Private Man of my Word

[Jasper Kai'el]

Man of my Word
Medical Tent
Tags: Aliris Tremiru

​

Jasper had spent more time on Lothal than he had expected, but ultimately it was worth it. By now the darkside illness that had swept across the local farming village was well under control and nearly resolved, and the Sithspawn were nowhere to be seen. There was only one thing he had left to take care of. Aliris was now fully recovered, at least the medical unit was to be believed. Jasper believed them. It was about time he checked in on the girl to see how he was doing.

It was late into the morning now. Jasper made sure to tap on the tent's support post to make sure that Aliris was well aware that he would be entering.

"Good morning," he greeted, stepping in. "I heard that you're recovery was going well."

He took a moment to assess the girl. The red dress was new... Was it a curtain? Loomi must have brought that, surely. She did appear to be doing better though, and already he noticed that something about Aliris's demeanor had changed. A warm smile came to his face.

"You certainly seem better," Jasper noted. "I'm glad that's the case. Braze will probably be ecstatic to hear that as well..."

Braze would be due for a conversation as well. There was some things that they would need to iron out, especially concerning how the boy dealt with stress. For now, however, he was just happy that he'd have some good news to deliver his padawan.

"Anyways, I don't think there's anything more my staff needs to do," he continued, "so I see no reason to keep you here any longer. So consider yourself free to leave at your leisure."

Jasper grinned a little, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"If you have any questions, I can answer what I can. Travel points, food options... something else."

He knew there was something else.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"You really keep people waiting, huh."

Aliris glanced to the door, frowning just a little. No, he wasn't actually keeping her waiting. In fact, every moment he didn't show up was a relief. Until he finally did. Then it was just worry and panic in the back of her mind. Would he really accept him? Would he really not hurt her? Could she trust him? Was it worth trusting him? What else could go wrong? Doubt filled her mind. Just pure doubt.

It didn't help he was smirking.

".. Can I really trust you..?"

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Medical Tent
Tags: Aliris Tremiru

​

“You can trust me.”

Jasper said this with complete sincerity. He had no intentions of harming her. All he saw was a worried young girl who needed a little bit of a push in the right direction.

“I know I’m… odd,” Jasper admitted with a chuckle. “I’m a little unorthodox, even by Jedi standards… but we all have codes we live by. I gave my word that you’d be safe here. As far as I’m aware this remains true.”

He sighed a little, turning his head. Jasper knew why she was weary. He was starting to gather more and more that there was something in her past that pushed her to be like this. Sith indoctrination or an unfortunate run in with a sect that called themselves Jedi while adhering to more primitive codes. Braze hadn’t told him anything about her, which he didn’t mind. Jasper would rather Aliris tell herself. It was her story to tell after all.

“I grew up in a war,” he told her. “Surrounded by death and violence. I’ve seen the worst that people have to offer. Frankly, I hate even the thought of killing. Besides, I’m a teacher ultimately. I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself if I considered bringing harm to a child, no matter how mature they claimed to be.”

Jasper gave a warm smile. He ultimately didn’t mind her skepticism. It was a safety measure, and she was safe. To that end it did it’s job. Still, he figured that it was time to clear some of that up. She’d never get on the track she wanted to be on otherwise.

The one she really wanted to be on.

“That’s really all their is,” he shrugged. “Sorry if that’s a bit underwhelming, but I’m afraid I’m really not that interesting. My word still stands though. Nothing is holding you here. But… I’m curious…”

“What do you want to do?”

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"..."

She stared as she listened. Trust wasn't something she had for people, strangers especially. As much as she wanted to trust even Braze and Loomi, she couldn't. Not completely. Aliris wasn't sure when she started trembling, but she had. Everything was possible to change now, but only if she wasn't actually going to be hurt. Why did it have to be so hard to trust someone? She sniffled before she knew it.

She was crying.

"I just- I want to be a kid again! I'm so tired of fighting and being scared- But I don't know what to do. I'm so- I just- I'm so scared of everything!"

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Medical Tent
Tags: Aliris Tremiru

​

“Hey… It’s okay,” Jasper assured, his voice remaining reassuring. “I… understand. Maybe not the same way you do, but I know what it’s like…”

Jasper let out an exhale, his smile growing. His eyes showed a different story however. Grey and tired, full of worry… sorrow… perhaps even a glimmering of a childhood long past. Left behind too soon.

