Private The Bad Kids

[Amani Serys]

Another day of managing the NJO's more accident-prone roster had come to a close. Now that the temple had been reconstructed, there was an opportunity to do more work planetside, which at least served as a nice change of pace from the more migrant nature of the Prosperity or Amani's Outer Rim outreaches.

The temple had a quietness to it. Their numbers couldn't quite add up to the Jedi Orders of old, making this vast space seem all the more empty. Not that Amani minded. There was an almost meditative quality to walking the great corridors alone. Sunbeams of blended orange poured through the row of tall windows, and even as the endless city planet beyond continued to move onward, from here it was all quiet; That dichotomy only adding further to the temple's ethereal ambience.

Then Amani was yanked from whatever trivial reverie she found herself in, with her movement coming to an equally abrupt stop. Not by intention, but by the chance appearance of another someone. But one that had a wholly unexpected familiarity, enough to spark a double take from the Mirialan just across.

"Oh." The noise came involuntarily. It seemed the Force wasn't intent on Amani having a surprise run-in with just one Perl.

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Quiet and demure as she was, Nida found solace in working with her hands. It was one of the many reasons she thrived in busy medical wards- treating other people for their ailments distracted from your own. There wasn't enough time to contemplate the ills of her life when you've got three laboring mothers and a Padawan who'd fallen on his own stun grenade to tend to.

She hadn't been able to work that way in a while. Both the Sith and prison sentence had taken several years from Nida, and although she'd traveled as a physician on remote worlds, it just wasn't the same. Long stretches of time alone and a lack of supplies hadn't helped the matter.

Perhaps—maybe—she thought…if they needed any help in the clinic here, she would be trusted enough to assist. If not with patients, then winding bandages and filling out paperwork. Something. Anything. Her position here, while approved under the watchful eye of Master Noble, was precarious in her own mind. Some welcomed her, others had given her the side eye.

She couldn't blame them. Nida had been giving herself the side eye for a long time.

Her trek towards the healing chamber petered to a stop when an approaching figure came into view. The vague familiarity of green skin and dark hair lit a brief spark of surprise in her eyes, followed by silent recognition This was Amani, a fellow healer from their shared time in the Silvers. Strangely, their paths had not overlapped enough for them to really know one another. Different shifts, different missions.

Surely she had heard of Nida's betrayal. Amani had been present at the trial, but Nida had not known that. Regardless, her stomach was now knotted in three different places and she swallowed around the monsterous lump in her throat.

"You are…Amani, yes? Of the Silver Jedi."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani blinked, and chuckled awkwardly, "...Yeah. I mean, not for a while now, er- not the Silver part, anyway- whatever," She'd get the point. There was a weird pause, which Amani scrambled to fill, "Nida, right? Iiii…" saw your murder trial. The one after you fell to the Dark Side and joined the Sith. How's it going? There wasn't really an easy way to just follow up on whatever she'd gone through. Pretending to ignore it seemed equally awkward.

"Sorry, I don't mean to- Just didn't expect to see you, I guess." Amani plastered a flat, sheepish smile across her face. Very gradually she meandered forward, "How've you been? Always thought it was weird we never really talked much, given… things…" They'd both been healers. Amani had even palled around with Nida's younger sister for a while. Fate just always seemed to turn their focus elsewhere.

And though the surprise return seemed very odd on the surface, really their tales weren't too dissimilar. They both had their falls right around that same time, although by the tail end of things, Amani got off relatively comfortably in comparison. Guess it was easier to shove the whole 'turn to the dark side' thing under the rug when it ends with you bringing back the Jedi grandmaster. Not assassinating a senator also probably helped, too.

Either way, there was something of a commisserative connection than she felt, even if Nida had no realization of it. She'd been at the trial, and recognized the zeltron's struggle. It had been hard enough for Amani to reintegrate herself, meaning it must have been even harder for Nida. So maybe the least she could do was help with that reintegration. Her smile slowly warmed into something more genuine, still awaiting an answer.

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

"How've you been?"

The dreaded question. Oh you know, after the murder trial I went to prison, then spent months purging Sith influence from my corporeal being before painstakingly rebuilding my personhood. There was no way to say that without it sounding snarky, and Nida didn't do snark.

