---

Lo watched how Val'Ko's grin softened his indifferent expression. The silent and modest gesture filled her with familiarity. Such a rare emotion during this time and for that, the young Bothan found herself grateful. She shifted into a more relax posture by bring her feet closer together. Her attention shifted to the darker haired Jedi who Lo had been certain was Val's master.

Aren bowed then introduced herself causing Lo to return a brief mimic of the greeting. When the older Jedi finished speaking and had glanced at her ship's direction, Lo's eyes turned to Sar.

"Sar, can I take some villagers with me to help Master Bec and Padawan Sate?"

"Yes." Sar pointed to one of the four and sent him down for additional help.

Lo bowed her head briefly before she turned it back to the two Jedi to explain. "Many of Sar's clan are skilled at being unseen. Ryloth is a dangerous place and speed is essential for survival. The fewer trips, the less risk Slavers or the Sith can track it."

About three more Twi'lek arrived and filed in behind the rest, all of them ready to help their clan. Lo, in her gut, knew they had reached the max they could spare. Most the others dug out the tunnels, attended to daily needs, and monitored the wounded. Her mind flashed to Master Rothul causing her to subtly choke then right herself once more.

"Please lead the way and we will follow." Once the Jedi began to walk, she and the other Twi'leks would follow. The sooner they got this done, the better.

Week 6, Day 6, Midday

Val Duplicated Master Aren's bow as she gestured to the padawan standing before them. He watched as one of the Twi'leks ran to gather more people for the transportation of the goods they brought. They started to come back and amassed ready to make the short journey, Lo explained that these Twi'leks were exceptional at staying hidden. Which was great but what interested Val'Ko more was why they were good at it.

Slavers were an expected threat but when she mentioned sith Val's eyebrows rose looking intrigued and eager. Quickly he dismissed it and told himself that if the time were to come then he would be ready for it.

The last of the Twi'leks were ready to depart. As Lo turned to, what seemed like, check and make sure everyone had arrived her body lurched just slightly. Val could tell she was under immense stress and worry. He pushed his feelings of concern to his Master, He was sure she felt the same. She turned back to Master Aren and himself telling them that her party was ready to depart. He was quick to lead the way, letting Padawan Lo explain the situation to Master Aren without his interruption. He checked back on everyone once more before he started off in the direction of the ship.

Master Bec watched the small group assemble, her mind moving to think about the rest of the Twi'leks. So few could come to help... there must've been too much going on back at their cavern to spare any more.

She wasted no time in leading the group as they all stepped off. She let Val take the lead as Lo explained the situation to her. The Jedi Knight refused to ask about Dominik, and would only bring him up if Lo mentioned him first. She understood all too well how much it hurt to have a fellow Jedi hurt and struggling to heal, even more so that it was her Master.

The group made it to the ship without incident. With three Jedi, Aren felt like they could protect the group well. And so they did. Coming upon the Pathfinder Aren wasted no time in opening up the ship to their allies. Even if they couldn't bring back all of the supplies in one trip it wouldn't hurt to keep backup supplies in the ship. As the Twi'leks started to unload the medical supplies and rations from the ship, Aren placed herself next to Lo.

"How many injured do you have? We hoped we had packed enough to help all those hurt and still have supplies leftover. We brought as much bacta as we could in the form of syrums and patches. Transporting pure liquid bacta was too risky."

---

As Lo navigated over and through the forest like terrain, she found all her stress begin to fade. She covered all the events since she arrived at Ryloth, including the injury of her master. There were times she had to stop herself from falling into long-winded explanations. Each time she inhaled then focused on the facts and minimal details.

Whenever she skimmed on the topic of her master, Lo's heart hurt causing her to stop. The thought of him still in a coma pained her beyond words. Even with his improvements and her attempts to be hopeful about the future.

Upon arriving at the Pathfinder, Lo's eyes traveled up and her figure stopped in her tracks. The image of another near identical starship made her think of the Mirage. A thought crossed her mind to check in on the ship and determine if the Sith had impounded it or not. Sar would certainly want to come just to ensure her safety.

Lo nearly moved to help the other Twi'lek when she noticed Aren come to rest beside her. Patient as always, the Bothan's head turned to the Jedi Knight and listened.

A moment of silence passed before Lo answered.

"Out of the survivors, about twenty-one suffered injury. Over half are still in recovery, including my master, from the bombs. Others are from cave-ins during the excavations of the tunnels. It's a high risk of cave-ins and injury." She inhaled then continued.

"Any medical supplies is helpful. No matter the form it is. My force heal has come in handy, but it is draining. The supplies you brought will help become less dependent on it."

With everyone helping, the trips to haul the supplies got immediately shorter. On the last run, Lo stayed behind to direct the supply storing and treating the wounded. When Aren and Val got back with the last of the load, Lo had finished applying some of bacta into Master Rothul. She curled her legs underneath her as she watched him, waiting for the others to return.

Aren was relieved when they were able to return with all if the supplies without any issue. Helping with the final run, she made sure the ship was locked down should someone try to infiltrate it when they weren't around.

Aren kept Val close to her during the trips back and forth. Just because they hadn't hit any hiccups while moving the supplies did not mean the enemy wasn't watching. She was never one to let her guard down and would not allow it in this situation. As they made it back with the last of the supply runs, Aren helped the Twi'leks organize everything within the cavern. She was impressed with their hideout; it was out of the open, fortified, yet large enough to house the growing village of Twi'leks. She could tell Dominik and Lo had helped to build some of the structures, for it would have been overly difficult to move the walls and building pieces that she spotted, let alone construct them with such solidity.

The Jedi Knight could sense the uneasiness amongst the Twi'leks. Their delivery had helped morale no doubt, but there was still that sense of uncertainty and fear of the unknown.

