not a Jedi.

 

Pain wracked her, and she closed her eyes and grimaced as she tried to fight it off. She didn't want to go through this again, and if this Skye Organa was her only hope, then so be it.

[Zara Nargal]

Zara was relieved that this Jedi Healer was going to come to see what she could do for Brina. She sat back in the chair, her concerned eyes on her good friend, wishing that there was something else she could do for her. Once the Jedi arrived, she would offer her the best accommodations, anything at her disposal if she could help Brina.

 

As pain wracked Brina's frame, Zara looked on helplessly. What could she do? There wasn't anything she could think of besides to hold onto her friends hand - to let Brina grip her hand in as tight as grip as she liked, if only to try and take some of her pain away from her. With her other hand, Zara smoothed her friend's forehead, her anxious eyes shifting from Brina's face to the nurse and back again.

[Idarah]

"Sure" said Idarah in a one word plug that lasted only two seconds.

 

Mechanically, the creation's circuits were in a whirl, sending hundreds of comms off one by one, some simultaneously, to people and corporations in order to organize the funeral ceremony on the Casino's tab. Emotionally though, her presence was with Idejjen as he whispered out his last breaths and finally stopped his organic existence.

 

"I don't know whether to be completely shocked or stunned to silence." said Idarah, pondering her rather odd emotional glitch, pushing it off as an organic thing and not one that could be easily calculated. "You were only my brother for a day... I never even got to say goodbye." The cyborg lamented softly into Idejjen's hollow ears.

 

Her cold metallic hand reached for the equally cold Twi'lek flesh as the security chief lay silently amongst death's embrace. "May you rest in peace Idejjen." Idarah whispered quietly, once more into his soulless ears, receiving no physical adherence to her verbal disturbances.

 

______________________________

 

 

Life that was once a harsh and cold reality, had been made into a physically valued and honored possession. Images of nostalgia at Zara's touch flashed through Idejjen's fleeting mind on his deathbed and although an image of the creature with Zara's staff and family had never been manifested, he manufactured one purely for his own enjoyment and purely for the tranquility of his own mind as he passed his final few minutes in silence.

[Brina Thalin]

At the nurse's questioning look, Brina nodded, and the nurse added some painkillers to the IV that was keeping her hydrated. The red-head nodded her thanks. She didn't like being on painkillers; they made her less alert, and some of the worse ones gave her hallucinations. But because of her past battles, she knew when the pain was building up rather than settling down, and now was one of those times.

 

"Sorry, Zar. I don't mean to keep you. I'm sure you're exhausted. And you should have been in bed hours ago, 'Yani." Brina's tone was apologetic, but clearly she didn't want the two of them standing around pitying her. There was nothing they could do, and pity was the last thing she wanted. "A good night's sleep will do us all good. Tomorrow is another busy day. I'm going to want to discuss some new plans I've been working on for the new station we talked about, Zara. I think it will be great for business; I'm actually really excited about it."

 

She smiled, a genuine smile that held no hint of pain, for as the painkillers dulled the worst of it, she was able to keep the remaining pain from showing. "Oh, before you go, did the Jedi say where we were to meet her? We can go to some Jedi base if she wants. She doesn't have to come here."

[Zara Nargal]

Zara reached over to pat Brina's hand, "I'll go soon." She had watched as her daughter had lent over to kiss Brina's cheek before leaving to go off to bed.

 

"I think by the message that the Jedi was coming here. I guess we will see." She stood and looked back at her friend. "You be good for the doctors... take your meds. They'll help you... well a little anyhow. Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning."

 

Zara was tired as she headed back towards the apartment. Only once before had she felt so emotionally drained but she wasn't going to think about that. She guessed she should check in with Idarah but she was too tired to really focus on that. Sleep was what she needed and she would cope with whatever came their way tomorrow.

[Brina Thalin]

Brina set down her datapad and rubbed her head. It was getting harder and harder to keep up with her work. The pain drained her of energy. It was like she was a leaky bucket--she'd try to save her energy, but it'd simply drain out of her.

