Private A Song of Snitches and Stitches

[Judd]

NAR SHADDAA
UNDERGROUND CLINIC
​

Well, it wasn't like there were many legal clinics on Narsh.

More than anywhere else in the galaxy, Nar Shaddaa was in need of medical professionals. The Smuggler's Moon was nearly synonymous with back-alley stabbings and gang violence, which had only worsened since the Cartel tore it's own heart out, and a power struggle had begun anew. Someone had to put the street toughs back together when they shot each other apart. Hence the medic conclave.

It was a small group of come-and-go healers, no more than five at a time, who'd taken control of an abandoned, rusted warehouse, with a medical cross painted on the doorway in cheap red paint. Inside laid rows of well-lit cots, stained with old colors that wouldn't rub off, separated by drab curtains. Nearly all of them were occupied, with people of all different species and persuasions, warriors that couldn't be seen in the more upstanding hospitals, and workers that couldn't pay the exorbitant fees.

Kneeling next to one of these cots, a massive Dowutin worked diligently on a patient. With needle and forceps, the steady hands of the medic pulled closed a long gash on a woman's brow. After he was finished, Judd stood without a single word, and moved onto the next patient. It was getting to the end of a busy day.

It was a good thing that the conclave had recently picked up a new healer. Thankfully, unlike some of the other freeloaders here, she actually knew what she was doing.

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Nar Shaddaa. It wasn't a place she wanted to be back to, and yet, here she was anyway. Iris quickly went through a pack by her feet, pulling out the needle and thread she'd need to sow down the next patient. Everything was sanitized as best as they could be, given the nature of the clinic. She'd changed her gloves at least twelve times by now. Deep washed her hands in the sonic washer she carried with her. There was nothing like a rapid clean to sanitize as best she could.

"Breath in, close your eyes, count to three."

<One, t-> She stabbed them then with the needle to numb the area, earning quite the annoyed hiss from the Ithorian as she stitched shut the cut across their shoulder. <Why did you have me count?>

"Anticipation makes it hurt more. Surprise makes it hurt less. Keep it clean, keep it covered. And don't do whatever it was you were doing to get this again."

Things were very hush hush on that regard. She didn't dare push for information, both to keep them safe, and the whole operation here. She let out a sigh once she finished, moved to the next. It was going to be another long night, but the people of Nar Shaddaa deserved to have a doctor look after them without gouging them of their wallets. Or their organs.

Especially their organs.

Judd

 

[Judd]

"Need some help!"

Laboring at the entrance to the clinic, a lithe Rodian medic struggled under the weight of a large body. With one arm around her shoulders, she tried to drag it inside, with little luck. The man himself was unconscious, obviously an Epicanthix, tall and raven-haired, wearing dark clothes that seemed to be smoking. The reason became evident soon enough.

He was riddled with blaster burns.

Judd immediately stopped what he was doing, to the chagrin of the patient he had been resetting the shoulder of, walking with purpose towards the disturbance. "Got it," he growled. With surprisingly careful movements, the large medic lifted the Epicanthix off the Rodian's shoulders, carrying him to the nearest unoccupied cot. Laying the critically injured patient down, Judd immediately began cutting off the man's singed clothing with a pair of scissors. He glanced around, looking for who else was in the area.

"Hey! New girl," He barked out at their newest addition, a permanent scowl on his scarred face. "Get over here!"

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

The colors had shifted to death.

Iris turned her gaze towards the door even before the Rodian had stepped through. The man they carried, they were at death's door, there was little doubt in her mind. The kind that they should've been in a real hospital for, not here. She knew people had their reasons, but this place wasn't equipped to deal with that kind of danger. She let out a sigh as she turned to her next patient. No, surely they knew what they were doing here.

"Hey! New girl," He barked out at their newest addition, a permanent scowl on his scarred face. "Get over here!"

She blinked, but didn't hesitate to step over. Again the sonic washer on her hip activated as she passed her hands through and stepped up beside him.

"What do you need me to do?"

Judd

 

[Judd]

At least she was quick to respond.

