The Day the World Fell Appart

[Lumi Snow]

It wasn't often that this blind doctor was called out to help in cases like this, but she was one of the best in the galaxy. The sum of money wasn't what had attracted her. And it wasn't the name either, James Justice. It wasn't the implied threats or the prestige. It was the state of his condition. It was his family.

The man was on the doorstep of death itself and while under the best circumstances it was a freakish idea to call a blind doctor to bear on the problem, she was one of the brightest minds in the galaxy.

"Mistress, we are not far out from the destination, only 15 minutes. May I recomend suiting up for the occasion?" asked LAINA, Lumi's faithful Ai in cool, crisp tones.

The blind doctor raised her head and smiled, moreso out of old habits rather than anything else, "Thank you, darling."

With her near non-existent immune system, even a common cold was lethal to the doctor. She took great care to clad her frail body in redundant sealed garments.

"I don't like it," said Malintis Moon, her bodyguard from the door way. She could feel his presence, the man was almost like a second father to her. "This man is a known killer, a criminal, a crime lord, what's to say if this fails that there will be repercussions?"

"I won't fail," Lumi promised sweetly pulling her left glove on tight, "I never fail."

"But what if? Just for the sake of argument?"

She paused, her second glove hovering in mid air, "I read the file, Moon. Yes, he's a murderer. All of that. But--he's also a father. And a brother. A friend and a leader. People love him, and if I let him die, that will leave a hole in their lives that will never heal. Do you really think I ca do that to others?"

Malintis shook his head, she could feel the baffledness waffing off him, "You are a better being than I ever was...."

"I've got your carry on, here and ready, ma'am!" the cheery redheaded Carl pipped up coming from behind him.

Lumi felt the space ship exit hyperspace, followed by LAINA's confirmation. "Thank you, Carl, LAINA. Prepare to enter atmos."

[member="Jessica Justice"] [member="James Justice"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Brooklyn Justice"] [member="Ryn'Dhal"] [member="Ben Corscifine"] (if you want, sir)

 

[Ryn'Dhal]

He had been agonizing over his brother for what felt like an eternity. Hands hovered over James's body, concentrating fiercely. Unfortunately, his quivering anger limited his powers of Healing, allowing him to only keep James stabilized, and to mitigate some of the pain he felt. A friend was on her way. The blind doctor. She'd be able to pick up where Ryn would leave off. Then, much against his brothers wishes before unconsciousness had claimed him, Ryn'Dhal would hunt.

It was through his immense power of will that the young Knight maintained what composure he had. A faint tremble on his hands and his voice were the only clue to the roiling fury that lay beneath the skin. But, it was better than the beast that could be standing in his stead.

The beast that the Prosecutor would come to fear.

"He will pay...." Ryn'Dhal swore in a hushed whisper, as he continued his healing vigil over James. Unmasked and ungloved for all to see. His vanity, his fear, forsaken, to the hands of the rage growing within.

[member="Jessica Justice"] | [member="James Justice"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Brooklyn Justice"] | [member="Lumi Snow"] | [member="Ben Corscifine"]​

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had already exhausted herself in trying to help [member="James Justice"] to recover from his injuries. Both him and Dargovich saved her life from the Prosecutor. Her only crime or reason for being targeted was that James had adopted her as his little sister.

She sat herself in a corner, cradling a cup of tea in her hands while [member="Ryn'Dhal"] took over. Dargovich stood vigil in case the Prosecutor returned. The whole scene was quiet, filled with anger by Ryn and concern by the others. "As soon as he is stable enough to move, we have to get him off this planet. I made a promise." A promise to James' dead wife. She sipped her tea and continued to watch.

 

[Jessica Justice]

The young woman charged like a force of nature, nothing standing even a glimmer of a chance at impeding her advance. She heaved debris aside with an ease that would make grown men twice her size take pause. She would barrel ahead, bellowing in a panic-stricken voice as she charged. "Da!?" She called, as she came into view of the scene.

The first she saw was the gentle [member=Lady Kay], and she disregarded the man she didn't know. "Aunt Kay, where be...." she trailed off, her eyes falling upon the supine, bloodied form of her father. She rushed, because she felt an inexplicable dread for him. She unwittingly was guided, as her male companion, [member=Ben Corscifine] would have guessed, by the Force.

But, seeing her father, with the feline form she would have recognized as her Uncle [member=Ryn'Dhal] hovering and channeling, broke the normally spunky, proud young woman's heart. A horrifying, traumatic wail cut free from her throat as she ran forward, stumbling to kneel near the two. Her hands flailed slightly, as if unsure where to place them, as a choking sob parted her lips.

"Oh no, Da..." she wept, tears streaming from her eyes. She knew she had no power to help, and she knew if she interrupted her Uncle, her father's chances of survival would greatly diminished. Emotionally ravaged by the horrific sight before her, she felt her last safe bastion come up behind her. Turning, still knelt upon the ground, she bodily flung herself at Ben, seeking comfort and support in his arms, as she wailed in emotional anguish, her father on the brink, damaged and nearly destroyed before her.