After finishing with the supplies Aren searched out Lo. She led Val'Ko around with her as they asked about the Padawan's whereabouts. They didn't need to ask many; walking up to the first group, all of the Twi'leks knew exactly where she would be; with her Master.

Aren searched out the hut used to house Dominik's unconcious form. Finding it quickly, she walked up to the open doorway and peeked inside. Immediately she felt Dominik's dimmed aura, a feeling that almost made her stomach turn as she saw his prone form. She looked from him to the young Bothan sitting before him, taking a deep breath before she continued through the doorway, allowing Val entry as well.

"How is your Master?" She asked, an audible change in her voice as she spoke. It was quiet, gentle, yet there was a tinge of worry as her eyes looked upon the scene.

Week 6, Day 6, afternoon

Val enjoyed the exercise from hauling supplies back and forth, he worked hard. Once all the supplies was at the hideout he helped Master Aren sort and move all the supplies into their appropriate categories and storage places. Meeting and introducing himself to a few of the Twi'lek people that were working with him. There weren't many people able to pitch in and help which made Val'Ko work twice as hard to make up for those who couldn't. He wanted them to rest easy and get back to helping their people as fast as possible.

Val inquired once or twice about what happened that filled up their medical ward, he mostly he got a vague response. The ones he asked would zone out or look off in the distance as if consumed by their own thoughts. He tried his best not to push for any more information. Rather, he started asking about the other Jedi team that was helping them. Interested in what projects they had started and were working on putting into action. Mostly just defense he assumed, however he was curious if anything else was on the top of the priority list. They told him of how they helped with the construction of the hideout and how they were extremely helpful when it came to supplies and defense. Val was intent on all the information he took in, focusing on things that he could improve on. Learning from what the other two had done.

All the supplies had been arranged and all the Twi'lek's started working on other things, there was plenty to do. But Master Aren had beckoned him to follow her, probably just to keep him near, it didn't seem like she wanted him for any specific reason. Once he had caught up and fell in by her side he understood more. She asked a nearby group of Twi'leks about the whereabouts of the Padawan, they all pointed towards the area dedicated to the Jedi. Master Aren didn't hesitate and went straight over with pace. Val'Ko kept up and entered just behind her.

The whole atmosphere inside was different. He could feel his Masters worry, there were other feelings too. So many and all swimming together. He wasn't good enough with the force to tell what it all was. But he understood. Lo sat on the floor in front of her Master who lay still in front of her. Master Aren inquired about the other Jedi Master's condition and Lo managed to explain through troubled words. With each passing word of Lo's attempts to help her Master he could feel her worry and fear for her Master as well. Val recognized that with these two together their worry would only get worse. She finished explaining everything to Master Aren. Master Aren thanked Lo for all she had done for him so far, reassuring her that she could relax a little now that the two of them where there now.

Master Aren moved towards the injured jedi slowly and carefully, Kneeling by his bedside. She took his hand in her own and studied the mans beaten features. Val could sense that Master Aren needed some time to process and think. Walking over to Lo he put his hand on her shoulder slowly letting his hand fall down her arm as he beckoned her to follow him out of the room. She looked from Val to their two Masters then back to Val, giving him a small nod she followed him.

After leaving the hut the day was drawing to a close. The sun was setting and activities around the hideout were slowing down giving a chance for the Twi'lek people to rest. Val's hand left Lo's wrist as they exited, he was being sure to be gentile knowing that the task she had been currently holding up on her own was a heavy one. He walked with her in silence for just a moment. "What you've been doing here is remarkable" He said as he looked to her studying her face noticing the differences and remembering the similarities from when they were younger. "I know it must be really hard but you can relax some now. Master Aren and I will do our best to let you rest." Val finished, giving her a sweet and welcoming smile to help put her at ease.

Week 7, Day 1, afternoon

It had taken Nimm all of one minute to figure out that the hutt supposedly in charge here on Ryloth—one who called himself ‘Ippo the Hutt’—was a useless idiot. She had quickly made her excuses in ways that would not excessively offend him, then decided to use her own resources to get what she needed. Fortunately, while he was an imbecile, the rest of the people here were somewhat more talented. It had taken a few hours, but she had eventually found a way to slice into the databanks and get the intel she desired.

It was immediately apparent that things were worse than she had thought. Entire villages had been taken out under the noses of the operatives employed by the hutts by what a mercenary identified as Zygerrians. The fact that the hutts hadn’t suppressed this attack immediately after its discovery proved just how foolish Ippo was. Groups like the Zygerrians needed to be met with a firm hand when they misbehave. Rudimentary psychology, really. After downloading the surveillance videos and other potentially pertinent intel, Nimm returned to her ship to look over it properly.



“What’s this?” she muttered, looking more closely at one of the numerous surveillance feed recordings, “Jedi? Here? Oh, this will be fun...”

“Ship. Display location this feed is from.”

There was no vocal response, but the holographic projector lit up, displaying the planet with a pair of glowing points. One represented her, the other the feed origin.

“Display all other feed sources. Use symbology number six.”

Innumerable other points lit up, displaying the hutts’ surprisingly wide network of surveillance on this world. There were three other feeds near the one that she had seen the Jedi on. Looking closer, she noted their identifying tags and keyed them into the control panel. On the monitors on one of the walls the three feeds appeared, the playback running at twenty-seven times normal pace. For the most part, nothing happened beyond some wildlife moving past. After a bit over three quarters of an hour however, the middle feed showed figures moving past. She immediately paused and rewound it, replaying that segment.

Her eyes saw what was clearly some twi’lek civilians moving past. “Irrelevant.” she muttered to herself, resuming the playback.

Twelve minutes later, the left feed revealed more movement. When she rewatched that, she smiled. “There you are…”

“Ship. Analysis of route. Prognosticate possible destinations.”