 

She tried to force herself to focus on the data. It was plans for the new resort she had been inspired to build. Money was good and the plans seemed sound, but Brina wanted to be hands-on as much as possible to really invest in this new station. She wasn't about to let her sickness prevent her from getting her work done.

 

But she had to face the facts. She was getting worse every day. Every day it was harder just to concentrate, much less get any real planning done. The day-to-day business of running the Casino had fallen on Zara's shoulders completely, and Brina knew it was too much for one woman to do. Zara never complained, but Brina could see the strain the stress was taking on her partner.

 

The worst part, at least in Brina's mind, wasn't the pain or the lack of energy, but the frustration and desperation. There were so many things that she wished she had done differently in her life. She had made the best of the cards dealt to her, but she had also squandered so much. What ifs and if only's intruded on her thoughts no matter how much she tried to push them away.

 

The small candle of hope that the Jedi healer's promise had kindled was faded but still resilient. It wasn't in Brina's character to give up. She was a fighter. And even though she knew without a doubt that she was facing a battle she couldn't win on her own, she clung to the idea that the Jedi could give her the weapons she needed to fight back.

 

She shuddered violently as the pain flooded her again, and launched into a coughing fit. When she regained control, she picked up her datapad again. There was work that still needed to be done. She couldn't rest now.

[Skye Organa]

(ooc: I'd been waiting for Nishant to post in the Space Thread... ah well... lets get this show on the road )

 

Skye heard the chimes then soon after felt the change within the ship as it came out of hyperspace via Darex's very capable hands. Rising gracefully, the Healer left the hydroponic gardens, soon entering her room. After a quick sonic shower, Skye emerged in her white Healer robes and headed into the cockpit. She had a good look at the visage before them then glanced over at Darex murmuring ”œImpressive”¦”

[SithAcolyte]

Darla had been the last to wake on Serenity. She was glad on this, since once again she had morning sickness. If Darex had seen her he would surely start to figure out what was going on. Darla knew she would have to tell him soon. Before long she would start to show.

 

Hopefully they would be at Corellia soon. When they were there Darla could relax. That would be the best time to tell Darex the big news. It was good that Darla had this to herself knowing about the baby. It had given her a chance to come to terms with it herself and become more at ease. That way when she told Darex she would be in a better state if mind to help him to deal with it.

 

Before they went to Corellia, they were here to heal Skye's friend. Was it Skye's friend? Or had she been called by a friend to heal a sick acquaintance? Darla wasn't sure of the details. Perhaps this trip was purely business for Skye. 

 

After washing a dressing in her usual fitted black jumpsuit, Darla was escorted off the ship by I-Nine who had waited for her. The droid led Darla to Skye who had waited to see if Darla was coming along.

 

"Sorry I'm late." She said to her friend. "I guess Darex didn't want to wake me and let me sleep in. I feel great though, I had a good rest."

 

As they began to walk Darla sent Darex a quick comm message to say good morning, tell him that she was going along with Skye and that she loved him. After that she turned back to Skye.

 

"So who is the woman that you've come here to heal? What's exactly is wrong with her?"

 

For someone to have called out Skye, it must have been something quite serious.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex nodded at Skye. "Sure, no problem. I'll keep an eye out for Emily and Nishant, but I think I'm just going to chill while you and Darla heal this woman." There was little else to say, and Skye moved back through the Serenity. Darex went through the post-landing checklist, then headed back to their quarters and changed. He didn't want to blantantly advertise being a Jedi, so he chose one of his backup outfits--a pair of black pants, black boots, and a hunter green shirt. His comlink buzzed as he was about to put it back in his pocket, and he smiled to read Darla's message.

 

There were rules against weapons on the station, so he left his lightsaber on the bed and headed out. Before exploring, however, he made sure the Serenity was locked up. Just in case.

