Private Residency

[Amani Serys]

Takodana
Shan Pavond​

---

One of the last planets on the border of the unknown regions, Takodana has long been celebrated for its remoteness and neutrality in galactic affairs. A haven for frontiersmen and fugitives alike, that in recent years has found its position challenged. The Second Great Hyperspace War had Takodana caught in the middle of two galactic powers, and despite what the free-living locals may have thought about the Galactic Alliance, just about anything was preferable to the merciless conquests of Maw warbands.

Perhaps that's why, even now that the war had ended, the presence of Alliance Jedi was not only being tolerated, but requested.

With no reliable support systems on-world, a lakeside shantytown had managed to transmit a signal to Coruscant, asking for medical relief from an unknown plight. The Alliance itself could not expend the effort for what was a relatively small-scale matter, but Jedi could always find a way to step in. Normally, Chief Healer Amani Serys would have taken it upon herself to deal with this matter alone. But this time, a padawan had been sent along with her. She was happy to give him the experience (and to have the company), but it also meant one more person to keep an eye on, "Not everyone on Takodana is happy with Jedi interference. There's a chance some of the locals here are among them. Just something to keep in mind as we head in," She nodded to Shan, before closing the ramp of the ship behind them. They had landed in a clearing outside the town, given that there was no real spaceport within its limits.

"Oh, and I've heard threats of bandits in the area as well." Despite the warning, she smirked slightly. Perhaps a show of confidence, or just to ease any tension the padawan might be feeling. Amani crossed the clearing into the lush forest. Luckily, they could see the village through the trees even from here, so there was little concern of getting lost, "So, Shan, was it? What brings you along for this mission?" Other than a mandate from his higher ups, of course. There must be some relevance here to his learning, she figured. Indeed, she already had a guess as to what, given the circumstance. But it was more interesting to make conversation.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan wasn't entirely sure how he felt about going on this mission. There was obviously some excitement at the thought of going off to another planet to help the people living there, and he also felt quite pleased at the thought of being able to help out with medical relief but there was also plenty of nerves. The fact he was heading out with a Jedi Knight for the mission should have made him feel more calm, but it did the opposite. The young Mirialan felt even more nervous about the idea in case he made a fool of himself in front of the Knight, or if there was some kind of danger that he'd have to help with. The fact she was also the Chief Healer also caused Shan to be more nervous since it felt like he had to prove something to her...but he shook his head, trying to relax.

A short nod was his first response to Amani's comment about how there would be some people on Takodana who wouldn't approve of Jedi interfering with things on the planet. "I can understand their dislike to having Jedi involved. There are plenty of people in the Galaxy who think they can deal with their problems by themselves, or don't like the idea of accepting help. I can also especially understand it, considering some may think it's a breach of neutrality. But either way, people require aid and I want to do my best to help them." His eyes took in their surroundings whilst the ramp behind them closed up on the ship. That was it officially now, Shan was here on the planet for the mission to help. He tried to focus on calming his nerves, before Amani commented about the bandits, and his eyes went wide for a more, a quick pang of fear tightening in his chest before he shook his head.

Relax Shan. She isn't trying to scare you. Don't let fear over take you... Shan focused on his breathing, he was sure that Amani would be able to deal with any bandits that tried to accost them. All he would have to focus on is not making the situation worse. Though as they walked off towards the village, Shan glanced over towards Amani, frowning in thought at her question as he raised his hand to his chin. "Healing and First Aid has been something I've always been gifted at, I think at least. I've always wanted to be able to help as many people as I can. Which is why it makes sense that I was sent on this mission with you, Ma'am." He lowered his head slightly, trying to be as respectful as he could. Whilst Shan had always been quite polite, he was never too sure how to act around those who were "superior" compared to his position. "Though considering I do also have a lack of confidence as well in dealing with aggression, perhaps the mission is also able to help on that front? So that I can both build on my strengths and weaknesses?"

