Private Time of Need

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Efret Farr
Location: Jedi Enclave, BOGANO

Fenn squeaked when Efret told him which discovery was hers. "Ooh, I like that one a lot," the boy said. He took a healthy bite of paella and chewed thoughtfully while Elias spoke next.

"It was certainly fun to find," he said. "Master Farr here is psychometric, like Padawan Corso. She can see glimpses of the past just by touching things - sometimes just by being close to things!" Elias had always admired the ability of psychometry. Even as a proclaimed Force master himself, it was a skill that had eluded him. He could bend plants to his will, move the waves and conjure pure lightning, but tapping into the past was better left to the Efret Farr's and Cailen Corso's of the galaxy. Variation in skills and masteries were what made being a Jedi so fun; Elias loved meeting new people who were in control of powers he had not -or could not- learn himself. "Why don't you tell Master Farr about the thing you discovered in the caverns?"

"I found a mollusk!" Fenn exclaimed with a mouth full of food but too excited to care. Elias dropped his fork onto his plate, laughing straight from his belly. The limestone caves under their feet were rich with fossilized shells. Fenn was among the few Jedi here to have found not only a discernible fossil, but a fully intact specimen. "It's so cool! Maybe I can show it to you when you're better?" Fenn suggested with pleading puppy eyes. "And you can tell me more about your fossil, too?"

 

[Efret Farr]

Efret watched on as Elias informed Fenn of her unique powers with both of her lips pressed into one another, fighting slight embarrassment. She had always struggled with gracefully accepting praise rather than gracefully redirecting it, but also, in this precise moment, she hoped that mention of such a thing wouldn't capture young Fenn's interest overly much.

Psychometry could be a dangerous thing. If he wanted to learn it at some point, she would give the same safety disclaimer to him she had to Astri.

So she was relieved when the topic changed. Excitement shown bright on her face when he told her about his own discovery. <Wow! #Mollusk? Very cool. You name fossil?> Then she nodded. <Love see future. Teach you also, yes. #Lab analysis finished not-yet.

<Like caves, you?> She glanced at Elias with more shyness, worried that her next question would somehow change his opinion of her. <What live down-there? Fish, bat, lizard?>

Elias Edo​

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Efret Farr
Location: Jedi Enclave, BOGANO

"All three!" Fenn exclaimed. "And oggdos, too." That made Elias's face quirk awkwardly, as if he'd rather Fenn not mention the carnivorous toads that dwelled in Bogano's darker recesses. He didn't want Efret to get worked up if she realized that Fenn was given enough freedom to have encountered -and killed- one on his own before. "Ahh, let's leave the oggdos for next time, yes?" Elias said, redirecting the boy. "How about the boglings, instead? Did you see any today?" He knew Fenn adored the little creatures, and thankfully, the young Jedi latched right onto the opportunity to chat about them. "They're so cute! I want to keep one as a pet, but Master Erewhon said I can't." Elias chuckled.

"Master Erewhon is right," he said. "They're wild things, meant to live wild lives outside your dorm room." Fenn ate a bite of rice while he thought it over, then looked to Efret with another question. "How did you find your convor, Master Farr?" The poor creature was on the mend, healing as expected, but Elias knew just how much Efret's companion meant to her. Part of him wanted to divert the topic again, but he thought it may do some good to recount brighter days with Nirrah.

 

[Efret Farr]

"And oggdos, too."

<Oh,> she replied inquisitively, not sure what kind of animal that was.

"I want to keep one as a pet, but Master Erewhon said I can't."

<Oh,> she repeated, slightly curious about what Erewhon had said. Elias abated her with his next comment.

"How did you find your convor, Master Farr?"

<Oh.> This time, her face lit up, which would hopefully let Elias know that he had nothing to worry about. Reminiscing about their meeting in a time they were both younger and healthy was nothing but happy. <She found me instead,> Efret explained with a smile. <She my service owl. I can use Force, see through her eyes. Have limited sight alone, but I pay-attention dig, past. Approximately ten years past, go-to #Takodana, help excavate Jedi Temple there. Look up, she there!> Her eyes widened, recreating her surprise.