“If you wanna be a kid again, than I want to help you do that,” he decided. “I… know what it’s like to be forced to grow up. I don’t wish that on anyone, and I really mean anyone.”

Jasper pulled his hand out of his pocked, drawing forth a piece of charred wood. It had been a remnant of his brother’s home, burnt down not too far from here by raiders. It was unfortunately the moment that a part of Jalen’s youth had been taken too.

“You’re a strong kid,” Jasper added. “You’ve been in the face of so much that is strange and confusing to you, but you’re still here, tears or otherwise. It takes a lot of bravery to admit all of that. To that end you have my respect.”

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

She couldn't bring herself to speak anymore. Her voice sounded so pathetic. She hated how pathetic her voice sounded. She just sniffled loudly, biting back the tears that had already started to fall from her eyes. She really, really hated feeling like this. Vulnerable. That's what the feeling was. She wanted to just shut it off, and yet, she didn't at the same time. The burden of it all, she just wanted to let that go instead of shouldering it.

"I don't.. What do I do? I don't know what to do."

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Medical Tent
Tags: Aliris Tremiru

​

"I don't.. What do I do? I don't know what to do."

"I can offer the New Jedi Order's resources to you," he stated. "We have a means of getting you some semblance of normalcy, though I can't promise it will be... completely normal. It'll be a start though. We've been doing our best to make sure that our people have the tools they need to process what they're feeling rather than box it all in."

Jasper tucked the flake of wood back into his pockets, crossing his arms.

"More importantly there's plenty more kids the same age as you," Jasper noted. "Braze and Loomi are certainly stand outs amongst their peers, but there are plenty more like them. It might do you some good to start meeting more people more your own age."

It was all just suggestive though. He didn't want to force Aliris to jump into something if she wasn't ready. Jasper could very vividly remember a time where he wasn't ready to go back to the Jedi, far too afraid to take the leap. Everyone needed to do things at their own pace.

"I'm afraid that I can really only make suggestions for a path forward," he sighed. "Ultimately it's your life to live, not mine. If you do accept, however, you have my word that I'll help you in any way I can. With every fiber of my being."

He was certain of this. After all, Jasper was nothing if not a man of his word.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"I.."

Want that. Would love that. Absolutely agree. Wouldn't hesitate. Except she did. She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence because she knew there was something to hesitate about. Loomi and Braze, she'd love nothing more than to be their friends. She would be for sure. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to say it. There was something else still lingering that she couldn't ignore.

"I'm a danger to them, though.. I can't- If I'm taken over, she might hurt them. Any of them. I'm a threat to the Jedi, I'm not- I'm not dumb."

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Medical Tent
Tags: Aliris Tremiru

​

“Possession is… certainly uncommon,” Jasper remarked with a frown, “But I know someone who dealt with something similar, a Sith spirit trying to take over their mind. She fought it off. It may be somewhere to start. As for hurting anyone…”

Jasper looked her in the eyes, a look of sincerity in his. He would insure no such thing occurred. The only injured party would be him.

“I’m trained to handle situations like that,” he assured. “No harm will come to anyone. That I promise you. My guess is that the process is more complex than simply taking over. Possession requires a weaker will, and from what I can tell you possess quite a strong resolve. And you’re still just a kid. Not fully grown. We’ll have time to teach you how to fend her off while we learn how to remove her completely…”

A smile came to his face.

“Don’t worry,” Jasper added. “That information won’t spread past me and the council. Your secret is safe. If things work out well, I’d wager you can have a bit of time to forget everything for a while. I’ll see about starting to research solutions, then we’ll see about finally getting that spirit out of your head.”

The first thing he needed was to arrange a meeting with Valery Noble and Kahlil. Considering the events of Exegol, they would be the best place to start.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

He seemed startlingly confident. This wasn't the first time? She knew there were others who had been possessed in the past, and hell, the First in her was one who'd been doing that to her own family for generations before she was.. Stopped. She was stopped. That's why she didn't have a new vessel, wasn't it? There was a glimmer of hope there as she smiled and nodded her head. Just a little, weary smile like someone who'd been traveling so long in the dark they finally got a glimmer of the light near the end of the tunnel. Not enough to truly hope that it wasn't just another trick of their eyes.

But enough to hope that it was, in fact, real anyway.

".. Okay. .. I-"

She wanted to say she trusted him, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She didn't. Not completely. Her smile again dipped as she looked away. "I hope you can."

Jasper Kai'el