Wanderer's Redemption: Esoteric Pilgrim

Chapter 2: Bruises


Ebon Hawk: En route to Telos…ETA: 6:57:04

"That woman had to have been a Jedi Master" Falen muttered as she walked out of the dormitory Kreia had decided to occupy, "Nobody else could talk for that long…"

She made her way back to the cockpit pondering Kreia's words, smiling to T3 as she passed the battered astromech droid. She and Kreia were bonded, not a surprise considering the hand incident. Kreia had also expanded on Atton's rather brief description of the Jedi Civil War. Guilt washed over Falen as she though of the war she had missed, she should have been there to help her friends, no matter their allegiance. Instead she had acted the coward, accepting her exile without complaint and leaving all she loved behind.

Falen reached the cockpit, her knees weak from bracing against the shockwaves that had formerly rocked the Hawk. They had just destroyed a whole planet!

That way lay madness…

She considered sitting in the co-pilots chair, but instead opted for resting her arms on the back of Atton's chair.

"How's our passenger? She still aging?"

Falen nodded tiredly, "For someone without much to say, she sure says a lot"

"Yeah, to you maybe. I don't usually hear much beyond 'fool' and 'imbecile'. She's lucky she's a Jedi, or someone would've killed her years ago. I mean, how old do you think she is? She may have been good-looking once, but it takes some hard living to make creases like that."

She laughed softly before patting him companionably on the shoulder, "If she looks good to you, you must have taken a blaster hit when I wasn't looking"

Atton smiled, allowing laughter to creep into his voice. "Hey, I just got out of prison. If we had a decent navicomputer, trust me, we'd be dropping out of hyperspace into the Nar Shaddaa Red Sector right now. After spacing that old witch of course…"

"Look, ease off the insults. She was wounded helping us escape remember?" Falen snapped.

"Whoa, all right, all right! Don't get mad at me. Hey, I didn't ask her to stay behind and get her hand cut off, okay?"

Falen rolled her eyes, "Getting empathy from you is like squeezing water from a stone"

"Oh yeah? Well, how much water you get from a stone depends on what planet you're on, sister" Atton retorted playfully.

Falen sighed tiredly, massaging her aching temples with deft fingers. "Forget it. Just keep your mind on piloting this crate"

"You call this piloting? This is nothing – if Peragus had any place other than Telos in its astrogation charts, trust me, that's where we'd be headed"

Without a hitch he turned the subject to their destination, "If you thought Peragus was dead, then Telos is a dying world that they're trying to breathe back to life. We should be there before too long…"

He turned in his seat to look up at her, "You look exhausted, go sleep somewhere"

Falen nodded jadedly, "All right, I'll do that".

She didn't move… Talk about the road to madness…

After moments of comfortable silence, Atton's voice sounded, a welcome break from the beeps of the piloting consoles. "So…What happened?"

"To what?" Falen was confused, had she missed something?

Atton ground out a frustrated sigh, "Don't give me that. There were plenty of times back on Peragus where a lightsabre would have been helpful. So – where's your's?"

When she replied Falen's voice was detached and cold, but Atton could hear the despair in her dulcet tones. "Exiles aren't allowed to keep their lightsabre's…"

Ignoring her cold tone Atton continued and Falen was grateful for the distraction, "Oh yeah? I thought a Jedi was supposed to be married to their lightsabre. Guess I heard wrong. Were you a single hilt or one of those double-bladed Jedi?"

"It was a single hilt" Even as she spoke Falen could fell the weight of the blade in her hand… she could hear the hiss as the beam ignited…

"Hnh" Atton snorted, "It wasn't red, was it?"

She could feel the soft heat of the luminescent beam… Ghosts, just ghosts, she told herself. Memories, nothing more… "Both the blade and the crystal were unique"

Atton was intrigued, "Yeah, unique how?"

"A yellow lightsabre, a Sentinel's blade"

He continued, trying to lighten the sudden sombre mood "Must have been something. Sure be nice to have it now – might make those Sith think twice before coming after us"

"I think having it would just drive them to hunt me harder" her voice was sad but there was an undertone of steel.

With his back to her Atton grinned, by the sound of the resolve in her voice those Sith didn't know what they had gotten themselves into. Behind him Falen stifled a yawn and he turned in his seat to face her once again.

