Private Second Chances

[Oceiros Sunstrider]

Eyes fluttering open, Oceiros saw the first rays of Dantooine’s sun peeking through the curtains of his homestead. As the beams of light crossed the dim interior they gave life to the ramshackle cabin. Holes worn into the wooden baseboards, furniture, broken and in disrepair, all before landing upon the Jedi that was just as broken as the home. Wrapped around his torso were a set of thick bandages that had red blotches painting the front.

Teeth gritting the Jedi managed to raise himself up, back pressing to the misshapen headboard. Every movement brought a surge of pain through the Epicanthix’s abdominals, the blackened scar from where a lightsaber had penetrated him still obvious. It had taken all of Oceiros’ strength to heal himself even that much after the betrayal he’d suffered.

Looking to the window, and through the crack in the curtain Oceiros could see the fields of flowers and grass that surrounded his home. It brought back memories of Brental, what it had been like before the demons and manifestations of darkness destroyed it. In the end all the dark sought was to corrupt and destroy. The young, old, strong and weak, no one was safe from the influence of the dark. Oceiros thought he could save people, bring them back from the edge, but what he’d received in return was a near deathblow.

“Aarrrgh!” The whelp of agony escaped from between the Jedi’s lips before he could halt them. The burning in his abdominals spreading to the entirety of his torso. Feet touching the ground Oceiros pushed himself to his feet. The effort of it leaving the epicanthix pale, blonde hair matted to his head, and eyes glazed.

Labored breaths were all the padawan could offer as he walked to the door. Each step a trial, a tribulation, and testament to his foolishness. With an obnoxious creek, the wooden door opened permitting the warmth of Dantooine’s primary to wash over the Jedi’s skin. It brought comfort to him before it was quickly blotted out by a ship descending from the skies above. “Took the Alliance long enough to find me.”

Auteme

 

[Auteme]

Oceiros Sunstrider ​

The ship set down across the field from the cabin. Auteme thanked the pilot, who just as readily told her to be quick. So she was quick; disembarking, walking over to the house, spotting the injured padawan at the doorframe and quietly admiring the... bandaging job. Yes. Very tight, well done.

Concern immediately crossed the young Jedi's face as she approached Oceiros. "Don't strain yourself," she said, moving to his side to support him. That did little good, given he weighed twice as much as she did and was easily seven inches taller, but she refused any protest so that she could help him. "Just take it easy. I'm a healer, I can help."

Oceiros Sunstrider wasn't someone she was all that familiar with; mostly her fault, given he'd been with them at Brentaal to face Abaddon. She was one of the faces of the New Jedi Order. Shouldn't she know everyone she represented?

Even so, he wasn't the most active of Jedi, either. Fighting on Bastion was important (another place she'd been at the same time) but it was a bit of a surprise to her that his 'disappearance' and actions during Kyber Dark had caused a bit of a debacle. He was only a padawan. It wasn't as if he'd killed anyone -- in fact, he'd saved someone's life, something Auteme would never consider a crime.

The search for Oceiros was... well, she didn't know. As much as she cared for her fellow Jedi she was far from a spy or investigator. But somehow they found him. After a short discussion among the Jedi and SCOFA, Auteme found her way to Dantooine. Carefully. The Sith wouldn't take kindly to either of their presences. But he had managed to stay hidden thus far, so she supposed the risk was low.

She guided the man back inside towards whatever couch or bed she could find. It was a wonder he was still alive, living in such conditions and with such pain. The Force swirled around him, tightening into a knot where he'd been wounded. She helped him lie down.

"I'm Auteme," she said, almost trying to distract him while she loosened the bandages. "I, um, know who you are. Otherwise I wouldn't be here. Obviously. We, uh, met on Brentaal, too, kind of."

She took a deep breath, summoning her the energy within and pushing it out through the hands she placed on Oceiros's abdomen. That was one prime abdomen. Looked like something she'd see in a medical textbook. She read a lot of medical textbooks.

"Was this from Bastion?"