It didn’t take long. Within minutes, the computer had identified a half-dozen possible routes. Two led to villages intel indicated had been purged. Clearly irrelevant. Another led into the wasteland, which clearly was also irrelevant for now. The fourth led directly to what the Huttese data identified as an outpost used by their mercenaries at times. Seeing how information made it clear that the outpost was offline and had been for weeks, it was not relevant. Unlike the second-to-last one, the last led straight into a sinkhole. The second-to-last one led straight into a section of the surface covered by a jungle. It was the obvious candidate for further investigation. She didn’t hesitate to take to the air, flying high enough to be nigh unnoticeable.

It didn’t take long to get above the path predicated by the computer, nor did it take long to identify what was clearly the landing location of a spaceship. Sure, it was somewhat hidden beneath foliage… But metal still shows up on scanners, and starships have a lot of metal in them.

More focused scans proved to Nimm that this was definitely the ship used by these Jedi: A Defender-class Light Corvette. Not even trying to be subtle, were they? While it was tempting to just “accidentally” blast it into scrap, she did not feel like having to deal with the potential diplomatic fallout should these Jedi have another means for long-range communications.

She smiled viciously as an idea came to her. With a few quick commands, she opened a channel down to that imbecile of a hutt. He would provide just the cover she needed. It took a good minute before there was a response. No doubt intended as a means for ‘proving’ himself superior. He was—of course—wrong, but Nimm wouldn’t waste effort correcting his mistake. He wasn’t worth it.

“I have a question for you, hutt.”

“Speak, Sith.” the hutt answered with a hint of aloofness to it.

“Why have you invited Jedi to land on your planet, in violation of the agreement between your clan and the Empire?” She kept her voice almost neutral, with just a hint of being offended.

“I have not!” the image on the screen showed a momentary lapse in his controlled expression and he made a gesture with one of his pudgy arms. No doubt signaling for one of his advisors to do something. “There are no Jedi here!” he almost shouted adamantly.

“So there is no Republic Light Corvette parked in the jungle, two kilometers east and six hundred and seventy-four meters south of outpost Senth Usk Orenth? That is good to hear. I am sure Darth Ravage will be pleased to hear that when I inform him in my regular report.”

“What-” he started to say, but Nimm terminated the link. She had no doubt that even an idiot like Ippo would take care of that ship for her, without implicating the Empire at all. He wasn’t smart enough to realize that there was no way one of the Dark Lords of the Sith would care about a single misplaced republic vessel on an unimportant world like Ryloth. Nor did he have any way to figure out how utterly ridiculous it was for her to be regularly reporting to Darth Ravage for that matter.

“Now to find those Jedi…” she muttered to herself, reactivating the sensors on her ship.

---

Lo turned to the hut's doorway. She watched Aren and Val enter the hut, stepping down the stairs into the main floor. The young Bothan noticed the concern in Aren's voice as she looked back to Master Rothul. His form still and silent compared to their conversation. It took Lo a moment to collect her strength to answer Aren's question.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. He's been in a coma for a week now. I've healed more of the critical injuries and... I think he's getting better. He's started to respond with soft, physical contact, so I think he can hear us at least." Her uncertainty and fear leaked into her voice.

When Aren thanked her, Lo nodded. Though she didn't understand why, she didn't question it. She watched as the Jedi Knight moved to her master then looked him over. The woman wouldn't find anything different from what she had revealed. Distracted by the warm gesture, she felt Val's hand rest on her shoulder. Her head turned to glance at him then back to the two masters, finally realizing his intentions. She nodded as she rose upright to follow him.

Her eyes flicked from him to the village itself. Despite the hardships, the small number of Twi'lek tried to make the best out of their situation. It amazed her how resistant the people had become. Part of her wondered if their arrival had something to do with it. She returned her attention to Val when he spoke.

Lo smiled weakly. "It's not much. I wish I could do more, but I can't. Only a few Twi'lek clan members seem to have any faith in my ability and all of that is thanks to Sar."

Instinctively, she began to redirect their walk away from the village's activity. Her ears caught the crackling fire and roasted scents. It seemed the community meal had started and would be finished around evening time. Thankfully all the pits had no crystals close enough to combust.

As she walked, her shoulders slumped a bit more. All strength and confidence evaporated from her figure as she continued to speak.

"I am glad you and your master arrived. It will hopefully make things easier than it has been. So what do you think of Ryloth so far?"

Week 6, Day 6, afternoon

Val'Ko could tell Lo was distracted with burdens.

"Lo, you have already exceeded everyone's expectations. You've assumed the role of what would normally be someone of Knight status or higher, and you've done all this as a padawan. Everyone is proud of you. Im proud of you, and very impressed." Val continued to study her face and body language. She was full of feelings and emotions that he could only imagine were weighing on her mind constantly. After a pause letting his words rest with Lo he switched his focus to her question. "Being back on a planet is a nice change of pace. I had been on a space station for quite some time before this. But Ryloth specifically? It has a lot of sand." He let out a small laugh trying to lift Lo's spirits.

They had walked long enough to find themselves in a treeline. Val slowed his pace, delicately tugging on Lo's arm to do the same. He walked over to a nearby tree with a line of sight into what was becoming the evening sky, a few of the brighter starts starting to show. He sat down and got comfortable, patting the ground next to him, asking Lo to sit with him. "How are you really feeling Lo?" He asked, not really sure what her answer would be he watched her closely and waited in anticipation for her response.

Lo listened to Val as they continued to walk, her eyes breaking contact with his occasionally. The young Bothan couldn't lie. She found Val's presence comforting and familiar, even after the time spent apart. She folded her arms into her sleeves and continued to walk at a steady pace. When Val mentioned his pride in her, she kept her smile. It seemed to reach her eyes slightly. Deep down, she felt the earned praise was excessive. She merely did what any other Jedi would've done in her position.

