Ask Yavin IV Coated in Dust

[Clove Vanhoop]

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(Thread follows after Seventy Times Seven)

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Victory cheers echoed off the temple's walls. The Jedi had triumphed and protected their home, driving the Sith away. Their shuttles, dropships, and warships shot through the air one by one, leaving Yavin IV in the hands of the Jedi. It was a victory they desperately needed after all of their losses, especially after Ajan Kloss.

And yet, in the triage area, that same triumphant and victorious cheer fell on deaf ears.

Within and around the zones lay the bodies of Gammoreans who fought for the lives of the wounded and younglings, as well as troopers who were killed by said Gammoreans, all in pure silence. Dust particles from broken barriers and shattered ornaments swirled through the air, settling on top of the bodies on the ground.

And those younglings the Gammoreans had fought for? Many of them had disappeared, and the survivors fled in fear.

The commlinks began to light up and receive chatter, with people congratulating each other on their successes and summoning everyone back to their stations. However, no one would reply. A long pointy ear, close to the entrance of one of the few zones in the triage area, twitched at the sound of a nearby commlink. It was followed by a movement of a few fingers, as if reaching for the commlink, only for the hand to sink back into a puddle of blood from a little boy's body.

The half-Sephi had no idea how long it had been. It felt like a lifetime had gone between witnessing the younglings being dragged away and hearing the Jedi cheer, and yet also mere seconds. It wasn't all horrible, though; she felt the Lightside of the Force, her home, flood over her like a warm blanket, shielding her as she slid between states of consciousness. She'd feel strangely at ease if it weren't for the scorching ache in her chest, which intensified with each shallow breath she drew.

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tag @SlagathorTheUnknown @Forsythe Crowholde ​

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan's day had soured quickly. He had returned from having brunch with a friend and had laid down for a quick nap when the Sith attacked. Startled from sleep by the blaring of klaxons and the sound of an intense battle, he had rushed out into the hallway of the dorm; barely managing to remember to bring his lightsaber along. He had, however, forgotten to remove the socks he wore while sleeping, which slid well on the smooth floor of the temple hallways. The padawan's enthusiasm, combined with his inability to quickly maneuver, eventually sent him crashing into an open broom closet at the end of the hallway, which promptly closed and locked behind him as the temple's automatic security measures activated. His frantic attempts to call for help or bang on the door yielded no results. Even his lightsaber was no help, as it had been turned back to training mode and was unable to damage the door. And so, Ruzaan was trapped in said closet; unable to leave until the security measures were disabled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although less than an hour had passed, Ruzaan had made his peace with the galaxy and had already envisioned a slow, dramatic death in the broom closet when the lock clicked open and the door swung outwards. Blinking at the sudden light, Ruzaan hesitated a moment, ignited his lightsaber, and charged out into the temple; yelling a battle cry as he did so.

He hadn't gone far before his socks slipped again, but not on smooth floor. This time, there was liquid involved, and to his horror Ruzaan realized that he'd stepped in a pool of blood. Even worse, he quickly figured out whose blood it was, and his battle cry died in his throat; replaced with a tight, uncomfortable feeling that made it hard to breathe.


"Clove..."



@LilyNion @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Arctus Friers]

Arctus wished that the source of his unease had never made themselves known and yet there the Sith were, bent on conquering Yavin IV much like they had done on Ajan Kloss. He'd heard the tragic tale from fellow Padawans, and while it had given him the justified nightmares about Yavin IV sharing the same fate the former smuggler swore that he would fight tooth and nail to protect the Temple he now called his second home. So as the Sith carried on with their assault Arctus devoted himself to making a presence in the frontlines beside the Knights and Padawans who fought with the same ferocity he showed. They were, after all, protecting everything and everyone they held dear behind. He couldn't stay behind, and he stripped himself of the choice to fall back to make sure that the Younglings were safe. As much as he wanted to get them to a safe place himself he told himself to trust the others to do it in his stead.

But just because he was in the frontlines didn't mean that he had been at the center of the battle. Armed with his blasters, rifle, and vibroknife Arctus felled many Imperial troopers while a number of his fellow Padawans and Knights squared up with Sith Acolytes and Champions. Still without a saber of his own the former smuggler was quick to place himself as support in the battlefield, eliminating as many Imperials as he could while covering any Knight or Padawan who found themselves about to be overrun.

The Grandmaster's Light – her power having grown a hundredfold, or maybe even more compared to someone like Arctus – had emboldened him, smothering the fear he felt towards the Sith forces. The Light encased him, giving him the strength and courage to face their adversaries even as his battles took him further away from the frontlines as he was ordered to gather the injured. He fought and protected, and while his mind was focused on the heat of the battle his heart worried for two particular Padawans. He hadn't seen neither Clove nore Ruzaan before the battle started, and Arctus was left with the hope to see them after the battle.