 

That task complete, the Jedi Master downloaded a map to his datapad and began to tour the casino. It was very nice, lavish and expensive, the perfect playground for the wealthy. But there were people from every walk of life there. In fact, it surprised Darex how busy the place was. He had assumed with the war that it would be rather empty. An economist would gladly point out that business boomed at casinos when the galaxy was in turmoil, but Darex was far from realizing that.

 

After a little while, he found an exercise room. Seeing as it was empty, Darex checked with the attendant droid and found that he was free to use the facility, despite not being a registered guest. There were all kinds of weapons provided to practice with--all non-lethal, naturally--and Darex decided to experiment a little. He chose two lightweight quarterstaffs and began to practice dual-weilding. It was very different from his normal Form III methods, and he enjoyed the challenge. Soon he had worked up quite a sweat.

 

When he could go no more, he eschewed a shower in favor of a swim in the giant pool that was connected to the facility. It had been so long since he had gone swimming for pleasure. It reminded him of his boyhood on Naboo. Lost in memories, Darex relaxed in the warmth of the pool, simply enjoying the peace.

[Skye Organa]

While Skye was waiting for Darla she looked over the symptoms that Brina Thalin had. From what Dr Ran had sent her, she knew that some of the disease had been missed in the last treatment, that he didn't expect the treatments to work a second time and that he didn't hold much hope for his patient. A frown crossed her features as she read the rest of the file, the Healer finding herself shaking her head at the negativity shown. Well... he doesn't know what the Force can do...

 

She looked up as Darla joined her, a smile now lighting up her face. "I'm glad you slept well." Watching as Darla sent her message to Darex, the Healer tilted her head to the side and pulled a small bottle out from the folds of her robes, "Here. Take one of these daily. It will help stop the morning sickness." Her voice was soft so that only Darla heard what was said, even though the staff member that was leading them to the medical center was a few meters in front of them. They continued on, the path that they were taken on showing them some of the sights the Casino offered.

 

"As for your question, we are hear to treat Brina Thalin, one of the owners of this Casino. She has a debilitating disease. From Dr Ran's notes, Brina had been in remission until just recently when it returned. A few cells were not removed and they multiplied and sent her into a relapse." Skye glanced across at Darla as they stepped into the turbo-lift. "I guess you could say I feel a debt towards these people" Skye waved her hand to indicate those that ran this establishment. "The last time that Corellia got attacked, Mother was on board this Casino. She had been looking around their gardens when the attack was launched. The Casino took on board as many as they could before they escaped to a safer location. When I was informed that they needed my expertise in healing, I couldn't say no."

 

The turbo-lift stopped and the staff member stood aside to allow them to enter the medical center. The Sister in charge met them just inside the center and led them into Ms Thalin's room. The one thing Skye could feel as soon as she stepped into the room was the fear that radiated off her patient. The fear of not being able to escape the disease... and also a fear of the Force. She took in all of this with a glance, immediately radiating a soothing empathy. As her patient looked up, Skye spoke, "Hello Ms Thalin. I am Healer Skye Organa and this is Darla. My two droids are Flitter and I-Nine." With a friendly smile she asked, "When would you like me to begin?"

[Brina Thalin]

The Jedi was not what Brina was expecting. She had auburn hair and intense blue eyes, and was younger than Brina had thought she'd be. For some reason, she had in her mind that the Healer would be an old woman, wrinkled and patronizing.

 

But Master Organa seemed to radiate a glow, a calm presence. Brina couldn't imagine the woman ever being in a fight, although she knew that was part of the mystique of the Jedi--peaceful meditators one moment, deadly warriors the next.

 

The other woman, Darla, was more interesting. She had nothing of the calm presence that Organa had, and her dark hair and green eyes gave her a more serious countenance. Brina was struck by how beautiful she was. Definitely in a different league than I am, was her thought.

 

Master Organa seemed eager to start. Brina shrugged. "Whenever you're ready, I suppose." She was nervous, but as was typical for her, she hid it behind nonchalance. "What exactly will this...procedure...entail?"

