Chapter 41
Rend, Joash and Sun swiftly approach their fallen leader in time to witness the disturbing convulsions. Rend grabs his master’s arm and quickly assesses her body before speaking, “Remove her armor, quickly. Sun, get to the medical bay and alert the team we need a room.” “Yes master”, she responds before jumping into action, immediately keying her communicator to contact the medical team.
Anguish and distress is smeared on Athin’s face as he gazes vaguely down towards the thrashing woman. Joash places a comforting hand on the other man’s shoulder and with concern for his friends, addresses Athin, “How can I help?” The Miraluka responds while shaking his head, “I don’t know, this has been getting better, but now the wound is lashing out against the rest of her aura with a ferocity I have not seen.” He paused, growling in frustration before continuing, “No one has been able to help these episodes. Even Rajavia hasn’t sent any information from the archives on her condition.” Joash, reading the distress on the Miraluka’s face, gives a reassuring squeeze before rising. He adds quickly “I have an idea. I will meet you in medical.” Before Athin could respond, Joash began to jog towards the main complex.
Rend commands to those gathered, “Alright, I need three people. Athin, I need you to support her head.” The General then looks at the three additional volunteers that had stepped forward. The Sith Vice Admiral, older Sith Commander, and Captain Jov’aine listen intently as Rend continues, “Two on each side of her. When the medical team gets here we will lift her onto the transport and get her to medical.” Everyone nodded except for Athin, who had a blank expression on his face from the violence he had been witnessing in his lover's aura. Moments later, two medical officers arrive with a transport followed closely by Padawan Veruna. Rend places his hands just under his master's upper thigh and calf and calls out, “On three. One. Two. Three.” All five lift her dense body and place it on the open top transport. A few quick keystrokes on the edge of the floating platform produces a protective shield to encapsulate the High Admiral before the medical officers begin sprinting towards the med bay.
On the far side of the compound, the elder Jedi bursts through the threshold of the kitchen area causing the Kowakian monkey-lizard to belt out in fear and scurry behind Thea’s leg. The sudden commotion startles the middle-aged woman, and she barks out in response, “What on this side of the galaxy requires you to burst in here like a crazed rancor?” Joash replies promptly, and a bit more forcefully than he had intended “Thea, it’s Anhiel, she is having some sort of seizure fit and it does not look good. Come with me, now!” Taken aback by the order, Thea adopts a disgruntled expression, folding her arms, “I don’t know what you think I could possibly do that your medics can’t. Besides, she…” Her sentence is finished by the older man in a desperate and somewhat angry tone, “She has given you every comfort, the utmost respect and all the space you could ever want. She deserves your respect and should command your loyalty. In turn, all the help you can give should be a small ask, woman.” Stunned silence is the response received as both stare at each other. While unhappy about being called out, Thea is unable to retort and with a muted expression she simply states, “Very well. Lead the way.” All three rush out of the room towards the medical center located in the main building at the center of the complex.
Several minutes later, Joash, Thea, and her pet reach the room's exterior where Athin is pacing and Mirr stands staunchly in front of the door with a hand resting on the saber hilt at his waist. Joash calls out, “Athin, what is going on? Is she stable?” Athin, deep in thought, barely notices the question and responds after a few second delay, “She is stable, for now. But this episode was much worse than what I have witnessed before.” Thea interjects while placing the monkey-lizard on the floor and pointing towards the ground, “She has these episodes often?” Athin, not really noting that Thea was present, let alone asking questions regarding Anhiel’s condition, replies, “They were more frequent a couple months ago. The fits are a response to a wound she suffered long ago but it has lain dormant over the last couple months.” Thea cuts in, matter of factly “A wound to her spirit.” The Miraluka raises his head in Thea’s direction, only now taking full notice of who he was conversing with. With surprise, he responds, “Essentially, yes. How do you know this?” Ms. Trogonas responds, crossing her arms over her chest, “I know what people are missing. I felt it the moment she stepped in front of me in my hut. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it as she protects that part of her very well, both consciously and unconsciously. But now, I can feel the raw wound and the war that is raging around it.” Joash steps between the two and asks quickly, “Can you heal her, like you did me?” Thea replies with a concerned look, “This is completely different from physical ailments. But as you made very clear, she has been gracious to me during my stay and has even tolerated Silous.” Her pet lets out a laugh in response to his name being called and she continues. “So I will do what I can. May I be allowed to examine her?” Both Thea and Joash look to Athin silently, awaiting a response. Without hesitation, Athin turns to Mirr and nods, causing the Mandolorian to step to the side and key the door open. The small group enters the room to find Anhiel unconscious, but no longer convulsing. Rend and Sun were standing inside and look up quickly at the new arrivals. Addressing only Thea, Athin beckons towards Anhiel, “Take all the time you need.”