 

[Oceiros Sunstrider]

As the ship came to a landing, the epicanthix exhaled. Now was the time he was arrested. He expected Alliance troopers to flood out of the ship, prepared to take him away in cuffs, and return him to Alliance space. Instead there was only a single figure that walked down the ramp, a single, diminutive figure. At least in stature they were, but through the force, Oceiros could feel the light radiating off of them like it was a beacon. Had they sent a Jedi to bring him in by force?

With each moment the figure drew closer, and through his hazy vision, Oceiros was able to make out more of the features. While she’d obviously aged some since he’d last seen her on Brentaal, she’d also seemed to grow more confident. Out of all the Jedi to bring him back, why her? If he stood toe to toe against their Sword of the Jedi, would they not have sent at least one more with her? Or perhaps it was to lull him into a sense of security?

Hands gripping the edge of the door frame in a white-knuckled grip, Oceiros found himself lost in the nebulous void of thoughts. So much so he almost didn’t realize the figure had rushed up and had snaked her way under his bulk to support some of his weight. Flinching slightly at it, Oceiros could sense no deception, or malice from the young woman. All he felt was a sense of urgency and tenderness.

Teeth gnawing at the inside of his cheek, Oceiros allowed himself to be aided to the nearby bed, where he was laid across it by the other. Sweat beading on his head, sapphire eyes locked on the Knight that had arrived on his doorstep. She hovered over him.

“I remember.” Something between a cackle and pained grunt escaped the Jedi as he spoke. “You were one of the ones fighting Abaddon, you did good, you saved my home. I will never be able to thank you enough for that.”

Inhaling to center himself Oceiros felt the other’s Jedi’s hands placed upon his body and a warmth spread across his abdomen, flesh slowly growing anew, and muscle knitting itself back together.

“No, this wasn’t from Bastion. This came from the one I saved.” Memories of the betrayal were all too fresh in the Jedi’s mind. How he’d taken the acolyte where she’d asked and she’d turned on him. That was perhaps that hurt more than even the lightsaber wound. “I tried to do what a Jedi should. Offer salvation, a chance at a different path.” Shaking his head and looking passed Auteme and to the window, the jedi exhaled. “She didn’t want it. Seems there are limits to a Jedi’s influence.”

“I’m sure you’re well aware of that. Who sent you to find me? The Order? Or was it SCOFA? Am I to face trial?”

Auteme

 

[Auteme]

Oceiros Sunstrider
​

"Oh, just the one thanks is enough," she joked. In truth she never thought about receiving thanks for her actions -- she didn't ever want to feel as if she should've been thanked more. Already she was wondering if he would thank her for healing him. It was such an easy thing to spiral into. Maybe she should've thanked people more. She stayed silent, letting him speak otherwise uninterrupted.

Even when he'd finished she let the silence hang a little longer. The healing process was going smoothly as far as she could tell; she spoke as she loosened the bandages further. "I don't want you to worry about that," she said. "SCOFA... well, the Alliance has had some less-than-friendly relations with the New Imperial Order. You won't be extradited."

She paused again, considering the story he told her. In truth she'd come because she was curious about it. Few Jedi would be willing to put their own life on the line to save a Sith. They were of the few, and she respected Oceiros immensely for it. Many might view them as naïve but Auteme believed a Jedi protected all life and that all could be redeemed with time. Perhaps she was naïve. Perhaps she'd grow out of it. She hoped she wouldn't, and she hoped others wouldn't as well.

"That must have been difficult," she said, removing her hands from his wound for a moment. "To risk your life for someone, and be betrayed...

"You're right. The Jedi can't save everyone. But I don't think we should stop trying." She glanced around the room in search of a place to sit, but found no furniture that was intact. Instead she rummaged around in the bag at her side and produced a small folding stool -- an item that surely couldn't fit into such a small satchel.

"The woman you saved -- what do you think of her now? When she betrayed you, how did you feel?" There was far more to healing than the mending of wounds.

