Private Amends

[Thalia Senn]

THE PROSPERITY
MEDICAL WING - DANGEROUS PATIENTS
Amani Serys | Corin Trenor
​

The medical wing of the Prosperity was white and sterile and smelled of antiseptic and urine. Why they brought her here for her rehab she didn't know. This was where the insane patients were that the Jedi thought they could heal. Broken men and women, victims of the Brotherhood, or even captured members of the various cults that made up that monstrous war machine. The occasional grunts and shouts made her shudder but the KJ-S0 droid acting as her "escort" from the Detention Wing gripped her tighter, taking the sudden movement as an attempt to escape.

"Okay, fair. But do you have to grip so hard?" The droid turned its yellow photoreceptors on her and tilted its head.

"You know I cannot." Thalia's eyes fell on the lightsaber dangling from the droid's belt. Even if she wanted to reach out with the Force and cut this bot to pieces she couldn't. The collar around her neck suppressed those particular abilities. Besides the collar she was dressed in a drab grey jumpsuit and black magsafe boots. She looked more like a ship mechanic than a dangerous Brotherhood Force Hound.

The door to the rehab center dinged and opened with a hiss. The droid did not know kindness and roughly dragged Thalia through the door before she had a chance to move, putting her awkwardly out of step with the droid.

"Jedi Serys, I have arrived with the patient." The droid said, its voice uncharacteristically chipper, like a pet waiting to be praised for its good behavior. "Patient Senn tried 3.4 times to escape this time."

"How do you try .4 times..."

"I saw you eyeing my lightsaber. It is only a trainer though, and so I awarded .3 to your escape attempts as in your current state you could not best me even if it was a real lightsaber." Thalia felt a flash of anger and shame. It was probably right.

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani drummed her fingers against the chair arm, fighting the sudden bout of nervousness that had crept up her spine. Healing a blaster burn or a saber cut was one thing, but this next meeting wasn’t exclusively about patching up flesh wounds. This was rehabilitation of the mind, and the soul. An effort she was apprehensive to take on, given her own fall to Darkness. But ultimately, it was that same experience that made her feel more equipped to help Thalia with whatever she was going through.

Not that it made her any less nervous. And at this point she wasn’t even sure if Corin being made to come along was an extra set of hands, or another factor to worry about.

Before her internal musings could spiral any further, the whirring of the door plunged Amani back into the moment and out of her seat. Already the padawan’s arrival was on unenthusiastic terms, “Oh. That’ll be all, KayJay, thank you.” A sheepish grin plastered across her face, and only once the droid let them be did she slough off some of that tension, “...So! Thalia, right? My name is Amani. Would you like to, uh, sit down?” She proffered a stiff arm towards one of the patient seats, “We’ve got a bit to get through...”

Thalia Senn | Corin Trenor​

 

[Corin Trenor]

Often times the difference between a doctor and a healer was the cost of the services, a damned amount of credits for the former and a continued service to the cause for the latter. Sometimes it was the kindness of the heart, and often seemed to be the case whenever it concerned the Mirialan not-Doctor. Even at the best of times, the Padawan had a knack for disobediance. But now, now was a little different; as an aid and assistant to Amani, Corin stood there as his frame leaned on the wall and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Couldn't have shot for a .5?" He asked with a grin, against his better judgement. Rather, a lack of it entirely.

Thalia Senn | Amani Serys

 

[Thalia Senn]

THE PROSPERITY
MEDICAL WING - DANGEROUS PATIENTS
Amani Serys | Corin Trenor ​

"Couldn't have shot for a .5?" He asked with a grin, against his better judgement. Rather, a lack of it entirely.

Anger flashed in Thalia's eyes. She'd turned herself in already. What more did the Jedi want of her? Despite Iris Arani and her kind words, she saw it whenever she came to the Medical Wing or went anywhere. The glares, the stares, the jabs. They all thought she was a monster, thought she would be better off dead. "I wish you'd given the droid an excuse" Corin had said.

Sometimes she wished that too.

She stamped down the anger and bowed her head, biting back a retort. Her eyes flicked over to the Jedi and moved to sit.