With her right hand, she motions for Silous to halt as he moves to follow his master. Thea moves to the left side of the Grandmaster’s bed and leans over her, placing her palm on the other woman’s chest, just left and above center. With closed eyes, Thea exhales deeply and reaches out through the Force. A somewhat unpleasant feeling comes over the ex jedi as she taps into the darkside. Harsh green light emanates from her palm, causing alarm to rise in the onlookers but she continues, looking for the wound. Physical reality fades away and reveals images very similar to Miraluka sight and at the forefront is Anhiel’s vibrant aura with a void as colorless as the center of a black hole. Thea’s being approached cautiously, slowly reaching out to touch it. The moment contact is made, a vivid image of Dulci flashes through Thea’s mind before she is violently cast out, landing heavily on the metal floor before her sight returns to normal. Both Joash and Athin moved quickly to assist the woman up and once righted, she waved them away as a sign she was alright. Dead quiet is broken up by the occasional beeps from the nearby medical equipment. Thea gathers her breath then states somewhat bewildered, “She had a Force bond?” To which Athin nods in confirmation. “That is not what I expected. She should have died when it was broken. I need time to study. If nothing else, I can restore her physicality but this wound she bears is…unique.” She pats her leg and Silous leaps up and perches on her shoulder as she strides away towards her quarters, calling back as she exits the room, “I will let you know when I have something”. Joash, slightly mesmerized, places his hand on his friend's shoulder before addressing him, “If she can make Anhiel feel half as good as she did me, she will be ten years younger.” Athin steps into Joash and gives him a warm embrace, although he remains quiet. Stunned by the sudden action, Joash lowers his arms and returns a consoling hug, adding gently, “She will be alright, Athin. There is no way that she will let herself be done in by something like this.” After they separate, Joash beckons to Sun and Rend who had been watching quietly with various forms of shock and confusion, “Come, let’s leave her to rest. I am sure Athin will let us know if there are any changes.”
Back at her quarters, Thea reaches into a rustic satchel she pulled from a footlocker, retrieving an old leather bound book. Time has not been kind as most of the pages are frayed and imbued with a moldy smell. The middle-aged woman sits on the floor and gently thumbs through the ancient relic. She finds the pages she was looking for and pauses, intently scanning the runes printed on the page from an ancient Sith language. Her brow narrows as she deciphers the runes and symbols of this particular recipe, as well as the details on the ailment meant to be treated. Sekot’s booming voice evaporates the silence, causing Thea to jump, “That is a rare tome you have there, Alchemist. If you are indeed capable of practicing the arts it carries, I shall guide you to anything you need, if it exists on this planetary body. You need only ask.” Thea, gathering her composure, responds somewhat timidly as she had only interacted with Sekot on two prior occasions, “Uuumm, thank you. I need to study these runes and see if there is anything relevant to Anhiel’s situation.” The ancient being’s voice is now laced with a tone of knowing that was unsettling to Thea, “I look forward to seeing if you are as capable as the Force believes you to be. Or perhaps, was it wrong in bringing you here?” The question brought forth complete confusion to Thea as she looked around and demanded Sekot elaborate but the being remained stubbornly silent.
