Chapter 7: Finding Hope

Week 4, Day 5, Dawn

Trekking outside and leaving the safety of their underground base was not something to do so soon after being attacked, but with their medical supplies low and having no form of communication to get a message to the Council, it needed to be done. Sar, Ro’sara, Lo, and one other Twi’lek male planned to greet the early morning light as the sun started to rise over the horizon. The light of a brand new day would be a welcoming sight to the older Twi’lek leader, as the night previous had been hell for everyone involved.

He had taken his time and visited the downed Jedi Master before they had left. He didn’t know much about the Jedi, and knew even less about the Force, but in a way Sar had hoped Dominik could still hear the words he had spoken.

”We’re leaving soon, Master Jedi. If my people are to be saved, if you are to wake to see another day, we must get to your ship and send out a call to the Jedi, or anyone for that matter. Lo is coming too, I will not let her go alone. I promise I’ll keep her safe, just as you have kept my people safe. We’ll see you again soon.”

Sar’s thoughts were on his words to Dominik, if the Jedi had actually heard him, if this mysterious power they called ‘the Force’ could actually keep them safe. Eyes moved to the young Jedi just ahead of him. He wanted to give Lo her space, for he couldn’t imagine the turmoil she was feeling inside. Sar hoped she would open up a little during their trip. He was worried for the young Bothan’s well-being during all of this chaos.

Lo adjusted her belt and bag, checking her gear before they were ready to set off. She had decided against bringing a medical kit. Their trip stretched across the safer terrain to the ship and limited the potential danger. At least, she hoped it would.

Her hands adjusted her braid while she glanced back at Sar exiting out of Dom's hut. She flashed him a forced smile.

"We ready?" Though guilt swept through her, Lo ignored it.

She had to ensure she took care of everyone. Master Rothul would've wanted that before she risked mentally breaking down. On the outside, she looked calm and collected. Inside... a storm brewed that would eventually break out.

“Yes, I believe we are.” Sar said, walking up to stand next to Lo, looking to Ro’Sara and the other Twi’lek male who both signalled they were ready.

Leading the way through the tunnels, avoiding partial collapses and navigating through the darkness, Sar and Lo finally emerged from the tunnel with Ro’sara and the other Twi’lek, Cur’taca, close behind. The morning sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, a sight which Sar embraced, bringing a smile to his face.

“Once we get to the ship, Cur’taca and I will keep guard while you get the message out. Okay?” Sar asked, looking to the young Padawan as they walked, wanting to make sure everyone understood the plan before they arrived.

All three nodded in solemn silence. Their eyes locked on Sar before Lo broke it with her next words.

“It will take me a while to locate everything, activate the communications, and to pop up the speeder bikes. Hopefully neither the Zygerrians nor Sith have decided to 'claim' the ship." Her eyes scanned the forest area as she followed the others.

“We’ll make sure you’re protected, Lo. Our back up plan will be to take the ship should we encounter any resistance. Better to take it and have to hide it again versus trying to flee and letting the enemy have it.” Sar explained, looking to everyone as they continued forward.

“And Lo,” he started again, looking directly to the Padawan, “If we encounter any resistance and getting away seems impossible, you will leave us, do you understand? We’re all prepared to pay the price to help our people, but you must be there for your Master.”

"Sar..." Lo began, but she paused. She knew that look and the words hit far closer to home than he knew. A sharp inhale purged the clawing emotions in her heart.

"I'm important, but so are you Sar. You helped the people trust and accept Jedi assistance. Your contribution and experience as one of their own is important too. As a Twi'lek, you will be able to sway many more into helping the cause than I ever could."

She paused for another breath.

"So... let us all try to focus on staying alive and safe."

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Sar attempted to keep track of the time as they made careful progress towards the ship. Dominik had stowed and hid it in a place that his allies could easily get to, but made sure it would be hidden well to their enemies. Dominik hadn't touched the Mirage in at least a month, simply because it wasn't worth being spotted when travelling to the ship, and keeping their main source of transportation hidden was always the best idea.