But that was only if the Jedi won.

And they did.

The sound of victory fell on deaf ears as Arctus frantically searched for any signs of Clove and Ruzaan. He'd caught a glimpse of the half-Sephi's Master but she wasn't beside him. No long, sandy blonde locks. No white montrals striped azure. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins and mired through the Light of the Force, Arctus ignored the sensory overload as multitudes of colors swirled all around him, hazel grey eyes intent on finding the calming lilac and the steadfast azure. He pulled himself away from the others, his instincts nudging him into the Temple, down the hallways, gaze sweeping his surroundings for any signs of Clove and Ruzaan.

You didn't lose your tongue in the battle, idiot.

"Ruz! Clo!" shouted Arctus, brisk walk turning into a jog, one blaster still in his grip in case any Imperial or Sith managed to slip past the defense. When he was met with no response, he tried again, much louder this time. "Ruzaan! Clove!"

Please be safe, please be safe, please be safe– there!

A trail of azure from a broom closet, of all things. A choked laugh slipped past Arctus's lips in disbelief – what had Ruzaan gotten himself into? He was still chuckling as he picked up his pace, following his fellow Padawan's signature through the Force until it took him directly to the owner himself. The laughter immediately died from his lips when his gaze settled on the figures lying across the Togruta.

Any relief Arctus felt upon finding Ruzaan hale vanished at the sight of the dead Youngling and an unconscious and heavily-injured (not dead, no, please, no) Clove. Bile rose up to his throat and the former smuggler kept it down in reflex as he mentally shouted at himself to don't you fucking dare freeze!

Clove.

The former smuggler threw himself past Ruzaan, falling to his knees beside Clove. One unnaturally steady hand carefully searched for a pulse despite hearing the shallow breaths she was taking. Fear and anger gnawed at him, the Darkness within raging against the Light that washed over him as his gaze snapped at the still shocked Ruzaan, the Corellian's eyes briefly flashing yellow as he barked out,

"Call for healers, Ruzaan! She's still breathing! Fuckin' move!"

The influence of the Dark Side, fueled by his fear for Clove's life and hatred for whoever was responsible for her injuries, had made Arctus harsh but right now he found that he did not want to care. He would have fallen into shock like Ruzaan but years of experience taught him that being shocked into stillness equated to either uselessness, defenselessness, or both. So he shoved his apologies aside and focused on keeping Clove breathing.

"One breath after another, Clo. C'mon, Fairy Lady. Me, you, an' Ruz are still going to Batuu, right? So, keep breathing even if it hurts. That's it, Clo."

It was obvious that nothing could be done for the dead Youngling – fucking hells, Arctus knew this kid, oh shit, that was little Misha – and Gammorreans. But Clove was still breathing, and if he and Ruzaan could still save her then he would do anything in his power to do so. Questions of where the other Younglings were could wait.

Right now he and Ruzaan had a sister to keep alive.

@LilyNion @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Steps reached the girl's ears after a long silence. It started with just one person, but not long after that, another joined. They exuded a warm and comfortable aura that she could spot in a crowd of a million people. Her loved ones. The tiniest twitch in the corners of her mouth hinted at what would've been a smile, but it was too weak to form.

There were words spoken, but they were difficult to understand. Something about Batuu.

Batuu!

That's right, they were going to Batuu! They'd been talking about it for ages! She'd bought them tickets with the money she'd saved up after Life Day. Clove even went out of her way to get Ruz some civilian clothing in case he lacked any. Oh, what a fantastic trip that would be. Fishing, going to the markets. So many plans!

One thing stood out among the blanket of warmth that was wrapped around her body: a small candle. But it wasn't a warm and cheerful candle, one to keep you warm on a cold winter night. It was bitterly cold, rough, and wild. It was a raging storm. No, that wouldn't do. She wanted to reach out and extend her arms to the source, convincing them that everything was fine and that they shouldn't be worried.

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tag @SlagathorTheUnknown @Forsythe Crowholde ​

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

"Call for healers, Ruzaan!" The words cut through the Togruta's shock and pain, galvanizing him into action; he could be quite loud when he wanted to, and used his skills in Sound Mimicry to relay the message at the highest volume he could. It was only after he'd finished that he realized that he'd simply repeated Arctus' words verbatim and that he might've just cussed out any nearby medics.