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani nodded, "At the end of the day, this village specifically requested our help. So we should be in the clear. But it's best to be aware of perceptions going forward." Many Takodanans lived here to get away from government overreach, and Jedi were often seen as an extension of that. But ultimately their Order had since been distanced from such politics. Hopefully they could prove to the locals that Jedi can still be counted on as mediators and protectors.

"Astute observations," Amani concurred, "Especially recognizing your own weaknesses. It's the first step to self-improvement." She stepped over a large, gnarled root, then emerged from the forest and into the village outskirts. The buildings were all built ramshackle, huddled closely together along this half of the lakeside. A smattering of small farms occupied the surrounding land, and a few people could be seen meandering about the space. Even at this distance, some were already looking in the direction of two apparent newcomers. Amani stood confidently, but not imposingly, and waited for Shan, "Just stick by me and we'll do fine. They likely have a leader of some kind. An elder, or some other respected community member. Let's find them first."

Then, she began to walk towards the main street, "How long have you been practicing medicine? I don't believe I've gotten to see you much around the Halls of Healing," A matter than could very well have just been a variance in schedules. She was busy with work on and off-world, and Shan no doubt had other duties to attend to as part of his training.

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan took in what Amani was saying as well as he could. The wisdom was going to be vital to him after all, or at least that's what he believed. "As long as I'm aware of the perceptions, it'd be much harder to accidentally offend someone. The more I know about a culture, the more respectful I can be." He broke out into a smile at that, lowering his head slightly. He was determined to do the best he could on the mission, so making sure he didn't offend someone was high on his list of priorities at the end of the day. In fact this could help convince him that he could be a protector without hurting someone.

The sight of the trees were always able to surprise Shan as they walked through the forest, and he carefully ran his hands along the trees. Nature wasn't exactly something he was used to having been on Nar Shaddaar but the sight of it always manages to give him a boost of confidence as the pair started to walk into the outskirts of the village. Shan brought a grin straight back on his face, trying his hardest to seem as friendly as he could be, but obviously still letting Amani lead the way whilst he just stayed close to her side so he didn't get lost or confronted by anyone if he fell behind.

He blinked at Amani's question about how long he had been practicing medicine and stared off in thought. "Well...Since I've been young. It might not have been proper medicine, but back when I was in Nar Shaddaa...I was always trying to give people spare food or water, since it was hard to get actual medicine. Making sure they were doing well, emotionally alongside making sure they had basic supplies always appealed to me. Whilst my parents focused on technology, I was always more interested in biology. How I could help people." Shan just nodded once he finished speaking, trying not to start rambling about his time in Nar Shaddaa

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani raised a brow, "You were on Nar Shaddaa?" Not an easy place to live, especially for a child. But it seems it hadn't deterred his spirit, and in some ways even inspired it.

They continued down the main street, passing a few villagers who mostly kept at a distance form them. Be it out of suspicion, or the purported illness. The majority of them were alien, rather than human. But Amani couldn't determine any recognizable symptoms among this current host of onlookers.

They reached a shack right at the edge of the water, out front of which was a man. He was a Snivvian, with their trademark short tusks and large porcine snout. He had wispy white hair on his head and his cheeks, and reddish-brown skin. This was the unofficial leader of the shantytown, and he greeted them arms wide. "You must be the Jedi, yes?"

Amani dipped her head, "That's right. We came as soon as we could. I am Amani Serys-Organa," She then gestured for the padawan to introduce himself, before continuing, "You must be the one who contacted us. We hope to help with your peoples' affliction, but we need to know what we're up against first."

"Of course. Follow me," The Snivvian gestured, and led them into a building near the center of the shantytown. The inside had been set up as a triage center of sorts, with patients in varying stages of illness. They were all alien, covered in uncharacteristic splotches and boils. "It started maybe a week ago. But it's spread like wildfire, and we have no doctors capable of treating it."

Amani nodded, and retrieved a pair of gloves from her bag. She offered the set to Shan, then pulled out another for herself. Slowly, she crept further into the ward, "Some of the skin splotches are deterorating. Like necrosis." The healer noted pensively, already putting things together in her mind.

