His daughter shifted slightly in her sleep, mumbling something that no-one could understand but her. Kestrann sighed, and looked out of the window towards the stunted spires of Courscant's buildings, recently scarred by the Empire's attack. It had been nothing more than a miracle that he, his family and their home was untouched by the attack. The Force had smiled upon him, and he thanked it. It had been very kind, he admitted, looking at his youngest daughter, slumbering in her medical cot, thick bandages wrapped around her head.

The holocall was burned into his memory. A Coruscant Security officer had called his home, and he had gravely informed the trooper that his youngest daughter had been rushed into hospital after a fall from some high stacked cargo in a warehouse. They had been trying to arrest her for trespassing, but she had been keeping out of their way on the cargo, and only when a jump went wrong had she been brought down to their level. On her head. It turned out her sister had snuck out with her in concern for her safety, and so had gone with her to the hospital, though she was distressed, despite her Jedi training.

The call had also distressed his wife, and she almost broke down, until Kestrann calmed her down and took her to the hospital. When they got there, his daughter was in the midst of emergency surgery. The terms were haunting, even now. Swelling brain. Possible loss of personality. Amnesia. Might not survive the night.

He rubbed his face. He'd tried not to worry, but he couldn't help it. Zavvi, his beloved youngster, was in a dire situation, and there was nothing, nothing at all that he could do. This wasn't like any time when she scuffed her knees or got a splinter. It was in her head, and he wasn't a brain surgeon. All he could do was sit by her bedside, and hope. And talk to her, hoping that she'd wake up. And when she woke up she was still his little girl; she was just the same girl he'd wished goodnight just four hours ago. She'd know he was, she'd still be happy-go-lucky and she could still shoot and run and talk just like everyone else could.
A part of him knew that was wishful thinking, that something must have changed, but Kestrann dared to hope. She hadn't died, at least. She wasn't going to be paralysed. The comforting regular beeps of the heart monitor told him her heart was still functioning. Surely she could still be the daughter he knew who loved noodles and always wanted to explore just a little further...

The older Twi'lek frowned. This was what had got her into trouble in the first place. Her need to explore, go places she shouldn't, if only for the reason she could, and that it was an adventure. It had gotten her into trouble before, but never this bad, never had she ever got into a position where her life, her very mind hung in the balance. He pinched his nose. He knew why, though, and had somewhat seen this coming.

His wife Azi'lee had become protective of the only child they had around the house (Xuleena didn't count, she was with the Jedi and safe), and had become more and more restrictive in Zavvi's movements. He understood she was worried about her; the incident three years ago had done a number on them, especially his wife, which he couldn't blame her. The Force had been cruel that day, far too cruel. However, he knew Zavvi was entering puberty, and he could already see hints of the woman she would become, and not only did that make her rebellious even to him, caging her was just making the younger sibling frustrated and agitated. Kestrann had done all he could to try and release his wife's increasingly iron grip on their daughter's life, but it had not been enough. It lead to arguments in the morning and Zavvi sneaking out at night. Which often led to more arguments when Azi'lee caught her coming home.

And now this had happened. Though his wife was shocked and trying to get over it in the presence of their eldest daughter, Kestrann could see the ramifications already. If Zavvi wasn't already restricted, she'd become almost imprisoned in her own home if Azi'lee had her way with her almost obsessive need to protect her. No, he couldn't let his wife destroy his youngest daughter's life like that. Pleading with his wife to release Zavvi's shackles wasn't going to cut it. He'd have to take extreme measures.

He sighed. He'd hoped that Zavvi would leave home as soon as she came of age to make her own way in the world. They'd send her off with credits and advice and good will and wave her goodbye as she set off for pastures new, and they'd get used to the empty house once more. Maybe even get an akk hound to fill the void. But he didn't have that luxury. It would hurt Azi'lee terribly, and Kestrann knew it wouldn't be something he could do easily, but he loved his youngest daughter with all that he was and the last thing he wanted was to let her mother crush her hopes and dreams to explore the galaxy under the guise of keeping her safe. If he had to say goodbye to her with a heavy heart and full eyes, so be it.

Kestrann got up, surveying his daughter's features longingly. She looked beautiful, even in her troubled sleep, and the tattoos she'd acquired looked perfect for her. The curves and patterns recalled a crazy lifestyle, probably smuggling or jumping blockades and the like. He smiled ruefully as the Jedi he knew well told him of the vision he'd seen when he'd first met Zavvi, on a stowaway attempt that thankfully failed. The clothes of a smuggler, but a darkness in her head like a void. His knuckles tightened slightly as he realized what that meant, his stomach dropping. The shapes of canines, as dark as the void in her head opened their jaws, threatening to devour her whole. Then, he remembered the Jedi's eyes widening as he told the tale, a bright light, a creature he could not tell burst from the ground, blinding the Jedi, and when the light died down the void in her head was gone, replaced by the letter 'cresh', and the canines were gone, yet the creature stood behind her, taller but still too bright to be described, yet the Jedi theorised it was a herbivore of some sort, and he swore that it was scarred, though he wasn't sure how he knew that, being unable to see the beast clearly.