"Drax, you're dead on your feet. Go sleep"

He eyed her outfit speculatively from his seat. The once pristine miner's uniform was now a mess. It was covered in droid fluids, blood, blaster burns and ripped in several places. With a sigh he slipped out if his chair and shrugged off his ribbed jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. Keeping his hands firmly on her shoulders Atton steered her out of the cockpit, Falen was too exhausted to do anything but obey.

He marched her into the main hold, setting her down on one of the loveseats.

She gave him a sleepy, thankful smile before brushing off his hands and pointing in the direction of the cockpit.

"I'll be fine, now go and fly the ship"

He nodded, eyeing the hold critically. There was no danger, plus she was close at hand in case he had need of her assistance.

"Out, Rand"


An hour later Atton emerged from the cockpit to see if he could find anything edible aboard the Ebon Hawk, he also decided to check on his sleeping Jedi.

He found Falen where he had left her, although since he had gone she'd removed her tattered miner's uniform. It now lay in a blue and green puddle on the floor. She was curled up on the seat, his jacked wrapped tightly about her. Letting his gaze travel Atton was shocked to see the amount of bruises that were rising on her flesh. Her legs were covered with them, big angry bluish marks, and her arms weren't in better condition.

As he watched she stretched languidly in her sleep before rolling over and running out of seat, Falen landed with a soft thud on the durasteel floors.

"Wasznguf?" She mumbled sleepily, her voice muffled with floor.

Atton chuckled as he bent down to haul her to her feet. Placing firm hands under her arms, he lifted her up as if she weighed nothing. He set her down on her feet, keeping his hands on her arms in case she fell over. Blood oozed slowly from a small gash on her cheek, but she was otherwise unhurt.

She looked up at him dazedly, her golden eyes bleary with sleep. Falen rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand, gazing indifferently at the crimson streak of blood across her hand. She gave a defeated sigh and let her head fell against his chest, Atton acutely aware of the closeness of her body. In an instant her legs buckled and all of Falen's weight fell against him. He struggled to stay upright as her dead weight sagged against his body; he knew he was a dead man if he simply dropped her.

"Shit" Atton muttered as he could feel himself starting to fall backwards. He couldn't find his balance with her entire bodyweight pressing against his chest. Luckily for Atton as he staggered backwards he slammed into the holo-projector, the solid metal giving him a decent backing with which to correct his balance.

Atton leaned against the projector for a few moments, catching his breath and redistributing Falen's weight against his torso. Falen slowly awoke from her dead faint to find herself pressed against her new companion's chest, his heart beating in her ear and her head spinning like an out of control swoop bike.

Startled Falen wretched herself out of Atton's iron grasp and staggered backwards drunkenly. Her slanted eyes were slits of silent accusation.

"Hands off" She murmured, dangerously quiet.

Atton could see the marks of his hands on her upper arms. Guilt flooded him, quickly followed by indignation.

"Hey! You collapsed against me remember?"

Falen pressed her palms to her temples groaning, and it was then Atton noticed the pain etched on her features. Her skin was unnaturally pale, the bruises mottled blue marks of anger upon her flesh. Her trembling body snapped rigid and her eyes rolled back into her skull. Once again her knees buckled from under her and Falen fell to the floor in a heap.

"Frak!"

Repeating the muttered curse Atton fell to his knees by Falen. He pillowed her head on his knees, his hands checking her vital signs with quick, practised movements. She had a pulse, but it was faint and rapid, and her breathing was shallow.

There's definitely something wrong with you Drax" He muttered dryly as he worked, smacking her lightly on the check to try and wake her up.

"Fool! What have you done to her?"

Kreia marched into the hold, her thing lips set into a barely visible line of displeasure. Atton jumped to his feet in anger at her appearance. Ignoring Atton's dark glare she dropped down beside her fallen student, checking her vital signs, muttering a diagnosis as she did so.

Atton balled his fists and glared at the old woman. He didn't trust this old witch, didn't trust Jedi in general, and if she called him 'fool' one more time…

"Pick her up and follow me"

He growled at the derogatory tone in her bitter voice but complied, his concern for the woman on the floor the driving force behind his acquiescence. Stooping, he placed on arm under Falen's knees, the other under her arms. Supporting her head with his shoulder, Atton pushed all thoughts of soft female flesh from his mind and followed Kreia silently as she led him from the main hold into the med bay.

Without thinking Atton lay her down carefully on the single cot and stepped back quickly, shocked by the overwhelming concern he felt for Falen. It had been a long time since he'd felt this concerned for a single person other than himself.