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan nodded at Amani's response to him saying he was from Nar Shaddaa. "Whilst I know it isn't the perfect place to be raised, it was home to me. So I have some...fondness for it. Though I know I'm one of the lucky ones." He knew the kind of reputation Nar Shaddaa had, but that didn't make him regret his childhood.

His eyes wandered as they walked, taking note of what he could see. None of them had signs of an illness to Shan, so either it was something underlying...or they weren't at a stage where they'd know there was infected. His head was already starting to try and turn the different cogs to see what might have been important to know and what might have been just a distraction...

Though his eyes focused on the Snivvian in front of them after they had arrived at the shack, and Shan lowered his head, to try and be as respectful as possible. "Shan Pavond. I wish we could have met under better circumstances but we are here to help." He tried his hardest to keep his polite tone like usual, though a small frown spread across his face as they were lead into the center of the shanytown. If they were able to kept here, and not isolated to a different section of the town...Shan assumed that the illness possibly wasn't spread through breathing.

He carefully took the gloves from Amani, pulling them on and making sure that they didn't tear whilst he did so before stepping into the ward with Amani. His eyes scanned over the ill, listening to Amani talk as he was trying to figure out what to ask...before he glanced over towards the Snivvian, clearing his throat carefully. "Do you happen to have a list of those who have been infected? It might help for us to narrow down who's getting sick, or how they're getting sick." The fact that none of the patients were human however helped him to narrow down some potential illnesses. It meant that whatever it was didn't exclusively attack humans...Though that gave him more questions than answers.

After he made his request, he glanced back over towards the sick once again, breaking out into a frown once more. "I'm noticing a distant lack of...human patients in here as well. Though since I saw outside that there isn't much of a human population, it might just be a coincidence..." Shan mumbled out loud, letting both the Snivvian and Amani hear his thoughts "...I think finding what caused the infection will help narrow down my thoughts." Though afterwards Shan shook his head, glancing over towards Amani. "I'm sorry. I was...thinking outloud."

 

[Amani Serys]

The Snivvian stepped back toward the door to let them work. He shook his head at Shan's questions, "No proper recordkeeping. But everyone we know of should be somewhere in here." It didn't help matters, but it seemed these folks had done the best they could with what little resources and training they had. Even without it, they had at least begun to put together some details. Shan voiced some of his own thoughts, to which Amani nodded.

"No, you're right," She affirmed, coming to a similar conclusion, "Do you have any humans who live in this village?"

The Snivvan scratched his chin, and shrugged, "Er, some, yes."

"Have any of them gotten sick, to your knowledge?"

He shook his head, "N-no. Not to my knowledge."

Amani stood up, and furrowed her brow, "Have you noticed any other symptoms among the patients?"

"Some of them seem to experience a degree of… memory loss. Forgetfulness. As the disease progresses."

The Chief Healer seemed to be leading towards a specific conclusion. She glanced over at Shan, to see if he shared that knowledge, "Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan's face furrowed into a frown as the Snivvan confirmed that none of the humans had been here. That almost seemed to confirm his concerns...and with that came more growing concerns because if it was what he thought it was...The treatment might be extremely expensive as Shan rubbed his chin, listening to the Snivvan give a few more symptoms which also seemed to conform his theory though he was snapped out of it when Amani asked if any of it seemed familiar as he gave a short and sharp nod of his head.

"I think I've read up on it in the archives. If it's what I think it is...The infected don't have long to survive...How long has this been going on for?" His eyes went towards the Snivvan, keeping a small frown on his face at this was perhaps more serious than he had expected. But now there was more concerns popping into his head.

If it was the Krytos virus like he had assumed...Was it possible that it was being used as a weapon here? But why? Or was it possible that it had been accidentally introduced into the water? His concerns were only growing from there, but he shook his head. He couldn't focus on that. He had to focus on what he could do now. Relax Shan. Focus on helping the people now. Then think about what caused it later.