As soon as the new medic stepped over, Judd dropped the satchel on his waist to the ground, the muted clinking of glass audible from the impact. He returned to his work, cutting off the man's clothing. "Got kolto bottles and wraps. You do the math." It was his personal stash, and not something he used lightly. Even though kolto was much cheaper than bacta, that didn't mean it was cheap. But right now, it was the only thing Judd could think of to save this man's life.

That, and hope that at least a few of his vital organs hadn't been turned into paste.

Once he was done exposing as many of the wounds as he could, Judd dug into his satchel himself, beginning the process of cleaning each carbon-scored blaster mark, dousing it in healing kolto, and wrapping the area in a bandage. All the while, he kept the same irritated expression on his face, masking his deep concentration.

Even with the help, this would be a while.

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

He was dying.

Iris had given the man a nod, reaching out for the supplies to start fixing what she could. Her hands were steady. Blood, pain, none of that had ever truly phased her before, and certainly didn't now. Her gaze narrowed in focus in a way that cut out everything else. It was just her, this man fighting for his life, and the other doctor trying to help save him. But there were too many wounds for just the conventional healing.

Through the colors alone she could see where life was bleeding out and death remained. Even if they could halt this, his body was too far gone to have a healthy life again, if this didn't end up just delaying death.

Cybernetics were the first thought. These wounds could be replaced by cybernetics, and they'd live for certain. But that came with a price, especially here. The Jedi let out a sigh before she closed her eyes and set down the tools she had, and instead utilized the other ability she did have. She pulled on the Force. The stream of life that leaked from the wounds she caught first, halting them before they fell into the blend around them. Then back. At first it looked like nothing, but bit by bit the wounds would close on their own. Slow and steady, but what once looked like total organ failure seemed to recover.

Enough so he wouldn't die from his wounds, but not enough to fully heal. Iris could do a lot, but anything more and she risked tiring herself out. If someone else needed this kind of help and she was exhausted, it wouldn't be right.

So she went back to tending to the partially healed wounds, bandaging and stitching without a word.

Judd

 

[Judd]

After delivering his acerbic remark, and getting to work applying kolto to what wounds he could, it seemed as if Judd nearly forgot the smaller healer was there. He simply continued his craft, shockingly gentle yet precise hands soaking wraps in kolto, and applying it to the open blaster wounds.

Of course, Judd quickly came to the same realization as his fellow doctor- this man was a goner. Even if most of the major organs had been missed, the pure shock of the various burns on his body could kill easily enough. Epicanthix were a sturdy sort, but Judd couldn't shake the feeling he was tending to a dead man.

That is, until the wound he was working on began to close by itself.

"The hell?" Judd took a heavy step back, the impact of his elephantine foot shaking the medic supplies of a nearby table. "The hell?!?" He simply stared at the man, watching as the wounds that were yet to be treated shrank. They didn't completely go away, but they shallowed. It was a miracle.

Then, as Judd turned towards the smaller medic, a growing snarl on his face, it all began to click. Not a miracle. The Force. "You. What did you do?," he spat out, balling his organic hand into a fist to hide a sudden tremor.

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Saved our patient as much as I could. He's not in the clear, though."

Iris didn't even look up from her work. She recognized the flash in the colors. Hate. Fear. She wasn't sure exactly which with all the others around, but she knew enough. Whatever this strangers reasons, though, she'd deal with it later. The Doctor continued to close wounds, letting her hands calmly work the needle or cauterizer as she needed.

"We can talk more later."

Judd

 

[Judd]

"We can talk more later."

Judd snorted like an irritated bull preparing to charge, a severe frown on his face as he considered the slight medic. After a moment of tension, though, he returned his eyes to the Epicanthix, grumbling out a tired "Fine," before getting back to work.

He could worry about that once someone's life wasn't on the line.

Kolto wasn't quite as effective as bacta. But what it lacked in efficiency, it made up in price; Judd could purchase nearly double the kolto that he could bacta. This was one of those rare cases that quantity was indeed better than quality.