She glanced over to Elias, then looked back to Fenn. She was sure that both other older Jedi had this lesson well in hand but Efret couldn't let the teachable moment pass her by. <Wild animal too. Some people keep #condor pets, but I-think not ethical. Dangerous for people and bird. I lucky #Nirrah very friendly. She chose me. I not choose her. She not-like stay indoors long-time. Also need hunt for most her food. I help-her groom #pin feathers, can bleed a-lot. Not #glamorous. A-lot work, both-of-us. You understand?> She gave a small frown. <Sorry, dear.> She held out her arms in an offered hug. It had to be disappointing.

Elias Edo​

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Efret Farr
Location: Jedi Enclave, BOGANO

Fenn was a bit hesitant at first to accept Efret's embrace out of fear for accidentally hurting her, but he came around and gave her a hug. Elias smiled so big at the sight that he had to look down at his plate to avoid being overwhelmed. He knew firsthand just how much pain and hardship that little boy had suffered both before and after becoming a Padawan. To see him happy, wanted, loved... it was a powerful thing. From the angle where he sat, Elias could sign to Efret without Fenn seeing. He said a heartfelt <"Thank you"> just before Fenn pulled away.

"Maybe when I'm bigger," Fenn said after a moment, "I can get a pet." Elias nodded, then shrugged playfully. "Who knows? Maybe a grateful bogling might come right up to you and never leave your side! Only time will tell." That idea seemed to sate Fenn's desire for a furry companion.

"I once had a pet mokarra. When I was a boy on Genetia, my brother, Edrick, and I used to chase them on the shore. They were much faster than us, but we always swore that one day, we'd catch one. I remember practicing every day, trying to get better at catching the smaller lizards so that I'd be prepared for chasing mokarra." Elias started chuckling then. He could remember clearly all the methods he tried, but none of them worked. It was his brother who ended up catching himself one of the elusive reptiles, while Elias was training no less. He laughed again at the memory.

"It was Edrick who caught the mokarra, but he knew how hard I worked to reach that goal. He gave the lizard to me, and let me name it - Etera, I called it. It means 'with help' in Genetian." He couldn't have done it without Edrick's help, after all.

 

[Efret Farr]

It was the least she could do. Efret only smiled back to Elias before letting go of Fenn. She didn't know how she was going to pay her fellow master back for his enclave's services and his own hospitality. Something told her that wasn't necessary, but she wanted to somehow impart her gratitude with more than just the sign. She took a mental note to brainstorm later.

What she would come up with at a later date would accomplish the opposite of what she wanted.

For now, she giggled quietly at Elias' story. <Cute name,> she commented. <Meaningful. And...> She put one of her hands over Fenn's eyes every gently. He could move it easily. <#E superior letter.>

Elias Edo​

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Efret Farr
Location: Jedi Enclave, BOGANO

“Ha-ha-ha!” Elias chuckled. He knew Fenn couldn’t see what Efret had said, but the opportunity to tease the boy was too great to pass up. “E-names are certainly superior, Master Farr,” Elias said in an intentionally goading tone. Fenn’s fingers pulled at Efret’s hand as he giggled behind it. “No fair! F is right next to E!”

Elias nodded, smiling. “It is, it is. Perhaps we’re neck and neck, then,” he said, not pointing out that E technically came before F. There was no need; Fenn was already starting another story about boglings with Efret, so Elias leaned back a bit and observed happily. This moment brought him great warmth and joy, but also drummed up a pang of sadness. It reminded him of how solitary and dangerous the path of a Jedi was. He’d already come to terms with the fact that he likely would take no wife, have no children, leave no legacy. It was bitter, but necessary, to come to such terms.

Perhaps it was jaded, too, but Elias knew that the more you have… the more there is to lose.