 

Part of her wished Zara was here, but the larger part of her was glad her friend was off working. She hated to think that her partner was worrying about her.

 

"Do you have any idea what is wrong? Dr. Ran thought he had it figured out, but now he's not so sure. He was certain they had eliminated this already." Pain took hold of her again, and the last words were between gasps for breath. It was getting worse, and the episodes more frequent. If Skye couldn't help her...No, don't think it, Bri, she told herself firmly. You'll be fine. You've beaten this before. But despite her firm words to herself, in her gut, she knew better.

[Darex Trevelian]

A while later, Darex found himself on the shopping level--or at least, according to his map, one of the shopping levels. He had no real aim; he was merely wandering. The stores were brightly lit and welcoming, and the area quite busy.

 

It was strange to think about, Darex mused, that there was an enormous battle going on right now in the dead of space, and still there were people shopping, or people like him who were taking time off from the rest of the galaxy. It was the ultimate dichotomy--a struggle for life, or the enjoyment of life.

 

"Kind sir!"

 

The voice belonged to a Twi'lek shopkeeper, who was beckoning him over.

 

He hesitated, and that was all the Twi'lek needed. "Come have a look! Finest jewels you'll ever find. Pick something up for your wife or girlfriend! And with our money-back guarantee, you don't have to worry about them not liking it!"

 

Amused, Darex allowed himself to be ushered over to her small store. The Twi'lek prattled on. "Surely you wish to purchase something special for someone special. Every woman needs a beautiful necklace, or a pair of earrings. We also have horn studs, appendage jewels, and nourishment crystals! Who will you be shopping for today, sir?"

 

"A human woman," Darex replied. As the words came out, he was slightly surprised at himself. He had never consciously thought about getting anything for Darla. He didn't think he had ever seen her wearing jewelry. But now that he was face to face with the lovely array of precious gems, he imagined seeing the expression on her face if he got her something. The problem was, he had little idea how she'd respond, so he couldn't quite picture her face. It was that thought that pushed him over the edge--he loved a good mystery.

 

"I have limited funds," he said, interrupting the Twi'lek's extollment of a Corusca gem necklace that had to cost at least 10,000 credits. "I just want something simple yet nice."

 

The shopkeeper's blue face fell a little, but she enthusiastically took out some simpler pieces. One in particular caught his eye. It was a necklace with a long silver chain. The thing hanging off of it--the Twi'lek referred to is as a pendant--had a green gem with two smaller diamonds offsetting it. Something about it reminded Darex of Darla, and he inquired as to the price.

 

When she named it, he frowned. Was bargaining acceptable in a situation like this? He had no idea--he had never shopped for jewelry before in his life. Tenatively, he tried asking her for a lower price, and from the look in her eyes, the Twi'lek was more than willing to bargain.

 

He got her down to what seemed like an affordable price. It was still steep for a Jedi, but he paid the credits anyway. The shopkeeper put it in a nice little black bag once the transaction was complete, and he walked off down the strip, feeling a bit foolish. This is what normal men do for the women they care for, he told himself, and you're going to be a normal man for the moment. It didn't really help, but he soon put it out of mind and continued his tour.

[SithAcolyte]

It was as if Skye had read Darla's mind. She took the tablets for morning sickness from Skye with a smile on her face.

 

"Thank you." She raised an eyebrow as she pocketed the bottle. "I hope it wasn't that obvious?"

 

 

They women and the droids were led into the medical center. The place made Darla feel uneasy. It was a nice enough place, clean and orderly. But the thought of people dying from diseases filled Darla with dread. She was responsible for another life now. The idea of any ill health befalling her child terrified Darla. That was something that she had no control over. All she could really do was take care of herself.

 

She took deep breaths, pushing the uneasiness away.

 

Another reason for her feeling of unease was the fact that she was about to be reminded of what she had lost.