"I'm good," She chirped awkwardly. "And yourself?"

It was true, their ships had never passed in the night despite the fact that they should have, somewhere along the way. Guess they were passing now. Nida fidgeted with her sleeve. Amani smelled faintly of a commonly used medical antiseptic, a lingering scent that gave her comfort.

"You're working here now, yes?" Curiosity brought her gaze over the Mirialan's shoulder, down the hall from whence she'd came, before drifting back to the Jedi's face. Something in her was a little jealous.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"I'm… good. Yeah." Amani echoed back, feeling the awkwardness just as heavily, "Thanks for asking."

Nida's question made her also glance back in the direction she'd come from, "Oh- Yeah. For the most part anyway. I spent a few years in the Outer Rim doing the 'traveling medic' shtick. Still do some work out there sometimes, but, yeah, mostly here now.

" The NJO is kinda… lacking on healers," Amani chuckled quietly, and rubbed the nape of her neck. "What about you? Are youuu…?" She didn't bother getting anymore specific than that, instead content to just let Nida fill in the blanks herself.

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida nodded along dutifully to Amani's explanation of what she'd been up to. Their lives had run oddly parallel, both having worked for the Silvers and in the outer rim as remote healers. Nida wasn't aware that Amani too had been swallowed by the Dark for a period of time.

"It sounds like a good thing that you're here." A bit of awkwardness eased from her smile. Yula had mentioned that the NJO was a bit more rough-n-tumble than most Jedi orders. Hence, lots of bumps and bruises that needed tending to.

When the question was inevitably turned back to her, Nida fidgeted with her sleeve, but steadied her thoughts. It was easier to think within the temple walls, perhaps the concentration of Light put her at ease. Inhaling slowly, she figured it was best to put her words as plain and honest as she could. There'd be no point in beating around the bush.

"I'm here to learn what it means to be a Jedi again." Even after her sentence, she wasn't sure if there was a path back- or if she even wanted to go back.

"I…want to atone for what I've done, and serve the galaxy best I can."

Moving forward past her own guilt was Nida's biggest hurdle. She exhaled suddenly with a short, soft laugh.

"Gosh, this is all so awkward. I'm sorry. I've never been the smoothest talker."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani shrugged sheepishly, too modest to take any serious credit. She studied the fidgeting zeltron, merely offering her a patient smile before Nida answered. More or less what she had expected, but reassuring to hear all the same.

“Hey-” Amani responded with a quiet laugh of her own, all too familiar with that awkwardness. She stepped forward, “Trust me, I get that.” Most of her early padawan years had been spent stuffing her face in her studies. Socializing came second, at best. She then clarified, “I get all of that, actually.”

Amani paused, and kicked an invisible rock before trying to continue, “You wouldn’t have any reason to know this but… you and I both kinda... fell into the same rut, around the same time.” That probably got the point across. The battle on Yavin had pretty much been a complete disaster, “So I know how tough it can be. But I got a second chance here, and so can you.”

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida now regarded Amani with a measure of curiosity in her wide eyes. The same rut? Did she mean…

"I see." Her voice was quiet in thought. Whatever Amani had done likely wasn't as bad as Nida's own crimes; but there was a degree of comfort in knowing that someone else was in her shoes. Or, well, had been in her shoes. "I'm glad that you've been able to find your path here, Amani. It...doesn't feel quite natural at first, does it?"

Chuckling awkwardly, Nida humored the idea of probing a bit further. It had always been a challenge for her to open up to others. Thirdas had helped to encourage the Zeltron's expression, and perhaps it was a good thing given she'd spent so much time in her own head as of late.

"…Did you find it difficult?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"Thanks. It… no, it doesn't." Amani nodded. It was clear to her now that Nida really had gone through something similar. Putting words to the same struggles.

"Really difficult. For a while I didn't think coming back to the Jedi was even possible. I felt, after how much things had changed, not to mention the fact that I'd severed my Force connection entirely…" She scoffed a bit, remembering that last part. Strange how it almost all seemed to blend together now that it was in the past, "Just… seemed a total nonstarter."