A soft chuckle escaped her muzzle at his joke. When her laughter died, she collected her composure and replied.

"Most of what I've seen has been forest and swamp. It is rather pretty when you mediate in it. Despite its beauty, Ryloth is still very dangerous. It is also why some clans feel slavery is the safer option than to live here."

Her tone softened with the last bit. She had compassion and empathy for the Twi'lek who made slavery a part of their culture. Trading freedom for safety seemed to be a decision made out of fear and desperation. Lo shook the thoughts from her mind as Val tugged on her arm. She immediately slowed her pace to a leisure one. Her brow furrowed and a brief frown to replace the smile, her figure following his lead. With a few careful steps she lowered herself into a cross-legged sitting position. She turned her head to examine him, determining his motivations in her head.

At hearing his question, her eyes turned to the ground. Silence ticked by as her awareness counted time stretching across the day. After seconds that seemed like hours, Lo's voice gently rippled through it.

"Let me ask you the same question if you were in my position. How would you feel if your Master showed signs of improvement, but wasn't waking up?" She didn't wait for an answer.

"I feel scared, angry, and shame. All the emotions a Jedi fight against for a better world. On H'Ratth, they teach you not to feed them. However, actually being able to let them fade away is much harder when you're in a place that causes it."

Lo inhaled She let the cleansing breath give her strength to continue.

"I have to pretend that I can't feel the weight of them and it's been hard. I didn't expect my Master to sacrifice this soon. With each lesson I do on my own, I find myself less and less prepared for the future."

Her eyes turned to his, filled with pain and the spoken emotions. Most of all guilt overwhelming the rest.

"It is silly, right?"

Week 6, Day 6, afternoon

Val listened to her response and took a second to process it. He started to feel the weight she carried, it was a good feeling. He knew that sharing the weight was the best way he could help Lo right now. He too, took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. His voice returned with certainty and strength hoping that he could give her some of his confidence.

"No more need to pretend you can’t feel the weight. Give some to Master Aren and I so that we can carry it all together." He gave her a warm grin.

Lo lifted her head toward him. Her fur flattened against her body as she answered, her tone calm and even voice. “It’s easier said than done. It took Master Rothul and I nearly a month to earn trust. When we originally arrived, we were held at spear point.”

"I can only imagine the hardship Lo, but nothing you've said is silly." He stood up offering his hand to help her up as well. Lo took it and let him pull them both onto their feet. Val then pulled her into a tight hug, resting his cheek on her head. “You can stop worrying now. Take it easy the next day or two. If you need anything just ask.” With that he went silent, providing the embrace for as long as it was needed.

Lo just stood there while her mind processed everything. She blinked, releasing her from a stasis and bring her back into the present. She exhaled. All the toxic emotions and build up seemed to flow from her lungs into the air. Her arms reached around Val's body, returning the embrace. She squeezed a little tighter then she stepped back, dropping her arms to her side.

"Thanks, Val. I appreciate it. Maybe now, I’ll actually be able to have feedback on my progress instead of feeling like I’m stuck."

Val stepped back when Lo released, the hug was refreshing, he could feel the atmosphere around them calm and relax. He smiled, “Of course Lo, Let’s head back.”

After both Padawans had left, Aren found herself sitting next to Dominik's prone form while she meditated. She recalled all of the memories of her past, when she was a young padawan travelling with her master. There weren't many times they stopped at a Jedi temple, much less Coruscant, but when they did stop Aren recalled many times she had learned underneath Master Rothul. He was wise, knowledgeable, and had a history that proved he knew what he was talking about. The older Jedi had a rough history having been in the hands of the Sith for nearly a year. For that Aren respected him highly, for he endured nearly of a year of torment and still returned to his duties as a Jedi.

Aren reflected on all of her feelings of respect and compassion towards the old Jedi. As she sat there and meditated, she could feel his aura slowly grow stronger within a few moments. Her eyes opened to see the older Jedi take in a deep breath, his form moving slightly beneath the thin blanket that kept most of him covered.

"Aren..." his voice was quiet, weak, and somewhat hoarse as he called the younger Jedi's name. He could sense her aura nearby allowing him to see who it was despite his eyes remaining closed. The younger Knight stood quickly as she heard him speak, coming to his side and seeing his eyes open slightly. A faint smile came upon his face as he looked at the young woman, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as his body slowly began to wake.

A light chuckle left his lips as he looked upon the young woman. "It's been awhile... hasn't it." He took in another deep breath as the pain his unconscious form had tuned out now started to rush into his conscious mind.

Despite his attempt at a conversation, Aren could tell where his focus was. "Your padawan is with Val'Ko. They're taking a walk, to help clear Lo's mind." she explained, watching his eyes close as his heart ached for his padawan.

"She doesn't deserve this," he began, taking in a few deep breaths as he fought to overcome the need to let his mind fall back into a black abyss. "I could feel her anxiety, her stress- I shouldn't have survived that blast, Aren... Yet here I am- she's had to lead where I cannot. I-" Dominik took in a deep breath as he felt his body trying to pull him back under. The pain he felt was overwhelming, but he wouldn't give in. He was done resting.

Aren watched the older Jedi nervously, stepping closer to him, a hand on his arm lightly as as struggled to pull away from the pain.

"Easy Dominik. You cannot push yourself right now, you've got to let your body heal. You have wait until it is ready."

"Send for Lo... please. I need to talk to her."

"Of course."

"I agree. Maybe later, we can go out and herb hunt? I could use someone to watch my back. One of the hunters mentioned locating a cave system and I hope to find some wild clot-root. Our supplies are running low again." Lo stated as she gestured for Val to follow her.