"Yes, thank you Master Amani." The droid nodded in satisfaction again and bowed gracefully, or at least as gracefully as a droid could. It did move well, it was a droid built to mimick Jedi lightsaber forms after all, but there was still something unnerving in the fluid motion.

"I will await your summons Knight Serys." And with that the droid clanked out of the room. An awkward silence filled the room only interrupted by the occasional beep or boop from console displays or the bubble of bacta in the far corner.

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani shot Corin an unamused look. Whether he was intentionally trying to get a rise of out her or not, it didn't do much to improve their situation.

With a quiet sigh she gestured between the two padawans, "Right, uh- Corin, Thalia. Thalia, Corin," Whether or not they'd met before she couldn't tell, but introductions were one more thing she could get out of the way before having to dive into actual work. "He's just here to observe and lend a hand when needed." It was as much to remind him of his duties as it was to tell her.

The intermittent pauses seemed to last for way longer than they did in actuality. Amani took one of the seats opposite of the girl, and gave the file on her datapad one last glance before setting it facedown, "So, Thalia… Why are you here? Wherever you'd like to start; We're just here to talk for now," She emphasized her choice in the matter, hoping that it would make her more open to sharing. The file had a summary of events, but her point of view was going to be much more valuable for their purposes.

"We could always get you something to drink or eat, too, if you're feeling like it. Just something light, maybe?" She shot another look to her errand boy; He was on deck if that request was made.

Thalia Senn | Corin Trenor​

 

[Thalia Senn]

THE PROSPERITY
MEDICAL WING - DANGEROUS PATIENTS
Amani Serys | Corin Trenor ​

"I'm here," she started, folding her arms across her chest and doing anything to not make eye contact with the other two Jedi, "Because the Order doesn't want to give the Alliance any reason to mistrust the Jedi again." Because the Jedi are cowards. She still had thoughts like that from time to time. Even with Solipsis being dead by all accounts and his influence gone from her completely it wasn't as if she hadn't in some part of her wanted to do what she did. Honestly,she was surprised she was even allowed to be here at all. Maybe the Alliance didn't know the Jedi were harboring an Ex-Jedi turned mass murderer.

Thalia shrugged, the cold feeling in her stomach returning.

 

[Amani Serys]

“What makes you say that?” Amani leaned back in her chair, and watched Thalia with a raised brow. The apparent frustration was understandable; Familiar even, to her. But to make any headway they needed to confront the root of the problem.

“I think there’s more to it than saving their own skins. People here want to see you recover. They wouldn’t make the effort to facilitate that if they were more concerned with…politicking, right?” She tried to point the padawan more towards that line of thinking, although careful to not outright dismiss her initial reaction. All a part of the process.

“But what I really mean to get at, Thalia, is…” Amani shifted a bit in her chair, as if preparing for the more uncomfortable subject matter, “Why are you here?” She repeated, then clarified, “What has brought you to this point in your life?”

Thalia Senn | Corin Trenor​

 

[Thalia Senn]

THE PROSPERITY
MEDICAL WING - DANGEROUS PATIENTS
Amani Serys | Corin Trenor ​

Her brow furrowed and she seemed to sink even deeper into her chair. What had gotten her to this point in her life? Arrogance, foolhardiness, and youthful stupidity just to name a few. She'd long since given up the silliness of blaming others for her decisions. Master Khefiir going off to fight in the war and leaving her behind was smart. She'd been far too young to be on the front lines. More than likely she would have been killed by Io or some other Jedi Killer or used as bait to kill Khefir.

She had baggage, but everyone did. Nobody was perfect and even though her monolith of what a "Great Jedi" was had been shattered, she couldn't reasonably use that as an excuse for the harm and death she'd personally caused. But it was too difficult, too painful to say any of that out loud and so she shrugged again.

"I don't know....Doesn't the Force move all things or something?"

 

[Amani Serys]

“I suppose that’s a way to look at it.” Amani pursed her lips in thought. Healing the body was one thing. In fact it was easy for her by now. But the mind was something else entirely. The conviction was there; The experience, not so much. Not in a setting like this, anyway.

