024 - Week 3 Day 4: Plans within Plans

Xid silently fumed as he walked closely behind his master. His back still crawled from the secretive glances cast their way during their exit. Like blades aimed at his weakness, he waited for their strikes to start. When they entered their quarters Xid turned on Lea and faced her. His jawline tightened as he chose his words carefully, but no effort to hide the emotion in them.

"So, mind explaining why you put me on the spot?"

“For numerous reasons. As you venture more out without me, you will be faced with similar situations. I need to know that you will handle yourself well without compromising me or yourself in the process.”

"I have interacted with sith alone, weren't those proof enough?" Xid hissed.

“And have you interacted with unfamiliar Sith while being exposed to events from your past before?” She said, proddingly.

"The odds of that are low. If not for Nyiss' orders, we would not be here and the point would not be important."

“But those orders did come, and the circumstances did arise, making it important. My master will always seek to make us both better Sith, one way or another, no matter how we feel about it. She knows more about us both than either of us would like to admit and she will not hesitate to use it. However, I prefer having her use our past than those who truly wish us ill.” Lea casually sat down on a couch, not feeling like standing more right now.

Xid let out a frustrated breath. His fist clenched as he let the fury boil within him and then stored it away. It did him no favors here or resolved the fact he hated the situation.

"I rather forget the past. It is not important anymore. What I am and what I was, they are disconnected now. One has no power over the other. Just painful reminders."

“Oh, really?” she queried. “Your reactions imply that the past has more power over you than either of us likes to admit.”

Xid glared at her. Both dissatisfied by reality and Lea's determination to point it out.

"I should've cut off the bond." He mumbled, his feet walked the length of the room.

“We both know it does not work that way.” Lea responded while removing the outer robe and folded it up, placing it into the appropriate clothes crate. “Together we will squash your past and free you from any chains it still imposes upon you, just as you will help me deal with my own.”

"Some things are best left in the past. Not pulled up into the present. I don't want to relive them. I don't even want to remember them."

“I know. As I have said before, I really do not care what they are. I care that they hold you back from becoming all that you have the potential to be. That is why I have pushed you so much on the subject.”

He paused in mid step then turned to face her. Usually he enjoyed this view of her, but his mind latched onto the argument.

"It's far more complicated than I think you realize. Facing it brings back too much… too many emotions."

“The fact that you balk so much at facing any of this gives me an idea of just how complex it is, even if I naturally cannot see the nuances.” As she said this, she continued removing her clothes, not at all caring that some might consider such improper while having a serious talk. She did not have any sexual intent while doing so, but the local climate had left even her quite sweaty.

"I wouldn't balk if you didn't insist on bringing it up." Xid childishly retorted.

She shook her head, both hearing and sensing the childish stubbornness he displayed with his answer. She did not want to repeat that particular quarrel now. It wouldn’t help either of them. “By the end of the events on this planet, I suspect we both might have to face things from our pasts. As you well know, virtually all Jedi healers were trained on H’Ratth, the planet I was born upon. I do not relish facing that any more than you relish facing this ‘Master Rokul’.” she paused for a moment. “What was he to you anyways?”

"He was a friend of my former master's. Sela and he knew each other well. My first mission on Balmorra was with him." Xid's expression softened into depression.

“And?” Lea queried, sensing that there was more to it. She walked over to one of the other crates, picking out clothes for after she had washed up. One could say many things about the hutts, but their guest quarters did have quite respectable sanitary facilities.

"It doesn't matter." Xid pushed his attachment away as he turned away.

"If he is sick then he has likely put someone else in charge. Lord Vane was not wrong when she mentioned his weakness is attachments. Both Jedi and none. Why they haven't left is...strange to me."

“How will you feel if Lord Vane gets her hands on him again? If what Nimm said was accurate, Lord Vane has quite painful plans for that Jedi. Everything I have heard makes me think it is odd that they are still here.”