 

[Amani Serys]

The padawan had pieced it together as well. The Snivvian rubbed the nape of his neck, "Symptoms started showing up about a week ago."

"Yeah we need to work fast, then," Amani immediately replied.

"W-what is it?"

"Krytos Virus. It's a bioweapon specifically targeted against non-humans."

"A bioweapon? But… why?" The Snivvian bemoaned in shock. It was a question they all had now, but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"Who knows. But we're going to need a lot of bacta. As much of it as you can scrounge up. And probably more of it than you have," She admitted, then turned to her fellow mirialan, "Shan— How much experience do you have with healing powers? We're going to need to pull our weight here. Overtime."

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan's eyes snapped open as soon as the Snivvian said that it had been a week, snapping his head over towards the man. "Who's been here the longest? We need to start treating them first."

It was like...classic triage. Or at least that's how Shan saw it. Treat the people who needed it first before anything else. Nothing else could matter though since these people weren't going to last long if they didn't get to work trying to help now.

There was a part of him that was terrified at the thought of getting to work on actual people who were in a bad place...But he shook his head, glancing back over towards Amani as he gave a nervous chuckle. It would be best for him to tell the truth, that he had never actually done it on anything life-threatening or dangerous, and more small scratches but he felt like that would scare the patients that could actually pay attention to them right now, so instead he just decided to tell a small fib.

"I've healed a few times with cuts and scrapes from training. Haven't really done anything serious like this...but I've helped with a cold before." This wasn't going to be fun...but it's part of what Shan always wanted to be able to do. Help people and heal them. So he just tried to calm his nerves, breathing in to relax himself. He can do this.

 

[Amani Serys]

The triaging began in quick order. The Snivvian man directed them to their patient zero, a middle aged Latero man who was otherwise in good health. But now, he was in the final stages of the illness. His mind was so out of sorts, that he had to be tied down to keep from hurting himself or others. His skin was becoming necrotic, and even Amani, who was used to unpleasant medical stimuli, had to briefly cover her nose to mitigate the putrid scent.

The healer turned to Shan, "…Alright. You can do this. Just remember to maintain your focus, give it your all, and…" She reached up to her neck, and removed a smooth cerulean gem, placing it in his palm, "Take this. It will amplify your healing." This Healing Sapphire was her badge of office as Chief Healer, and a powerful augmentation. She could make strides without it, and given Shan's experience, he would get much greater use out of the artifact that she would right now. "Now you go to the next person. I will help this one," Gently, Amani reached down to the Latero man, and the soothing energy of the Force began to coalesce around him. It was not an immediate effect, but with her aptitude, the patient already seemed to become more pacified.

"And you, get as much bacta in here as you can. Everything the village can scrounge up," She turned to the Snivvian, who nodded and immediately took off to spur his people into action. As long as they could get everyone into a stable condition, things would be much more manageable. But the clock was ticking.

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan took a small glance down at the gem in confusion before nodding quickly at Amani's comment about it helping to amplify his healing. He knew he was going to need something to help him because his skills were lacking. That didn't mean he was going to give up on it however as he rushed over towards the next patient, trying to focus on his breathing. The stench in the room was making it hard for him to do that however as each inhale was just more of the putrid aroma. Focus. You've got this. Don't let yourself get distracted by eternal stimuli...

He held his hands out towards his own patient and closed his eyes, trying to focus on the Force instead. It was just like when he did the small scrapes and cuts. Just...in a bigger context. Shan focused on the Force, trying to have it gently and carefully flow over the Patient. Trying to soothe the wounds and sores as he thought it would be best to try and heal inwards. From the surface level of the body inwards. Healing outwards felt like something that would been too much of a struggle for him. The crystal was helping at the very least so that he didn't feel like he wasn't making any progress. Having something that helped enhance his ability was...strange to say the least.

It was still hard work either way with the Patient he was working on...but he wasn't going to stop at it. He wouldn't move onto the next one until he was sure that his current patient was in a stable state. There was no point speeding through them all since it wouldn't help them in the long run. That didn't mean he could take his time with the healing either, but he felt it was better to be safe than sorry when it came to the amount of time he spent healing.