The two padawans began to casually walk back, Lo edging into the lead slightly. Her arms folded back into the sleeves while her posture relaxed. Despite the calmer presentation, her emotions were still shimmered behind her mask. They always would be until she could fully resolve them. She noticed their path tilted downward as the small pull of gravity hasten her downward. Easily overlooked when her own emotions and Val distracted her earlier.

Just a head, a young Twi'lek began to rush across the dissipating groups. Her green skin broke in among the pale pinks and blues, her head seeking out Lo. When she spotted the Bothan walking with Val'Ko, she shouted out.

"Lo! Lo! You're needed at Master Rothul's hut! He wants to see you."

Lo's whole body froze in place. Her heart seemed to stall in her chest, and she looked stunned at what she heard. She couldn't understand how this was possible or what to do next. Somehow, her body knew. She moved to the Twi'lek. Her feet walked than ran, rushing past the girl to where her master should be resting.

As she drew closer to the entrance, her pace slowed than stall. New emotions conflicted with the old ones. Lo inhaled causing her to swallow the negative down before she entered.

Week 6, Day 6, afternoon

At Lo's offer to go herb hunting Val'Ko's face lit up, he looked towards her with a big grin. He gave her a sure nod as an acceptance of the offer to go out exploring and looking for herbs while keeping an eye out for any baddies lurking out there. Val followed her every step as they started back letting her take the lead, he started to get lost in thought on their walk back slowing down slightly. Taking long lazy steps as the ground declined in front of them. He snapped back to reality just as the young Twi'lek called out to Lo.

Val immediately took notice of Lo's reaction to what the little girl had said. Watching her move as if some other power had come over her. She took off. Val'Ko hurried his pace to keep up, stopping next to the small Twi'lek for a second meeting her eyes. They were full of hope. He smiled at her and she smiled back, Val took off again to follow Lo to the hut they had walked out of just a little while ago.

Val'Ko arrived a little late, standing just inside the door, watching the reunion with a smile.

Aren stood close to Dominik's side as they anxiously waited for Lo to return. The older Jedi was fighting to keep his body awake so that he could see his Padawan. The Bacts that had been used on him over the week had helped heal any major injuries, including the blood vessels that had been ruptured. The pain still remained though, as part of it was caused by the bruised and healing ribs that he had recieved after the blast.

The sound of footsteps behind her made Aren turn to the doorway. Seeing the young Lo enter gave her some relief before she turned back to Dominik. Ro'Sara was on his other side, cleaning the healing cuts and gashes on his forehead and the side of his face while a couple Twi'leks hurried out to grab extra blankets and new gauze for later.

For a moment it seemed as if Dominik had fallen back under, but as Lo came nearer he took a deep breath and his eyes opened once more. Her aura gave him strength where his body lacked, yet he could also feel the effects the week stress and exhaustion had done to her.

"Leave us, please." Dominik muttered as he looked to everyone else in the room. Ro'Sara took an extra blanket beside her and rolled it up, giving the man a little more cushion for his head to rest on before she left right behind Aren.

After everyone had left the small room, Dominik took a deep breath as his head turned slightly to look at his Padawan. "I'm sorry all of this has happened, little one… you don't deserve the weight of responsibility that my actions have put on your shoulders…"

When Lo entered, her heart's pounding moved into her head. Her eyes locked with her master's vision and her hope wavered. Nothing had changed. She forced herself to move as she began to retreat back out, stopped by a sixth sense. A second glance caused her to meet Jedi Knight Aren's eyes briefly. Curiosity won as she fought her fear's decision to flee and instead, tread closer to Dominik. The sight of his eyes opening to meet her caused warmth to spread from Lo's heart into her connection to her master. Worry lingered in its wake, hidden by the emotion's shadows.

As her Master requested everyone to leave them, she stepped to the side. Her eyes watched each individual pay a brief respect to his wishes and didn't stay long.

Meanwhile, the Bothan's mind described him with words she knew shouldn't fit him. Fragile. Weak. She conflicted on those ideals, even when true in the circumstances. Silently she watched each person leave until all that remained were the two Jedi. A thickness settled between them. Lo tried to ignore it, but the weight began smother her in each ticking moment. Her fur shifted when her master's breath ripped her from her plaguing thoughts. She snapped her brown eyes onto him as he spoke, feeling guilty from his words. An answer didn't come immediately. Instead, she struggled with it and her presentation.

"I wish I knew what to say. You can sense everything I've felt during the time you were in a coma. Most of it, I had no right to feel." She began.

With a wave of her hand, a stool floated to his bed. Gently, Lo lowered herself and sat on it.

"At this moment, I'm just happy you're awake and alive."

Dominik's mind wavered as his eyes fell on his Padawan. He forced himself to focus as he listened to her words so that he could properly comprehend them. His chest rose and fell in a somewhat quickened pace as even the little movements took a lot of his energy. The man could feel a pit in his stomach as he laid there, he hadn't eaten for a week. Lack of nutrients and fuel was partly to blame for how weak he felt.

"You have every right to feel that way, Lo. No one your age should have to take on the responsibility you have… but you took it anyway-" the man paused for a moment as he tried to collect his thoughts.

He took a deep breath into his lungs and held it for a few moments before exhaling, giving himself a few extra moments to think.

"I'm proud of you. No doubt I owe you my life. You've done so much where I could not." He said, allowing a faint smile to light up his features as he looked at Lo.

"You look older…" he began, observing the change she had made with her fur pulled back into a bun. "It suits you."

Lo patiently waited until her master finished. Her dark eyes lingered on his fragile form, a faint reminder of his state. She smiled at his compliment on her hair causing her hand to rise and check how well it held up. All seemed in order as she let her hand drift back down. So many words clawed to the surface, but not of them fitting for the reunion. She took a deep breath then began.