The Jedi, Delmar, was a good friend to Kestrann and was now his eldest daughter's master, and the only reason she could visit her parents. He had visions whenever he met someone for the first time, and the longer and more detailed they were, the higher the chance they would come true, but as he'd told Kestrann once, he never knew if people could affect the outcome or not. All he could do was tell people what he had seen, and possibly what it meant.
All Delmar could glean for Zavvi was she would become a smuggler, that there was something wrong with her head, and that she would almost be destroyed, but someone, or something would save her and cure her, which he supposed was what 'cresh' stood for. But as for why she was being attacked by canines, why the beast burst from the ground or anything more about the beast itself he could tell. Delmar had shrugged and said sadly; "I suppose we'll have to see, old friend."

Well, he certainly understood what the void in her head meant now. Brain damage. He only hoped it wasn't too bad. He wondered if the beast was a medic who could save her mind. But that didn't explain the canines...He shook his head. No, he couldn't be worrying about Force visions whilst his daughter lay ill in a medical cot. Not when he needed to make preparations for her future life.

"Goodnight, titch." He murmured softly, leaning over to press a kiss to his daughter's head, clear of the bandages. "Please come back to me safely. I will always love you, no matter what." He said softly, stroking her cheek. His heart buoyed up when he noticed her lips shift with a twitch of a smile, before he left the ward to a side room.
There he took out his holocomm and dialled in a number, hoping that the receiver wasn't going to be angry from her getting her up so early.

After a couple of minutes the call was answered, and the hologram flickered to life to reveal a sleepy female Cathar looking a little bit unamused.
"I do like you, Kestrann." She began, yawning wide to show off her pointed teeth. "But I do object to being gotten out of bed so early in the morning. What's going on?" The Twi'lek sighed.
"Elizabeth, I need your help. You're gonna retire soon, aren't you?" The Cathar perked up, frowning.
"I am, yeah. Kestrann, what's wrong?"
"Liz, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but I need you to be a smuggler for a little while longer. My youngest, Zavvi...She's had an accident, I'm in the hospital with her now..." He ran a hand over a lekku. "I'm worried Azi is going to go overboard and barricade her in the house. You know how Zavvi is, always going off and getting into trouble, and I'm..." He sighed. "I'm scared, Liz. I'm so scared this is gonna do something to her. Something worse that's already happened to her."
"What exactly happened in this accident?" Elizabeth asked.
"Long story short, she fell on her head from a height. Brain swelled up, they had to operate and take part of her skull off to let it, she's probably brain damaged and though everything looks alright now, I'm worried for her." Kestrann explained, Elizabeth's eyes widening.
"Stars, no wonder. You have all my sympathies Kes. I hope she gets better and she's alright, you know. She's a lovely tyke..." Then the Cathar's look changed from saddened to determined. "What do you want me to do for her, Kes? I can't get medicine but I'll try-"
"No, I don't need medicine for her, I just..." He swallowed hard. "Liz, could you take Zavvi on as your apprentice? Teach her how to be a smuggler?"
"Are you serious?! Kes are you sure? She might not ever come back from it! She could die in my care, Kes, I-"
"I know, Liz, but I want her to be happy, and the only way I can do that is to get her out of Azi's reach so she can do what she wants; to explore and have adventures like she always wanted to. I trust you, Liz." Kestrann said. "You can look after her, I know you can. Please, if you're not doing this for me, do it for her. I don't want Azi to trap her in our house forever..."

Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her arms.
"...You don't know what she's gonna be like once she wakes up, Kes. She might be totally different." She said softly. Kestrann sighed, and he had to wipe away a tear forming in his eye.
"I know, Liz. I'll update you once I know more. But I can hope she's alright. And if she is, I want her to be happy and follow her dream. That's the least I can do for her." The Cathar sighed, shaking her head.
"Okay, Kes. You have yourself a deal. But don't...hold out too much help, alright?"
"I know. Thank you, Liz. And I'm sorry for waking you up early. Goodnight." She nodded, and the hologram disappeared. Kestrann sighed sadly, and made his way back to his daughter's bedside. She was still asleep, and had only moved a little.

Please be alright, titch. He thought to himself, and as he sat down, the trooper prepared himself to a vigil at her bedside, waiting for the moment of truth, for when his daughter woke up...