 

[Amani Serys]

Healing was always a draining process. Pouring one's own life energy into another could be taxing, and required great concentration. But Amani had years of experience and training. The title of Chief Healer wasn't just for show. Gradually, the supernatural restorative strength of the Force began to repair rotted flesh, and flush the illness from the patient's system. His condition was the worst of them, and though it took time and effort he was eventually purged. It wasn't perfect— Some of his lost flesh was unrecoverable, and couldn't be replaced without additional procedures that they didn't have access to. There was a chance he would live with an infirmity for the rest of his days, but he was stable now, and would live on. He fell into a deep slumber, one that was probably very much needed. "Sleep well," Amani muttered, before checking back on Shan.

"The sapphire can also heal minds. It can free them from their dementia," She studied his work, even smiling a bit despite the circumstances, "You're doing well. Keep at it. Look at this way: Each procedure will be less intensive than the last." Considering they were working from the most severe to the least, they would take less and less each time. The Snivvian came back in, followed by a number of other villagers, all with stores of additional bacta. "Here. Start administering to these ones," She began directing them to the patients in the middle stages of the virus. The ones worst off would use up so much bacta to be cured, that there wouldn't be enough for them all, or anyone else. The ones in less severe conditions didn't need it right away, and could wait for treatment from the healers. But those in their fourth or fifth day of infection could get use from it, and perhaps ease the strain on everyone, doctors included, in the long run.

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

The effort of healing was already hitting Shan, as a few beads of sweat started to slide down his forehead. Healing the damage that could be healed was more effort than he was used to but he wasn't going to take a break. Not yet at least. Shan knew he could keep going, still moving through the motions of his healing. There were some parts of the skin that were too far gone, and so Shan just isolated those sections so he wouldn't waste time nor effort on healing something that couldn't be healed. It was steady work for him, but his nerves to do with being watched had slowly faded from his mind now that he was purely focused on his patient. At least until Amani spoke up, snapping him out of his thoughts and explaining to him that the sapphire could help with mental healing as well.

And so that's what he did. Focusing on his patient's mind to start healing them and freeing them for the pain and suffering their mind must have been in. There was a small sense of pride from Amani saying he was doing a good job, but he wasn't going to let himself focus on that. Instead he was going to focus on the patient, even as the bacta started rolling in. At the very least, with the bacta coming in, there would be less people that they'd have to heal via the Force which was a relief at the end of the day. They've got this. Shan knew that as he kept his focus going, wiping at his forehead carefully before turning his eyes back to the patient.

 

[Amani Serys]

Shan remained steadfast in his work, which Amani silently commended. She wouldn't distract him any further. The healer stepped back, and moved on to the next patient, reaching out a hand and channeling the Force once more.

The effort was arduous, but progress was tangible. With each person saved, hope shined a little brighter. The room itself almost seemed to breathe easier. The other villagers stepped up to help their neighbors, despite their initial fears, "The virus is only transmitted through fluid contact. It's not airborne. Stay equipped, and you'll all be fine," Amani assured, just to keep everyone aware and safe. The villagers seemed to work even harder after that.

Eventually, as things became a bit more manageable, the Snivvian tentatively spoke up, "So… For this many of us to have gotten the virus…"

"The water," Amani theorized, "You all get your water from the lake, right?"

"Yes." He sighed, "But how did it get in there? After all this time?"

"Has anything else unusual happened in the last three weeks?"

"Three weeks?" The Snivvian was confused about the timeframe.

"Symptoms only begin to show up after an incubation period of about twelve days." Amani clarified, "Meaning your water was contaminated longer than a week ago."

"…We saw what looked like evidence of people on the other side of the lake. About that long ago. They weren't there long. Just figured they were campers or travelers of some kind."

Amani furrowed her brow. This was shaping up to be a deliberate operation after all.