 

[Efret Farr]

There was something about that smile—the one she gave when she made him laugh. She was tempted to listen through the Force, but the opportunity passed her by too quickly when the conversation resumed. Her eyes lingered on him even a few moments after Fenn got her attention before she looked to the boy. Though she did her very best to listen to Fenn's story, the thought of how she'd like very much to feel the vibrations of Elias' laugh someday was too distracting to ignore. Her smile was made at the idea of that rather than at Fenn's excitement.

By the end of the story, Efret had managed to focus her attention on Fenn. <I hope you dream #boglings, sweet boy,> she said sincerely before brushing some hair away from his face. <Thank-you share with me today.> She glanced to Elias. <Tired. Think need go soon. But...> She scooted out her chair and stood up. <...first, I dish wash. No. Stay.> She was expecting him to argue with her about it. <Can. Want.> She glanced down at Fenn. <Finished, you? Or want more?>

As she waited for an answer, she took up her own plate.

Elias Edo​

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Efret Farr
Location: Jedi Enclave, BOGANO

As anticipated, Elias did insist that he do the dishes. Efret was tired, as she said herself, and was also a guest even if only by happenstance. But Elias had learned young to never argue when a woman insists, so he stayed put and smiled warmly. <“Next time, me,”> he signed.

Fenn nodded quickly, his mouth too full to really respond any other way. It made Elias chuckle. “Only if you promise not to sneak it out to the boglings,” the man mused. Fenn giggled mischievously, adding that idea to his bag of tricks for later. When Fenn’s final helping of paella was tucked away, Elias took the boy’s plate and gave it a good rinse while Efret wasn’t looking. He’d flash her a wry smile if she noticed.

When they were ready, Elias would offer to take them back to the halls of healing.

“I’m so glad you came to Bogano,” Elias said to Efret as they walked. Fenn was balancing one in front of the other a short distance ahead. “I suppose our medicine is just as good as anywhere, but it was nice to see you again.” He smiled at her. “It was good for Fenn, too,” Elias added. “I worry about him. The things that he saw, the things that happened to him… no child should ever suffer those things.”

 

[Efret Farr]

When Elias was finish speaking, she looked away and at Fenn. A smile touched her lips, remaining as she gave her attention back to her fellow master.<You-know I DeafBlind, but born Deaf only.> As she signed on, she pointed at Fenn. <Approximately age his, I start lose sight.> Her smile, which had been fading bit by bit until now dropped entirely away. The corners of her mouth pouted momentarily and her brow knit. It was clearly a painful memory still. In fact, it was one she still lived in fear of despite her best efforts not to; she of terrified of losing any more even though her own vision had remained the same since she was knighted.

She continued, <Cause violence not, but genetics. Imagine his feeling can't, but I past-think my life finish. But not end. Beginning. Learn do many things different. Look-at-me now.> She bit the very side of her lower lip and shrugged. It wasn't a very humble thing to say, but, given the circumstance, she thought it acceptable if not a little embarrassing.

<Glad I come also. One: see you, two: meet him. Maybe help-him acclimate change.> Another smile came to her, true in its hope.

Elias Edo​

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Efret Farr
Location: Jedi Enclave, BOGANO

"It's not..." Elias started, but his words seemed to evaporate. Fair was what he wanted to say, but who was he to complain on Fenn's behalf? And to Efret, no less, who had suffered a similar unfairness for most of her life. She knew how unfair it was. He didn't have to tell her.

"I just wish I could have been there to save him, that's all. This was preventable, all of this," Elias said as they entered the healing chamber. Fenn wasn't the only survivor from Dagobah who'd come to Bogano. "I can't help but blame myself for what happened to him. That temple needed me, depended on me, and I let them down."

But that in and of itself wasn't fair, either. Elias wasn't the only Jedi there that day. It wasn't all on him, and he knew that, deep down. That didn't make it any easier to swallow the pain of seeing the people he cared about be slaughtered and maimed, though. He looked to Efret with misty eyes and offered an apologetic smile. "Listen to me," he said, chuckling away the sting. "So much complaining, when I should slow down to see the forest over the trees."