Sar kept a very watchful eye out all around them, constantly glancing behind as they trekked across the landscape, using the natural geography to their advantage and attempting to stay under cover for most of the time that they moved. Eventually, deep into the forest, the ship slowly started to come into view through the trees. It had been covered in a blanket of leaves and other natural foliage to better conceal it to wandering eyes. To one who didn't know better, it looked completely abandoned.

Lo halted before the ship. Her eyes darted up as she spotted through the camouflage. She noted the curves and the neglect paid to it, sparking heavy feelings over the ill-treatment. Green vines dangled from their anchors into the smooth hull of white and red. Lack of activity gave it a metal bestial impression as it loomed over the small group. Memories of the past surfaced to fill her with shame and pain.

It took her a moment to focus through it. She couldn't be weak or helpless, her allies needed her strength. Again, Lo let the negative flow from her center. She had a job to do.

She raised a hand and used the force to guide a few branches from the Mirage's lower half. Dropping them to the side, she stepped up to the ship. Her finger pressed a button on her wrist link causing the boarding ramp to lower to the ground. She turned back to the Twi'lek staying behind.

"Be safe." Then she entered the ship with Ro'Sara behind her.

Taking up defensive positions around the ship, Sar nodded to Lo as she started inside. He shot her a smile, trying to give the girl some positivity during this hard time, before Ro'Sara continued inside with Lo.

For the Twi'lek girl, who was only slightly older than Lo, the ship was something she had never seen before. As she walked up inside, feeling the cool air greet them a draft started to move around, her mouth was open in awe.

"Lo, this is amazing. This is you and your Master's ship?"

The young Bothan didn't linger long. She was already heading to the nearest room, her mind fixed on the mission and determined to finish it.

"Sorry, Ro, but no time for a tour. We need to get the supplies first." Lo's arm pointed to the southern part of the ship as she continued.

"Head that way and take a left turn. The medical bay should be about one third stocked, which is better than nothing. We have some bacta bottles, patches, and more still in there. I’ll head to the cargo bay and see what we have there. I can also get the speeder bikes ready.”

Ro couldn't help but feel sorry for the awe she had in the ship despite the importance of their mission. "Alright, I'll get looking." She said, nodding to the Padawan before her feet quickly turned towards the medical bay, aiming to give it a thorough look and find anything that could be useful.

When Lo entered the cargo bay, she pressed a code into the panel. Mechanic hissing and grinding sounded as two speeder bikes rose up from the floor. The young bothan didn't let her emotions distract her. She began to check each one and ensure they didn't need repairs. Thankfully, both her master and her had repaired most of the damage from prior trips.

Satisfied with their condition, she lined them up with the lift then turned to help Ro.

"Bikes are all set up and ready to roll when we are. We just need to load them up. What did you find?"

Coming back out with a smaller satchel full of supplies, Ro’sara set it down and pulled some of the pieces out to show Lo.

“There wasn’t much, a few more rolls of bandages and a couple bottles of bacta. But I found some extra sheets in there too, so I grabbed them, they’re in the bottom here.” Ro explained, packing everything back into the satchel nicely so that it was secured for the trip. She moved to one of the speeders, placing it in one of the small side cargo holders and closing its top.

"We'll find more in the bunks. We might need to wash all of these just to ensure they are sterile, but that is easy. Next is the upper level."

She gestured for Ro to follow her toward the back of the ship. A simple press of a button released the ladder down the access hatch allowing them to scale to the next level.

Lo paused at the top to help Ro'Sara up before explaining their next step.

"All right, we need to head this direction. The storage for the supplies should be to the left of the door. We should have a good amount of rations left in there." The padawan gestured for the Twi’lek to come with her.

Ro’sara nodded at Lo’s instruction and wasted no time before following after her. She knew they had to be quick, but in the back of her mind, she was worried for Lo and the turmoil the younger girl might be dealing with. No doubt it was hard to be back in this ship without her Master. In time, Ro’sara was confident the other Jedi would wake up, his body just needed time to heal.