 

Darla had once been a healer like Skye, but she had lost the ability. she wasn't even sure how.Her connection to the lightside of the Force was jittery at best these days. In order to heal someone she had to be able to channel that energy. It saddened her that she could no longer do it. Helping others had always filled Darla with a sense of purpose.

 

At least she would be able to aid Skye with and medical equipment that she needed. Darla hadn't forgotten how to do that. She has spent enough time with Skye to know her way around a medbay with her eyes closed.

 

They entered Brina's room and Skye introduced Darla to her patient.

 

"Hi." Darla smiled, trying to hide her unease.

 

She felt useless.

 

Surely she would be no good to this sickened woman. Darla would watch Skye and lament her own healing powers.

 

Brina looked like should would normally be a striking woman. About Darla's height and build with dark, wavy, red hair. It was clear that she was fighting some kind of disease and the wear of it was starting to take it's toll.

 

As Brina spoke to Skye her body was filled with pain and some of her words were lost to gasps. If Darla had been able she would have eased the woman's pain. Instead she looked to Skye, knowing that her friend was up to the task.

[Skye Organa]

"What exactly will this...procedure...entail?"

 

”œAll you will have to do is lie there and relax,”

[Brina Thalin]

Skye's words didn't really help; they simply puzzled Brina. But she had chosen to allow the Healer to try, and at this point, she knew it was this or nothing. Dr. Ran could do nothing more for her--this was it.

 

She heard Skye and the other woman, Darla, begin to work. The IV in her arm soon made everything go fuzzy. It had to be a strong sedative, for little else had been able to completely free her from the pain. It felt like she was free, floating above the room and looking down on it.

 

But she wasn't alone. Both Nargal siblings were there with her. Zara was smiling encouragingly as she held the hands of her children. And Kat came up to her and planted one of those big kisses she remembered on her lips. It was so vivid, she felt she could even smell the combination of cigarettes and alcohol that had always clung to him. Together, all of them hovered, watching the Jedi doctors work on Brina's body. They could hear everything being said, and Brina knew that if she spoke aloud, the Jedi would hear her, but it was a very strange perspective.

[Zara Nargal]

Zara rubbed her eyes again and looked at the chrono on the wall of her office. The time hadn't moved forward much since the last time she looked. She was concerned about Brina and between the worry for her friend and the death of Idejjen she hadn't gotten much sleep. She didn't want to look in a mirror as she knew what she would see - dark bags under her eyes as if she'd been in a fight. Make up hadn't done much to conceal it.

 

"Mum... is Aunty Brina going to be okay?" Zara looked up to see her youngest daughter standing in the doorway. "Can we go see her?"

 

"We'll go and see her once the Jedi have finished healing her sweetheart." The Dathomiri rose from her chair and closed the distance between herself and Mellanie, enclosing the young girl in her arms. She rocked gently back and forth as she cuddled her youngest. "The doctors said that Aunty Brina is in good hands with the Jedi Healers... Dr Ran said that Healer Organa is the best there is."

 

Zara looked down to her daughters face, squeezing her again, "How about we go get you a special treat?" Mellanie nodded her head enthusiastically. It had been a while since they had done something like this. The two left her office and headed towards the elevator, taking it to the food court level. They found an unoccupied table and sat down. As they waited for the waitress to arrive, Zara looked at her daughter. Mellanie reminded her so much of her father, Sabian.

 

The waitress arrived and Zara gave her order, asking for three large ice-cream sundaes, having sent a message to her other daughter to meet them there as well. Kalyani didn't take long to arrive, getting there before the waitress brought their order. When special treats like this were offered, her children didn't take long... Zara filled Kali in on the latest news from the medical center, her hands each resting on her daughters to comfort them. At least the ice-cream would take their minds off their Aunt for a little while.

[Darex Trevelian]

The Casino was a massive feat of architecture and engineering. Darex made it his goal to explore as much as he could before Skye and Darla were ready to leave. He even made himself take a brief tour of the non-Force zone, even through he knew it would make him feel queasy.

