Steffan walked gently into the office area of the Temple's medical bay, raising his hand to keep Althea from standing up. He kept walking slowly into Callista's office, seeing her working on her notes.
Althea frowned, but nodded and sat down again at her terminal, her gaze following Master Karrde as he walked quietly into Callista's office. In the office, Callista sat behind her desk, a frown creasing her face as she looked over some notes. Xan and his Padawan had come and gone, and still she sat there, knowing Althea's gaze kept drifting towards the office. She should be sleeping. With a sigh, she sat back in her chair pinching the bridge of her nose. That was when she saw Steffan and moved to stand. "Master Karrde, what can I do for you?" Her voice was tired, but she tried to hide it.
"You realize hiding your fatigue from me does no good whatsoever?" he said softly as he leaned against the frame of the door. His body was still on the mend and he was taking it easy...on her's and Jade's orders. "Callista, you need to rest."
Callista flushed, and dropped her hand into her lap as her chair came upright. "Steffan... there's so much to do. We're still handling some of the wounded from Rhen Var..."
"And there are plenty of other healers that can handle the wounded," he sat as he stayed there. "Just as I cannot take on all of the battles of the galaxy, you cannot take on all the healing. You need rest."
She sighed, but her mouth quirked. "You aren't the only one who's noticed. Xan'ika and even my own Padawan have insisted that I take twelve hours off. She's been eying me like a disapproving mother since Xan and his Padawan left." And then she looked at him intently. "But you aren't talking a few hours are you...?"
"Dilan will be arriving from Rhen Var in the White Squall within a few hours," Steffan told her. "As soon as Andrea docks Blue Talon onto her and we finish packing, we're returning to Cataan. Once I'm more recovered, I intend to start working on the new praxeum in earnest."
Callista's eyebrows rose, and she leaned forward, gesturing him to a seat as Althea appeared at his elbow with a mug of his favorite tea. "How have things with the praxeum been progressing?" she asked as Althea set a fresh cup of behot on the besk for her before returning to her own.
He gingerly set down in the chair, nodding his thanks to Althea for the tea and took a sip.
"The grounds are prepared for a start and there are a few knights and padawans that have requested some advanced training on saber technique. I had received some notes and messages about other potential students and have invited the knights and masters that have endorsed them to come and discuss what to cover. "However," he said as he took another sip. "What I do no have experience teaching is in healing."
Callista smiled around the rim of her mug as she took a sip, lowering it again before she responded. "It's been a while since I took on any teaching assignments... I miss it. Being senior Healer is great, but I miss the interaction that teaching brings..." Her tone was wistful as she leaned back again, cradling her mug.
"So," Steffan said as he looked at her and Althea. "We're going to be moving the wounded off world as soon as they are ready. The council has decided, for the time being, that Coruscant is still unsafe for everyone. The Jedi that we placed here to counter any spies from One Sith will remain, but the rest will not."
"We've not decided if the council will base on Chandrilla or Cataan until the time comes to where we can return. But we do need more healers, so it would either be teaching on either location."
He finished his tea and set it down. "Personally, I would prefer my adopted daughter on Cataan."
Callista's eyes widened. She hadn't seen that coming at all. Her face turned thoughtful for a long moment as she turned that thought over in her mind. 'To return to Cataan... to her family... She liked that thought. And, of course, Steffan had thought of everything. Moving the wounded to Cataan would give the students living breathing things to practice on, which would help immensely. And not just for the students, either.
She grinned. "Once again, you've considred everything..." She chuckled and shook her head at him. She caught Althea's excited grin from across the room, and turned to the young woman. "So, Althea... how would you like a trip to Cataan...?" Althea's answer of "When do we leave...?" made her grin and just shake her head.
Steffan looked at the chrono screen of his wristcomm. "Dilan should arrive within two hours."
Callista just chuckled. "I guess you have your answer, Steffan. We'll go get packed an meet you in the hangar?" She came around her desk briefly to touch his arm and reach out to him in the Force. She always found it easier to treat people by touch.
He slowly got up and made his way out, and paused. "Althea, you've not spent time on Cataan, have you?"
"No I haven't, Master Karrde," she said with a slight blush.
"If you are like your master in enjoying grandeur," he said as he motioned back to Callista. "Then I believe you will enjoy it."
Callista smiled at him, and wrapped an arm around Althea's shoulders. The young woman nodded. "I enjoy nature, Master Karrde. I've heard Cataan is quite beautiful." Callista smiled again, and nodded to him as he slowly made his way out of the office again.
Steffan smiled and chuckled at the last comment as he started to leave. "Oh," he said as he turned for a moment. "Althea, be sure to bring your saber."