"Go" Kreia waved him away with a quick swipe of her gnarled hand, "Go find a use for yourself somewhere, for there is no use for you here"

"I'm not leaving her here alone with you!" Atton countered, not daring back down against the old witch. Her hidden eyes bored into his face, he couldn't see them but he could feel them upon his skin.

"Mind me fool, I'm far more powerful than you believe, I will not tolerate your insolence for long"

"I'm not leaving" He snapped stubbornly, sensing the agitation rolling of Kreia in waves.

Inside Kreia was calculating… this fool's misplaced sense of loyalty towards the Exile could benefit her plans. With the right leverage this fool could become her puppet… how useful. Playing her part Kreia ground out a frustrated sigh, and turned to the work of healing the Exile.

Falen was impossibly pale upon the med bay cot, her dark hair a disturbing contrast to her pallid flesh. Fresh pink scars were everywhere, interlacing with older faded white scars.

What's wrong with her?" Atton asked cautiously.

"She has pushed herself beyond her limits. After five days without eating, four of those in a kolto tank, she strained her already weak body in our escape of Peragus. The amount of blood she lost during the escape did not help her condition"

Kreia placed her hand upon the unconscious woman's body,her remaining hand resting on her forehead, while the stump of the other in the valley between her breasts. The old woman hung her head, concentrating at the dilapidated flesh under her fingers. She channelled the Force through her fingertips, manipulating the extremely fatigued and dehydrated tissue, healing any injuries she found.

Atton watched guardedly, drowning in his own mistrust, concern and curiosity. Falen's back arched, her lips working soundlessly under Kreia's ministrations. The pink scars quickly healed, leaving smooth, unblemished skin in their wake. Eventually she slumped, her face taking on the peacefulness of sleep. Kreia stepped back, exhaustion deepening the etched lines of her face.

"She will sleep now. Leave her be, the rest will help her heal, if only slightly"

With that, as unexpectedly as she had arrived, she departed from the med bay. Atton sighed in relief as she disappeared from view, glad to be out of the old crone's presence. He watched Falen's steady breathing for a few moments, secretly relieved to see a healthy colour retuning to her skin.

Even though he was alone, he still felt very self-conscious as he pulled the coverlet over her exposed body, tucking her in like a child.

"You're one strange woman Drax- brave, gorgeous and absolutely crazy…"

A smile curved her full lips, one slanted eye cracked open, revealing a slit of hazy gold.

"Frak off, Rand" she mumbled, rolled over and fell promptly to sleep.


Ebon Hawk: Cockpit…

Atton stretched back in his chair, pillowing his head on his hands. Outside Telos loomed, half of the planet's surface a scarred sickly cerise, Citadel Station clinging to the dying planet like some paradoxical parasite.

Automatic docking codes beeped their arrival on the Hawk's computers, and Atton began the slow decent towards the Station's public docking bays. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching down the corridor and stiffened in his chair, waiting to see who this visitor was. A familiar weight rested on the back of his chair and he instantly relaxed.

"Well if it isn't sleeping beauty"

"Up yours, Rand" Falen snapped sleepily above his head.

"Wow that was so original, so succinct. I can instantly see why you made such a brilliant Jedi"

"Smartarse" She retorted and smacked him lightly in the side of the head before collapsing into the co-pilot's chair. She was wrapped in the blankets from the med bay cot and looking a lot healthier than when he'd last seen her. Falen cocooned herself in the warm grey coverlets, her face lost in the recesses of the pale grey material.

"Are we there yet?" She whined from the shelter of her blankets.

"Yep" Atton replied as he lowered the landing gear.

"Good. As soon as we land we're eating. I swear I could manage a whole Ronto"

"You and me both, sister"

Atton brought the Hawk gently down into the landing bay, a squirming ball of emotions in his stomach. Attraction, concern and respect… All for the woman next to him, deep down there was trust as well. He didn't trust anyone, let alone a Jedi and yet… he trusted her with everything he had. Irked by these strange, suddenly strong emotions Atton buried them, not wanting to acknowledge that the attractive, foul-mouthed, grumpy woman next to him had somehow gotten under his skin.


A/N: Well that's chapter two… It's going to get better I swear! puppy dog eyes

This chapter was brought to you by Tropical Pepsi and the shuffle function on my media player…WOOHOO! Sigh What would I do without my shuffle function...Hrmmm, too much Pepsi methinks… There will be a mucho mucho shockingly shocking shock coming on Nar Shaddaa, one I am very proud of Sparkly grin. Keep your eyesies peeled!

Bangs the table along with Mother Mayhem.

SQUEE!