 

He was on a tram away from the Force-free zone when he saw a young boy out of the corner of his eye. The boy was sitting with his mother, drawing. Glancing over at them, Darex could see that the drawing was of a Jedi Knight. He smiled. The boy saw him looking and smiled back. "Wanna see my picture?"

 

Darex nodded, and the boy held it up. "It's very good," he told the boy.

 

"It's a Jedi! Jedis are so cool! I want to be a Jedi when I grow up!" the boy replied enthusiastically.

 

Darex rose and took the free seat across the aisle from the boy. "That's a noble goal. Why do you want to be a Jedi?"

 

"Because they help people and they fight bad guys and always win!"

 

Darex chuckled. "Do you want to know a secret? I know quite a few Jedi."

 

The boy's eyes grew wide. "Really? Real Jedis?"

 

"Jedi," Darex corrected. "Yes, some of my best friends are Jedi."

 

"That's wizard! I hope that someday I will get to meet a Jedi!"

 

He grinned in response. "Wanna hear a bigger secret?"

 

The boy nodded, breathless with anticipation.

 

"I'm a Jedi."

 

He didn't think the boy's eyes could get any wider, but they did. "No way! Prove it!"

 

Darex held up a finger. "Just a minute. We're still in the Force-free zone of the station, but we should be breaking the bubble in...there." He took a deep breath as the Force washed back over him. "Alright, let's see."

 

A moment later, one of the boy's crayons was hovering close to the Jedi Master's palm. He kept it there just long enough for the boy to be convinced, then handed it back to him. "Don't give up on your dream," he told the boy. "Becoming a Jedi is hard, but it's worth it."

 

He was still smiling as he got off the tram. The boy's enthusiasm and lightheartedness cheered him, and his determination to become a Jedi himself reminded Darex of why he had become who he was today. It was strange; Darex didn't have much experience with children, so he didn't know how the boy compared, but he was pretty sure the kid had been adorable by anyone's standards.

 

He was still thinking about the encounter as he grabbed some lunch at a small diner.

 

***

 

 

Nishant had been distant and unfocused ever since they had left. It left Emily feeling alone and a little depressed. So it was that she felt she could do nothing but what Nishant's master had suggested. She grabbed the datapad and left the ship, making her way quietly to the domed gardens of the Casino.

 

As she sat amidst the plants, she wondered briefly if all Jedi were as infatuated with plants as Nishant and Skye were. But the thought quickly passed. She felt...lost. Like she had no direction or purpose. It wasn't for lack of trying, but she felt she needed a guide, someone who could point her down proper paths. She was a mere wanderer, and she desired so much more out of life. But she didn't know how to get it. She couldn't make life happen to her.

 

She realized she had been sitting there for several minutes, the datapad loose in her hands. So she focused herself, banishing her self-pity and narrowing her view to the plant in front of her. It had a beautiful dark blue flower whose petals were streaked with an aquamarine hue. It's leaves were dark green and heart-shaped. She entered the data onto the datapad.

 

Then taking a deep breath, she opened herself to the storm. The Force swirled around her in a terrible vortex, beautiful but deadly, enthralling yet terrifying. She poured all of it's power onto the flower, demanding knowledge in return for strength.

 

Had she wanted, she could have seen down to the plants very genes. It would have been easy, she realized, to alter those genes. Who knew what she could create? Or it would be equally easy to destroy, to break apart the flower at the essence of itself. She wanted to try it, but then drew back, seeing the sheer beauty of how the coding worked together to create something so gorgeous. It would be an outrage to destroy something so lovely.

 

She decided to change her perspective. This time, she simply watched the plant. She saw it at the foundational level. She saw the light touching the leaves, and the cells in the leaves converting it to chlorophyll which in turn created the greenness of the leaves, allowing them to soak up more light. She saw the plant's roots, firmly embedded in the soil, soaking up water and nutrients. She saw those nutrients feeding the cells to make them strong and healthy. And she saw the whole plant working together for it's own well-being.

