Private To Family & To Health!

[Ran Serys]

Ran sat at the bedside of the Mikkian Jedi Knight, Rota. Beside her was Rota's younger sister, the Jedi Padawan, Tora. Things were beginning to look grim for the sickly Rota. Ran struggled to look him in the eye. She felt partially responsible. After all, her decision for the Enclave to be low technology was biting the Jedi in the keister. No medical droids, no modern machines, just the knowledge bestowed upon them by Jedi records of the past, and even with the knowledge they possessed, they lacked an experienced hand.

Together, Ran and Tora, waited for Rota to get better, but more importantly they waited for a Jedi with more medical knowledge and more talent for healing than they would ever know what to do with. Unbeknownst to them, they were waiting for Amani Serys.

Ran had sent an early word to the Jedi Council of Rota's mysterious illness and the Enclave on Selvaris' inability to treat it. And so they sat and awaited a speedy arrival by one of the Jedi's best. Who that would be Ran was unsure of, until she felt a familiar presence touch down onto the planet. Could it be? Ran questioned but immediately knew the answer. It was her very own cousin, The Jedi Master and Councilor, Amani Serys, come to save Rota and possibly the entirety of the Selvaris Enclave from sickness.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

It seemed Ran had been busy. Not only was she back full-time with the NJO, but she was operating her own Enclave. Amani could appreciate the philosophy of limiting technological interference, though as current events proved, that could also be to one's detriment. Such advances had their place, especially when it came to medical matters, but the importance of them wasn't always clear until they were needed. Hence, why Amani was on her way now.

The Leaf on the Wind touched down at the landing site of the Selvaris Enclave, and The Chief Healer stepped out to make her arrival known to the Enclave's membership.

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

One of the few Jedi padawans that resided on Selvaris appeared in the entrance way of the emergency medical tent with news. “Master Serys!” The human boy said half-winded as he’d just sprinted down to them. “The Leaf on the Wind just touched down and Master- Umm- Serys is here.” He hesitated as he only now realized the two mirialan were connected by familial ties.

“I know, Padawan Lo.” He cocked his head unsure of how she could’ve known. He thought maybe she was expected, but Master Serys hadn’t made the Enclave aware of a Jedi Councilor’s visit. “She may be here to help with Master Rota. Escort her here. Would you, Lo?” Ran requested. “Of course, Master Serys!” She watched the young boy beam as he’d been given a task he no doubt deemed important.

Ran stared at Rota who gave little response to the boy’s entrance and exit. It was a reminder that she didn’t want to leave his side, or maybe couldn’t. The truth of the matter was that Ran was afraid of what could happen if she or Tora left to interact with the rest of the enclave. Could they spread Rota’ illness? Ran felt fine now, but Rota was also fine until he wasn’t. No. Ran would wait for a professional opinion before taking a risk like that.

As Ran could hear Lo’s high voice returning with Amani, telling her all about the layout and the goings-on of the Enclave, Ran put a hand on the mentally far-away Tora’s shoulder and got up to greet Amani at the tent’s entrance. “Your brother will be okay. I can feel it.” Ran said hopefully but also instinctually to Tora. In recent months Ran’s skill for divining the future had seldom proved wrong. Still, Amani would sense a tinge of fear and guilt in her cousin's force aura. Ran was having a hard time letting this instance, along with the enclave's medical shortcomings go.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani was met by one of the young padawans who resided here. She stood uncharacteristically tall over him. Perhaps it was just his youth in comparison, but she also carried a professional confidence that almost seemed to make her grow. The healer removed her hood, replacing darkened features with a calm smile, "Hello there." She said to the boy, intaking the humid jungle air, "Take me to them." She got to the point plainly and followed the Padawan to the tent. Ran's presence became more clear as they approached, and it was her who greeted them when they arrived.

"Hello, cousin," Amani said. Her smile remained, though it became a bit more weathered in the face of the dilemma at hand. She looked Ran up and down, unsure if physical contact was safe given the circumstances, "How is he? …And how are you?"