After a few minutes of intensive work, the man's body was sealed, whether by cauterization or gel-soaked cloth. A quick check of large fingers under the man's chin let Judd know of his steady heartbeat- the worst was over. Somehow, he would live. "Looking stable," he said, retracting his hand, and letting it massage his other- a cybernetic claw, plated in shining copper.

He returned his attention to the new girl, drawing himself up to his full height. "You." His chin rose, displaying his short tusks, even as he continued to press into the palm of his cybernetic hand. "What are you? Sith? Jeedai?" That word contained a zesty amount of malice. Even if he was mostly feeling fear, and perhaps a bit of shame.

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

She let out a sigh of relief once it was clear the man was stable. The annoyance shown her way was at least tapped off for that much, but now that it was over-. Iris turned her gaze towards the man, her multi colored eyes just scanning him over. Seeing him. His colors, his emotions.

"Jedi Knight. But I'm also a doctor. They just happened to go hand in hand."

Judd

 

[Judd]

"Jedi Knight. But I'm also a doctor. They just happened to go hand in hand."

A sudden bloom of emotion made Judd inch backwards, his robotic hand going for the blaster pistol at his side, even as his organic one began to tremor. Here was a Jedi Knight, right in front of him. He could draw in less than a second, try to put one between her eyes. It wouldn't work, but maybe it would buy him time to think up a plan...

Judd suddenly stopped, seeming to realize where he was. As if the metal were hot, the medic took his hand off his weapon, and snorted in annoyance again, hoping that a show of anger would cover up his moment of weakness. "Your kind ain't welcome here, Jeedai," he spat, pointing an accusatory finger at her, using his height to loom over the slight Jedi, disregarding the fact that his hand was still shaking. "Shouldn't you be off 'saving the galaxy', dying against some Sith Lord, instead of playing around in the mud where you shouldn't?"

The sound of a heavy, choppy engine pulling up outside the warehouse was barely registered, as Judd stared down an old enemy.

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Well that wasn't what she expected. Her eyes narrowed as his hand fell to his blaster, but she didn't react more than that. Didn't reach for a lightsaber. She didn't have one on her as it was. And, well, she didn't want to fight at all. Not here, not ever if she didn't have to. Thankfully he thought better of starting a fight in a tent made to heal, not kill. She didn't bother hiding her relieved sigh.

"You can be as angry as you want. I'm here, and there are still people that need help. Don't get in my way, and I don't get in yours, alright?"

Judd

 

[Judd]

Judd scrunched his nose at the Jedi, as if he were detecting a bad smell from her. Slowly, his finger lowered, and he backed off. "Yeah," he growled, looking at the patient one last time. She'd saved the Epicanthix's life. All the kolto in the world wouldn't have helped him.

"Fine. Stay away from me." He hadn't been a soldier for a long time. Jedi weren't... enemies... anymore. He had to remember that.

Stepping towards the curtain, the sudden sound of a blaster shot gave Judd pause. He looked accusatorily at his fellow medic, as if she were somehow responsible, before taking a peek past the curtain.

A man with a smoking weapon stood at the front of the conclave, the slumped body of the Rodian medic on the ground at his feet. His grim face, along with the group of four men in black coats behind him, told Judd all he needed to know.

"Hit squad," Judd murmured, more to himself than to the benefit of the woman behind him. "They're here for someone."

His burning orange eyes turned towards the shot-up Epicanthix on the cot, before finally pulling his blaster, and looking expectantly at the doctor. "Alright, laser-sword. Do your thing."

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Violence.

Iris turned her gaze up towards the door as she watched the colors darken. Someone was looking to kill, weren't they? Judd's reaction only confirmed that much. But where he drew a blaster, she didn't pull a weapon. She didn't have her lightsaber, not on her anyway. Her gaze drifted to her pack where she had it hidden away, but she wasn't about to use it for.. Anything. She refused that kind of violence.

"You'll have to look elsewhere. I don't fight."

Judd

 

[Judd]

"You'll have to look elsewhere. I don't fight."

Judd paused, blinked slowly, then fully turned his head to the scarred doctor with the purest expression of resigned annoyance that a being could create. "Out of all the Jedi in the galaxy, I'm stuck with the one that's actually a pacifist, god-..."