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan was listening out of the corner of his ear as he focused on the healing. The fact this was seeming like a deliberate operation was becoming more and more likely which was making Shan worried. Why would someone poison the village? Did they want to affect the village? Or did they want to specifically attack who was going to come and help the village? It was entirely possible that the people who poisoned the village knew someone would come and help so was that what they wanted? Or did they want to try and cause more hostilities between the planet and the Galactic Alliance?

Now that he was slowly able to bring his healing to an end on his patient, Shan decided it would be a bit useful to speak up now before he forgot his trail of thought. "The fact that the Virus only targets aliens implies that whoever did this didn't want to wipe out the village. It would have only been a matter of time before someone else noticed that the humans here weren't dying, and potentially try to put the blame on them. Whoever did it has plans....and it's also safe to assume that they've been keeping watch on the village for what's going on."

His eyes travelled over towards the bacta that was brought in, a frown growing over his face as he thought more about it. "Which would also make it safe to assume that they know we've figured out what's causing this. Either ruining their plans, or playing right into them." Whilst Shan's mind had travelled towards thoughts of someone trying to use the weapon to turn the planet against the GA...It was possible that someone had done it to make them dependent on the GA alongside getting a steady supply of Bacta to help their people...Though he shook his head. That theory was unlikely, but it helped to try and see things from both sides.

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani gave Shan an approving nod as he finished with his patient, "I'd believe it." Someone with such cruel intentions would likely want to see the fruits of their labor 'pay off', "Some kind of humanocentrists, maybe?" Anti-aliens groups had existed for a long time. Even flourished in past eras.

"Which would also make it safe to assume that they know we've figured out what's causing this. Either ruining their plans, or playing right into them."

The healer furrowed her brow, "All worth considering. Takodana hasn't been at threat from Alliance intervention in any official capacity," As far as she was privy to Alliance operation anyway, "But that doesn't mean the culprit doesn't believe that." She shook her head, "There's too many factors to say anything for certain yet. But I think you're onto something. Let's keep at it," Together with the rest of the village, they could probably get the sick ones stabilized in short order. Then, they could investigate the cause further.

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan nodded ever so slightly at Amani suggesting it could be some kind of humanocentrists, but at the same time he did have his own theory. "It's possible that they want us to think it's humanocentrists. Since it seems to be the most obvious answer." Of course the most obvious answer could be the actual answer...but he doubted that.

Either way, his theories didn't matter right now. There was still members in the village that needed healing right now as Shan prepared to crack down and get to work. He didn't see himself as much of a thinker right now, and his main job was to heal the sick, not to come up with why they were attacked by the virus. That could come later, when no-one was at risk of it. It wouldn't take too long, if he made sure to focus on the patients who were further along, and let the villages work on those who weren't too bad.

 

[Amani Serys]

With everyone's involvement, they were able to stabilize the sick population in admirable time. The most extreme cases were taken care first, until gradually they could work their way down to those who were only dealing with the earliest symptoms. Hardly enjoyable in their own right, but much more manageable. Thankfully it was a small village.

By the end of it, much of the day had gone by, and Amani was sweating from the exertion required by that much healing. She slumped against a wall the moment things were clear, and chuckled, "I remember when healing just a few serious injuries could literally put me to sleep." Amani looked for Shan, and checked on him, "How'd that sapphire work for you?"

Shan Pavond​

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan was focused purely on the healing, even as he could feel himself starting to get more and more exhausted. Luckily for him, the sapphire was making sure he wasn't going to drain his energy dry from healing as much as he could. It was a relief...but Shan also knew he wouldn't be able to rely on something like that. It would just mean when it came to him not having the sapphire, he might not be strong enough to heal.

Once they were done with the healing, Shan just slid down onto the ground against a wall to sit down for a bit, glancing over towards Amani and giving her an awkward smile, as he ran his hand through his hair. "I think the sapphire is the only reason I'm not taking a nap right now...I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without it." Though that didn't stop Shan from holding the sapphire back out to Amani. As much as he enjoyed using it, Shan knew it wasn't his and he didn't want to rely on it.