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

“Cousin,” Ran echoed. To lay her naked eye on the only family she had left in the galaxy was a gift. Unfortunately, it was a gift she didn’t have time to appreciate. She restrained herself from embracing her cousin and gave an answer. “I’m fine. Tora is fine. At least for now.” She gestured to the mikkians. “Rota is not. He’s gotten worse since I relayed my message to the council. He has broken out in a cold sweat, and his color has paled from whatever sickness he holds.” That wouldn’t be enough information for Amani to administer treatment. Ran searched her mind for the details the distraught Tora had shared before she’d become too much so.

“He received several smaller cuts and slashes from an encounter with one of the local insectoid species. He was exploring an old cavern about a day and a half’s trek from the enclave during this encounter. When he returned he suddenly fell ill. We discovered his wounds, applied an antiseptic from some native flora, and stitched him up.” She thought for a moment before grabbing a tiny vial from his bedside. “This was discovered in one of the wounds.” The vial contained the detached head of one of the previously mentioned tiny insectoids, head, fangs, proboscis, and all.

Ran wondered what Amani would do with this information. She knew her cousin was a talented and skilled force healer but was also learned in more conventional, scientific, and medical means of treatment.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Good to see you," Amani replied, before turning to the work in front of her. One of the Jedi had apparently gone on a trek outside the Enclave's premises, and gotten into a bit of a tussle with local fauna. Ran retrieved the head of the insectoid creature in question for her to examine. Amani squinted at the vial, holding it up to the light at different angles, "I don't recognize the species. Is there anyone here who does?"

She moved to the other side of the bedridden Rota, and began to examine the Jedi directly. "Quite the scuffle for such a small creature. Was it a whole swarm?"

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

“We could not find that information in our archives. The species was analyzed and we’re waiting to hear from Coruscant. The archives there should have an answer.” Ran explained. “Any minute now.” Ran said hopefully as Rota groaned.

“Brother!” Tora yelped. Rota’s groan brought his sister out of her silent fugue. Ran turned and approached his bedside. “Fight it, Rota. Stay with us. We have the best healer in the Order for you.” Ran informed.

“By the look and extent of his wounds, I would say it was indeed a swarm.” Ran confirmed to Amani. Rota looked up at her and struggled a nod. She was correct.

“Brother! Stay still!” Tora instructed passionately.

“Ran,” The Barabel Consular, Shiba Shutala called out before entering the room. She was one of the more experienced Jedi in the Enclave and was a trusted friend to Ran. “Master Serys,” Shiba acknowledged upon seeing Amani. “Coruscant delivered. This one has the insect’s name and a possible antidote here.” She handed over a datapad with the transmitted information to Amani. “The gardens should have what is needed to fix this antidote. My offspring gather the ingredients now. They will be here soon.”

Ran peered over Amani’s shoulder at the datapad. “A Loch Midge? Lethal?” Ran questioned in a hushed tone as she read. Only Amani could hear her. It seemed Rota was lucky to be alive this long. She attributed his survival to his Jedi training and possibly his mikkian physiology.

The sound of sprinting adolescent barabels came to a quick stop out front. Shiba grabbed the ingredients from her wild children. “This one can assist, if extra hands are needed, Master Serys.” Shiba informed Amani. “Before this one was a Jedi, she was a nurse of sorts.”

“I can help too.” Ran declared.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Ran Serys​

It seemed all hands were on deck for this operation. Another member of the enclave entered, and Amani greeted her with a matching nod. Shutala relayed what they were able to learn about the insect species and the necessary antidote. As the ingredients were gathered, Amani looked over the information on the datapad. The results could be dire of not dealt with fast. "We can't afford to dawdle," She muttered to her cousin, "For all we know, vitals could start shutting down any moment."

“This one can assist, if extra hands are needed, Master Serys. Before this one was a Jedi, she was a nurse of sorts.”

“I can help too.”

"Good," Amani said as she turned to the others, "Because I'm entrusting you all to creating the antidote. I need to focus my attention on fighting the venom directly. I can try to detoxify, but given how many stings there were, and how long it's been in the bloodstream, I can't promise I can purge it all in time. But I can at least slow its progress, until the antidote is made." Amani stood by the patient and reached out a hand. Her fingers tightened, almost in a claw-like position, as she began to fight against the venom, "Get to work!"

