Private Unruly Patients

[Corazona von Ascania]

"The clinic being attacked by…I'm sorry, what?"

Arms crossed and eyebrows cocked in disbelief, Cora stared at the rattled charge nurse as she tried to explain what had befallen Olba village's new medical facility.

"I…I'm not sure, exactly." The woman stammered, struggling to recount what she had seen. "I went in early to do prep work before we saw our patients, and the clinic was swarmed by these angry…rodent-dogs? They're about this big, I think."

The nurse placed her hands about a shoulder's width apart, eyes scrunching in recollection. "And boy they were mean! Tore up half the chairs in the waiting room, and who knows what else. A few of them lunged at me, and by the stars I just managed to slam the door closed before they got me!"

Cora bit the inside of her cheek. Her first project on Ukatis with any actual momentum, and already there were bumps in the road. Snarling bumps, apparently.

"I think I have an idea of what you might've seen." She ventured, hand cupping her chin in thought. The medical staff was Alliance issued, here to get the rural clinics up and running while they trained native Ukatians to take over.

"Keep everyone away from there for now. I'll head over myself—and let whichever Jedi is on duty know."

The NJO had agreed to send a small group of rotating Jedi for the duration of the project. In Cora's mind, they could help diffuse tension and ease into a good working relationship with the more isolationist natives.

And, help with troubles like this.

Lao-ta

 

[Lao-ta]

Ukatis
Olba Village
Corazona von Ascania

Laot-ta sat in the village center taking in the scene around her. Small market was set up around a central well. She smiled as she watched a group of children run past kicking a ball. The village was small but it was vibrant through her sense of the force. She felt the flow of life around her as people went about their daily business.

Suddenly she felt distress from the building where the princess was working. Nothing about it indicated immediate danger but still something was wrong. As she stood one of the children sent the ball flying in her direction. She caught it with the force and sent it drifting back to the child who had kicked it.
"This is yours I believe." The child nodded in awe as he plucked the ball from the air before the whole group rushed away chattering excitedly amongst themselves. She turned and walked the rest of the way to the door where the princess Corazon Von Ascania was emerging.
"What seems to be the trouble princess?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Fortunately, Cora did not have to wait for long as the Jedi approached. Smiling politely, she gave the woman a once-over. There were many new faces among the Jedi that she didn't recognize, which was both a good and bad thing—bad because she missed her friends, good because it meant that the NJO was growing.

Without her.

"Please, call me Cora." She waved away the title. "You are Lao-ta, yes? From the New Jedi Order."

Her gaze left the woman's face, wandering down the road to where the children were kicking around a ball excitedly.

"I hear that you get along well with the natives—that is wonderful. Ukatians have been largely isolated from the galaxy, so I'm glad to see them mingling well with off-worlders."

Bringing her attention back to the Jedi and their task at hand, Cora nodded and gestured for them to walk in the direction of the clinic.

"Right; it seems that there is a bit of trouble going on at the medical clinic recently established by the Alliance. The head nurse tells me that there's been an…infestation of sorts. From her description, I think they're racyon—animals native to this planet, sort of like a cross between a dog and a cat." Cora explained as they walked.

"We should check out what's happening and clear out any…troublemakers as necessary."

Lao-ta

 

[Lao-ta]

"We should check out what's happening and clear out any…troublemakers as necessary."
​

Lao-ta had read a bit about the creatures in her preparation for her assignment here. Weren't they kept as pets?
"I can perhaps calm the creatures, but do we have any way of containing them so they can be relocated?" She felt reasonably confident she could keep the creatures from attacking, but as far as leading them away she was less certain. "Or do we have any food that would be particularly appealing to them that we can use to lead them away?"

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

A thoughtful expression appeared on the Princess' face before she shook her head.

"I'm not sure that we have the means to contain them if they're being truly as violent as the nurse claims. If they are racyon, which I believe them to be from her description, then this is highly unusual behavior. Even wild, they stay within their territory and don't tend to attack unless threatened."

They stopped in front of the closed clinic doors, the building eerily silent.

"Food might be a better distractor. Good thinking."

Turning on her heel, Cora squinted along the street where another group of children were playing ball.

"Arda! Come here please." She waved one of the children down, who abandoned her game to skip over to the pair of women.

"Yes, Princess?" She intoned with a cheerful curtesy. Playing along, Cora bowed her head. "Would you be so kind as to ask your mother to whip up a batch of those apple dumplings she makes so well? It's to help out with the problem we're having with the clinic, so we would need them as quickly as possible."

"Of course!" The little girl practically jumped in place. "If it's that important, I'll even help mama!"

As she scampered off, Cora turned to Lao-ta with a smile.

“So, have you ever had to deal with a problem like this?”

Lao-ta

 

[Lao-ta]

"Apple dumplings? You sure do intend to treat the creatures right." Lao-ta mused to Cora. She considered the question. Had she had to deal with something like this? Sort of. She had many experiences with wildlife and learning to avoid or appease it. "Somewhat similar." She felt fairly confident that she could convey a sense of peace and non-violence to the creatures. If they weren't unnaturally aggravated that should be enough to calm them. Hopefully the food would be enough to draw them away once calmed. "Let's go to the clinic and see if we can diagnose the problem."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The corner of Cora's lips tilted upwards in a wry smirk at the mention of diagnosing the problem.

Heh.

"What can I say, there isn't a soul on Ukatis that can resist apple dumplings." She chuckled softly.

It wasn't long before the pair arrive just outside the clinic doors—a plain and unassuming building, it was still by far the most modern structure in the rural village.

Unlocking the door with the keycard given to her by the charge nurse, Cora stepped to the side as the door slid open.

Almost immediately, a snarling creature the size of a small dog darted out from the entrance, leaping in the direction of Lao-ta.