"But- I got a second chance. Valery and Iris both helped me reconnect to the Force, I started thinking… maybe..." Amani couldn't help a slight frown as she continued, "Then... I was raised on Tython... So, when the Maw attacked, I finally decided to stop hiding from the galaxy and do something."

The dourness disappeared as quickly as it came, turning back into something more hopeful, "In the aftermath, I ended up working with the NJO and… they were accommodating. Encouraging, even. I think it was Dag that finally convinced me to give myself that second chance." The hardest part, as it ever was. Choosing to help, even forgive, yourself. She smiled, "Haven't looked back since."

Amani turned and gestured towards the direction of the medical ward, "Would you like to…?" She noticed the zeltron's glance back, and offered to go there with her. It was a kind of place they could both find some needed familiarity.

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida's brows knitted in near disbelief. "You severed your own connection…?"

It was sobering to imagine how bleak things must have been for Amani to reject the Jedi path so wholly. Yet, she couldn't say that she didn't understand just a little. After her sentence and foggy news of various alleged Jedi-fueled war crimes, Nida wasn't sure that she wanted to walk that path either. It had taken a while for her to even consider it, and even now she was taking slow, tentative steps.

"You know Dagon?" It shouldn't have been a surprise, given how heavily invoked in the NJO he was if Yula's lamentations were anything to go by.

"It sounds like you've had quite the journey." All she could do was give Amani a quiet smile. "Your conviction must be strong, if slowly built."

Her pink cheeks flushed bright fuchsia when she'd been caught. Had her glances been that obvious? The gentle raise onto her tip toes as she tried to see over the taller woman's shoulder? Nida raised a hand to her mouth and cleared her throat in an attempt to regulate herself.

"I would love to." She tried not to sound too eager. "If it is allowed, of course."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani laughed awkwardly, "To be honest it was unintentional at first. Subconscious. But I was pretty quick to accept things as they were." After no signs of its recovery, the mental block got the better of her, and she took it as a sign that she effectively wasn't worthy of it anymore. It wasn't until a chance resurgence years later, than Amani realized there may be a way to bring it back permanently, and that she might actually want to.

"Mhm! Helped patch him up while I was still helping deal with the Tython aftermath." Unrelated to the events on Tython, but just goes to show how much work needed to be the done there that things started bleeding together. "He's a good one. How do you know him?"

Nida's praise got a bashful shrug from Amani. It was a rollercoaster of an experience in retrospect. But with how things were now, she was able to find some acceptance in the path that had brought her here, "Just another thing we have in common then." Amani offered a smile in turn. Nida's journey had been equally, if not even more of daunting than her own. But now, they were both here. Which as far as she was concerned, was a good sign.

"Sure! If it's not then they can talk to me about it." She smirked, and spun around to lead the way. Amani doubted any of the council would have any issues with it, or at the very least Nida would have a few members vouching for her in the event that it became a point of contention.

"I've been steadily trying to introduce some life to the halls. Plants and things. Something to break up all that blank white," She grimaced thinking about it, "After 15 or so years in the field, all that boringness gives me a headache." Especially after working in some of the more unique parts of the Outer Rim, returning to your average clinical ward had a depressingly emotionless feel to it. Besides, she was one of the few healers the NJO had. Who was gonna stop her?

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

"I see." Yula lamented, pretty consistently, about how her stupid boyfriend was constantly throwing himself into harm's way. Yet, there was a note of fondness that could be heard even through her complaints.

"He's dating my sister Yula. I'm sure she's thankful that you've kept him from bleeding out." Nida offered a thin, knowing smile. Combat oriented Jedi we're often extracted from the battlefield with catastrophic injuries—even the cautious ones. Severed limbs, chest cavities torn wide open…it was simultaneously amazing and baffling how they'd manage to hang on by the narrowest of threads every time. The Force worked in mysterious ways. It was likely that both she and Amani had glued together more broken Jedi than they could count.

Amani's confidence put her at ease. "I've been told that the NJO has a dearth of healers, so I imagine that you are quite in demand." What was left unspoken was the implication that Amani had a measure of power and influence among Jedi affairs. What happens when there's no one to sterilize and graft skin over your burn wounds?

