Private Fortify

[Inanna Harth]

“Okay, good point.” Finding a good doctor could be a pain even when you weren’t on Narsh.

“Those types of ships are mainly used to treat war refugees,” she said, hammering out a message and punching in the coordinates. “They were used to carry survivors away from Lao-mon after the Battle of Goshen. We had them bring the refugees to the camp on Erakhis.”

"I did. Yeah," He peered at her more studiously, "Why?"

“Well, for one, you’re going to have to do the paperwork, since I haven’t got a fake ID yet, let alone all the other stuff they might ask for. And since you used to be a member of the Order, they shouldn’t be too suspicious of you, which means they probably won’t ask questions.” The console chimed a response. The Rejuvenator was willing to take them.

As the stars blurred into white lines, there was nothing left to do but wait. Inanna glanced over at Cato rocking Serena in his arms, then went over and sat in his lap. Curling her body around the baby’s, she stroked Serena’s hair, then glanced up at Cato. “You know, if what she has is contagious, we’re probably going to get sick too,” she said. Not that it would make any difference, but she figured she’d warn him.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Fair enough, and fair enough," Cato said. He wasn't sure just how far his former membership would take them, but it's not like their needs were all that demanding in the grand scheme of things. A check-up, a prescription, and they were gone. It should at least streamline the process, and given Inanna apparently had some experience with these medical ships, it seemed the Rejuvenator would be their best shot. It accepted their request, and with coordinates punched in, they were off through hyperspace.

Cato shifted a bit in his seat to give Inanna some sitting room, and smirked, "Yeah. Probably," Such was parenthood. It was hardly a deterrent when it came to taking care of their daughter. He rested his head back, shut his eyes, and sighed, forcing himself to relax for a bit, "Maybe once this blows over, we should get her off Nar Shaddaa for awhile. Get her some fresh air, fresh surroundings," Serena needed to see parts of the galaxy that weren't polluted city hellscapes. And sooner or later, they needed to get off Nar Shaddaa permanently.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Anywhere you’ve always wanted to go?” Inanna asked, hooking one arm around Cato’s shoulders. “Or we could pick a planet at random…”

Her other hand stroked Serena’s thick black hair, the gentle, repetitive motion of her fingers soothing the child. This girl’s gonna love having her hair done when she’s older, Inanna thought, watching tawny eyes drift closed. Even sick, she was still a chubby, sweet-natured baby.

Before they knew it, the ship came out of hyperspace, finding the Rejuvenator. Inanna slid out of Cato’s lap to dock them. She felt a little bit lightheaded—she hadn’t eaten or drank anything since she awoke, too focused on getting things done. But they were close to the end. She would worry about herself later.

“After you,” she said once the two ships were connected.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato shook his head and smirked, "I don't care. Anywhere but home," It could hardly get any more unsavory than Nar Shadaa, right? It was a tough balance Cato found himself trying to maintain. He had responsibilities on Narsh. People who may very well be counting on him for help. But the more things dragged on, the more he had to take into account that he now had a family to take care of. The one thing that could matter more than his little crusade. He shut those thoughts off, letting the tranquility of hyperspace take over for a little while.

---

It wasn't long before they arrived within the Rejuvenator's vicinity. They hailed the ship, and soon docked. Cato took the lead with Serena in hand, immediately met with a clinical white interior that made Cato squint at first sight. There was a medical professional already waiting for them: a Selkath woman, but other than her, it was quickly made obvious that a lot of the functions on board were highly automated, "Welcome! You're the one's that called ahead, then?"

"That would be us," Cato confirmed, stepping through the threshold, "I'm a Jedi Knight. Cato Harth. This is ah, my fiancee. And our daughter. She's sick, and we're running out of options for how to help."

The Selkath frowned, "Ohh, dear. I'm sorry. Well please, take this data pad, sit down, and fill out as many details as you can. With any luck we'll be able to get her in and out with a clean bill of health," Cato nodded, taking the data pad, though a bit less optimistic than the aide was. He'd settled for a proper diagnosis and some medication if that's all they could get, "You… said you were a Jedi?"

"That's right. And thank you. We'll get right to it." The Selkath nodded, and walked off to tend to other duties. Cato plopped down, handing Serena over to Inanna while he began filling out the necessary data, "Smaller than I'd have expected for a hospital."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna sat down, holding Serena. “Told you they’d make something out of you being a Jedi,” she remarked, her speech just a tad bit slurred.

She had been growing steadily dizzier and weaker as time went on. It was possible for her to hide it, but sitting down offered a welcome reprieve. “They have a whole fleet of these ships—or at least, they did a few years ago…” Trailing off, she frowned down at Serena. “She sounds like she’s having a hard time breathing.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato shrugged, "I doubt it'll actually amount to anything," He robotically filled out the sheet, checking boxes, signing names. Only pausing every so often to glance at his family. He could tell Inanna was already struggling, and frowned, now filling out the sheet a little faster. Once she commented on Serena, is when he dipped a bit more into panic, "With breathing? Like— Like badly?" If so, they couldn't just wait around while he filled out a sheet.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Badly,” Inanna said, panic and frustration making her voice tremble. “And I don’t know if I can stand up.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato jolted up, and reached down to take the baby, "Then don't." He didn't realize just how bad it had gotten, which only made him angrier at himself.