Lo continued on and headed into the bunk room. When she spotted the first bed, she began to rip off the sheet and rolled it up neatly. Each one had been stuffed into her bag until none remained. A small task considering there was only three bunks. As she searched for any missed spares, her vision brushed over her master's side of the room.

She swallowed heavily. Dominik's modest nature showed easily with the meager belongings he set out. In the small storage closet, about four extra sets of robes hung in good condition. Her hand reached out to touch the material as sentiment warmed her heart. A faint smile flickered to her muzzle. When her eyes leaked again, her palm wiped the tears away.

"I really need to stop crying." She muttered under her breath.

Something blue and copper in color caught her attention. Lo paused then leaned in. Her hand pulled out a small, cube-like device hidden in the corner. Carefully she turned it in her hand while she examined it. Enlightenment glowed in her eyes when she identified it.

Master Rothul's Jedi Holocron.

The padawan just stared, unable to think or feel. Gradually her expression softened as she held it tightly. For a moment she had to remind herself of a critical fact: Master Rothul wasn't dead. The thought gave her hope.

Carefully she placed it into her bag among the sheets. Once more securing the bag to her shoulder, Lo exited the room.

Ro was quiet as she searched the room for supplies. She found a good amount of rations left in storage along with sealed bags of smaller-sized rations, and some in capsule form, just as Lo had said. The Twi’lek girl wasted no time in taking them all out, stacking the small containers neatly in her hands before following Lo out of the room.

"Do you need help?" Lo's right eyebrow raised as she meet Ro half-way.

She watched the older Twi'lek struggle with the rations, frowning. With a wave of her hand, her force pressed the small packs together and brought them to her. She opened her bag to lower them inside.

"How about you take this and what you have left down to the cargo bay. I need to work on the holoterminal. Wait for me there."

Accepting Lo’s help in her struggles, Ro’sara watched the young Jedi pull the supplies to her with the Force, and then pack everything neatly away into the bag she had been carrying. Ro’sara took the bag with a nod, “Alright, I’ll let Sar know we’re almost done.” she said before her form moved to the ladder and started to descend down into the other level.

Lo watched Ro disappear down the hatch before she turned to the holoterminal. She sighed then got to work. Her fingers clicked in the coordinates to contact the Jedi Council. The holoterminal began to start up, but the machine sputtered and died abruptly.

"Oh come on!" Lo protected.

Her foot flew out then smacked the base. Once then twice until it rumbled back to life. She pulled around to face the viewer as she left her message.

"My name is Lo Lya'Tre, Padawan of Master Rothul. The twi'lek village we provided aid to has suffered a heavy attack. During it, Master Rothul was critically injured. We're low on medical supplies and aid. Any assistance is greatly needed now." Lo stated in her clearest and firmest voice.

After she checked the replay, she included the coordinates of the village. With a single push, she sent it. She hoped the Jedi Council would send help in the form of additional medical supplies and other Jedi. Until then, she had to protect what progress they made.

Getting down to the speeder, supplies in hand, Ro’sara secured what they had to the other speeder and double-checked the first one. She peeked outside, relieved to still see Sar and Cur'taca still there, and let the older Twi'lek know what was going on. He nodded as his focus returned to the world around them, blaster at the ready should any surprises show themselves.

Lo paused just at the entrance to the cargo bay. Her eyes tightened and her head moved to the side, feeling some off. She expanded her sense with the force.

An inky, darkness in the force presented itself. She had difficulty in actually determining what it was, but the unfamiliarity put her on high alert. The sensation curled her fur causing it to fluff out in alarm. Her eyes snapped open as she rushed into the cargo bay. She slapped the panel to lower the bikes down to the ground, shouting orders.

"We need to go. NOW."

Urgency in her tone indicated danger as she straddled her master's speeder bike.

