Private Under Pain of Vivisection

[Vestara VII]

Location: Conference Room, Coruscant General, Galactic City - Coruscant
Time: Morning
Attire: XXX
Equipment: CS MicroLab 06B │ Miniaturized Force Disperser (Disguised as Choker) │ PT-C 'Penitent' Control Bracelet w/ Incorporated G1 OmniLink │ Jin'Wodasir (2)
Tag: Zelannia Arcrin

The galactic heart of sin.

Coruscant General was not far from the New Jedi Temple. In fact, Vestara VII had passed it on her way to the hospital, a hushed prayer on her lips as she took in the great spires over the massive ziggurat building, ancient structures which had been destroyed and rebuilt many times over.

In that regard, the Jedi were like cockroaches.

Nevertheless, in spite of her innate disdain for the Jedi and their corrupting influence over what was otherwise a beautiful city, the Twi’lek quickly reset her attention on her upcoming clinicals. The young strand-cast healer had been given what was sure to be a demanding assignment by her overseers. Not only was she to train and study under some of the very best medical professionals in the galaxy, but she was also to aid in the recovery of a lost sister who seemed to have strayed from the path of purity.

It would be Vestara’s mission to return her to the fold.

In terms of equipment and preparation, little expense had been spared. She had been given a new identity, which she had spent more than a week refining and practicing. Her name was now Sinya Zeru, a young nursing candidate from the University of Arcadia, studying abroad to finish out her schooling before graduation. She was the typical gifted scholarship student from a poor family, with her name listed in a couple of research papers pertaining to the cellular mechanisms of painkiller drugs in Devaronians.

For her first day, an interview had been scheduled, followed by an orientation. Naturally, Vestara had made sure to arrive early, albeit not to an aggressive extent. Before long, she was directed to the conference room, allowed to help herself from the nearby caf machine, and instructed to wait.

Dr. Zelannia Arcrin was a very important woman, after all.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Zelannia was a prodigy. At an age where most still loitered in medical school, she was already a doctor - and had degrees in bioengineering, forensic pathology, and chemistry. She was even working on something relating to cybernetic engineering. It went without saying that she'd used virtually every academic shortcut conceivable, no matter how difficult.

Despite this, certain mundane matters demanded her personal attention in the absence of a competent assistant.

So it was that she headed from the sterile comfort of the surgical suite to a conference room, a cup of caf in hand.

She preferred to be on time - that way she could call the whole thing off if the other person was even a minute late - but no such luck. Urgent duties elsewhere and all that. The critically injured were so inconsiderate.

Pushing open the door to the conference room, Zelannia took a seat without bothering to shake the nurse's hand. Taking a long sip from her caf, she scrutinised the other woman and then gestured for her to sit opposite her.

"Tell me, what makes you worth my time?"

Vestara VII​

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Conference Room, Coruscant General, Galactic City - Coruscant
Time: Morning
Attire: XXX
Equipment: CS MicroLab 06B │ Miniaturized Force Disperser (Disguised as Choker) │ PT-C 'Penitent' Control Bracelet w/ Incorporated G1 OmniLink │ Jin'Wodasir (2)
Tag: Zelannia Arcrin

As Dr. Zelannia Arcrin entered the room, Vestara VII, no—Sinya Zeru—stood up to offer a handshake and a greeting, her wide, cyan gaze studying the woman’s strikingly alabaster features as she did. Immediately, the Twi’lek sought to make an innocent first impression in spite of the woman’s cold reputation, a soft, professional smile pulling at the corners of her lips as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Hi, I’m Siny-”

"Tell me, what makes you worth my time?"

The doctor’s distant, apathetic manner hadn’t been unexpected. The Twi’lek had spent days researching and preparing for this exact moment, after all. However, her rebuff had still come as a mild shock. The outright coldness of her manner surpassed that of even some of the overseers at the Temple of the Sith Kabal in Malsheem. Nevertheless, Sinya quickly followed the doctor’s gesture to take a seat, a second of contemplative silence passing between the moment Zelannia had finished speaking and when the Twi’lek finally replied.