As they approached the Halls of Healing, Nida nodded along. "I agree. Sometimes things look too clinical." They passed a small, brightly colored flowering plant situated in the corner. Not particularly common in the core, but grew like weeds in the outer rim. "Patients tend to do better when their surroundings are a little more genial."

The alluring smell of antiseptic was getting stronger.

"On my first day here, I passed…ah, someone painting a rather colorful mural on one of the temple walls." She did not want to give Iris away, even if the girl didn't care about potential repercussions.

Iris Arani
Amani Serys i guess

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani blinked, "Really? Didn't know that," From what she understood about them, the two seemed an unlikely couple. Then again, "I've only met Yula maybe once or twice, and not for very long. But I always found her a little intimidating. Younger me did, anyway," She chuckled looking back at it, distinctly recalling at least one occasion where the elder Perl was chastising Kyra for something or other, "Don't tell her I said that."

Nida's assessment earned a shrug, "Yeah. We keep pretty busy. There's not as many as the NJO probably needs," Definitely not, rather, though she didn't say it, "But maybe with you around we can all lessen the load a bit." She couldn't deny the appeal. Giving someone like Nida a chance would be beneficial for them both. Just another reason to stand up for her in the face of any hypothetical confrontation. Did Amani really intend on throwing her weight around for manipulative purposes? No. But she knew the importance of their role, and she wasn't afraid to let her voice be heard anymore.

"My thoughts exactly," Not long after they entered the medical wing proper, where the main hall had been decorated with a variety of greenery just as Amani had said. It gave everything a bit more of a natural appeal, soothing and peaceful. She breathed in, and looked back at Nida for some kind of reaction.

In exchange, the mention of painting got a reaction out of Amani, "Iris." She answered almost immediately, with a quiet laugh, "I won't tell if you don't, but really she's the only logical culprit." No other Jedi around here were quite so artistically inclined, "Iris is a good one. And a healer at that. I'm quite fond of her."

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the indication of her sister being intimidating. Yula certainly had an…exuberant personality. The fact that she'd ended up with Dagon—a dyed in the wool Jedi—certainly came across as odd to most folks, Nida included. "Yula can be spirited." She pressed a finger to her lips. "I will say nothing."

The clinical atmosphere of an infirmary was not appreciated by many. Nida took in the bright lightning and sterile floors, inhaled the scent of disinfectant into the bottom of her lungs, and felt something stir within her. Purpose. It was what she'd been missing for years. The chance to work, to heal, to use her skills to produce a result. She became focused, steady, even bolder when working within her domain. No small part of her ached to grab a datapad, flip open a patient's chart and get to work. Instead, she smiled, looking somewhat at peace.

"Oh, I've missed this."

The Zeltron was pulled from her reprieve when Amani quickly identified the culprit behind the mystery painting. "She's quite talented. And she shares your love of decorating the temple." And healing, apparently. "Iris was the first friend I made when I arrived on Coruscant, aside from Master Noble."

"I'm fortunate to have met such kindly souls among the Jedi while I've been here." She offered Amani a knowing smile, hinting that she included the Mirialan among them. "The Outer Rim taught me much, but the clientele was...eclectic. One individual in particular, a Hiitian smuggler, had a tendency to...kidnap women." She chuckled dryly. Kingsley had sent messages to the prison's commlink, but fortunately he was not on her approved visitation list.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Nida seemed to almost transform as they entered the medical wing. Amani couldn't help but smile; It was a place of familiarity, and purpose. She understood that frame of mind all too well. That it could provide some comfort to the zeltron was good enough for her.

Her talk of Iris was expected, and Amani nodded along as if she'd heard it before. Redecorating the temple though? It spurred a separate thought. Perhaps she should get Iris to repaint the Halls of Healing. In a more official capacity. "She is. And I'm not surprised. Iris has a kind heart. Master Noble is a close friend of mine as well. It's thanks to the two of them that I can even use the Force again." Iris had created a bond between them that had effectively jump-started Amani's reconnection, and through Valery's guidance on Spintir, she learned to properly harness it once again, and harmonize with the Light. It was clear Amani held them both in high regard.