The second Thought that occurred to him was in regard to healing; didn't he have some skills in that area as well? He was nowhere near Clove's skill level, but perhaps he could help make her more comfortable. Tapping into the light side of the Force was difficult, given the tumult of emotions swirling around inside him- fear, worry, anger, hope- but Arctus again gave inspiration by bringing up their planned vacation to Batuu.


As he worked, his healing skills doing little more than ease some of the pain, Ruzaan found himself talking softly to Clove. "Hang in there, Clove. You're gonna be ok, you hear me? You're not alone."


@LilyNion @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Arctus Friers]

It didn't matter to Arctus how Ruzaan would act as long as the latter snapped out of his initial shock. He continued talking to Clove, encouraging the half-Sephi to keep breathing and to stay with them. The former smuggler avoided looking at her wounds, the dead Youngling beside them, and the bodies of the fallen Gammorreans. Hazel grey eyes kept locked on her face, her hair, her hands. When he noticed a twitch to her fingers he took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

The command he gave Ruzaan rang loudly within and across the vicinity. Through the maelstrom of his emotions he could feel the Togruta reaching out to Clove through the Force, azure tangling with faint lilac. When Arctus looked at his and Clove's adjoined hands he saw nothing but the tiniest sliver of black, slithering against his skin but not touching hers. Carefully he pulled his hand away, afraid that the negative emotions roiling within him would directly affect the younger Padawans.

He wanted to grip Ruzaan by the shoulder to offer the Padawan his support, but Arctus knew that he would be doing otherwise as anger, fear, and hatred gnawed at him. Instead the former smuggler hurriedly rose to his feet.

"You're doing great, Ruz," he encouraged the young Togruta instead. "D'you hear that, Clove? Me and Ruzaan are here, so just... stay with us, please!"

Tearing his gaze off of his closest friends, Arctus was about to follow up with Ruzaan's shout for help when a familiar figure emerged from the end of the hall, followed by a group comprising of Knights and healers. The sight of dead bodies weren't enough to stun the group into stillness, and when they saw the three Padawans the masked Arkanian Knight was quick to cross the distance between them, falling on one knee beside Ruzaan. Gloved hands hovered over Clove's injuries, soft light emanating from them as he reinforced the Togruta Padawan's attempt at easing her pain.

"Knight Eressëa, please help her!" Arctus implored as the masked Knight sternly asked for a stretcher to be brought.

"Padawan Friers, I'm going to have to ask you to remove yourself from the premises," said the Knight, his tone unreadable. He didn't even look at Arctus as he continued with a straightforward, "Your hatred is too loud. I won't be surprised if everyone here, Padawan Vanhoop included, can hear it."

Did the Knight just tell him to leave?

Expression turning indignant, Arctus took a step back and shook his head. He just told Clove that he and Ruzaan were here for her, that she wasn't alone. And he could keep a lid on his emotions, thank you very much. He wanted to approach the Knight, grab the masked bastard by the collar and tell Haldir Eressëa to shove it–

Oh, but right now you don't.

Maybe the Knight was right. But Arctus didn't want to heed the Arkanian's words. He wouldn't dare leave until he was sure that Clove wasn't on the verge of death because if she was then he would find the person responsible and cut them open.

Arctus, you imaginationless wet napkin. Going straight for the kill is simply too dumb and boring~

Unable and unwilling to follow the Arkanian's orders, the former smuggler made way as two healers carrying a stretcher hurried towards Clove. Under Knight Eressëa's guidance they gently lifted and laid the unconscious half-Sephi on the stretcher. Clove was then wheeled away urgently towards the Temple's medbay, leaving behind Arctus, Ruzaan, Knight Eressëa, and the rest of the Knights and healers who began to pay their last respects to the dead.

"Padawan Kai, you should go after Padawan Vanhoop," the Arkanian said before his mask fixed Arctus an impassive, vulpine gaze. "If you're planning on staying, Padawan Friers, we have work to do. You will help me look for the Younglings still unaccounted for."

The former smuggler fought to keep his anger in check as he tried to offer Ruzaan a reassuring look. He approached the Togruta, one hand finding the latter's shoulder and giving it an apologetic squeeze for his conduct earlier.

"Go, Ruz. I– I can't–" and not just because a Knight was telling him not to. He couldn't stay with his friends, with his siblings, like this. Not when all he could feel were bad, bad, bad things. Not when all he could think about were awful thoughts. There were dead bodies everywhere, and he didn't want to give the Dark Side any more reason to taunt him by adding Clove's and Ruzaan's lifeless bodies among them.

"I'll be there after– I'll follow you, okay? Clove knows she's not alone, and you aren't, too, alright? I'll be there with you two later."