 

Roots. I need roots. I'm like the flower, fragile and unsure, my only purpose not active, but passive. I want to be the roots, strong, with the power to make or break the health of the galaxy. Nothing moves the roots. They are unshakeable, whereas the flower gets blown about by the smallest breeze. Yes the flower is beautiful, but it's weak. I'd rather be roots, knarled and curving, but strong.

[Skye Organa]

(ooc: Sorry for not posting before now, been sick - still am but will push out a post hopefully before I start coughing again...)

 

Kalyani looked up from her ice-cream with her expression appreciative, "Wow Mum, he's hot!" The sixteen year old girl was at a stage that her mother wished she wasn't and was wary of... every good looking male within their radius was currently labeled 'hot'. The youngest of the Nargal clan was nodding her head in agreement. With a soft groan and a roll of her eyes, Zara turned her gaze towards the man that had just entered the diner. Immediately Zara wished that she had taken her daughters to a non-Force zone diner as she felt her daughter reach out with the Force as if to beckon the man towards them. "Kalyani! Stop that!" Zara said as she accessed the Force as well, squashing the attempt her daughter had made though sensing it was a lost cause... this man was a Force user as well. Quite a powerful one the Dathomiri Witch surmised. Shaking her head but with a sparkle in her eyes she added, "What am I going to do with you sweetheart?" That Mellanie was noticing these men also was cause to worry about. The last thing she needed was for her girls to be labeled 'double trouble'. At least with the pair of them thinking about these 'hot males' they weren't thinking about their Aunty Brina... not like their Mother was...

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The bowl under Brina's hand was filling quickly. Skye knew this fact and also knew that either Darla or I-Nine would replace it once it was full. It didn't take anything from her concentration though as she searched every part of her patient's body for the mutated cells.

 

----

 

Time became a distant concept as the Healer worked on each section of Brina's body. On the table beside them now stood five bowls containing a strange blue liquid,a sixth bowl was underneath Brina's fingers. It was like she was searching through a forest though instead of the canopy being green and the ground being brown, everything was different shades of red. She took every path there was, every track and left no proverbial stone unturned as she searched out the diseased cells. Every so often Skye asked Brina a question relating to her pain levels, if she felt anything when she 'chased' out a particular tricky mutated cell. If Brina felt anything, Darla would inject another hypospray to make sure that what she was doing was as painless as possible.

 

As the last of the mutated cells left Brina's body, Skye opened her eyes. She now stood up to place her hands over her patients prone body, palms facing down. A blue energy was seen to leave the Healers palms, a blue flame traveling the length of Brina's body. What Skye did now was to doubly make sure that no mutated diseased cells were left within her patients body, not that she thought any had been missed, it was just a precaution. Between searching them out and using her other abilities, Brina would now be considered a very healthy woman.

[SithAcolyte]

Darla was amazed at how Skye was pushing the disease out of Brina's body. The diseased cells dripped from her fingers a vibrant blue liquid.

 

It reminded Darla of how she had expelled Sith poison from Armiena's body during a battle. She had found the toxic cells and pushed them out of her body through her pores as a black fluid.

 

In essence Skye was doing the same thing, but on a much more complicated level. The poison had been easy to expel, it had been screaming out as foreign to Armiena's body. Darla had simply needed to give them a violent push and her body had been more than willing to expel the poison.

 

But that seemed like a lifetime ago. Darla no longer had those abilities.

 

Skye was searching for a disease, something much more insidious. Something able to hide deep within the body, become part of the body, kill it from the inside. All conventional cures seemed to have failed Brina Thalin. Skye was her last hope.

 

It took some time and Darla could feel the effort that Skye had to put into the search. She knew her friend could do it and never doubted her for a second. All Darla could do was aid her by moving the bowl away from Brina's hand once it was fully and placing a new one underneath. She adminstered painkillers on Skye's command as well, but there was little else she could do.