“My research experience.” Sinya began, her tone soft, yet confident, as if her answer had been practiced. It was a stock answer, but perhaps, a noteworthy one. “Coruscant General is at the forefront of the galactic medical community in xenobiological and cybernetic research and my experience in those fields will have enduring application for you, Doctor.” She stated.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

This one seemed far too soft for Zelannia's taste, but at least her mind was quieter than most.

It remained to be seen whether that was a result of discipline or an unusually empty mind. Still, not thinking was if nothing else preferable to the idiocy many of her human coworkers were susceptible to. Just last break someone had mentioned her 'star sign', as if the placement of celestial objects around her homeworld was likely to affect her cognition.

If she had her way, the man would have been fired on the spot - or at the very least had his paycheck slashed.

"Your research experience," Zelannia stated, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. "Is useful, but hardly unique. It demonstrates competency, but not independence. What's stopping me from just replacing you with some droid?"

A high rate of unionisation, arguably, but Zelannia happened to know that the department's union rep was cheating on her wife of twenty years. A few ethical violations was nothing blackmail couldn't take care of.

Vestara VII​

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Conference Room, Coruscant General, Galactic City - Coruscant
Time: Morning
Attire: XXX
Equipment: CS MicroLab 06B │ Miniaturized Force Disperser (Disguised as Choker) │ PT-C 'Penitent' Control Bracelet w/ Incorporated G1 OmniLink │ Jin'Wodasir (2)
Tag: Zelannia Arcrin

"What's stopping me from just replacing you with some droid?"

Some droid? That was cold.

Of course, Vestara knew all too well of the latest model of nurse android. No doubt, there were similar models being operated by Coruscant General, at least up to the prescribed legal limit. Fortunately, the prospect of a droid taking her job had never been a concern for her. In fact, healers in the Kainate Sith Kabal and by extension, the greater Sith Order, were extremely rare. Even within the Sith temples, such duties were often handled solely by Matrons, non-Force-sensitive medical professionals, and ironically, droids.

However, while Vestara was undoubtedly superior to any droid, Sinya would have to make her case.

“Umm…I have leadership experience!” Sinya piped up, after a short pause. “I was an officer in my Student Health Association. We helped organize health education sessions and free physicals for underserved Outer Rim communities.” She continued. "I believe that I am well-positioned to serving the needs of all patients. I can establish a confidence with patients that a droid might not be able to replicate, Doctor." She finished, a low breath escaping from her throat as she did.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Sinya said leadership experience, but Zelannia heard 'social stooge'.

It was not that she was above relegating patients to conversations with droids - quite the contrary - but that sort of thing led to them complaining endlessly until a doctor wasted time conversing with the halfwits. Likewise with organic minions such as orderlies - few patients were content to rant at orderlies - or insufficiently persuasive nurses.

"I see. I trust you are confident in your ability to handle even the most irate of patients?"

Zelannia waved a hand lazily. "I prefer my patients sedated or otherwise unable to talk back."

Vestara VII​

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Coruscant General, Galactic City - Coruscant
Time: Morning
Attire: XXX
Equipment: CS MicroLab 06B │ Miniaturized Force Disperser (Disguised as Choker) │ PT-C 'Penitent' Control Bracelet w/ Incorporated G1 OmniLink │ Jin'Wodasir (2)
Tag: Zelannia Arcrin

"I see. I trust you are confident in your ability to handle even the most irate of patients?"

“Yes!” Sinya piped up in response, her tone girlish and eager even as she nervously swallowed an incorporeal lump in her throat.

Three Hours Later

“MY WATER IS TOO WARM YOU KARKING WORM HEAD SCHUTTA! I TOLD YOU I WANTED IT WITH EXTRA ICE! MY HUSBAND IS A DEPUTY IN THE SECURITY FORCE. HE’LL ARREST YOU FOR MALPRACTICE YOU PINK-”

Vestara cut the connection and with it, a heavy sigh escaped from her lips, her fingers rising to pinch the bridge of her nose as she did. Three hours in and she was already near her wit’s end with three of what had to be the hospital’s toughest patients, who the Doctor had placed under her care immediately after the interview. This one in particular had been admitted to the hospital for a pain flare-up. Perhaps for that reason, she could excuse her poor conduct. Chronic pain patients were rarely pleasant, after all.