Lao-ta

 

[Lao-ta]

As the small masked creature leapt at her from the doorway Lao-ta turned her body and stepped to the side letting the creature fly past her. The creatures were supposedly semi-sentient but it clearly didn't anticipate her evasion. Before it could hit the ground she reached out in the force to catch the beast.

As it squirmed and thrashed in the air there was a sense of indignation from the creature.
"Well they certainly seem agitated." She carefully levitated the creature back through the door and closed it behind. From the glimpse she got of the room it seemed like the place had been fairly well tossed, but the cabinets with medicines still seemed undisturbed.
"Let's get a head count shall we." The knight narrowed her focus to what life was on the other side of the door. "There are seven of the creatures. Do they normal travel in groups that size?"

As she waited for a reply she laid a hand on the door and reached out a tendril of thought to touch each of the life essences she felt on the other side, and prepared to do what she could to soothe the creatures.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora stepped back out of an abundance of caution as the racyon launched itself from inside the room. Befitting of a Jedi Knight, Lao-ta saw the move coming from a mile away and quickly nabbed the creature with invisible threads.

Someone less familiar with the Force might have stared on in awe, but Cora was surprise by the pang of jealousy that briefly ached in her chest.

"They live in packs, but only tend to travel around as such in their own territory."

Shifting into a more contemplative headspace, she brought a hand to her chin. "It's not uncommon for one or two to leave their territory to scavenge, but they're usually very skittish around humans. So this level of aggression isn't normal, no."

Maybe the critters had decided to make their new home in the clinic? That seemed highly unlikely, but they wouldn't know unless they investigated further.

"Can you sense anything?" Cora cocked her head curiously, noting the way the Force flowed from Lao-tea's hand as it pressed to the door. The Princess knew that she was manipulating the currents, but couldn't sense to what end.

Lao-ta

 

[Lao-ta]

"Can you sense anything?"
​

Lao-ta had almost forgotten that the princess had jedi training. That might prove useful later. "They're agitated beyond hunger but I can't tell exactly why. They're... protecting something?" She let her thoughts extend and touch one mind, and then another, and another until she made contact with all of the creatures. Then she focused her mind and sent them waves of calm, impressing the idea that she was there to help and not a threat. This trick had worked for her before. Many times in fact. She felt it having an effect on them as they broke off their destruction and turned to the door. She remembered that there was food on the way and shared that impression as well. Remembering the scent of warm apples and cinnamon. She shared that memory as well and implied a promise. "I think we've calmed them a little. At least for now. I did promise them apples though so I hope your friend comes through for us. I don't know how patient the creatures are." She turned back to Cora. "You have some training with the force right? Have you ever touched a creature's mind? I might need help keeping them calm while the dumplings cook."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora remained silent, quietly watching Lao-ta as she worked. Her eyes closed, attempting to visualize the threads of Force as they extended through the door, touching minds and calming the agitated creatures.

She even found it soothing, a little.

Cora's eyes blinked open, and she nodded carefully.

"They shouldn't take too long, so I hope that they can hold out until then."

The Jedi's next question caused Cora's face to pull in uncertainty. "Yes, I trained as a Padawan under Master Noble until I was married. She taught me how to conjure a mental barrier around my own mind, but we hadn't covered extending that outwards to influence other beings."

She idly twirled her wedding band, a nervous habit. The voidstone flecks, pretty as they were, suppressed Cora's sensitivity to the Force dramatically. Even lifting a cup—a simple party trick her husband had her do to impress his friends and dignitaries—took great concentration. Still, she had no idea that the stones in her ring were the source of her depressed connection.

"I'm…very out of practice." She admitted. "But I can try. What do I do first?"

Lao-ta

 

[Lao-ta]

"I'm…very out of practice." She admitted. "But I can try. What do I do first?"

Lao-ta nodded. It would work or it wouldn't. There was no harm in trying. "It requires trust in your own composure. Your own mental fortitude. Because it's almost the opposite of creating that barrier. You are opening yourself to the other creature. Making a connection through shared experience." She gestured for Cora to place her hand on the door. "There are seven but start with one. Three feet back from the door. Let your senses find it, touch it and be open to it. You will feel what it feels, but mustn't let it overwhelm you. Hold space for the creature and meet it with calm, compassion, understanding. You have felt what it is feeling before. Whether it is fear or anger meet it with the compassion, the love you needed when you felt that way. Understand it's pain. Let it feel you understand. Be one in that understanding." She smiled softly. "And don't be upset if it doesn't work. It's a subtle art. Let me touch your mind and guide you through it?" As she waited on the princess' response she opened herself further and filled her own mind and the space around her with calm. Letting the force flow through her like a gentle forest stream.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's days had been filled with maintaining the delicate subterfuge that it took to survive at court. Every expression was practiced, every response controlled. Only say what is expected to be said. Only do what is expected of you. Instead of taking the time to understand her more negative emotions, she'd been forced to bury them deep down. It was not the Jedi way, but a method of survival when the Princess found herself under intense scrutiny.

It had been too long since she'd been met with the compassion of a Jedi, even if it was not directed at her. Inhaling the calm around them, Cora took in Lao-ta's words, then nodded.

"Please, guide me."

As she placed a hand on the door, Cora let the walls fall from around her mind and her presence extend outwards. She cautiously probed the mind of the first racyon, gleaning what she could without startling it.

"It's…concerned?" Her brow furrowed. Lao-ta had said that it felt like they were protecting something, so it made sense. Still, it felt odd to feel for herself. Odder still that she could empathized with the general feeling of needing to protect; she'd left the Jedi in order to protect her family and her people. "I think it's trying to safeguard something,"

Me too, little one. Me too.

Lao-ta