"First off, thank you master. I grew a lot during your healing. Some of the Twi`lek elders didn't expect you to recover and it was considered to transfer you to H`Ratth at one point. Especially if you didn't improve."

Lo glanced to the ground for a moment. Guilt washed over her, surrounding and tainting her with the undeniable facts. The only reason it hadn't happened was because she selfishly refused to let it. Again, she inhaled.

"Let's get you something to eat and drink. Then I can catch you up on what you missed." She lifted from her seat as she moved toward the door, unsure if anyone stood nearby.

Dominik could sense there was something about Lo that wasn't of the norm. He didn't fully trust his senses however, and also didn't want to push the subject right away. As she talked about H'Ratth, and a possible transfer before, Dominik was glad it hadn't happened. The move could've been difficult, and most definitely dangerous.

"You trusted in your abilities. And it is because you trusted in yourself and the Force that I'm here right now." Dominik said, trying to reassure his Padawan that all was well.

Seeing her move to retrieve something for Dominik to eat, the older Jedi sighed and let his eyes rest, feeling his body was slightly more awake now that he had seen his Padawan.

Outside the hut, Aren stood near the door. Sar and many of the other Twi'leks had moved on and continued their duties to the village to give Lo some space and time with Dominik.

As the young Bothan emerged from the hut, Aren looked over to her. "How is he, Lo? Would you like help with anything?" She asked gently, turning to face her and letting a small, reassuring smile light up her face.

"He is still pretty weak and he needs a proper meal. Can you can bring back some meat, vegetables, and water? I still need to check him over and determine what herbs to give him." Lo stated as she stopped just within the doorway, her attention on the older Knight.

Her voice remained calm as she paused. Promptly, her head ducked back over her shoulder. Satisfied by the image of her master resting, she turned back to Aren.

"I think he will be fine, but he is to stay in bed unless supervised. No stress or extreme activity. Else I will not just deal with him, but whoever let it happen." While said in a sweet voice, it hid an undeniable threat as Lo smiled back and ducked back inside.

Aren made a mental note of the food items Lo requested. She had heard one of the Twi'leks was cooking up a bone broth with added meat, and Aren was sure she could get some vegetables thrown in. A light meal would be best for Dominik's healing but fragile body.

The Jedi Knight wasted no time heading to grab a meal for Master Rothul, Lo's words hanging at the back of her mind for a moment as she walked. Aren had a feeling it would be Dominik's own actions they'd have to look out for first.

As Lo walked back inside the hut, Dominik's eyes opened again, his ears picking up her quiet footsteps.

His eyes closed again as he took a deep, content breath. "I believe you told me you found my holocron… didn't you?"

"I wasn't sure if you could hear me or not. I worried it was my desperation that clouded my judgement and connection with you. It's good to know your gestures weren't just a reaction to mine."

Lo exhaled. Lightly her feet stepped across the hut's floor and made her way to the stool, pausing to adjust her robes. She lowered back into the seat before looking at him.

"I believe you know I'm still struggling with the password. I'm not very good with puzzles or guessing things. The protections you set up were effective, but I couldn’t leave it on the ship. It felt wrong to."

“I’m glad you took it with you…” Dominik said quietly, his eyes closed still. His chest rose and fell lightly as his mind wandered; thinking about those last moments he thought were his last, all that he had yet to tell Lo, all that he wished to tell her. But now wasn’t the time, he wanted more strength before answering some of her questions.

“What’s the one thing I always tell you to do, Lo.” He began, his eyes finally opening again as he glanced to the young Bothan next to him. “That is your answer.” He teased, smiling slightly at the young Jedi as he watched and waited for her to start figuring it out.

Lo's mouth pressed tightly together. Her head cocked to the side as she absorbed his password, finding it simple and easier than she expected. For several moments, she found it hard to believe.

"Why that word?" Her question tumbled out, urged by her curiosity.

“It’s what I live by.” Dominik answered simply. His eyes moved from his padawan to glance at his form before they closed. “All my life Lo I’ve had trust challenged, constantly. If I trust in the Force I know it will lead to me where I should be; then I trust in my friends, my fellow Jedi. It’s because of that trust that I’m still here today. If I didn’t trust and hope that they would come I might’ve died at the hands of Sith, hands that tortured me for nearly a year.” The man explained, revealing part of his past to his padawan that had yet to be mentioned.

“It’s something the Sith don’t have, Lo. They don’t trust anyone but themselves. They don’t trust in the Force, they manipulate it. That is where the Jedi and Sith differ the most… In being able to trust.”

Lo remained still. Her eyes watched and studied her master while thought rumbled around in her head. More questions wanted to surface, but she bit them back. Now wasn't the time to burden him with more. Instead, she exhaled the desire away.

"It explains why trust is important to you." She let a smile slip onto her lips as her head righted itself once more. Her vision glanced to the door, hoping to see Aren arrive with food.

Not but a few moments later, Aren walked through the doorway with a crude wooden bowl in one hand and a small wooden plate in the other. In the bowl was a Rycrit bone broth with small chunks of meat, and on the plate was a few different varieties of vegetables all cut up into smaller pieces. Ro'sara walked in behind Aren with an extra blanket in one hand and a drinking bowl of water in the other.

Both smiled to Lo as they walked inside, their eyes moving to Dominik momentarily before they approached Lo.

"If there's anything else you need Padawan, don't hesitate to ask." Aren said gently as she handed the bowl and plate to Lo.

The padawan took the bowls and plate, setting the plate and water bowl on the side table. Her hand stirred the primal spoon about the broth to cool it to a lower temperature. It wouldn't take long. Her head turned to the Jedi and Twi'lek, giving them both a smile. She paused in her stirring to point at the foot of the bed to set the blanket on.