Xid swallowed when Lea mentioned the eventual possibility. His figure tensed in place as he struggled with the flood of emotions. He did not have to say much. Lea could feel his inner conflict at work. The reality of it was certain: he didn't know. That was a fact for all his past connections.

She smirked. "I thought as much." Grabbing the towels, she strode towards the adjoining bathing chamber, "I suggest you consider that while I bathe." As she walked through the doorway, she added, "Though you may also join me should that be desirable."

Xid's eyes lingered, but his mood failed him. He wanted to walk and flee from the situation. An action not suitable for the climbing series of events.

"I think it will just distract me." He quietly stated.

"Not unlikely." She answered, taking satisfaction in the way he gazed at her back. Truthfully, it was better to have him engaged with thinking instead of . . . Other things.

A small smirk crossed his lips at her comment. The emotion lasted for a brief moment then he felt it fade. Truth hurt worse than any torture he could recall as he spoke out loud. "I don't know how I would feel if Master Rothul was captured and tortured. If anyone from my past was. Not until it happens, but I might want to spare them the pain I went through."

His eyes glanced into Lea's direction, the one she disappeared in. "If I did, I don't think it will end well for me."

Lea did not respond. Instead, she thought about how interrogation and torture were not activities for everyone. She did not see her apprentice enjoying either activity. Contentment flowed across the bond. She liked soaking like this.

Her lack of a response did little to put him at ease. As the contentment flowed through their bond, it mingled with his worry and frustration. He hated it. His eyes turned to note a small project on a nearby table. With a measured step, he took a seat and began to tinker away. The distraction cleared his emotions, but it wouldn't solve the problem.

He couldn't shut off the connections and their meaning to him. At this point, he couldn't figure the best course of action.

Lea did not rush her bath, but neither did she linger long in it. She gave her apprentice time to think about it all, but she sensed that no true solution had arisen for him yet. Not ideal, but not unexpected either. Growth of that manner was not something easy to go through. No wonder her master had sent them here.

Eventually she did emerge from the bath, drying herself off and emerging back into their shared quarters, body and hair wrapped in the thick towels. She was not surprised to see that he had picked up one of his many tinkering projects. He often did that when he had something hard to think about. She would wait a bit longer before dressing, but not too long. . . They did, after all, have things to take care of today.

“Do you think the probe droids need any adjustment before they are released?” she asked after a couple of minutes more.

Xid paused in his task. His figure twisted about to face Lea, his attention strayed from the question before he answered.

"It couldn't hurt to check. There is also a matter of addressing some troopers who have been assigned to me. No idea why." He waited for Lea to comment first.

“Oh. Those.” She answered offhandedly. “I put in a request some time ago for some naval pilots for you to use in testing that sublight engine design. Seems the Admiral finally had some to spare. Good thing we have a task you can give them now, right?”

Xid lifted an eyebrow. "I thought we were going to do that together?"

“Oh, we are. But it doesn’t hurt to test it on some fighters as well.” She smiled at him. “Besides, dedicated naval pilots might notice nuances that we miss.”

"That does make sense. What else is on the agenda today?" Xid knew his schedule today might've been busier than he expected.

Already his figure began to rise upright, the project left behind on the table.

“Well, the first thing on my agenda is getting dressed.” she stated succinctly. She knew he had meant something else, but she could not help herself, she had to make that poke at him. “As for later, Nimm did invite us to watch her prisoner fight some other prisoner. Well, she said ‘pet’ but we both know that means prisoner. Hopefully she hasn’t physically mangled that one yet, the way she did with some of those on Feena.” Lea knew her apprentice’s view of the topic, so she added, “I know how you view Nimm’s excessive fondness for dismemberment.”

"I don't like the idea of it at all. It is likely the reason she invited us and possibly a subtle reminder of our origins."

“No, I don’t think so. There is nothing for her to gain by making either of us discomforted here and now. All it would do is give her a momentary satisfaction, which when combined with the risk of minutely hurting Darth Nyiss’ reputation. Nimm wouldn’t do that. There has to be some other cause.” Lea decided she was dry enough, so she began putting on the fresh clothes.