Nearly two hours pass before Thea closes the book and stands. She grabs her satchel and calls her pet before leaving her quarters at a brisk pace. Once outside, she raises her voice to Sekot, “Does this planet possess Bota?” Sekot responds immediately, “You will need to head east until you reach a ravine. Once there I will give you more directions.” Thea readjusts her satchel and motions to Silous before beginning to head towards the east exit of the compound. After the better part of an hour, Thea arrives at the ravine, the walls of which plummet nearly a hundred meters before they meet a dry river bed at the bottom. Sekot speaks, “Do you see where the river once washed out?” Thea nods and Sekot continues, “In the washout you will find fertile soil that possesses what you seek.” Thea swallows loudly looking at the treacherous descent and the fact that the sun was beginning to touch the horizon. She crouches low and pulls a small holo projector from her bag. She keys it on and a three dimensional image of a multi stalked flowering herb is displayed. She speaks to Silous, “I need this herb. As much as you can find.” Silous, twisting his head and chattering incomprehensibly, appears to understand. Thea stands and points to the location Sekot had just indicated and asks, “Can you reach that area?” The noisy pet jumps onto her back and looks down her arm to the location where she was pointing. He immediately leaps off and begins to descend the steep, craggy face of the ravine.
Just over an hour passes before Silous is seen galloping on all four legs across the dry river bed. “Ahh, he made it.” Thea thinks to herself. Many unmeasured moments pass when suddenly a large branch cracks behind her and in the failing light a grizzled elder Jedi steps into view. Joash speaks loudly, “Ahh, there you are. I thought you were doing some research? And where is your loud pet?” Thea responds with a condescending tone, ignoring the first question, “So you do care about him?” Joash crosses his arms and grumbles, “Not hardly, woman, but I have grown accustomed to his banter.” Thea smiles deviantly, adding smuggly “Well, you both are very similar.” Joash gives her a blank, unamused look, “What do you know of force bonds?” Thea gives a blatant look of knowing in response to the sudden change in subject before answering confidently, “I have seen many bonds amongst the Sith, mostly to secure alliances, and all have died or been left in a state worse than death when they are broken. This situation is so unique I see why there are no records of this type of injury.” Joash, now frowning slightly, responds, “You obviously have a plan or you wouldn’t be this far out.” Thea matches his tone, “I didn’t find anything specific to this scenario yet, but I found one description of Ugnar Beign or spirit binding. I felt that this could be the best chance she has.” As she was speaking, a chill ran up Thea’s spine as a late evening breeze flowed through the ravine. The elder Jedi immediately removes his outer cloak and places it around the younger woman’s shoulders, admonishing her “You ought to think ahead a bit more.” Now close to one another, their eyes meet in a way that shreds the tension that was present before. An obnoxious laugh breaks the silence. Silous had returned with his master's requested items. The two jump back from their close proximity and laugh softly.
Darkness falls as they travel back towards the base. In order to see, Joash removes his weapon and ignites it, the bright blue light illuminating the surrounding area. Thea addresses the other two, “We need to hurry. This herb mutates rapidly once it is picked. The mutations vary and the outcomes are unpredictable.” Joash immediately increases his pace to just under a jog and continues to lead the way.
In the medical room Anhiel lies motionless except for the rise and fall of her chest and the occasional twitch in her extremities. Athin, no longer pacing, is sitting in a small chair in the corner staring at her aura. He sees that the storm has mostly stopped and a much larger void exists at the woman’s core. Medical personnel continue to come in and out, all being evaluated by the armored Mandolorian standing guard over the Admiral, checking vital signs and propositioning the Miraluka for items of comfort but he continually declines.
As the compound comes into sight, Joash keys on his com, “General!?” A swift response is heard, “Yes, Master Joash.” Joash replies quickly, “Can you have two large vessels prepared, half full of water and on the heaters in the mess?” Rend acknowledges, “Yes, I shall contact the mess staff and they will be ready when you arrive.” Joash looks back at Thea and nods, she returns the nod in acceptance, “Thank you, General.” Rend adds simply, “Of course. I must meet with my officers now but do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything else.” The connection is cut while Rend and Sun begin to walk towards the main meeting room in the compound.