“Thank you both. I think this is enough for now and I appreciate it." Checking the broth once more, she looked to Dominik.

"Would you like to start with the water, broth, or the vegetables first?"

It wasn't until Lo's question that the older Jedi came fully to terms with his situation and condition. He paused for a moment at her question, his gaze moving to Aren and Ro'Sara briefly. Aren smirked, she knew that look. No doubt he felt embarrassed at the fact that he needed his Padawan's help in order to feed himself. In a few days he would be stronger, but for now his waking body needed to feel itself out and fully wake once more.

He closed his eyes and sighed before finally answering. "The broth." He mumbled, causing Ro'Sara to giggle at his stubbornness. She placed the blanket at the end of the bed and left quickly with Aren, leaving the master and Padawan to themselves.

With the arrival of the two Jedi that morning, Sar had found the time to venture out into the tunnels with patrols and see the damage with his own eyes. They were trying to prevent the tunnels from collapsing in, thus cutting off any route in or out of the caverns. The underground tunnels were both a blessing and a curse; they had protected the majority of Twi’leks during the mortar bombing, yet should the colony become trapped due to tunnel collapse, there was very little in the way of food and water underground.

The Twi’lek man sent patrols in every direction, scouting outside for the enemy, and gathering more food despite the numerous rations the two new Jedi had brought with them. You could never have too much supplies, especially when fighting an enemy that seemed to always be one step ahead. The slavers had never been ones to use heavy weapons against his people, much less mortars that could be fired at from a long distance. Someone had to be backing them; Sar didn’t want to think about it.

His feet led him through one of the most secure and safest tunnels, one of three that remained after the collapse. With a squad of five men behind him, Sar led the way to the surface to scout for anything suspicious above. The last thing they needed was another surprise attack on their colony.

The sounds of Jer’s roaring speeder bike echoed through the hallowed out caverns as he zoomed down the tunnel. He’d ventured into the cave systems before, though never that deep. He’d heard what sounded like explosions earlier but he wasn’t sure if it was simple boulders falling from the canyons or something natural. Now after his encounter with the five slavers he realized it was likely a bombardment of some sort. The retired mercenary’s choice of dwelling had saved him and his family from that danger. He planned to return to them after surveying the scene on the rest of the planet, if it was rift with Zygerrians then he’d venture back to his ship and leave the planet. Though he did not want to have to do that.

The heavily armed twi’lek pushed harder on the throttle. He was making a racket as he rocketed through the tunnel, not even sure which way he was going. He only knew that one of the largest cities was in that direction that he was headed. His foot began to depress the break as he took in the sight of several figures in the distance. They were headed in his direction, towards the surface as he drew closer to the group. They were his own people, other Twi’leks and armed with blasters. A far more welcome sight than slaver scum, though he doubted that they even knew of the intricate tunnel systems of his homeworld. Not wanting to appear as a threat he brought his ride to a total stop, then spoke out as they drew even closer.

“Greetings, I’m relieved that you’re not more of those Zygerrian sleazebags.”

Sar and the group stopped momentarily as the sounds of the speeder grew exponentially closer all of a sudden.

As the speeder stopped in front of them, Sar and his men stepped closer to see exactly who it was. A Twi’lek no doubt, but where had he come from?

“No, we are not… I’m Sar Tarkona,” Sar began, walking closer to the new Twi’lek while the rest of his men stayed back and ready, just in case. “These Zygerrians… did you see them near the tunnels?” he then asked, figuring the first order of business would be if there was to be another impending attack, and if there were Zygerrians scouting out their position within the tunnels.

“No, I did not encounter any outside or in the tunnels. Five of them approached my home earlier and I had to kill them. My name is Jer Vusid, I was hoping that I would find more of our people in the tunnels.” He replied, leaving out any mention of his family for now. He hoped that he’d be able to communicate with them once he got to wherever these other twi’leks had been holding up.

“I thought I heard explosions before, I’ve encountered slavers before but I can’t recall any using heavy bombardment.” He added.

“Their attack hit us hard-” Sar said, taking in Jer’s words of the five slavers he had encountered before. The other Twi’leks name hit him after a few moments as his mind caught up with their conversation. Jer Vusid, a Twi’lek mercenary who was known to fight alongside the Empire; the Sith. The exact reason his people were in this situation today.

The grip on the blaster in his hands tightened ever so slightly as he looked Jer up and down, a slight frown on his face. He couldn’t simply let this man come back to the colony, back to Lo and Dominik who was in no position to defend himself. This man fought with the Empire, thus siding with the Sith; that meant fighting and maybe even killing Jedi.

“Tell me Jer, who’s side are you on now?” he muttered, eyes watching the man closely after Sar asked his question.

“I see you recognize my name, it appears my exploits made it back to my homeworld even if I haven’t stepped foot on Ryloth in decades,” Jer replied, a slight smirk slipping onto his face. He could notice the other twi’lek who was speaking to him tense up. His long years as a mercenary had that effect on people who knew of him, particularly his work for the Sith. “I’m retired. I put down my blaster a few years ago, came back here with my family to spend my retirement in peace.”

“The blasted slavers interrupted that and forced me to fight again. I take it you’re part of the resistance movement, I can help, Sar. I’m still a sharp shot with my blaster, I’d wager the most accurate on the world and I have offworld connections who could bring in resources, weaponry and medical supplies.” He stated, as he laid out his case. Jer did not intend to be pulled fully into the conflict but he needed to protect his family. The Zygerrians would only leave if they were met with a firm, overwhelming resistance.

“There are Jedi here, working with us, Jer. They’re the reason our people have survived this war, they’re the reason we weren’t all killed during the bombing. If you are willing to come back and work for the betterment of our people and your family, you must also be willing to work with the Jedi.” Sar explained, standing his ground as he explained the situation.

