[u]Xid[/u]

Xid felt his body just float there, hours had passed but his mind hadn’t registered them or noted the importance. For a distinct time it was only him. Life seemed to have slipped pass his fingers and death loomed over him like a great beast, the fangs bared in mockery over this weak Padawan. Fear…it should’ve been the first thing to come to his mind, that instinct to fight and desire to live as his memories should’ve flashed pass his mind or so he was told would happen. However, he found he didn’t care. Death was far better than a bitter truth Xid couldn’t escape. The truth he tried to pretend didn’t exist, dark feelings and pain has seemed to swirl about, focused and centered on his stay on Belsavis. 

His determination to die seemed fixed…at least until a voice, a terrible and dark memory, had waivered his choice to die. 

[I]'We’re more alike than you can ever imagine. The painful truth is this: One day, Xid, you would’ve destroyed everything you once held so dear when you finally reach your full potential… just like me…'[/i] 

Xid’s eyes snapped open at the voice that echoed in his head, his vision watered down and blurry from the Kolto liquid that surrounded him. A slightly fear at not knowing where he was quickly faded to a sad realization. The Sith hadn’t killed him, instead likely hauled his wounded and slowly seeping body to what seemed to be a medical ward within the ship. His head turned, immediately stopped at familiar sight in a nearby tank: the Zabrak Sith. Her eyes were closed and her blond hair out of its tie, strands floated to the tank top, the scene gave her a peace look. It was hard to believe this apprentice had only moments ago both witnessed his and engaged in Strago’s torture. A slight hard sensation had swelled in his chest only to fade away. The idea has angered him, even for a moment, yet the emotion hadn’t stuck. Not like did with the voice’s owner. A bitter truth had begun to enter the Padawan’s head, one he rather not entertain, before it completely faded to leave him to a peaceful state. At it had for now. 

It was unlikely it would do so forever and that worried Xid. Mostly because he had started to see the disturbing similarities in the recent situation when compared to the voice owner’s own history, though thankful there was extreme differences. For one, though Kinsa didn’t see it, he exposed a monster like one he had encountered in Belsavis…even if this one didn’t reflect on the outside what she was on the inside. He didn’t worry about being fooled by her ‘kind’ words but Kinsa was possibly another matter. 

Xid‘s mood sank a bit at the thought then glanced at his wound into his side. There was no trace of the blade, physical or otherwise, save for a phantom sensation where it had plunged into him. The padawan could mentally recall the pain, his blood’s warmth then numbness which swept through his essence and the only physical change might’ve been a slightly paler complexion. He closed his eyes and pressed his head into the tank’s thick glass, wondering why his master and he had decided to be on Coruscant on this day. The answer was simple: him. If his master hadn’t been worried about his recent depression or decline to speak to her, then likely they would’ve still been on Belsavis at the time the Empire assaulted Coruscant instead. It was a painful truth he couldn’t deny. One he wished was otherwise and would’ve saved some self-guilt over this recent event. 

[i]Master…where are you?[/i] He thought, a vain attempt to use his connection to seek her. The effort wasn’t rewarded but he felt no sense of loss at least, a positive point Master Sela might’ve survived the ordeal and fled to safety. 

His peaceful relief was shortened by the decreasing level. The tank was being emptied and drained, allowing a sudden chill that seemed to lick up his bumping flesh. He shivered but remained where he was. It was pointless to escape at this time as there was little place to go or where he could, not to mention these people, despite their position, hadn’t done anything to him. At least yet and besides, Xid’s thoughts lingered to Strago, Allanar, and even Taia. He couldn’t help wonder how they were doing, his mind fell back to the present when he heard footsteps. His head, no longer supported by the glass because it shifted down, jerked up to spot a stone faced medic simply place his clothes in front of him. He mumbled weak thanks but received no reaction to acknowledge his words. Slowly he got up, his feet weak and still unsteady after remaining in one position or maybe it was from something else, he couldn’t know for sure and didn’t want to, in his effort to put back on his robes. Other than being slightly cleaned, the rips and tatters remained unaltered. Despite the sad state of his clothes, he didn’t mind it. More because they reminded him of what he was and a promise to himself, his words to Namore echoed around in his head only to fade. 

When he dressed and just escorted out by troopers to his cell, his eyes caught Sish’s familiar image. The Sith dragged a torn, beaten, broken Jedi woman into the medical bay with a cruelty he still tried to understand. However, he couldn’t right now. His eyes just hovered there for a moment until a shove stirred his feet into motion. Soon enough he was marched back to the Jedi cells, his head lowered and deep in thought, where he was pushed through the Bulkhead doors then left among the other Jedi. A little different compared to the positive and rather cheery Padawan he earlier had been, Xid couldn’t bring himself to make a comment of any sort. 

He noted Viera’s absent right away which made him slightly unease. It was likely she was taken by a Sith to be…interrogated or worse. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. A little depressed by the reality, he shuffled deeper into the Cellblock and glanced to see Strago mediating. It was best not to disturb him and , besides, Xid won’t know what to say. There was so much going through his head that Xid found it hard to, more accurate was that he was too tiresome, to examine them. Clearing his head would take some time. 

Right now, he wanted a distraction. The Padawan moved over to Allanar’s cell area in a faint hope he could relieve some worry in his heart. Xid at that moment, most of all, wanted the Jedi to make it through alright. He wanted them all to make out of this nightmare alive. His hope seemed to not reach the Force. There was no change in the Jedi’s condition and it was even less likely they would live to see the end of this. In this moment, the only thing Xid could do was at least make the man’s suffering a little more tolerable. He retrieved his sleeve off the man’s brow then once more dampened it at the sink, his fingers wringed it out before he dabbed the man’s head. He would likely continue until exhaustion or someone interrupted him. His odds seemed to favor the later.