Safe Harbor

[Cordelia Morgance]

Amaranth's sturdy hull and familiar bunks were comforting enough to sleep in, and home was where the heart was, they said. Still, Cordelia was excited at the prospect of landing her master's ship and disembarking it for a while in favor of life on land. As her master had promised, she had brought Cordelia to the Jedi settlement on Ossus. Where for the first time in Cordelia's life she would be among many others like herself. Through there years wandering the galaxy they had encountered others who had been sensitive to the Force, sometime even those claiming to be Jedi trained.. but nothing close to what awaited them now. They had come straight from Felucia (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?56686-Dance-of-the-Leaves) where they had gone to honor the anniversary of Master Sal-Koron's joining with the Force. It had been eventful to say the least..

Rising from the co-pilots seat, Cordelia picked her way carefully through the ships passages, coming to her master's cabin. Peeking her head in, she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the ships proximity alarm telling them they had arrived. She blew out a sigh, teasing the silver-blonde braid over her brow. "We're here."

One hand on her ribs, Cordelia sat gingerly on the side of her master's bunk. The Selonian's claws had torn her up pretty bad, but she was healing quickly. In another day all that would remain of the wounds would be rosy pink lines etched into her gold skin.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Out of the few anniversaries of Natalia's death that Cordelia and her celebrated by paying their respect on Felucia, the latest had been very much eventful. The Force had a way of bringing trials without a warning, but the redhead respected the importance of such things because it made one stronger and brought families and friends together, as it had once been again the case with her heart sister, for Cordelia was more than her pupil.

During the hyperspace travel, the petite master had gone to get some sleep in her cabin and she fell in deeper slumber than expected, only awaken by the blaring alarms indicating they were arriving. She opened her eyes and looked at Cordelia who came to sit on the side of her bunk. "Seems we are."

She glanced at how the blonde kept a hand on her ribs. If Cordelia had been human, she would have expressed concern, but she knew that her "unique" fellow Jedi had amazing healing capacities. "Got to say that your genetic makeup brings comfort with how good we are at getting in trouble, Cordi," she said softly with a smile to the blonde.

Getting in an upright position, she then headed to the cockpit, knowing that her friend would follow. Exiting hyperspace, she then maneuvered the ship closer to Ossus.

"As much as it is beautiful to be able to live openly as Jedi there, it still feels unfamiliar to me to have found a community. I'm grateful for the people I've met there and look forward to contribute, besides fixing ships because you know me, I do that wherever...." Her voice faded out as she remained silent for a moment.

"I'm not sure how much of a fit I'm for a Jedi community. I've felt like an outsider and a wild card quite often in my life." She didn't have to explain because Cordelia knew her well enough.

[Kaie]

Modestly appointed, the medbay in the Jedi compound had become the second home for the white witch, being trained in the code and way of the seekers of justice instead of remaining with the coven of Pachmari witches who had no concern for anyone else beyond their circle. She had come a long way in the past few years since, escaping the purge and eventually finding her way here to the sanctuary dedicated to continuing their cause. A home base that still needed some things, but they were getting by well enough. Seated next to a young local, Kaie focused on the boy's cuts suffered by a large, very angry predator that he had inadvertently stumbled on to when hunting. A soft glow emanated from her hands as she channeled the Force into his wounds, concentrating all that she could to help heal him, added to what the medication already applied to sanitize it first.

Sighing lightly, she withdrew and massaged her temples as a medical droid then applied a salve and bandage. "You should keep this cleaned and change the dressing as often as possible," the droid informed. "Or return here and allow me to tend to it, if you wished."

"I will, thanks," Idanthe grinned, eyeing the ebon haired Jedi beyond the droid. "Master, are you alright?"

Dropping her hands, Kaie smiled and pushed herself up. "I'll be fine," green eyes took in the bandaged area as the droid then taped it closed. "So will you. Just suggest that you try not to get mauled next time and take someone with you when hunting," turning from him, she moved to the mobile computer station and typed in a few additional notes, then closed the file.

"I'm old enough to hunt on my own," he defended, pushing himself from the examination bed, limping now. "My father was younger than me when he started going out into the wilds alone."

Turning to him, she admired their people's tenacity and pride. "Well, just be careful. May the Force be with you," she bid as he grinned and nodded.

"You as well."

Watching him limp from the medbay, she glanced to the droid, "Okay, who's next?"

[Barton Henning]

A short way down the ward, Barton Henning stood with a Rodian youngling. The youngling sat on one of the ward beds, big dark eyes screwed closed and lips pursed into a tiny frown. The rest of the ward's staff and patients, at least those who were not droids, were giving the pair a wide berth, although there were a few hushed chuckles or wrinkled noses by people passing by.

"It's not poisonous," Henning repeated. In civilian clothes, he looked about as much like a doctor as he did a Jedi: not at all. "I know the smell isn't the best, but that's all it is: a smell. There's no medicine for it."

"Boota tchi da chala?" the boy said, puffing out a sigh, his shoulders sagging, and the on-staff protocol droid, poised and ready, translated: "How do I get rid of it?"

Barton smiled a lopsided smile. "Stand on top of a windy hill for a while?"

[Cordelia Morgance]

"Yeah..", she agreed with a grin that was part grimace. "It should have healed by now. Damn rat probably carried all kinds of diseases. Good thing I don't catch them.."

Following her master to the cockpit, Cordelia buckled herself back into her seat as they exited hyperspace, approaching Ossus. Wondering, as they got closer, what they would find there.

