A.N: I hope you all had a Merry Christmas or are enjoying your Holiday's.
Melissa: Sato is an interesting man. Bendu worried is my aesthetic.
Alejandra: Ooo, Ferdinand sounds interesting. Oh, she'll be hanging out with the crew very soon…
ZabuzasGirl: Ask and you shall receive…. Well ok it was coincidence because today is Update Day but still
I don't own Star Wars, just Nitza.
Under the Weather
Part 2
A couple of days went by since the mission to Geonosis, and the Ghost crew had been feeling anything but satisfied. Not that the mission was a failure, it just didn't go the way as planned, and then some. Even if they had seen people like Saw Gerrera before, it was still… breaking. For Ezra especially, it just showed how bad an obsession can be, almost hurting innocent lives. Innocence, they hadn't seen that in a while.
Ezra was looking out into the horizon of Atollon as he sat on the Ghost. The ship had docked on the second floor of Chopper Base and hadn't moved since. Not that anyone cared to move it. It wasn't in the way, and everyone was either busy on missions or getting cured of the cold. The Ghost crew had managed to keep from getting the cold with the resources they had but since there were no missions for them, that was all they could do while sulking around thinking about Geonosis.
It was so slow, that as Ezra thought he suddenly realized something as he sat there. "Where's Nitza?"
"What?"
Ezra turned around and looked down into the hatch he came up through. Kanan was down in the hall looking up through the hatch. Ezra said, "Oh, just talking to myself. Has Nitza come by recently?"
"No. Funny you should ask though. Commander Sato told Hera and I she came while we were in Geonosis, told her to wait a few days until the cold spell was done."
Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm…." Ezra maneuvered himself so he went feet first down the hatch so that he landed in a squat before Kanan. As he stood up, the boy said to the man, "It's been four days then. That's longer then she's gone before.
"It is odd," Kanan said, "Maybe she's afraid to come back. Don't know what she knows about sickness, but maybe Sato scared here away with the idea."
"Maybe we should go find her, reassure her that it's ok. Just as long as she's on this ship and not with anyone contagious." Ezra was already heading down the hall to the cockpit.
Kanan crossed his arms as he followed after him. "You were going to do so anyway."
"It's been a while," Ezra said as he and Kanan walked into the cockpit. "And this ship has been feeling so… mopey. You know since Geonosis." Ezra began to climb down the ladder.
Kanan sighed and climbed down after him. When they got down to the cargo hold, he put a hand on Ezra's shoulder, "I hear ya."
After informing Hera and the others they were getting Nitza, Ezra and Kanan rode down the familiar hidden path to the pit formation. When they got there, the noon sun gave light to… nothing. It was quiet and empty. The two stopped their speeders on the edge and climbed down the side of the hill. Ezra spoke up, "Nitza said she would sometimes go out with Bendu into the wilderness."
"No, she's here," Kanan assured.
There was a sneeze from up one of the trees. "Was that—" Ezra began before suddenly the ground shook and one of the coral bushes formed Bendu. He stood up and turned to face them.
With a booming voice, he said, "I was wondering when your own curiosity would be as strong as Nitza's to venture out for her."
"How'd you know we'd come for her?" Ezra asked.
Another sneeze came, this time audible enough Kanan and Ezra could pinpoint the source. A tree on the left side of pit. Bendu walked over to the tree but said to the two Jedi, "You worried, it's only natural for beings to worry."
Ezra said, "Well we weren't worried, we just wondered if she was…. Worried…" he faltered before looking wide-eyed
Kanan got the message. Bendu was assuming they were worried, why? "Where is she?" Kanan asked.
Bendu motioned with his head up to a coral tree next to him. "In her hollow, resting."
Resting. At noon, that wasn't like Nitza at all. "I'll check on her," Ezra said as went up to the tree. He began to jump from leaf to leaf, using the Force to give him some spring. Soon he was on the leaflet growing right outside a hollow in the trunk. "So that's where she sleeps," Ezra said as he went up to the entrance and got on his knees. Sure enough, when he looked in he saw Nitza. She was sleeping, but it didn't look like a peaceful rest. She was curled up, hugging herself and shivering. Ezra could see sweat accumulating on her forehead just from where he was standing. The boy felt his heartache right there when he realized why she was looking the way she was.
"A fever, how?" Kanan asked as Bendu explained what was going on.
"She came into contact with someone with the cold. After a day or two, it had turned into a fever."
"But how did it get worse?" Kanan asked worriedly. "Was she running around in the cold night or something?"
"She has been in the warmth of her hollow and resting."
"She needs more than rest and warmth," Kanan argued.
Bendu's eyes narrowed and he grunted. "Do not say it as if I do not know, Kanan Jarrus," Bendu said, making Kanan stiffen. Bendu only said his name unless it was for greeting, or that Bendu heard something he didn't like. Kanan quickly realized he assumed to much and quickly tried to recover from his mistake. He scratched his beard in thought before asking, "What did you tell her about recovering from sickness."
"That she needed rest. When her sickness dragged on I also had said your people would most likely have to resources to treat her."
"So did know she could come to us for help. Why didn't she?"
"She told me she didn't want to be bothersome. She wanted you to take care of your sick first."
Kanan shook his head and said a bit peeved, "Why didn't you tell her she could come anyway. She would never be bothersome."
"That was up to her to find out by herself. I am the Bendu…."
Kanan crossed his arms. Sure Bendu said he kept the balance and wasn't one to give his opinion. But this was Nitza and her health, he couldn't have at least tried to talk some sense to the girl. "So what did you do?" He said, trying to not sound assuming.
Bendu knew where he was getting at and he said with dignity, "I did all I could. Provided, food, water, and warmth when she asked."
Ezra squeezed in through the large hole and crawled on his hands and knees to get next to Nitza in the tight space. He hunched over her and put a hand on the girl's forehead to check her temperature. Hot, almost burning. As he did, Nitza's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes turned up to him, looking confused. "Ezra…. Is that… you…" She asked, her voice hoarse
Ezra smiled and said, "Yeah, it's me. Don't worry. How are you feeling?"
"Cold, tired." She said. Suddenly she closed her eyes tight as she coughed fiercely. When she was done, she said, "I don't like being sick."
Ezra smirked and said, "It sucks, I know. But we're going to get you back to base. