A Different Perspective

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He found it a fitting name.

"Last time that happened I ended up fighting in a gladiatorial pit for half a year. It was a bit of a rough patch," Cedric lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug, and found himself smiling at his own attempt at humor. He preferred a lighter mood so long as folks weren't trying to murder one another.

"Probably would have been fun if I wasn't a Jedi. Bound by moral codes and all that," he continued, letting her take the not-so-subtle hint however she wished. "Well, thank you Aes'ona. I haven't met any good people from the First Order yet. All my past experience has been more bloody than anyone would ever wish for." He added with an almost apologetic lilt to his voice.

"How long do you think this is going to take?" He gestured down toward his marred chest.

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

The doctor was left blinking, flabbergasted. A gladiator pit? She hadn't heard of the Order that punishment before. Though, as she had more-or-less recently learned, if Endor's prisoner conditions would be unimaginably horrid, the Order could be much more creative than she had thought.

"As in the Silver Jedi?" Aes'ona asked with bated breath. She tried not to, but she couldn't help it. Her father, for as much of a foundation he had been for Aes'ona's compassion, the stormtrooper commandant held onto much hostility for the SJO as well as any Force-user who fought in their name. He had passed some of his stories as a deathtrooper to his adoptive daughter as something of a warning.

But she pushed the stories' morals aside and commented, "They often are. I've seen it too often." And then she estimated, "At least weeks. More likely months, but I can't barricade us in here for that long."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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Cedric simply shook his head.

"No. I've fought alongside them before, but I don't agree with their ways. The Jedi should either let the people govern them, or govern as protectors entirely. The middle path they walk leads to bickering and inaction." There was a slight bitterness in Cedric's tone. The Silvers had come to the Rebel Alliance's aid, and in doing so had earned the Jedi Master's respect. He had forgiven the Silver Jedi for their past inaction and saw them as equals, but he did not forget.

"I was with the Rebel Alliance. It's leader I suppose, and the Sith Emperor has a particular hatred for me. If the First Order knew they had me, I'd probably be sent to old man Zambrano as a bargaining chip." He paused, "These days the rebellion has returned to the New Republic, so I guess I'm with them. Restoring the Republic has been my life's goal, and now that we're so close it'd be quite a shame if I was captured."

His heart dropped when she gave him the time it would take to heal. "I don't have time for that, kark," he shook his head. "I owe you Aes'ona, but you don't need to put yourself on the line to help me. If I can get some stims I can probably walk myself to a speeder and find a place to lie low while my body heals."

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

“Well, the recovery timeline might be slightly accelerated for a Jedi,” Aes’ona added hopefully. “In any case, I’ll fetch you some stims. Now that this disaster has ended, I’ve somewhere to be soon. Offworld.” As she finished, Aes’ona turned on her heels and returned to the room’s console. She brought up her holomail and glanced back over her detour request. She powered the display off and crossed the room again to the main doors. “I’ll lock these,” she narrated as she did so, hoping that Cedric had enough faith in her that doing so wouldn’t make him nervous. “And I’ll be right back,” she added, moving back to another exit. “Stay here.”

And with that, she stepped out into the relatively cool hall, slipping on her jacket that she had picked up on her way across the room and out the door. As she fastened it up, she beelined to the hospital’s main storage.

“Oh!” Aes’ona exclaimed, instinctively stepping back when rounding a corner almost delivered her into the file-filed arms of a nurse. “Goodness, I’m so sorry.” For a fleeting moment, she had a thought of reporting [member="Cedric Grayson"]. She still could. But she shook the idea out of her head, likely physically performing the action--she was too stunned to notice. No! She didn’t want to. It was just the pull of self-preservation. She didn’t need the instinct now; she’d be alright, as would her patient.

No damage had been done to the nurse or his pile of flimsiplasts; it looked like any disaster had been averted. “No harm done, Terrani,” the man said. “You seem in quite the hurry. Is there something--?”

Not always being the best under pressure--at least not the keeping-a-secret kind--she interrupted, “Nothing I can’t handle. You look busy yourself.”

The nurse, however, persisted, putting his files down on a nearby table. “Never too busy to help a doctor, ma’am.”

Internally, Aes’ona cringed at the title. Technically, it wasn’t an incorrect one for him to use in reference to her. Plus, maybe her heightened nerves added to her lack of comfort, though in any case she bit back a correction and smiled instead. “My prep team forgot to give me a dose of cordrazine,” she lied. It was the best she could come up with rather on the spot, as it would make sense that a surgeon might need that stimulant in particular on hand during or after an operation. She hoped it was convincing enough at least.

It seemed to be, as the man led Aes’ona to her target. She did not want to give Cedric the cordrazine, however, and pocketed a few high-dose adrenals instead.

Soon after, she had returned to the wounded Jedi, only half-lying to the nurse this time when she said that, though the surgery was successful, the patient’s immune system was compromised. Thus the tech might introduce a pathogen into the room. Thankfully, he didn’t question the doctor and wandered off to find to his files after wishing her luck.

Aes’ona closed the door behind her but remained to lean her back up against it. Luckily for her, she’d be leaving to the either Empress Teta or the Malice soon and wouldn’t have to interact with that particular nurse ever again.

 

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He truly hadn't expected as much assistance with the doctor. All past experience with the order had been wholly unfortunate in its nature. The last time Cedric had truly interacted with the military group was on Dagobah, where his padawan had been cut down by a homicidal Ren with a fetish for murdering children. The Jedi Master had dispatched that individual shortly thereafter, but the damage had been done. Years of training were washed down the drain as Mirax had bled out in those swamps, and Cedric could only hold the girl in a vain attempt to comfort her as her unfairly short life came to an end.

Thoughts of such events stirred in the back of his mind as Cedric was left to his own devices. They gave him a certain level of focus, and the effects of the drugs slowly began to dull into a quiet buzzing that he could barely hear.

A momentary loneliness passed over the Jedi Master. It was a rather foreign emotion for Cedric to experience; he was an introvert by nature that knew how to play the game of socialities, but he tended to prefer his own company and that alone. Perhaps that loneliness stemmed from his seeming powerlessness in the situation he was in; without Aes'ona Cedric was dead.

He did not enjoy that reality.

"I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind doctor," he offered her a friendly smile as the door closed behind her. Anything to put the stressed doctor at ease. Blue eyes narrowed curiously as they met Aes'ona's own.

"I'll get you a drink for all this," the good humor momentarily faded to seriousness. Unpleasantness flowed off of the doctor in waves of inky blackness - this situation was stressing her out in a way that Cedric might want to reign in.

"Why stick with the order?" He canted his head to the right, though his gaze did not waver from the doctor. "Why put yourself at risk? You seem like a good person. The environment doesn't suit you."

Them - as if Aes'ona was not one of them.

She's just as imperial as the rest of them.

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

The doctor gave her own small smile in response to his. And then a small laugh. "Thank you, but I don't drink. During residency, I worked for a hepatologist for a few weeks. Changed my lifestyle."

She pushed herself up off the door and walked over to sit down in the metal chair. Nothing to do now but wait and she might as well provide some bedside manner as they did. "Loyalty, I told you," she repeated. "Admittedly, mine might be seen as a little...unorthodox, but it's still true." Pausing, she began taking off her jacket again. "I very much fit into the environment of medbays, if I do say so myself. I wouldn't fit into that of stormtroopers or politicians. I simply picked a branch that would become me.

"I may be a doctor, but I am not protecting you, Jedi," she added in a soft voice, using the title simply as a placeholder for his still-unknown name. "I'm simply paying back your good deeds. It's not meant to be kindness; it's meant to be fairness. A courtesy, if you will."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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Despite the hostility of the environment, Cedric found himself relaxing. He even found himself smiling and laughing somewhat when the doctor spoke his her desire not to drink. "I can respect that. I don't drink much, honestly. You don't get much time for it in my line of work." Though it seemed some Jedi Knights were intent on being functioning alcoholics no matter the circumstances.

"I'll take fairness in the guise of kindness over hostility any day, and for the sake of my own ego, I'll pretend that kindness is genuine," he offered through a half-smile. There was something about genuine conversation that Cedric had grown to enjoy as of late, and he found himself worrying less about the situation at hand. Perhaps he could stop seeing the doctor less as a potential threat and more as an ally.

"My name Cedric Grayson," he offered, and found himself hoping with all his being that Aes'ona was unfamiliar with his reputation. He wouldn't have dared speak his name in Sith space, but his moves against the First Order had never been lively enough to earn him their infamy.

He paused, brow furrowing for a moment in contemplation, "And I think I can understand your decision, though in a different light. I was born into the military caste on my homeworld." Not a an untruth, "When I began my Jedi training, it was difficult for me to justify my position as a soldier while also trying to learn how to live peacefully. Eventually I found the way to make that justification in dedicating my life to defending others rather than fighting for myself. Sounds like you made the same decision."

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

Aes'ona sat quietly, nodding along with [member="Cedric Grayson"]'s story. It was similar to hers, she had to admit, though she had left some unsaid yet. "Something like that," allowed the doctor, standing again to take the neglected stims out of her jacket pocket. She discarded the cordrazine on a further counter and deposited the three adrenals on the end table nearest Cedric.

"That's all I could acquire without raising suspicion. When you feel well enough..." Doctor Terrani trailed off, not meaning to finish, but was interrupted anyway by a chirp from her console. When she looked at her newest holomail, relief washed over her face. Her request had been miraculously approved. She had half a mind to track down the officer responsible and give him or her a kiss.

Quickly her happiness melted into slight confusion. She needed a plan. Yes, her go-bag was here in the hospital--through the main treatment area in her requisitioned office--but she'd need new clothes.

Run-of-the-mill-spacer-looking clothes. As it turned out, she didn't own any.

That would be the best she could do at a disguise, as she hadn't been able to teach herself to cover up her accent.

She told him, "As it turns out, I have to go into the capital." It might be a good place for Cedric to either lay low or catch a transport. "What do you want to do?" She rose her eyebrows, concerned. "I can wait a bit longer yet."

 

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How about dinner?

Now that was an out of character thought. Cedric found himself blinking confusedly at the reflexive response that he'd almost fired off at the doctor. It was the sort of thing he might have said ten years ago, when he was still a teenager and a thousand responsibilities were not weighing down upon his shoulders. He'd discarded such notions entirely once the war the Primeval had broken out, and the cycle of violence had never stopped after that bloody pointless conflict. To have it come to the forefront of his mind was both unexpected and perhaps even the slightest bit frightening. It meant that Cedric's own control of his emotions was slipping, likely a side affect of the drugs still coursing through hiss veins.

He kept such thoughts private and locked away in the darkest recesses of his mind, lest they be allowed to fester and grow as all budding attractions did. It was only when he was satisfied that the 'drawing' sensation was completely gone that Cedric finally spoke.

"From the way you speak it sounds like you intend to take me with you," Cedric replied with naked amusement. "I haven't been to Xam'chi before. Probably blend in there better than I do here," he paused, "But before that...I'm not sure, do we need to make any preparations to smuggle me out of here? Maybe there's some kid on the corner selling some spice to calm our nerves." The tone of his voice implied he was joking. "Anything doc?"

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

Yes, she supposed that she had implied that. She shrugged. "It seems like a logical trip for the both of us," she explained. "All I have to do is let the director know that my work here has concluded." With that, she set off a holomail and logged out of the console.

"Just take a stim," she joked back, rolling her eyes, "but maybe I can find you some scrubs? Or are you going to go out like that?"

Hopefully not.

Aes'ona motioned at the robe that Cedric had covered himself with. Then her gaze dropped to his armor set that lay on the floor under his bed, looking through the crossed rungs. The helmet was the only piece that had not been pried off Cedric's body prior to surgery. She did feel bad for the damage she and her team had done, but at least the procedure had been successful--even if it only proved to be a temporary solution.

"It's probably fine either way," she guessed. "No one but myself and the surgery team knows what you look like, and they're probably asleep. You just might get cold."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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Cedric gave the armor a disheartened but accepting look. This wasn't the first time his armor had been shattered, and he doubted it would be the last. So long ass the mask remained whole, he was content.

"I could just go in my undergarments. Perhaps I could distract the rest of the staff to such a degree that they just let us pass," Cedric offered as he slowly rose from the table. The pain was far duller now; a quiet unpleasant font that bubbled up in the back of his mind. It was far easier to ignore now than it had been straight off the operating table.

The robe drawn about his form easily enough. He clicked the buttons into place, obscuring his form beneath the dark synthweave material. "If anyone asks, I'm just a spacer," his voice tilted with the fluctuations of an imperial accent. It sounded surprisingly natural. "A spacer named Jeb. From Mustafar. I sell spiritual friendship bracelets on my journeys."

A solid cover. Cedric snickered at himself.

Deciding any further stalling would just make the process more unpleasant, Cedric jammed the needle of one of the stims into his calf. The adrenal's effect were immediate; the pain that had been bubbling in his mind evaporated entirely. An artificial focus fell over Cedric as his eyes met the doctor's. "I'm pretty high doc."

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

Well, that was a surprise.

He was going out like that.

She ran her hand back through her ponytail, somewhat loosening up the hair on top. "Alright," she replied with a curt nod. "Jeb. Mustafar. Got it." She began to look around then, thinking about where something could be. When she had an idea, she ran over to a counter and began searching the cabinets, first the top and then the bottom. Finally, she found a canvas dufflebag labeled "PATIENT'S BELONGINGS" and brought it back over to the recovery table. Unzipping it, she was able to begin taking armor pieces to set them inside.

"Good," she grunted out in response to his last comment, setting a pauldron down. "I'd be concerned if you weren't." She would; a bad dose or worse, an allergy, would complicate things--and most likely give Doctor Terrani a stress ulcer.

When she had finish loading up the duffle, with or without [member="Cedric Grayson"]'s help, she went to empty the DNA vial into a biohazard disposal. After she did, they were free to leave out the main doors and step out into the main treatment room.

A brunette doctor glanced up as the doors unlocked and slid open. She was about to say something when she noticed 'Jeb' following behind Terrani. "Releasing already?" she asked, rather surprised. Though she didn't know the details of Cedric's injuries, she had expected them to be bad, what, with the survival rate of the past days. Her initial reaction was probably to ask, 'A survivor?' but she had stopped herself.

Aes'ona nodded. "And I'm headed off with him," she replied. "I've already let Nadeau know."

The other woman smiled. "Good luck back on the Fleet. Patch up some troopers for me."

"Of course," Ae'sona said, stepping a foot into her office to grab her own dufflebag, marked with her Order's red and black shield. With all she needed in hand, she led Cedric down the hall to the front desk. She stopped to sign a document that the receptionist held out to her, signifying that she had completed her medical tour.

"Say hello to the Supreme Leader," the receptionist said when Aes'ona handed her back her stylus.

Smiling sweetly, Aes'ona replied, "I don't see him." And even if she did, that's not how it worked.

"But I thought you said--?"

"I serve under the Grand Admiral. Have a good day."

Only then were they free to leave and hail a cab bound for Xam'Chi.

 

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Mister Jeb was a nice quiet fellow. He waved happily to those that passed by, and found himself grinning at absolutely nothing. He followed Aes'ona like a lost kath pup, and each step he took drew him further from lucidity. At first it was just a lovely warmth in his chest and an airy sensation in his skull, but now things were starting to shift. His arms grew longer, Aes'ona's hair became a helluva lot more shiny, and voices of those around him sounded far away and distant. Cedric had rarely been subject to adrenals such as this without the assistance of the force, and the intoxication it brought about was rather intense.

The Jedi Master peered out from the cowl of his robe (which he had pulled over his face while they walked down the corridor) and smiled at the three headed receptionist as she seemingly accosted the doctor. They spoke some words in a language Cedric could not comprehend at that particular moment in time, and the Jedi found himself being led off to a cab bound for a city called Xam Cheese.

It was only by accident that Cedric became aware of the dufill bag he'd loaded with his armor hanging from his shoulder. He examined the bag as the duo stepped into the speeder, and found the fabric to be quite interesting to the touch.

"Hello driver," Jeb said nicely, "Take us to Xam Cheese. I must explore the gulags, I hear they are firm this year." Cedric peered out from the hem of his cowl with dilated eyes, and turned to look at Aes'ona.

"These drugs are hot doctor. Cool hair."

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

Aes'ona flashed an apologetic smile to the cab driver and accused Cedric, "He's on pain medication. Xam'Chi, please."

She then sat back against the leather of her seat and nodded at her patient. "Lovely. Thank you," she said, not really knowing what exactly he was going on about. It had been a while since she had sat down with a patient strung-out pain medication to keep an eye on them.

"Wait, sir," she began, almost exclaiming as she leaned forward again to address the driver who had just put on some Atrisian synth-pop. That was only a recipe for more disaster. "Please turn that off. For his sake."

The driver grumbled some complaint but obliged. When the duo got out in Xam'Chi, Aes'ona paid the driver, giving him a rather good tip to boot.

She turned to Cedric, expectancy. She was hoping, probably in vain, for some coherency from him in way of a plan. She'd taken him about as far as she could. Was he going to just wander off now?

No. Rather, she wouldn't let him. Shaking her head, she took his arm and began leading him down the closest sidewalk. "Oh, come along."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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Cedric was as thankful as any man would be given the circumstances. Personally he was just glad to be away from the demonic cab driver that had insisted on playing the sounds of Hutts mating over the radio. It was fortunate that Cedric had the doctor for company, lest he been forced to destroy the radio to keep the uncomfortable noises from coming forth.

"As you wish your majesty," Cedric murmured as he found himself standing on a sidewalk. Evidently he had teleported from the cab to a new spiritual plane, or something along those lines. He decided he was rather pleased with the myriad of geometric shapes and vivid colors that flooded his vision, though he had little hope of separating the street from the safety of the sidewalk.

Once again, Cedric was fortunate to have the doctor-queen with him. "How many years am I the drug for?" He asked curiously, not seemingly concerned but rather simply wishing to know.

He paused, "You're pretty nice for a fascist Aes'ona," he waved a hand in the air, closed his eyes, and grinned, "Go fascists." And he just walked along with her.

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

"I'd say ten minutes," she answered, pulling him closer to her every so often when he began to stray towards the street. "At which point you could take another." He did have two more stowed away in his duffle.

"--Shush!" the doctor exclaimed next, swatting at Cedric's shoulder. Quickly she glanced over hers while continuing on their way. When she had been briefed about Atrisia she had learned that the Commonwealth was formally aligned with the First Order. As was most of the planet's citizens. The largest exception was the populace of Quan'Lo, a city supportive of both the Rebellion and the Alliance.

A hospital near the Imperial capital was supposed to be safe, but if a rebel was here and overheard Cedric...

Aes'ona physically shuttered, not wanting to dwell on the horrifying possibilities. She picked up her pace but would slow down to accommodate the Jedi if he couldn't keep up.

They turned a corner and he was ushered into a cozy-looking clothing shop. When the unlikely duo entered, a bell chime announced them and a strong but sweet wave of incense washed over them. The lighting was dim but sufficient to reveal a few rows of neatly-stacked clothes piled on display tables.

So far, no one had come to greet them, a fact Aes'ona was thankful for as she led Cedric over to a floor cushion beside the door if he wished to sit.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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There was nothing quite like adventuring through enemy territory without all of your mental faculties at one hundred percent. The level of paranoia Cedric was currently experiencing was quite unlike any other time he'd been forced to endure the unpleasant emotion. It was fortunate that the drug was beginning to fade slowly from his system as Aes'ona sat him down in the clothing shop.

A number of beings gave him some particularly odd stares; Cedric just waved back at them. Sobriety slowly approached like the end of a long journey, and the Jedi Master's general sense of feeling was beginning to return. He became aware of the duffel hanging from his shoulder and the robes cloaking his form. More importantly, he became aware of the seriousness of the situation: remembered what would happen to him were he to be captured.

The empyrean reached out to him then. As a drug-induced panic threatened to take over, clarity welcomed itself into his tormented mind. All at once the paranoia faded, and the hallucinations followed with it. Something in the back of Cedric's mind ticked, and he was sober, the force flowing through him like the waters of a great river after the dam that had held them back finally shattered.

He looked to Aes'ona with deathly aware eyes. "I won't be partaking in that stim again," he mumbled grimly, "Thanks for getting me out of there. I probably would have gotten hit with a speeder or worse." The Jedi Master ran a hand over the back of his shaven skull and breathed a quiet sigh. He'd never enjoyed being anyone's burden.

"Did we make it to the capital?"

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

Aes'ona nodded, replying, "You're prerogative. You'll have them just in case," and then added, "Safe and sound, at least for the time being. However, I'm starting to feel rather unsafe in my uniform, personally." She began tugging a sleeve of her jacket off to make sure it stayed right-side-out. "I'm going to buy some alternatives."

As comfortable as he looked in his robe, she assumed Cedric might want a less conspicuous outfit too, though she had been surprised by him before. She asked, "Would you like something else to wear?" But she was unsure if he had any amount of money on him, so she offered, "I can pick up the ticket."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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Cedric reached into the duffel for his breastplate. He searched the hidden inner pocket of the armor for his credit chip, and felt nothing but fabric folding beneath his fingers. The Jedi's brow furrowed with frustration.

"I think the stormtroopers confiscated all my funds," Cedric grumbled as he shook his head. It was just his luck that he'd happened to be picked up by the two grunts smart enough to check for hidden pockets.

"I'll pay you back once I'm offworld." He assured her, "Probably a bit more. I suppose I owe you for all the effort you've put in to helping me." That much was true. Cedric hated being forced to rely on others for his own well-being - he was a protector, not someone to be saved. It was do his own conscience some good to pay back the doctor what he felt he owed.

The knight wasted little time in finding a leather jacket that seemed about as far from the traditional Jedi style as one could manage. It was black and lined with bits of red lighting filaments along the inside of the collar that glowed a faint crimson in the dark - tacky to most, but Cedric liked to be a little flashy when he had an excuse to get out of his robes and armor. The rest was simple combat boots and jeans. He made sure to pop the collar as he walked out of the dressing room, evidently rather pleased with the look.

"Figure this is about as far from robes as I could get," Cedric sounded pretty amused with himself, "How do I look?"

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

In the meantime, the doctor had found herself something and changed into it. Likewise, she settled for an outfit about as far from her uniform as she could get.

Aes'ona's hair fell over the neckline of a tan long-sleeve decorated with lightly-colored floral designs and a few fake gemstone accents. Green canvas trousers and a pair of work boots finished out the outfit. A twinset jacket was tied around her waist, as she wasn't cold at the moment.

"Fantastic, Jeb," she replied honestly, standing from her seat and picking up her bag. She would have offered Cedric his if she could have lifted it with one hand. "Don't tell me how ridiculous I look; I'm trying to grin and bear it."

She then wandered up to the counter, ringing the bell to call up an attendant who rung her up. With that, she went to exit the shop. "Well, is that it?" she asked after a moment of walking, to put a little distance between the shop and them. "Are you off?"

[member="Cedric Grayson"]