With one last, albeit weak, smile, Arctus turned around without another word and followed the Arkanian Knight.

[Exit Thread]​

@LilyNion @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan felt his connection to the Force wavering as he picked up on the turbulent emotions flowing off of Arctus- emotions that the Togruta shared, to varying degrees. Shock. Fear. Worry. Distress. Anger. Clove. It was all so overwhelming, the lines blurring between Arctus' emotions and what Ruzaan felt inside, until the Togruta had no choice but to make himself as small as possible in hopes of weathering the storm.

Feeling as if he was a spectator watching himself, Ruzaan cocooned his sanity deep within his mind and did his best to block out everything else other than the tiny voice urging him to keep functioning. Clove needed him right now. Arctus needed him, too, but in a different capacity. He himself needed this nightmare to be over, to wake up from whatever terrible dream this was, for the raw pain he was feeling to ebb away into nothingness. Ruzaan didn't know which to focus on first.

Ruzaan felt like he was moving in slow motion, but the rest of the world seemed to move with frightening speed. The Togruta dimly became aware of the presence of others around him, of Arctus drifting further away, and his own feet trudging alongside the stretcher that Clove was gently hoisted onto.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to be. He didn't know what to be, so Ruzaan just existed; never leaving the room while, or after, the healers tended to Clove, hoping that at some point she might wake up.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!

@LilyNion @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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​

Many hours passed as people rushed in and out of the room, one exam after the next. And Ruz seemed to be left alone throughout it all. Nobody troubled him except for the offer of a cup of blue milk, a pillow or a blanket, he was allowed to simply exist until he felt ready to leave.

But his patience, if it could be called that, was rewarded when the monitors began to show a change.

Clove had no idea how or when she returned to the medical bay. She had a faint recollection of the bacta from the bacta tank crawling over her skin and hugging her, giving her the sense of floating in the night sky while being caressed by thousands of tiny caring fingers. She also recalled a feeling of emptiness around her legs, as if a nothingness was crawling down her muscles, removing all sensation save for continual small needle pricks.

One by one the sensations faded away, leaving just the strange absence of almost anything in her legs, along with the sense of a needle dancing across her skin, sending a sliver of electricity through her skin.

And then her eyes opened.

Clove couldn't tell if it was because her eyes were so dry and heavy, or if it was because of the IV in her hand that was providing her medications, but everything was a bit blurry. Still, despite the haziness, she was able to recognize a familiar shape. One she'd seen many times in the last year or so. A crimson face, azure and white lekku and montrals. And her lips inched up into a faint but genuine smile.

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tag @SlagathorTheUnknown @Forsythe Crowholde ​

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan stayed, hardly daring to leave even to visit the 'fresher lest Clove awake without anyone there. His stomach sat like a stone, and he refused the various items offered, choosing instead to sit in muted silence while Clove was immersed in the bacta tank. She looked so delicate and her wounds so horrendous that he found it easier to focus on the bubbles that rushed up from her mask; the bubbles that meant that Clove was still breathing and thus, still alive. The sounds that startled him at the beginning of his vigil- the beeping of the monitors, the foot traffic in and out and around Clove's room, and the persistent hum of the machines keeping Clove alive- quickly became normal and faded to the back of his consciousness.

He thought that she might awaken when she was eventually transferred to a hospital bed, but instead Ruzaan was forced to watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest for proof of her survival. The strain of his watch was only matched by his desire to be there when Clove woke up, but even his energy had its limits and he found himself exhaustedly fighting off sleep.

It would've been a losing battle if it wasn't for the tiniest of changes in Clove's otherwise faint breathing- the kind of shift that Ruzaan's sensitive montrals barely registered- but the Togruta was nonetheless jolted out of his weary haze and into a new one. Standing up far too suddenly after hours of sitting, the rush of blood to his extremities made the Togruta sway on his feet and nearly trip over the edge of the bed as he wobbled to Clove's bedside.

A million thoughts rushed through his brain, faster than he could acknowledge them. Clove was alive! He needed to pee really badly. He was also starving. Word needed to reach Arctus, but how? What was the code to his datapad? Where was R-1 to help him with it? Maybe Clove knew how to send an electronic message? Oh, he had to say something. "Clove! I'm..."

The constricting feeling in his chest was back again, making it hard to breathe and even harder to get words out.

"I'm... you're..... here."

@LilyNion @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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​

It could have been her vision gradually improving, or it could have been the fact that Ruz was approaching. Regardless; Ruz looked like he had visited the nether realms. Her smile, however, was never far from her lips. She couldn't help but be overjoyed that he was still alive and well. Her weird legs? They could wait.