 

Once she would have added her own strength in the Force to Skye's efforts. It saddened her a little how useless she had become, how much she had lost. But seeing what Skye was doing also filled her with hope and joy. The sadness eased.

 

A woman's life was being saved. There was no place for sadness in that room.

 

Darla put a hand on Skye's should gently.

 

"You did it." She smiled at her friend. "Is there anything I can get you?"

 

Darla could tell that the healing had taken it's toll on her friend. She had been channelling a lot of Force energy to do what she had done.

[Darex Trevelian]

As he sat eating, he felt the beckon through the Force. Casually, he glanced up, noticing two teenage girls sitting with an older woman who had to be their mother. The older daughter was smiling coyly at him, and he could sense her mother trying to squash the girl's Force prodding.

 

He smiled and took the last bite of his sandwich. Draining his glass, he rose, gathered up his trash, and strode towards the waste receptacle. On his way, he paused at the girls' table. "I'm a bit old for you girls," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "But thanks for the compliment."

 

He turned to face the mother. "I'm Darex Trevelian. You have beautiful daughters, Mrs...?"

 

He could tell that all three were quite strong in the Force, and he was curious. Especially since the older girl was clearly old enough to begin training. The mother herself seemed only half-trained, and Darex was curious to hear the reason why.

[Brina Thalin]

((OOC: Hope you're alright, Chris!))

 

It was a weird out-of-body experience, but the phantoms of those dearest to her comforted her as the procedure was taking place. The drugs, which were probably helping the phantoms to be there in the first place, were also keeping the pain to a minimum. In fact, Brina felt better than she had in a while, despite the odd sensation of seeing her body beneath her on the operating bed.

 

"I feel weird that it's the Force that's healing me," she told phantom-Kat in a low voice. "I never even used to believe it existed."

 

"We all have to change and grow every now and then," he replied, drawing a long breath on his cigar.

 

She laughed. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that."

 

"Uncle Kat's right, though, Aunt Brina," Melanie chimed in. "The Force is real; I can feel it inside me at every moment."

 

She laid a hand on her goddaughter's shoulder. "Yeah, I know, hun. If hanging around you guys and your mother has taught me anything, it's to not underestimate the Force or doubt it's existance. But you have to understand that for so much of my life, I've mistrusted and thought little of the Force...and those that use it. And even when I met your mother, she was an exception." She looked down and examined the Jedi Healer and her friend. "But maybe I was wrong. I've met many decent Force-users; I have no reason to mistrust them just because they're..."

 

"Different from you?" Kat asked.

 

Brina nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's the gist of it."

 

He put an arm around her. "Well, well, well. A lesson and a healing. These Jedi are good."

 

Brina smiled. Together, the family--adopted members included--waited and watched as the operation ended and Skye sat back, drained. Brina took a deep breath and let it out. "I guess this means I'll be leaving you." Sadness overcame her. In a way, she preferred this life over the one she was going back to, even if it was all a figment of her drug-altered imagination. She patted Melanie on the hand and gave Kane and Kalyani brief hugs. She did the same to Zara. "I'll see you all in a few minutes. Kane, take care of yourself, wherever you are."

 

The spectres faded until Brina was left alone with Kat. She looked at him, then threw herself into his arms. "I need to get over you," she whispered. "It's been years since you left us. So why do I still think of you? Why can't I find someone else?"

 

She drew back. "I guess I really did love you after all, Kat. I'm sorry I didn't realize it until it was too late for us. I'm going to try to move on, but...I don't think I'll ever stop loving you." There. She had said it. Already his image was fading, but he leaned over and kissed her one last time, a light airy kiss that half felt like nothing at all. Then everything else went blurry too, and Brina slowly closed her eyes.

 

***

 

Brina opened her eyes. The woman Darla was caring for a recuperating Master Organa over to the side. The red-head took a deep breath, and slowly smiled as she felt no pain. "Thank you...both of you," she whispered. A moment later, she slipped into a deep, natural sleep, the one thing her body now most desperately needed.