So much for defending the innocent.

Judd ran a hand down his face, groaning in frustration, before fully turning to the medic. "Fine. Fine. Sit on your hands. I'll go deal with it." Judd peeked out of the curtain, tracking the movements of the entering thugs. They had begun to fan out, sweeping the conclave and pulling back curtains. They were on the hunt. And Judd had a good idea of where they would stop.

He waited a moment. Two. Three. Then, just as one of the nameless, black-coated criminals stopped outside his curtain, a massive orange hand reached out, palmed his face, and slammed his body into the concrete floor twice. There was no cry of alarm, but the heavy pounding and sound of a cracking spine were deafening to Judd's ears.

"Hey! What was that?" The call of alarm sounded from somewhere else in the warehouse. Wiping the blood from his hand, Judd stepped out of the curtains, heavy blaster raised.

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris didn't sit on her hands, but it certainly felt like it to her. She kept her attention on the next patient, kept her focus on mending them. Not the violence behind her, not the lethal intent darkening the colors. She couldn't fight. She didn't want to. Yet the curtain pulled back all the same as another of the dark dressed figures stepped through. Blaster pointed first at her, then to her patient. The man they'd just saved.

She reacted, as she always did when life was threatened.

Iris moved in a blur. Before the mercinary knew it, she planted a scaple she'd picked up along the way into his throat. Deep enough to cut bone, nerves. Well placed to keep him from making a sound or pulling a trigger. She guided his body to the floor, her expression still and empty.

Then she moved. The vibrodagger on the man's belt was now in her bloodied hand as she stalked through the shadows. It was like a switch had been flipped. The need to survive. The calm detatchment she'd learned as a Shadow.

There was no stopping now.

Judd

 

[Judd]

It wasn't long before Judd got blasted.

Stepping out of the dingy curtain, the Dowutin was immediately spotted by a searching black-clothed individual, who pointed his gun at the big man, and demanded to know who he was. Judd only responded by lifting his blaster, and firing. His first shot missed, which let the mercenary get in a volley of his own. Judd took a bolt to the chest, a momentary bloom of heat causing him to scowl even deeper.

Judd fired again, the red streak punching the other man back, and onto the floor.

Just then, two of the shooters turned the corner behind him, weapons raised. Judd felt the sting in his lower back, the meat of his arm, his hip, though one wouldn't guess from his face, as he was able to swing around, taking a knee and firing.

Miss.

"Idiot," he growled to himself, lining up another shot.

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

One by one she dropped onto them. The blaster fire from Judd seemed to keep their attention there for some while the others sought for their target. It made it so much easier. The dagger passed through throats, under arms, in the small of their backs. Anywhere that was lethal Iris's borrowed blade found. Until finally only two remained. Armed with a second dagger she slipped behind them both as they focused on trying to shoot down the angry Dowutin.

As they fell, she let the daggers fall with them. And stared. Just blanky at the ground below her as she waited for the next threat. her senses were scattered, focused on the room. Finding the people who were still breathing, the patients, Judd. Scanning for the next threat for her to kill.

Judd

 

[Judd]

Before Judd could really register what was happening, the two thugs were on the floor, vibrodaggers buried into their backs, the Jedi standing unsettlingly over their bodies. "Damn," the Dowutin breathed, pushing off the ground to rise to his feet, holstering his blaster after a reluctant pause. "So much for not fighting, huh?"

With a newly-introduced limp, Judd turned back to the medical tent with the Epicanthix, his eyebrows bunching. "Guessing they were after our miracle patient. Pocked full of blasters... a traitor, or snitch, or something... probably came in here to finish the job." He threw open the curtains, fully intending to wake the man and force a story from him.

Instead, he found a harrowing sight. The Epicanthix dead on the ground, a slowly-spurting stab in his neck. They'd come to kill him. And the Jedi had done it for them.

After weathering the initial surprise, Judd chuckled at the morbid irony of it all, before kneeling down, and unraveling the kolto and bloodsoaked wraps from his body.

He needed something to tie himself together now, after all.

Iris Arani ​