Kindly souls. She picked up on the intent and only smiled more brightly. Too many seemed ready to condemn when another falls. Knowing that thus far her reintegration had been largely met with open-armed hospitality was reassuring. If push came to shove, Nida would have a few Jedi in her corner. Her second point however, made Amani freeze. She turned slowly, a look of sheer bewilderment growing on her face, "You're joking right?" Surely they couldn't have both met the same one? Then again, surely there couldn't be more than one?

"The... the smelly bird guy? He tried to chat me up on Kwenn Station, and stunned me when I started to leave! Thought we were in love, said we were getting married," Amani cringed at the thought. It would have been a more terrifying experience, if Kingsley weren't such a comically outrageous individual.

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Amani's baffled expression earned her a puzzled stare from Nida. Then her jaw slackened in realization. Her description was too accurate for it to not be Kingsley.

"Yes, the….the smelly bird guy. The very same!"

She could practically hear the rrrwak! from here, the scent of his putrid breath in her nose.

"He did the same to me- knocked me out with a stun baton and trapped me on his ship with the intention of marriage. Fortunately, I was rescued before the nuptials." She shook her head at the memory—while not the most terrifying, it had certainly not been pleasant. Thirdas had come to her aid, mistaken but Kingsley to be a male stripper for his bachelor party.

In the end, all had been well.

"I started learning self defense after that." She chuckled dryly.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"Yeah, no- thankfully I got out before he could force me into anything legally binding," Amani shook her head. She couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all in retrospect, and somehow one of the most absurd parts about it was that Nida had undergone the very same thing. Small galaxy.

"Probably a good choice." Thankfully Jedi training was quite suitable for self-defense in most cases. Most trouble, Amani was able to fend off on her own. Maybe all that bird needed was a swift knock upside the head to take a hint. Probably not, though.

She let everything they had talked about stew for a few long moments, continuing to walk idly down the medical wing. The number of similarities was shocking, and putting it all together now Amani could only offer a, "Huh." Why hadn't they talked sooner, again?

"I did not realize the parallels ran that deep. That's… Funny how that works, eh?"

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida shook her head in agreement. The similarities were far greater than she'd expected—but that was comforting. If Amani was thriving here, then perhaps she would too.

"Maybe one day we should take a trip to the Outer Rim. While I'm sure there is work to be done here, I wonder if the Alliance would fund humanitarian missions to some of its…more sparsely populated territories."

The Zeltron pressed a finger to her lips, trying to recall the planets at the edge of the unknown region under Alliance jurisdiction.

"Perhaps one of the old Rakatan worlds…"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani hummed in thought, tapping her chin, "That would be great, I think. We keep pretty busy here, but it'd be nice to spread some of that attention. The people on the outskirts tend to get overlooked at times like these." Exactly why she had done her work in the Outer Rim, where the main powers held no influence. That, and it made ignoring galactic affairs easier in general.

"Something like that would do perfect. We'll make a trip out of it." She smiled and nodded. Nida proposing some ideas of her own felt like a good sign. Already she seemed a little more comfortable, a little more herself. "In the meantime, though, we'll just worry about getting you settled in here." It was set in stone as far as Amani was concerned; Nida would find a second chance here.

"We're hoping to send out a request for more Jedi healers to lend a hand, which means more opportunities for things like that. If we're lucky enough." She shrugged. Amani wasn't expect a particularly big influx, but every little bit counted.

Nida Perl​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida nodded along in agreement. "The Alliance has many worlds under its protection; managing the differing needs of so many people can be complex." It was inevitable that sometimes, things got lost in the shuffle. Especially when resources were limited.

She flushed slightly as Amani brought her focus back towards the present. "Perhaps I am putting the cart before the orbak." The Mirialan was correct though, it would be best to take one thing at a time. Nida could hardly be of use to anyone if she wasn't an established part of the Jedi, and that would have to expand beyond filling out paperwork.

"How many dedicated Jedi healers do you have?" Yula often complained of the injuries both Dagon and his Padawans turned up with, and within the short time she'd spent among the NJO, two archetypes of Jedi emerged: the warrior monk, and the medicine man…woman. Women?

Either way, she couldn't deny that there was something invigorating about her skillset being needed.


Amani Serys