Thea arrives at the mess, where the two pots have almost reached a boil. She removes the collected herbs from her satchel and begins cutting the flowers off the stems. With all the flowers removed she takes the pistils and stamen out of the flowers leaving only the petals. Next she removes the leaves and stems from the main stalks. With a large wooden roller she crushes the stalks, pressing out their purple pulp. In one of the pots she takes the pulp and dumps it in, giving it a quick stir, causing the water to become a vibrant purple color. She takes the flowers and places them upside down so that they float on top of the bubbling water. Thea quickly removes the boiling pot and places it on a heat sink that instantly stops the boil. She looks at Joash, who had entered the mess with her pet on his shoulder but had been standing quietly in awe of her work, and requests, “I need something from my quarters. It is in a dark box on my desk. Bring that to me.” Joash bows in reply and turns to exit the room with the small creature still on his shoulder. The Alchemist’s eyes streak yellow as she begins to chant words in an old tongue. Green wisps drift from her palms and begin to penetrate the liquid. Large bubbles develop within the mixture, rising to the surface and popping. Her eyes close and her chanting stops. The once runny, purple liquid is now a thick almost black paste. She grabs a large bowl and dips out a healthy amount and sets it to rest on a serving tray.
Thea grabs several other ingredients from the storage area. She cuts and chops the different herbs and spices until they are nearly a fine powder. Next she grabs some dry stalk flour and scoops out several large helpings. She mixes the herbs with the flour until they are well incorporated. Next, Thea takes a ladle and scoops out some fresh boiling water and drizzles it on the dry ingredients. She immediately starts to knead the newly formed dough with a golden aura emitting from her palms. The dough quickly rises while she is folding it into a loaf.
Silous bursts into the room ahead of Joash making high pitch shrills, alerting Thea of their return. Joash steps to the side of the center counter where Thea had been kneading the dough and replies, “Where should I place this box?” Thea points with her face before replying, “Place it on the serving tray.” Joash immediately blurts out while placing the box in its new location, “What is that disgusting paste?” Thea giggles slightly, “It's Bota paste. It enhances our connection to the Force but I altered it slightly to bring forth memories of our deepest desires and connections.” Joash nods and replies, “Is it supposed to be black?” Thea, placing the dough in a loaf pan, replies, “I don’t know. The recipe doesn’t describe the look or the taste. I assume it is from my manipulation of the ingredients.” She then inserts the loaf into the bread oven. Joash looks at her and asks, “Now what?” Thea returns a softer look and steps close to his position before replying, “Now we wait.”
More than a minute passes quietly, both looking around awkwardly until Joash’s eyes fall to the black box he had retrieved. In his haste, he had not noted the power and presence that radiated from the object within. But now he gazed towards the box, probing it with his own presence as he asked Thea, “What is in that box?” Simply, Thea responds, “It is an ornate bracelet for one’s forearm, recovered from Korriban during Anhiel’s visit.” She pauses before deciding to continue, “Based on the quality of the craftsmanship, I believe it was intended as a gift to Anhiel from Darth Vyrrid. What is more interesting is the manner in which it was crafted.” She steps forward and opens the case, revealing the piece within to Joash. “I sense that the piece resonates nearly in sync with her very being. It was made using ancient Sith alchemy techniques but the piece has both dark and light side properties. It is a powerful piece, dense yet not overly heavy and somehow still needing something to be complete. A perfect replica of Anhiel, I doubt it will serve anyone besides her.” She pauses, closing the lid before adding in a less formal tone, “This Darth must have been beyond merely infatuated with her.” Joash thinks quietly for many moments before asking, “What do you mean?” Thea rolls her eyes right with exaggeration at the question, “Even I know she is very guarded. Yet this Darth understood who she was on a fundamental level so much so that he crafted a beautiful piece that is as close to a perfect representation of her that will likely ever exist.” Joash huffs, crossing his arms, “What do you intend to do with it, woman?” Thea exhales deeply before responding somberly, “If everything goes as planned, this piece will be pivotal in healing her. If I am wrong…” her words trail off as she refuses to speak such a possibility into existence. A minute later, the nearby timer goes off and Thea turns quickly to pull the trays from the oven.