Instead, Vestara found herself wanting to drain her life force. There was a premature baby in the Neonatal ICU who could really use it.

Nevertheless, for the moment, the Twi’lek had no choice but to suck it up. The patient was always right, especially if they had good insurance.

“My apologies for the inconvenience, ma’am. I’ll be right back with your water.” Sinya transmitted back with an exasperated sigh, before cutting the connection and heading back to the food vending area.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Zelannia took a twisted sort of pleasure in assigning the worst patients (or their halfwit kin) to 'the new girl'. Someone who no doubt took longer to navigate patient files using a new system.

The degenerates deserved nothing more.

Still, it was time to give the Twi'lek a break - by thrusting her into an entirely different kind of challenge. Bringing up the contact list on a terminal, she summoned her most recent minion. To make abundantly sure that the woman knew whose needs mattered most, Zelannia had taken the liberty of rewiring her pager to buzz especially loudly when she called.

That would no doubt get her attention.

Taking a sip of caf, Zelannia perused the patient's file on her tablet. A complicated case involving one of the nurse's stated areas of expertise and a perfect opportunity to grill her - more importantly, one of the nurses she had been assigned had a particularly distasteful mind. The new one, on the other hand, was far quieter than most.

Vestara VII​

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Coruscant General, Galactic City - Coruscant
Time: Morning
Attire: XXX
Equipment: CS MicroLab 06B │ Miniaturized Force Disperser (Disguised as Choker) │ PT-C 'Penitent' Control Bracelet w/ Incorporated G1 OmniLink │ Jin'Wodasir (2)
Tag: Zelannia Arcrin

Even faced with the persistent demands of the hospital’s toughest patients, Vestara was not yet tired. It was rare for a Rajakzânkut to ever reach such a state. The physical demands of working in a hospital were trivial next to the preternatural blessings of her form, modeled after the Eternal Father himself. However, she was exasperated. Nevertheless, the Twi’lek didn’t break character as she quickly filled a fresh cup of water for the chronic pain patient, with extra ice to ensure that its temperature was to her liking. Once she arrived back at her room, the patient’s eyes narrowed with disdain, at which point Vestara approached the side of her bed to hand her the cup.

“My apologies, ma’am. Here is your wa-”

Suddenly, a violently insistent ringing tone cut through the air as the Twi’lek’s pager went off, causing a squeak to escape from her lips as she dropped the cup, spilling its contents onto her patient. The woman let loose a shrill scream in turn, her aged features turning beet red as she launched into a fresh tirade.

“YOU USELESS, SLIMY WORM HEAD DIVERSITY HIRE! YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO WALK IN HERE LIKE THIS IS A MCYODA’S AND YOU CAN’T EVEN GET A CUP OF WATER RIGHT! YOU DON’T BELONG IN A HOSPITAL OR ANYWHERE NEAR THE UPPER LEVELS. GO BACK TO WALKING THE STREETS IN 1313 YOU WH-”

Sweat beading across her brow, Vestara took her hand off of the woman’s forehead, her eyes wide with shock as her patient fell into a deep slumber. Quickly checking the woman’s vitals, the Twi’lek gave a relieved sigh upon affirming that they were stable, at which point she set the cup on a nearby counter and put in a call for a nursing assistant droid to clean up the mess.

She couldn’t afford to keep the Doctor waiting.

Two Minutes Later

As the door slid open, Vestara entered the room and offered a short bow to the Doctor, who seemed to be looking over something on her tablet.

“You wanted to see me, Doctor?”

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Instead of responding immediately, the Doctor checked a timer, nodded approvingly, and finished reading her current file.

This one was faster than most. That was promising.

"I'll be replacing a malfunctioning heart implant shortly; the patient is a Lamproid." Grabbing a second tablet, she threw it at the nurse without looking back at her. "You're helping. You claim to be experienced when it comes to xenobiology and cybernetics. I trust you can familiarise yourself with all potential complications post haste?"

Whatever her answer might be, Zelannia would continue unimpeded.

"The anesthesiologist claims the patient will be ready in ten minutes, but that little shit is far too careful with the sedatives. As if he could fatally overdose a Lamproid without a small truckload of sedatives."