Arctus, Elidan, and basically any other friend she made within these temple walls were the only other things she was curious about. Were they all right? Had the Jedi won? They were in the Yavin medical bay, so they had to have. But at what cost?

She shoved those thoughts away for the time being and pushed herself up with her hands. "I'm here." Clove's voice was hushed; she'd do anything for a cup of water right now, but Ruz was more important. Then, without thinking, she stretched her arms out to embrace Ruz as tightly as she could; which wasn't very tight. But it was enough to cause Ruz to stumble, and she watched him fall onto the bed and thus on top of her legs with a surprised yelp. Or, at least, what she assumed to be her legs.

Her yelp quickly turned into a cheerful yet quiet chuckle. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

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tag @SlagathorTheUnknown @Forsythe Crowholde ​

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

With a surprised cry, Ruzaan toppled over sideways onto the bed, doing his best not to fall on Clove's torso where he'd seen a terrible wound. Instead, he wound up falling across her legs before quickly pushing himself up and off of her. His face turned even redder, embarrassed at his awkwardness, such that he missed her cheer. "Oh my gosh Clove I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do that are you ok did that hurt do I need to push a button to call someone I probably should why the [inaudible] are there so many buttons-!"

The words came tumbling out along with the stresses and emotions he'd been holding back for several hours. He was, by all definitions, a blubbering mess. Around others he might've been more self-conscious about his behavior, but this was Clove and she was alive and that was all he could think about and be grateful for and wish that it was somehow him lying on the bed instead of her.

Watery grey eyes rose to meet hers, a weak smile breaking out over his face as he finally processed her question. "How am I?" A slight chuckle at the absurdity of it all. "You spent the last how many hours in a bacta tank and you're asking how I am?" His chuckle died out and suddenly he found it difficult to look at Clove. Maybe if he'd not been an clumsy idiot, this wouldn't have happened. "I've... I've been better" he finally admitted, but just as quickly turned the focus back to her; he wasn't about to make this about himself. "How are you? Do you need anything?"

@LilyNion @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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​

"Ruz—" Clove tried to interrupt him as a flood of words poured from his mouth. "No— It's all right—" But there was nothing that could be done to stop him. So she just sat there and watched him fumble and tumble around for the buttons, all while the biggest tears streamed down his cheeks. She also decided to take the opportunity to try and wiggle her toes a little, just to confirm what she remembered and felt.

Nothing.

The girl shifted a little, the acute awareness of her lower body's lack of movement shaking her awake as if she'd just downed a liter of coffee.

He finally stopped rambling and looked her in the eyes with a weak smile. Her large brown eyes returned his gaze, softening her own smile. "That explains why my hair feels like straw. Bacta is quite damaging to the hair." Their eye contact didn't last long because Ruz was clearly uncomfortable, judging by his expression and shiftiness. But he started to open up, which is a good sign.

"I'm sorry for causing such a scare, Ruz." Clove would lean over again and brush her thumb across his cheeks, wiping away some of the tears if the Togruta allowed it. "I'm still a little... foggy. There's not much pain, though," thanks to the medications, "and my legs are a little strange, but... well. If that's all!"

Clove's smile faded, giving way to a concerned expression, her eyes scanning him. "Hey, Ruz, I really appreciate you being here, really. Thank you for sticking by my side for as long as you did. But you really need to go to bed or eat something. I don't want you to pass out on me. I'll still be here when you get back, okay?"

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tag @SlagathorTheUnknown @Forsythe Crowholde ​

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Again, the scene played itself out- Clove, who had absolutely no business doing anything other than lying on the bed, was concerned about him, this time wiping away some of his tears. It was all Ruzaan could do to keep from crying again; this wasn't fair to Clove at all. He took a deep, shaky breath to try and calm his nerves.

"You're welcome" he said first, supposing that he should acknowledge her thanks. "I know Arctus wanted to be here too, but..." Ruzaan trailed off, lest he recall too well the older Padawan's churning feelings- feelings that Ruzaan knew deep down that he shared. "I'm... just glad you're alive."

Ruzaan wasn't sure exactly which buttons he'd pushed a couple moments ago, but apparently they brought a lot of attention in a short amount of time. Before Ruzaan could properly apologize for falling on and probably damaging Clove's legs, no less than three Healers rushed into the room. One of them firmly gripped Ruzaan's shoulders and began to steer him out of the room- despite his protests, the Togruta was marched out and away from Clove.

"Clove!" he called back, trying and failing to resist being escorted out. "Clove, I..." the next words caught in his throat and he couldn't get them out, so he chose different ones. "I'll be back!"

@LilyNion @Forsythe Crowholde
/ThrExit