Back in Anhiel’s room, Athin is still in his seat, arms on his knees as he leans forward fighting the urge to sleep when he hears a beep on his com. From the small device a gruff voice speaks after it is keyed on, “Athin, Thea needs you to bring Anhiel outside the complex, immediately.” Confused Athin replies, “What do you mean, bring her outside?” Joash replies, “Thea believes she can heal her but doesn’t know what's going to happen. She feels it best to bring her outside to avoid potential collateral damage.” A long pause permeates the connection as Athin thinks rapidly and Joash continues, “I am gathering some luminaries so we can see better. Do you need help?” While concerned for his partner but with no other potential options, Athin replies, “No, Mirr is still here as well. We will be there shortly.” The Miraluka stands, and bangs on the door before stepping over to the bedside where he leans down and gives her a gentle kiss on the forehead. The door hisses open and Mirr asks quickly, “Is something amiss?” Athin shakes his head as he rips the medical device leads from her chest and head causing several alarms to ring out loudly. As he kneels down and scoops Anhiel up into his arms, Athin speaks quickly, “Thea believes she can heal Anhiel and needs her brought out of the complex. I need your assistance moving her. The medical staff will be here any moment.” As predicted, medical staff come rushing down the hall but slide to a halt as Mirr steps through the doorway, blocking their path. Athin comes up behind him with the Admiral curled up in his arms against the man’s chest. “What are you doing?” a staffer asks. Athin replies with resolve in his voice, “What must be done.” while Mirr adopts a posture that parts the small group of staff. Leaving the bewildered medical staff in their wake, they set off quickly towards the edge of the compound.
Ten minutes later three tripod luminaries, situated only a dozen meters from the complex, burn the darkness away from the land. In the middle Thea stands reading over the runes in the old tome once more under the artificial light as she waits for her patient to arrive. Athin steps into the light with Anhiel cradled in his arms, still unconscious and Thea motions to the center where a low cot sat. The Miraluka steps over then gently places the High Admiral at the focal point of the luminaries on the cot and steps back to pose a question, “What are you going to do to her that requires her to be placed outside?” Thea looks at the concerned man and replies, “If it is the will of the Force, heal her. I have never done such a task nor has any known records of this been made available to us. Yet I feel this is what has to happen.” Thea pauses, looking down at the unconscious woman while she adds somberly, “She may not survive this rite. Although, she has survived where no one else has, to my knowledge. As I am sure she would say so in this moment, trust in the will of the Force.” The Miraluka nods once, adding “You are quite right, Miss Tragonus. I am also sure she would lecture me for ever doubting that she would survive.” He bows slightly before stepping out of the illuminated circle to stand close to Joash and Silous.
Mirr had taken it upon himself to march back and forth on the perimeter facing the compound, hand on his saber hilt prepared to intercept anyone that may approach. Thea opens the dark box revealing the exquisite bracelet that was gifted to Anhiel. She places it on her left arm before giving instructions to the others, “No matter what happens, do not interfere. When it is through, grab the bread and bring it to us. It will revitalize our stamina.” Athin queries the Alchemist, “What type of bread is this?” Thea replies, “It is a toasted bread, sliced thick, grilled with coagulated mammal lactation melted on top.” Joash speaks in a somewhat gentler tone than usual, confirming the prior instructions, “We will be ready.” He then wraps his right arm around the shoulder of his friend, giving him a slight nod and a reassuring squeeze.
Thea grabs a small carving knife from the serving tray and cuts Anhiel’s outer shirt exposing her compression bra. She then removes her own outer shirt, matching her patient's appearance. Next she grabs the black paste and begins painting runes on the unconscious Jedi’s body. First her heart, then her forehead, stomach and finally palms. Thea then paints her left palm and stomach with similar runes. With her eyes shut she starts the process, speaking deeply in a tongue that is unrecognizable to anyone who does not speak the old Sith language. After several seconds she expands her presence in the Force to envelope the woman laying before her. Green wisps erupt from her palms diving deep into the runes painted on Anhiel’s limp body. Thea then opens her eyes, revealing they are now yellowed and releasing a green mist of the same shade as what links the two women currently.