The Selkath soon came strolling back out, "Cato Harth, right? I-it said you haven't been active or even seen in-"

"She can't breathe!" He interrupted, hardly even paying attention to what the medic had said, "We can't keep her waiting!"

The Selkath blinked, then scrambled, "O-oh my! Bring her in! Come on!" Cato followed through a short hall and into a room, setting her down on a table where the medic and a droid immediately began working to help her. They placed an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, and in the panic she began to cry. "Please, wait outside," The medic turned to him, already trying to walk Cato out.

"What? No- Wait!"

"Please! Let us do our jobs. It's for her safety!" She insisted, pushing him out and leaving him to watch from an observation window. Cato's scowl quickly faded, replaced by weariness and anxiety.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna’s frustration only intensified as Cato took Serena. She gripped the bottom of the cheap waiting room chair, her nails digging into the cushion until she heard something snap.

No. Stay calm. There’s nothing you can do anyway, she told herself. Still, she was miserable all the same.

---

“Asthma,” Inanna echoed. “She has asthma?”

The medic nodded.

“And we live on Nar Shaddaa.” She cringed. “One more reason to move, I guess.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato made his way back to Inanna soon after, sitting down and taking her hand, while they anxiously awaited the results.

The medic frowned, "It's… very possible that factored into why she developed it. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the air quality on Nar Shaddaa is… poor."

Cato pinch his brow, "…Shit," He felt even worse now. Not only had his family been stuck there because of his little project, it now very well could have adversely affected his daughter's health, "So what do we do?"

"Well it's not exactly curable, but it's manageable. Your daughter can still live a normal, healthy life, provided the proper precautions are taken. An inhaler, for starters, and a couple different medications; One for symptom relief, and one for more long-term control. We can prescribe these things now, if you like."

Cato nodded along as she spoke, "Just give us what we need, doc." The medic nodded back, and left to presumably retrieve more paperwork and medication, leaving the family alone in the quiet waiting room. A medical droid brought Serena out, who was now lethargic, but breathing normally. Cato turned to Inanna, and spoke plainly, "We're leaving, then. We go home and get our things, then we're gone."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Asthma. Wasn't that usually hereditary? She doubted it had come from Cato's side of the family. The medic implied Narsh itself had triggered it, with its polluted atmosphere and poor air quality. Inanna winced. She didn't even need to glance over at Cato to know that must've hit like a gut punch.

They were prescribed a list of medications for Serena, then sent on their way. Inanna forced herself to stand up and walk alongside Cato, though she was a little bit slow-paced. Whatever happened, she could not afford to draw the attention of the doctors wanting to treat her.

"What about your... moonlighting?" she asked. He had been so devoted to cleaning up Nar Shaddaa, she couldn't imagine he would just abandon the whole project. Or maybe he would. Cato had changed a great deal since Serena came into his life, forced to mature and take responsibility for someone else. This could simply be the final nail in the coffin for Moonlighter.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. Part of him wished she wouldn't have brought it up, because it only made it harder, "I don't know…" What did it mean if he abandoned all those people counting on him to have their backs? The good, downtrodden folk that he had already spent years building a rapport with? Cato was faced with one of the most difficult choices of his life, because now he had the one thing that might matter more than all the rest.

"I never got my big break. Never made the impact I wanted…" It was his ultimate goal before taking leave of Nar Shaddaa, "But— I have to put my family first. Don't I?" He asked. It was almost hard to tell whether it was genuine or rhetorical, "Can I really let my responsibility to them outweigh my responsibility to my own daughter? To put her at risk?" Cato shook his head.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"I don't know… I never got my big break. Never made the impact I wanted…"

Inanna listened quietly. She knew what setting out to change things for the better and having nothing to show for it in the end felt like. Years ago, she had made a similar decision, choosing family over justice. Someone else had stepped up to do the job, but it had taken a long time to get over the sense of failure and uselessness. Then, when she tried to make up the difference by working with the refugees... that had cost her her family.

"But—I have to put my family first. Don't I?"

"Yes," Inanna answered without hesitation. Of course she wanted him to stop. She had been gunning for it since before they even knew Serena existed. This all had to end someday. He couldn't keep moonlighting until it killed him. Or at least, she couldn't stick around and watch him die.

But as she looked at his face, it was like a mirror of the frustration and uncertainty she had felt. The hunger that drove them both to action. They couldn't stand by and do nothing.

"We get the hell out of there now for Serena's sake," she said. "Maybe eventually we can go back and finish the job. If it's even possible to ever be done with Nar Shaddaa..."

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato inhaled deeply, but quietly. He said nothing at first, running a hand through his hair. It wasn't a satisfactory answer. It didn't magically solve all his problems. But it was all he needed to hear, "…Okay." He said plainly.

Maybe there would be another chance in the future. When his responsibilities weren't at odds with each other. But for now, Cato knew that he needed to take care of Inanna and Serena before anything else. His livelihood was now bigger than just himself, and frankly had been for some time now. That this was the wake-up call needed to make him decide only frustrated the knight further. At leas there were no illusions about it now.

The mask would have to die, so the man could live on.

"Let's get packing then," Despite his resolution in the decision, it was clear Cato's mind was still drowning in a deluge of thoughts and feelings, each one discordant with all the rest. It was only fitting that Nar Shaddaa leave them with one final conundrum. An unclean solution that left something wanting, no matter how right it was. He slinked into the pilot's chair, and punched in the coordinates to home for what could very well be the last time.

Inanna Harth​