 

[Ran Serys]

As Amani would touch Rota with the force. Rota would reach back. The Mikkian man had been using the force, and doing his all to keep the poison in check. He wasn’t just ill from the poison he was exhausted from exertion in the force. He eased back to rest and let Amani take control.

As the fight against the venom and the clock began, Ran and Shiba sprang into action. Shiba called the shots as Ran facilitated. A crushing of herbs, separation of sprigs, boiling and liquifying all ingredients until they were left with a single vial of light green liquid that almost glowed. The process was long but was done in a timely manner.

Shiba shook the vial and entered the round cylinder into a syringe.

“The antidote is complete, Master Serys.” Shiba said as she hovered behind Amani.

“Is he ready for it?” Asked Ran as she looked over her cousin's shoulder.

They both spoke softly as to not disturb Amani's concentration.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani did her best to fight the poison while the other went to work. But even the Chief Healer became strained from such prolonged use of power. She grew quite tired, eventually forcing herself to sit down while she continued to apply the Force where she could. While she was able to halt it for a time, eventually all she could do was slow it down. By the time Ran and Shiba were done, both Amani and Rota looked a bit weaker than before.

"As ready as he'll ever be," Amani sighed, both in exhaustion and relief, "Give it to him."

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

Upon the order, Shiba took a deep breath and a moment to focus. Then she injected the antivenom into Rota's bloodstream. The group watched, quietly on edge, for a sign, any sign. Ran stood behind Amani's chair with her hands gripping her cousin's shoulders. To have her family there in a tense moment was a comfort, but also a source of guilt as Tora waited on Rota, her older brother, to heal.

They waited for for a moment, then longer, after an hour or so Shiba spoke up. "They said the antivenom was fast acting." She said hoping to speak the fact into existence. Ran said nothing and continued to watch as Rota twitched and reached a hand out to take his sisters. Tora began to cry. Rota's breathing was still ragged but he wasn't sweating so much. He turned his head toward the Seryses. "Thank you, Masters. I'll take it from here." He said regarding them with a sly smile before closing his eyes. Ran could feel the Jedi Knight drop into a trance to reserve his strength and rest in the ultimate way a Jedi could, deep within the force. Ran took that as a sign that Rota would be alright. Tora cried tears of joy as her brother still gripped her hand. "Stay with him a little longer. He will appreciate it when he's back up and on his feet." Ran said, putting a comforting hand on the young woman's back. "We'll have someone bring you a meal shortly, Tora." Ran announced. "I'll make sure that it happens." Shiba volunteered. Ran mouthed the words thank-you and before Shiba left Ran gave her right hand on Selvaris a hug. A foreign action to the Barabel Jedi but a welcome one, Shiba returned the hug in kind.

Ran turned to Amani as they exited the makeshift medical tent. "We did it!" Ran whispered excitedly and happy to have saved the life of one of the enclave's more permanent residents. "Thank you, Cousin. For all your help back there. I don't think we would've been able to help Rota without you." Ran said humbly. Her tone shifted from excitement to a quiet earnestness mixed with embarrassment. "Will you be staying with us long? Or will you be off to save another life?" Ran questioned. "I could use your help here, just enough help to establish some sort of plan to build a medical infrastructure for the enclave." Ran informed hopefully. She knew Amani was busy between the Prosperity, her duties as chief healer, and as a mother of a family, but still she hoped to share some time with her only cousin.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

The wait was heavy with worry. Were their efforts enough? There was little more they could do but let Rota fight for himself. Amani shut her eyes for a time, seemingly in meditation, or prayer.

Finally, Rota spoke, and fell into a deep trance-like state. Amani opened her eyes, smiled, and gave him a nod. It seemed he would pull through after all. The Seryses left the tent shortly after. "We did," She turned to look up at Ran, "There are few things any of us can do alone. I'm glad I could help."

"Will you be staying with us long? Or will you be off to save another life?"

Amani rubbed her chin in thought, "…I suppose I could stay a while longer," She smiled, "I'd be happy to help you draft something up, Cousin."

Ran Serys​