Amani went with her gut, “You broke off from the Order, and worked some time alongside the Maw, right?” She stopped beating around the point and instead addressed it directly. But the real point she was trying to get to came after, “...But you came back. Why?” Maybe that would at least lead to a thought process that ended more… optimistically. She’d have to understand Thalia’s own feelings on events to make any progress.

Thalia Senn | Corin Trenor​

 

[Thalia Senn]

THE PROSPERITY
MEDICAL WING - DANGEROUS PATIENTS
Amani Serys | Corin Trenor
​

Her lip quivered, but she made an effort and stamped down on the emotions bubbling up, tightening her ball of self and robe. The answer to that was easy. Iris Arani had saved her life, had tried so long to save her. She couldn't just turn away. She couldn't- The thought of Iris brought a lump to her throat. She had...Killed as Tempest. Happily and frequently. She had no doubt she had caused many people pain and suffering beyond imagining. But Iris? She'd broken her best friend, scarred half of her body, and had nearly killed her on several occasions.

"Because someone decided I deserved a second chance," she muttered.

Did she though?

 

[Corin Trenor]

In mindful observation, Corin watched with narrowed eyes to all that unfolded. His broad frame maintained the lax stance on the metallic wall of the clinic, all with his arms folded across his chest. He sensed and collected what emotions found themselves in the air, whether wild and blatant or tamed and buried. In either case, they simply were and of that Corin had been no stranger. To his own, or to those of others.

His inner-Jedi, so often surpressed in favour of resistant delinquency, sympathised. Though Corin had not lived such a fate, the Padawan had seen it first-hand. In someone that had started to become near to him, even as the idea confused him.

"Everyone deserves a second chance." He stated, as if words stolen from Dagon's mouth.

Amani Serys Thalia Senn

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani flicked her head towards the long-silent observer, half expecting to see Dagon having taken his place. Nope, just Corin. Nice. “Corin’s right,” She offered him a brief, approving smile, before turning back to Thalia, “And so is whoever helped you.”

As Jedi they were supposed to look for the good in others. Redemption, not condemnation. “Y’know I wouldn’t be here without a second chance myself,” There was an air of hesitance as Amani offered the connection, even if details were left implied rather than said aloud. Perhaps if Thalia could open up, then she’d be willing to do the same. “Spent a long time struggling. But- thanks to help from others, like Master Noble, and Knight Kaze-” She motioned to Corin at the mention of his teacher, “-I feel more like myself than I have in a long time.”

“I want you to have that same opportunity.” Thalia wasn't the first Jedi to come back from darkness, nor would she be the last.

Thalia Senn | Corin Trenor​

 

[Thalia Senn]

THE PROSPERITY
MEDICAL WING - DANGEROUS PATIENTS
Amani Serys | Corin Trenor
​

When was the last time Thalia had felt safe in her own skin? Years now. She'd spent so long on the other side and it was as if none of that mattered to these people. She'd been raised on stories of Generals Coren Starchaser and Romi Jade , grew up watching the exploits of Lanik Dawnstar and Ryv . All of those stories had told her that the Dark Side could not be tolerated. She still held on tightly to that belief but that put her firmly on the other side. Or at least, it had. Now she wasn't so sure.

"Do you think I can?" Her voice was small. She was an errey too stubborn to crawl out from under her shell now that the weeping tempest had past. Too afraid to just peek out and move on with life, fearing another storm.

 

[Corin Trenor]

It was far from his place to comment any further, Corin decided, and while an effort to reassure Thalia was there and able to be made... the other Padawan in the room elected to lean on his earlier silence. It was with arms folded over his chest and his frame leaned into the wall, that Corin watched and listened to the words of the Mirialan.

Amani Serys Thalia Senn

 

[Amani Serys]

"Of course." Amani offered without hesitation, "There is good in you. The sole fact that you came back is proof of that." She extended a hand in a figurative bridging of the gap.

"If you'll work with me. With all of us. We can set things right together. Make amends. And move forward." It may not be easy, or quick, but there was always a path home for those willing to walk it. Amani showed no qualms or doubts in the young woman's future. With guidance and support, she could see it through to the end, "You aren't alone, Thalia."

Thalia Senn | Corin Trenor​