Thea’s vision goes dark as she begins to concentrate on the Jedi’s aura; she sees the brightness surrounding the abyss at the core. She pushes forward once more to the point where she had been rejected before. There she begins to feel the gut wrenching pain again as something within the void lashes out in response. Anhiel begins to twitch, small at first but progressively more violent. Within the next minute, she begins to thrash erratically with long moans of pain escaping through her lips. Athin begins to walk towards the pair but is stopped under the clamping force of Joash’s grip.
Thea now sees another aura inside the abyss, the one currently inflicting extreme pain upon her. It is slowly rising to the edge but when it reaches the event horizon a violent flare happens, as bright as a supernova exploding. Physically, Thea recoils but her essence continues to press against the pain and brightness. Around the scene, dark clouds begin to form, rushing in and swirling around the ceremony creating a slow spinning vortex. Anhiel’s moans turn to screams and her body arches off the cot. In an instant, the Grandmaster’s presence expands rapidly, engulfing the whole of the compound and a ways beyond. Athin drops to his knees from the force of her rapidly expanding presence and the rising worry at what he is witnessing. The loud crack of many nearby trees snapping at the base echoes in the night and the confusion within the compound is palpable.
Inside his quarters, Rend is reviewing reports from his officers when he is hit by the tsunami in the Force that is Anhiel’s presence. He stands up but struggles under its pressure, as though he was setting foot on Belloth for the very first time again. He keys his com but Sun had already keyed him first, exclaiming, “Master! Do you feel that!?” Rend responds quickly, “Master Anhiel is outside the medical bay. Meet me there immediately!” The coms cut and they both rush outdoors, running into each other just outside of the main building. They stop before nodding simultaneously, turning and sprinting towards their grandmaster’s position just outside the compound.
Deep inside the void Thea is reaching for the small bright spec of aura that is trapped in its vast darkness. Searing pain so intense that her knees begin to buckle. Pain continuously burns through the woman but she is so close to her objective. Thea’s physical being is beginning to falter; sweat is pouring from every inch of her body. Lightning is arcing across the sky and the thunder is deafening. Rend and Sun show up and Joash immediately engages them as Mirr blocks their path, “Do nothing, Rend. Thea said we cannot stop this until it is done.” Rend looks around the older man and replies, “I have never felt this much pressure before.” Joash replies, “It is the Grandmaster’s unhindered power. It’s amazing isn’t it?” They all turn towards the two women engaged in what feels like warfare. Heat is building in the air and the humidity has risen significantly.
Thea reaches out with her left arm. Drawing on the Force she pulls the foreign aura from the darkness, encapsulating it in her green mist and drawing it into her left arm. She then presses with all her presence and forces the aura to mate with the bracelet she is wearing. In that moment the rounded, cauterized scar tissue of Anhiel’s aura relaxes and softens. The void shrinks and the war between the two ceases. The immense pressure releases and rain begins to pour upon the small group that had gathered. Thea drops to her knees and the green mist that had been connecting her to Anhiel dissipates. Joash and Athin both rush over to the women on the ground. Joash kneels, grabs Thea by her shoulder and asks, “Are you alright?” Thea doesn’t speak and instead only points at the bread. Joash picks a slice and raises it to Thea’s mouth allowing her to take a bite. Athin falls to his knees by Anhiel’s head and scans her aura. Much to his surprise the void was nearly gone. “Athin?” Anhiel's groggy voice hits his ears causing him to weep internally but he barely maintains a calm expression for the woman. Joash hands Athin a slice of bread and the Miraluka lifts his weakened lover before placing the bread to her lips. She takes the first bite and a rush of vitality comes over her though her overall energy levels remain severely depleted.
The rain stops and everyone is gathered around the two women still sitting on the ground. As Anhiel finishes her bread, Thea removes the bracelet and moves to place it on the Grandmaster’s arm. Silence continues for what feels like an eternity while Thea connects the clasp of the bracelet. Once complete, she looks deep into Anhiel’s eyes before bowing her head, “I shall answer your call, Grandmaster.”