 

[Efret Farr]

Efret listened to Elias graciously until he was done. When he turned to her with an expression fending off a deep sadness, she pouted and canted her head slightly.

Then, once he was finished speaking, she slipped her tongue up behind her upper lip, pressing back against her front teeth. At the same time, a smart aleck smile formed on her face. Efret hadn't seen any trees on her way here, but that itself didn't mean much. Even when she had had Nirrah's guidance, they both were too focused on getting to the enclave to take in the sights. But Efret knew that Bogano likely didn't have many trees anyway given its terrain type. <Difficult on marsh planet. Don't blame you.>

She laughed at herself then placed a hand on his forearm with another smile, this one reformed with some seriousness. <Don't-mind.> She took her hand away to sign with both again. <You need express feelings. Don't apologize.>

She pursed her lips, thinking over her next signs. <Can't rewind time, but you can save him still different way. You care for him. You care for your duty. Good. Powerful. But don't forget responsibility all on you not. Jedi share. I help-you. I help-him.>

Elias Edo​

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Efret Farr
Location: Jedi Enclave, BOGANO

Elias chuckled at her joke. He shook his head, smiling at her, appreciating her kindness when he was feeling so vulnerable and responsible. "We do need to look out for another," he remarked. "The beauty of the Rimward Jedi was that we all took time to look after each other. Even those of us who were different." Fenn was, likely unbeknownst to Efret, not technically a Jedi; he was a Pilgrim, a nomadic Forcer that served the Light Side through a decentralized organization known as the Church of the Force.

After what happened on Dagobah and Susevfi, Elias doubted many prefects survived. Fenn's ignorance of this reality was one of the few things that kept the boy positive, and Elias was reluctantly willing to perpetuate the idea of the Pilgrims' resurgence despite his personal belief that they were wiped out. Perhaps that wasn't quite what Efret had in mind, but Elias didn't have the heart to tell the Padawan the truth.

Soon, the pair reached the Halls of Healing, and once again it was time for Elias to leave Master Farr in the care of the healers. <"Time you-get rest now,"> Elias signed with both hands. "And you, too," he teased, pointing to a totally-not-tired Fenn. The boy giggled, but he didn't protest; Elias was right, it was time for a good bacta nap. He gave Efret's arm a gentle squeeze as the healers came to see to her. His attention shifted briefly to Fenn, who he helped change into the proper garments for a float in the bacta tank.

Once the boy was situated, 'tucked in,' and suspended peacefully once more in the blue healing liquid, Elias returned to Efret's beside. He took her hand into his and rubbed her knuckles gently with his thumb. "You'll be good as new in no time," he said to her. "I'm really quite glad you came here, Master Farr."

 

[Efret Farr]

She waved to Fenn as the healers ushered her away to her bed. Once she was tucked into the covers herself, she positioned herself to lay sideways instead of on her back. This way, she could lay her head down into the plush pillow without putting pressure on the wound to the back of her scalp. Her eyes closed as she sighed, trying to forget the soreness elsewhere in her body, but they opened as soon as Elias took her hand. She moved her head slightly to look up at him, causing a slight but still uncomfortable sensation.

She crinkled her nose when he called her Master Farr. The weight of formality felt strange between them when it was just them. <Get better faster if you call me Efret.> The request didn't seem to her to be too forward or forced. He had done it when she first arrived.

Sliding her hand reluctantly out of him, she began signing two-handed again. <But me too. Sorry my-visit require two medical emergency.> Her gaze left him for just a moment, overcome with embarrassment. She had wished to have come to him under much better circumstances, but those were in short supply with war hanging over much of the galaxy.

Despite herself, she forced a smile. <Thank-you all you do. Sleep well. See-you morning.>

Elias Edo
Exit thread​