"I look forward to making the acquaintance of those you have already met there, master." Cordelia was honest, she was glad to meet more people that were called to serve the Force. It was just...meeting people was not her best skill.

"Yeah, because I'm used to the upper-middle class Corellian suburbs and barbecues and...sock shopping with other girls.", Cordelia muttered dryly. From the time she'd been just a kid, her life had been moving around the galaxy with Satkia. Neither of them was really cut out for staying put, putting up walls..

[Satkia Beltrak]

"I'm fairly sure Natalia must have thought we were still as good as getting into trouble as when she was still flesh and bones," Satkia mused with a soft chuckle. "This reminds me of when we met for the first time on Manaan." For different reasons they had had tumultuous backgrounds and their common history since then had proven that they could go through hell and back, coming out stronger, regardless of trials and sorrows.

"It is heart warming to see other Jedi and see them work together to make the galaxy a better place, it's just..." Her voice faded out and she burst in laughter at her pupil's wry answer. "You're forgetting the tea parties with delicious cookies and porcelain cups... Frell, we do have those, bad example. Save for the porcelain cups as I'm fairly sure I broke the last ones Natalia purchased when I was a padawan. Y'know, fancy telekinetics when I could barely keep a pebble in place..."

She hoped that she'd grow used to the Ossus life more than she did so far, but living in one place in a semi-permanent fashion was unsettling, even as a Jedi Master.

[Kaie]

Moving toward the man and Rodian child, Kaie caught the unique aroma on the air as one of the medical droids began assessing the child. Grinning as she noted the alien's scrunched face, Kaie chuckled lightly as she glanced to the dark haired man standing with him. "What happened?" As he replied, the white witch moved around him and approached the Rodian child, taking out the small stool from the foot of the examination bed and drew it out, then sat down.

[Barton Henning]

Dark eyes downcast, a sullen pout – including a protruding bottom lip you could park a speeder on – was all the Rodian youngling gave in reply.

“Gokob (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Gokob) nest,” Barton said, smiling. “Qeewokk here has been poking around the local forests – and the forest poked back. As a clinician, I can say the only bruising done here is to your ego, Qeewokk. No treatment necessary.”

[Cordelia Morgance]

"Every single time we get in a scrape, I hear her voice in my head. 'Oh look, they are at it again!'"

Cordelia laughed, but her merriment was quickly fading into an uncomfortable silence. Approaching the starport of the Jedi site, she scanned the terrain with perceptive eyes as they landed, taking in the general layout. She let Satkia handle the business of announcing who they were and delivering the proper clearance. She was the one who had met these people before.

As a Firrerreo, even a half-Firrerreo, it was Cordelia's way to maintain a healthy amount of skepticism until others had proven trustworthy. She did not allow it to cast shades of doubt on all she met, but she did tend to let others make the first move until she had a better sense of who they were, and they had a better sense of who she was. Nervousness tended to make her say the wrong thing, or put her foot in her mouth every time..

"Probably they have something I can bind these ribs up with for a while longer?", she wondered aloud.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia chuckled at Cordelia's words. "Me too." Natalia had been good to both of them and the redhead was grateful that she had told her that Cordelia would be her student, even when it had kind of scared the Master when she was a younger Knight. She wouldn't change how things had gone by now. Did she wish that Natalia was still alive? She did, because she missed her mentor and maternal figure. Yet, she understood that the Force worked in mysterious ways and she was happy for Natalia to be reunited with all the friends she had lost.

Once they had landed, the redhead took a deep breath. She loved the place, but the one planet she called home really was where she was born: Nar Shaddaa, even if most people would call her crazy for that.

She got to her feet and looked at Cordelia. "We'll start with the medbay. As for living arrangements, I mostly live aboard the ship around here. They have available living quarters for everyone around, but I didn't know if I should steal space from someone who's here most of the time."

She felt a bit sheepish about this but frankly, she liked the place. It was just so very different from how her life had been.

Leading the way off the ship, the redhead took in the sight of the enclave, loving the nature on Ossus. Then she headed towards the medbay, pointing out certain areas and sites to Cordelia as they walked.

[Kaie]

Smiling, Kaie glanced at the medical droid which only confirmed what the human male had stated already, then moved on as if there was nothing wrong with the Rodian. Kaie knew this wasn't apparently going away that easily and though there was little she could do medically, hopefully she might at least keep him from pouting too long. "Well, there just happens to be one thing that I can do," she began, standing up and moved to a nearby nurse's station, opening the second drawer and removed an aromatic treatment that might help. Turning, she returned to the young alien and placed the packet into his hand, then leaned in, though did her best not to gag. "Take this special treatment," she whispered as if it was a secret. "Wash your clothes, take a shower and then rub this on yourself and their evil curse will go away."

Glancing to her, the young male's dark orbs opened up a bit more as if salvation had finally been found. Had she been around Rodians more, the hint of a smile may have been noticed as she backed and straightened.

"Promise," she winked, then turned to Barton. "He'll be fine."

[Barton Henning]

“The kid’s here every other day,” Barton chuckled, as he gave the creased covers on the ward bed a quick straightening up and smoothing over with the palm of one hand. “Now Qeewokk knows you’ve got access to the special treatments,” he went on, turning back to face the stranger, “you can bet he’ll be back looking for you.”

A pause, and Barton smiled at the woman stood before him.

“I.. don’t think we’ve met. Name’s Barton Henning.”