"Whatever it is, I know the Jedi will not come out unscratched. I'm not going to be surprised if the padawan is a mental wreck." He shuddered at the thought of Chell. Apprentice Deenia’s history with prisoners indicated she lacked a delicate touch, especially back on Feena.   

Xid spotted Lea prepare to zip up the back of her dress and stepped closer to her. His hand reached out then tugged it up until it reached the back of her neck.

“Thank you.” she said, pleased at how natural he had made it. Earlier on in their relationship, she would have had to ask him to do that, now he did it without any prompting.

"I am sure there are ways you can thank me later…" he teased, his mind recalled her earlier display. His arms reached across her waist and pressed her tightly to himself.

“Oh, I can think of a way or two…” she retorted, leaning into him.

"I have one question, if I request we avoid it… will you insist we accept the invite?"

“I would rather not have to do it. The way Lord Vane spoke about the prisoner did make me curious about what she is like. However, if we do accept, and she against all odds does use this as an opportunity to dismember or otherwise disfigure the prisoner, we will leave.”

"Good. I don’t think I can handle this again. Sish was bad enough." Xid's voice took on a hint of disgust at the memory.

“Agreed.”

"It is hard to believe Master Rothul wasn't there to stop his apprentice from being taken. It doesn't fit what I know of him. He wouldn't have allowed it without a fight."

“I think we both know that Nimm doesn’t play fair if she can in any way avoid it.”

"No, she doesn't."

“Nimm would not have tried to capture a Jedi Master and his Padawan at the same time. A Jedi Master alone is difficult enough to contain. A Master with his apprentice is much more difficult. Back when Nyiss captured me, she could easily have captured my old master as well, but she chose to terminate him. Nimm might be many things, but careless is not one of them.”

"It is a bit hard to swallow to know the young padawan will never be suitable to be a Sith."

“Yes. Unfortunately few of Nimm’s prisoners are ever suitable for becoming Sith.”

Xid sighed then ruffled his hand through his hair. He seemed to struggle inside of himself then it passed for now.

"I don't suppose you have any more details on the prisoner or the event we are about to experience, do you?" He looked at Lea with faint hope.

“Unfortunately, I do not.” She did not need to look at him to know his disappointment. “Would you mind braiding my hair? I am sure you have a wire to tie it off with afterwards.”

"Of course." Xid's hands began to divide the hair as he twisted the strands into a braid. Over, under, and around the pattern etched into his head. A mechanic, but soothing motion. In a short time, he finished the end and tied it off with a bit of wire.

"Do you need it tighter?" He asked, even when he knew the answer.

“Of course not.” she answered while smiling, knowing perfectly that he already knew the answer. “Shall we?” she asked back, pulling away from him and gesturing towards the door. At the same time, she reached out and pulled her lightsaber into her hand, clipping it to the clasp at her waist.

Xid nodded reluctantly. He stepped into her wake, his eyes lowered to ensure his lightsaber clasped to his belt. The whirling of gears followed behind the pair and down the hallway.

"I'm not fully sure what to do with the navy pilots while on Ryloth. I should address them next." He commented.

“Yes. That would be wise. I seem to recall that the engine design is not quite ready for a field test yet. Perhaps you can put them on the task of searching for whatever vessels the Jedi came here on?”

"That makes sense and useful. How long before Apprentice Deenia's 'event' happens?" Xid looked to Lea as he kept pace with her, Navi trailed behind them.  

Lea glanced over at a nearby terminal, one which currently only displayed the time. “Three quarters of an hour.”

“Let’s deal with the troopers first. Once that is settled, if we have time, I should consider changing. This outfit you picked out feels a bit constricting.”  

Lea looked over at him and smiled. “It does make your muscles stand out in a very nice manner, though.” She then led him out the door, heading towards the main hangar, where the pilots were likely to be found. Even if they were not there, someone there would likely know where they were.