He knew some of his people, very few in fact, still didn’t believe in the efforts of the Jedi. They think the village is being used, that all of them were a means to an end until the Jedi saw it fit to flee. But Ser believed differently.

“If you can agree with that, then you’re welcome to come with us, and your family is welcome as well.”

“I have no issue with Jedi. I faced down a few on the battlefield during my days in the war, they’re a fierce opponent. I hold no grudge against them.” He stated calmly, as he assured Sar there would be no issue.

“I will have to see how things are at your settlement before moving my family there. I do not want anything to happen to them if there is another bombardment or attack.” The former mercenary added as his thoughts shifted back to his wife and son. They were safe taking refuge inside of his ship.

"We can escort you back to the village then." Sar offered, though cautiously. The Twi'lek leader was wary in bringing others into the camp that weren't Lo and Dominik's fellow Jedi, but he could not turn away one of his own. Dominik was still in no shape to fight, luckily though they now had the second Jedi, Aren Bec, and her padawan.

“Please lead the way then.” Jer replied with a nod, still noticing the caution in his fellow twi’lek. Sar didn’t trust him, which was to be expected. Mercenaries often received lots of suspicion wherever they went, especially one like him who had fought under the Sith banner. He looked forward to getting a look at the village, his old connections would come in hand to aiding the resistance.

Week 7, Day 1, in the darkness of evening

---

Low over the ground, barely above the canopy, the missile flew forwards at great velocity, weaving between the hills. Where it originated would be impossible to pinpoint without orbital tracking, but to the few ships in orbit who might have turned their sensors in the right direction, it would be clear that the missile had not passed down through the atmosphere.

No ground-based system would be able detect its presence until it was too close to matter. One moment the missile was airborne, the next it slammed into the hull of the Defender-class Light Corvette. Powered down as the ship was, it had no protection to speak of. At first there was a blinding flash of light as the fireball lit up the night. At the same time the shockwave moved through the ground several times faster than the sound passed through the air. With each passing kilometer the discrepancy between the three grew. By the time it would reach the location of the Twi’lek village, the three were far enough apart that there was first a bright flash of light, then a shockwave not unlike a small earthquake, and finally a thundering boom.

Almost at the same time as it reached the members of the twi’lek community who were on watch, Nimm saw the explosion down on the surface. She smiled. “Exactly as I planned it.” she whispered to herself. The hutt was easily manipulated and had far too much pride for his own good. If someone were to question him, he would never reveal her—or the Empire’s—hands being involved. Besides, it was not as if the treaty was openly advertised. She was reasonably sure neither the twi’leks nor the Republic knew about it.

There was one thing that she found curious about all of this… Why would a Jedi park one of their signature ships so brazenly near imperial-controlled space? Was he overconfident, or did he have more allies than she had seen? Whatever the reason, she decided she had to approach it with care. She had no intention of dying. Ever.

After a few more moments of thinking she decided on a course of action. A pragmatic one, of course. She sent a few messages out, one to any Sith in the area—encrypted, of course—another to a nearby Imperial Intelligence buoy—there was no telling if they had any available agents, but it never hurt to check—and the final to the nearest sizeable Imperial garrison at Christophsis. All informing them about what she had observed here, including the Jedi infestation. Perhaps some would come, perhaps they wouldn’t.

Whatever happened, she would deal with it. She did not inform her master. This was not enough to be worth disturbing Darth Nyiss over. Even sending out a call like this could be considered excessive, but it did not hurt to see how well the machinery of the Empire worked on this day. Besides, it would be rather fun if the garrison arranged for a small fleet to come for a visit. No doubt the now-shipless Jedi would be panicking if that happened, however unlikely it was.

She did not take the ship down to land on the planet again. Not yet. It was better to wait for any response to her messages up here.

Week 7, Day 1, in the darkness of evening

---

With some approval from his padawan and the help of Knight Aren, Dominik found himself being helped from the crude bed as he attempted to stand. In order to heal properly, Dominik needed to start moving. His ribs would set incorrectly and cause even more issues down the line if they did so; his muscles were also in a weakened state due to the lack of movement after the incident which put him in a coma.

After a light meal hit his stomach, the man felt that he was ready. His body ached, but perhaps the worst of all was the pain he felt in his right hip. He had refused to tell his padawan, simply due to the fact that it was an old injury that refused to respond to any form of healing. He would only worry Lo should he mention it to her at that moment, and didn't want to discourage her simply because it couldn't be healed.

As Aren stood at his left side, his arm around her shoulders, one of her hands on Dominik's chest as she slowly helped the older Jedi stand from the bedside, a shockwave suddenly ripped through the caverns followed moments later by sound of the explosion. The shockwave caused all in the caverns to lose their footing as the ground shook and pulled violently in different directions. Aren lost her footing which caused both her and Dominik to fall to the hard floor of the hut. The older man cried out as he landed, some of the fall purposefully cushioned by Aren, but the momentum of hitting the ground ripping through his body and jarring his healing bones and dark bruises.

Dominik's eyes shut tightly as he felt a fire rip up his right side and down his leg. Aren attempted to position him moments after the fall as the sound of the explosion ripped through the area.

"Just lay me down- Aren! Just let me lay down." He called, half begging as the woman quickly moved to help him lay flat.

Outside of the hut, many Twi'leks found themselves fallen, supplies scattered and opened rations spilled. Many of the younger children began to cry while those a little older attempted to help others pick themselves up.

Aren kneeled at Dominik's side, glancing to his padawan as she started to recover from her own fall before her focus moved back to the Master Jedi. The man was hissing in pain as he lay as still as possible, seeing stars as his eyes shut tight and trying to ignore what his body was feeling.