 

[Oceiros Sunstrider]

The pressure of the bandages lessened on Oceiros' torso as Auteme loosened them. Muscles bulged in the Jedi’s jaw as he felt the sting of the wound. Hands digging into the sheets to distract himself from the discomfort of the wound. With her hands removed from his body, Oceiros forced himself to sit up, despite what he was sure would be protests from Auteme . Every inch he moved was a knew ache that rocked his being. By the time the Jedi sat up on the bed, back to the headboard he was sweating.

One hand covering the wound, Oceiros’ eyes met Auteme's. There were few beings in the Jedi as pure as the other Jedi. Sadly the world both of them envisioned simply didn’t exist. Oceiros had seen that. He had wanted to believe that anyone could be brought to the light if one tried hard enough. It was honestly sweet that the other was trying to understand the situation deeper and identify with the epicanthix.

“Sometimes I think you should be the face of the Jedi.” The Jedi whispered under his breath looking not at Auteme but through her his mind drawing him back to Dromund Kaas, back to the final moments he’d seen Aradia walking away.

“I felt many things. Initially, I felt anger, how could she have done that to me? The one who had saved her on Bastion, treated her while she was unconscious and even delivered her home.” Exhaling, the Jedi shook his head before closing his eyes. Bits of moisture building up in his eyes retreating down his ashen cheeks.

“I felt pain worse than this wound. Why couldn’t she see that there was another way? How could she still allow them to use her the way they did? That’s all I could think as I lay in the sand watching her walk away.”

“Most of all, I felt pity. She’s nothing but a child. She knows not what she’s doing, nor what she did. She’ll continue on following the Sith till she sees the truth for herself. I just fear that she’ll never see the truth.” Burying his head into his palms, Oceiros forced down those memories his breathing ragged.

“When I became a Jedi I never imagined it would feel like this. What are we if we can’t turn a single child away from the dark?! Can we even call ourselves Jedi?”

 

[Auteme]

Oceiros Sunstrider
​

Auteme reached out, placing a soothing hand on the man's broad shoulder (like, wow). She breathed in, and out, doing her best to both absorb his emotions and help him to control them. Those moments had passed. The choices had passed. Pain, pity, fear -- it would all fade in time and Oceiros would see clearly. She knew as well as anyone that clinging to the past would do no good.

Not that it was unwise to reflect. She knew he was a little older than her, but there were a great many padawans and even knights who lacked the wisdom and self-awareness that he'd just displayed. She allowed herself a little more time to empathize, to consider his words and find the best way to console him -- and remind him of what a Jedi was.

"Failure is the greatest teacher," she said, giving his shoulder a light squeeze (very light, look at that shoulder). "And in truth -- failure has been the legacy of the Jedi.

"I was on Onderon. The Sith attacked -- Carnifex and his then-hand led the assault on Iziz. I was afraid, but I thought if I could stop them for just a moment I could make a difference. Just a moment. Barely anything of importance, and even then I couldn't do it. They shrugged off my light like it was the flame of a cheap candle. Shattered every barrier I tried to put up. And there was nothing I could do but try to escape." It was a difficult thing, for a Jedi to admit their fears. But she believed it would be worse for her to deceive or be dishonest.

"I failed, simple as that." Still, it was quite the task she'd set herself. Those were among the most powerful Sith Lords of their time. It wasn't right to compare herself to them -- it wasn't right for him to set some impossible standard for himself.

"The idea of a Jedi as some powerful, wise, infallible being -- it's just wrong. We make mistakes. We fail. And even when we do our best, things can still go wrong. When that happens," she said, dropping a hand to his in a light attempt to get him to look at her, "You can't blame yourself."

There'd been enough of that from her, anyways.

"Just because she didn't see the truth this time doesn't mean we can stop trying. We're people first, Jedi second. It's up to us to change as we need, to adapt, to keep striving to be better, even if we can't become that infallible being.

"Oceiros, you are a Jedi. And I believe you could become the best among us. You've failed -- and now you can learn what you need to do to succeed next time.

"There are many next times to come."