Vestara VII​

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Operating Room, Coruscant General, Galactic City - Coruscant
Time: Morning
Attire: XXX
Equipment: CS MicroLab 06B │ Miniaturized Force Disperser (Disguised as Choker) │ PT-C 'Penitent' Control Bracelet w/ Incorporated G1 OmniLink │ Jin'Wodasir (2)
Tag: Zelannia Arcrin

Vestara’s mind quickly recalled her studies on Lamproid anatomy—much of which had been fed into her brain via HyperSleep conditioning. Hyperfast reflexes, purple blood, a venomous stinger (and saliva), photosensitive eyestalks capable of seeing beyond the typical visual spectrum, a carnivorous, hematophagic diet, and yet more details pertaining to the arrangement of their various body systems. Naturally, she hadn’t been able to cover all of it, but her studies had given her a functional understanding.

“Yes, Doctor!” Sinya said, nearly fumbling the thrown tablet as she did. Perhaps learning some Force Reflex might have been useful. Nevertheless, after scanning the patient’s records—which included a history of high blood pressure and malnutrition from an inadequate diet with not enough of the foods his species was built to consume—Sinya took the initiative of preparing the operating table.

However, it didn’t take her long to realize that the patient would need a longer, bigger table.

“I’m going to retrieve a longer table from the storage area.”

Sinya slipped out of the room and with surprising alacrity, she returned, pushing a massive repulsorlift table in front of her.

Now, she could begin.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Her actions quickly confirmed it - this one was unusually fast. Eager to please, too.

Useful attributes, certainly, even if it was her palatable mind that had drawn Zel's attention.

"That looks suitable. See if you can figure out which moron failed to prepare a suitably-sized surgery table." Was it unfair of her to ask 'the new girl' to do something that might bring her into conflict with other employees? Some would say so, but Zel knew better than to expect fairness. The world was inherently unfair; you either coped or you withered.

She was there to do her job and do it well, not coddle wilting flowers.

Speaking of the other employees, some of them would no doubt question Sinya's presence. If she failed to handle that without wasting Zelannia's time, the surgeon would be very disappointed.

Vestara VII​

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Operating Room, Coruscant General, Galactic City - Coruscant
Time: Morning
Attire: XXX
Equipment: CS MicroLab 06B │ Miniaturized Force Disperser (Disguised as Choker) │ PT-C 'Penitent' Control Bracelet w/ Incorporated G1 OmniLink │ Jin'Wodasir (2)
Tag: Zelannia Arcrin

"That looks suitable. See if you can figure out which moron failed to prepare a suitably-sized surgery table."

Sinya—Vestara—came to a halt as she worked to clean and disinfect the new table. Now? The unspoken question beckoned, and it was perhaps the one thought that slipped through Vestara’s mental defenses, giving the possibility for Zelannia to perceive it, should she be receptive.

However, the words that came out of her mouth were far different.

“Y-yes, Doctor!” Vestara answered, with a renewed peppy eagerness, as if she were a pet eager to retrieve a toy. With all necessary swiftness, the Twi’lek finished her task and set about the next one—finding out and potentially, confronting the individual who had failed to procure a suitably-sized operating table. She quickly scrolled through the OmniLink on her bracelet to see who the surgical technician on staff was—one Dash Baize, a blonde-haired human male who had recently been onboarded with the hospital. He had been at Coruscant General longer than her, though only by a week. However, while Vestara herself wasn’t scared of confrontation (she was a Sith, after all!) Sinya likely was.

“D-do you mean for me to…confront the person responsible?” Sinya asked, after a moment’s pause.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Now?

Zel did not normally hear individual thoughts with such clarity, but the noise was easily distinguished from the usual silence. It was not an issue, but it was an excellent example of the nurse's most valuable quality: Being almost as quiet as a droid.

It might be worth taking some samples from her - who knew, there might be a genetic component.

As Sinya handled the errand, Zelannia finished reading up on the patient and the relevant research, then moved on to personal projects. A necessity, given the glacial pace of her primitive colleagues. When the nurse did return, her insecure question earned her a meaningful look and a rhetorical question.

"Would you say your time is as valuable as mine?"

Vestara VII​