“Why? What did you see?” Ro’sara asked quickly as she climbed aboard the other speeder bike. She watched her friend nervously. She had heard nothing indicating an attack, nor had Sar said he had seen anything suspicious. As the bikes were lowered, Ro’sara followed Lo’s lead in pulling them out and down the ramp. Sar and Cur’taca were right next to the ramp as the bikes pulled out. The older Twi’lek leader could tell by Lo’s posture that something was wrong. He climbed onto the back of her speeder and watched as Cur’taca joined Ro on the other one.

“Lo, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain on route. We need to move now because we’re being watched. Watched by something… bad.” Lo pressed another button on her wrist link causing the ship to start locking down. She roared up the bike’s motor then took off.

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Week 5, Day 1, Midday

Using an incense stick, Lo carefully lit the Rycrit fat candles. One by one the candles cast a comfortable glow where the crystals couldn't reach. It drew a smile from her as she snuffed out the stick's tip with a simple shake. The smoke danced around her as it tried to entrance her attention.

She ignored it in favor of a seat. Her hand hooked underneath the wooden three-legged stool. She dragged it closer to Dominik then plopped into the hard surface, stinging her tail bone on impact. Lo made a note to sit a little less carelessly. Adjusting her bottom, she focused on checking Master Rothul's vitals. She pressed her fingers to his neck. Silently measuring the strengthening pulse and steady rhythm, positive results brought a smile. Next she changed the bloodied bandages and replaced them with freshly made ones. Ensuring she applied the herbal paste to prevent infections.

With her check list done, Lo stared at her master. All the strength his aura produced had dimmed in his coma.

"I miss you Master Rothul." The words started off uncomfortable and hesitant, but soon became fluid.

"I found your holocron on the ship and each day, I'm still trying to figure out the keyword you set for it. For now, I've been working on deflector practice. Sar and the others have been improving their aim too. Solves two issues at once."

She reached for a clay bowl and took a sip. Ro'Sara had ensured to leave two every day since the twi'lek girl discovered Lo's visits. The Bothan appreciated it.

"Sar wasn't happy with the idea, but I assured him we could set it to stun. Still hurts though."

Her eyes looked away.

"I don't know what to do... not while you're like this. Some Twi'leks are unsure of my abilities. They say I'm too young to do this on my own. And I fear they are right."

Despite the coma that held his body down, the Jedi Master was still there for his Padawan. Through the Force he could listen, focus on her words, comprehend them. Thought his body would not let him speak, not yet. Not enough strength had returned, thus he couldn't even wake if he tried. Tired mind listening to her words and her voice, they soothed his exhausted soul.

His lungs took in a long, deep breath for a moment before exhaling, his body coming to rest and laying still once more.

The first time Master Rothul took a breath, Lo nearly jumped out of her seat. Now it had become common place. She could sense he could feel her emotions, thoughts and listened to her words. She hoped one day he would speak to her.

"I'm learning diplomacy isn't easy. Some Twi'lek have accepted slavery as a better option and I can understand why. Just the other day, a gathering group was attacked by Gutkurr. We lost three hunters and several returned wounded. I don't even feel like a proper healer since I couldn't force heal them all. I could barely heal the most critical one."

Her hand reached out and gripped his, squeezing it softly.

"I never did ask you... why did you choose me? I don’t expect an answer. I don’t even know for sure if you can hear me or not."

Dominik's body remained still for a few long moments after Lo finished. His chest slowly rose and fell, but the rest of his body was unmoving.

After what seemed like minutes later, after feeling her hand in his, the man's fingers moved slowly. For a moment they held Lo's in a loose and weak grip before his grip let go completely, his fingers returning to how they rested before. Muscles on his face twitched slightly, his brow furrowing for just a quick moment before everything went still again, the man's mind moving back into the deep slumber that continued to hold him prisoner.

Lo smiled. Her hand lingered a moment longer then released, her body coming to a stand. As much as she hated it, her time with her master had run out. The Twi’leks still needed her.

“Thank you, Master. Get better quickly because I don’t think the Sith are done and I can’t do this alone.”