Her eyebrow quirked, but Callista hid a smile as Althea's slightly flustered, "Yes, Master Karrde," sounded in the quiet office
"See the both of you in a few hours then," he said as he turned and left the medical bay.
When he was gone, she turned to the young woman. I don't think we need to do anything really except go pack." Althea grinned, and checked a few things on her terminal before logging out, as Callista did likewise. Then the two women made their way up to Callista and Xan's quarters on the Family Residence level to pack.
A few hours later, the two women made their way to the main landing bay, watching as the White Squall came in for a soft landing in the center of it, with Dilan at the controls.
"I've barely been here for a moment and you're all ready to go?" he joked as he entered the entraceway.
Ryneas rolled his eyes at the comment and started heading to his bunk.
"What?" Dilan asked as he looked around.
"That was kinda lame," Andrea said as she appeared from the docking tunnel from Blue Talon. Before he could even answer, she turned and greeted Callista with a hug.
Callista just grinned and shook her head jusr before Andrea enveloped her in a hug. "It's good to see you, dalyc'vod..." she said quietly, using the Mando'a term for sister. Her fingers brushed briefly across the medallion she wore around her neck. Then she smiled at Dilan, and nodded to Ryneas. "Nice landing, Dilan.. and Andrea... I've never seen the docking done before..."
"It takes some practice," Andrea told her, looking to Dilan. "How many times did we crash in the sim before we started getting it right?"
"I lost count," Jade answered for both of them as she started coming up the landing ramp with Kathrine holding onto her hand.
Callista just grinned, and then remembered her manners. Extricating herself from Andrea's hug, she turned to adress the group. "Althea... this is the Karrde family... my adopted family. You know Master Karrde. Beside him is Lady Jade LaCross Karrde and Kathrine. Next, is Dilan. Andrea is next to me, The young man that just disappeared down the corridor is their son, Ryneas." She smiled. "This is
my Padawan, Althea Sacha." Althea blushed slightly, but managed to bow politely.
"Its good to have you with us," Jade said as she let Katharine head down the corridor.
"You'll have to excuse the chatter," Dilan said as he returned the bow. "This is kind of our usual banter. So...do I need to restart the engines?"
"Kara's waiting for him at home," Andrea whispered to Callista.
"At least your other half is here," Dilan fired back at about the same moment that Edward started
to walk up the ramp.
"Fiance now," Andrea said to Dilan as she come up to hug Edward and loop her arm around his.
"Everyone get settled in," Steffan told everyone as he started to head to his and Jade's quarters on the ship.
Callista just shook her head, murmuring a soft congratulations to Andrea, and she found herself thinking of Xan, wherever he was. It must have shown in her face, because she caught Althea looking at her knowingly and heard Andrea's unladylike giggle.
Dilan just rolled his eyes at it and started to walk back towards the cockpit. "Come on," Andrea told Callista and Althea, "I'll show you the extra bunk on the ship."
Now Callista did laugh, offering Dilan a sympathetic glance before she followed Andre don the corridor. She caught DIlan's gaze lingering on her bag for a moment, and sensed his curiousity before Andrea too looked at it.
"Oh yeah," Dilan said, reminding him of what else needed loading as he turned to help load up the rest of the containers, taking extreme care of the armor box that held the armor that Steffan had worn on Rhen Var.
Grinning, Callista followed Andrea to the spare cabin, surprised a how spacious it was. it would be more than adequate. She well understood Dilan's careful handling of his father's armor. It was much like how a Mando treated their own armor. With a sigh and a groan, Callistalet her bag gently to the floor and flopped across the lower bunk, before looking at Andrea apologetically.
Elsewhere, Steffan settled into one side of his and Jade's bunk, laying his head on the pillow.
"I'm surprised you're not in the cockpit with Dilan and Andrea," Jade said as she walked to his side of the bed.
"They can fly without my help," he said as he closed his eyes. He still needed his rest from Ainar's cut.
Callista felt the faint spike, but she knew she needed her own rest. Stiffly, she sat up and pulled her boots off, grinning a little when Althea had to help. "Thanks, Althea... "Callista told her tiredly as she pulled on her sleep clothes and lay down before Althea did the same. Callista was too tired to even shower.
In the cockpit, Andrea's fingers played gracefully over the controls, making the ship ready for flight.
"Decided to take the controls this time?" Dilan asked as he settled into the co-pilot's seat.
"You've had it all the way from Rhen Var," she said with a smile. "I wanted to give you a break."
Within moments, Callista slipped into a deep sleep. A habit she'd gotten into when she'd started medical rotations. But this time, a healing trance took hold as well. Not a full one, but enough to replenish her tired body. Althea smiled as she came out of the fresher. 'Good, she's asleep. She needs it...' she thought to herself before she climbed to the upper bunk and fell asleep herself.