How great was this monster, that lay a Titan low?

[member="Lumi Snow"] | [member="James Justice"]​

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben's introduction to the Justice Shipping clan had come fairly quickly. After so many months of non-action, suddenly his days were full and there seemed to always be something happening. From rescuing [member="Jessica Justice"] with her father to training with [member="Ryn'Dhal"], the individuals with whom [member="James Justice"] had surrounded himself were the closest thing to family Ben had known in such a long time. He had barely been able to keep up with Jessica when she got the news: oscillating between rage and despair for her father's situation. After what Ben had seen James do on Sorceras, he had sort of assumed the man to be invincible. Getting covered in gore and grossly outnumbered hadn't stopped the spacer in that hangar. Ben didn't want to imagine who--or what--had done this to him.

Harder for Ben to witness than the mortality of the father was the vulnerability of the daughter. Jessica was to him a pillar of strength: where he faltered, she was steady. She had a way of disguising her feelings that had convinced Ben that she was capable only of determination on the one hand and joy on the other. She hadn't seemed this fazed when she was kidnapped by slavers on Soceras, and she certainly never let doubt show when she conversed in private with Ben. To have her weeping in his arms was new to Ben, and he did not know how to comfort her. He had not yet been confronted with this kind of tragedy in his life. True, for all he knew his parents had been dead for years, but they seemed a more distant, abstract thing than Jessica's father was to her. Ben her in his arms and looked to Ryn--who Ben was beholding for the first time without a mask. His eyes met the feline's with concern and horror at the sight of James. He hadn't even noticed James's adoptive sister, a woman unknown to the young man, in the chaos of Jessica's anguish. In the chaos, there was only one clear thought. A question:

Who had to pay for this?

 

[Lumi Snow]

The moment the Chrome Ark landed on Graveyard, the doctor began walking down the loading ramp. Her ship was large enough to be a flying hospital—and in fact, that was pretty much what the ship was. Not far behind her Carl and Malinitis Moon were in tow. With the aid of her LAINA and her own mental abilities, the doctor easily found her way into the room where the patient, a James Ericson Justice, was laying. She could feel the pain radiating off a woman to her left near the door, she was well spent in all regards, but she was still strong. And so very good.

“Subject is identified as ‘Kay-Larr,’ Prime Minister of Commenor,” LAINA whispered in Lumi’s earpiece.

She felt the familiar presence of a feline standing over the patient, oh she knew him. Ryn. Ryn’Dhal. And there was someone else. A young girl in the arms of another young man. She was weeping and in pure pain, and he—well she couldn’t quite feel his emotional state. Perhaps he was eclipsed by hers, or was stunned? The doctor wondered.

“Sunjects are Jessica Justice, Closest of kin, and 75% chance of the male specimen identifying as Ben Corscifine, formerly with the Jedi order.”

Lumi gave a subtle nod in thanks to her AI before giving all around a compassionate smile, ‘Hullo. I’m Doctor Snow. But you can call me Lumi,” she made a quick step towards the patient, placing a hand on him and another on Ryn. LAINA began an immediate eval of the patient as Lumi used her senses to feel him out and Ryn as well.

“Its alright,” she whispered softly, her words accentuated by her own gentle emotional nude. “I am here. I will take care of him. You know I can.”

She looked around at the others, her unseeing eyes out of focus as she offered her warmest, most soothing and confident tone, “I promise all of you I will do everything in my power to save your dad and brother. But it is something of an imperative for me to begin operating as soon as I can.”

Carl came in behind her. Malintis grabbed a rickety wooden side table and set it behind her for the intern to begin unpacking their tools.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="Lady Kay"]
[member="Ryn'Dhal"]

 

[Ryn'Dhal]

Once that gentle hand made contact with his fur, he tensed, finally becoming aware of the presence of more within his Healing Circle. He felt Lumi intrude into his aura with her own, attempting to calm his fury. This illicited a reflexive folding of his ears against his scalp, along with a low rumble deep within his broad chest. Withdrawing from her with a snort, her entrust his brother to her, but not his rage.

His wrath was all that kept him from dissolving like his niece right here and now.

Instead, he withdrew from the center of the room, beginning to stalk back and forth, watching the doctor and his brother keenly, like a predatory animal hoping for the best for a member of their pack.

Then again, that is exactly what he was right then. His focus was so razor sharp on his brother, that should any endeavor to approach the stressed felinoid, they would likely be greeted by a reflexive barring of fangs. His stress levels were high. Higher than they'd been in a while.

The wrong action could illicit a very unwanted.... shift.... in the young Knight....

[member="Lumi Snow"] | [member="Ben Corscifine"] | [member="Jessica Justice"] | [member="Lady Kay"]​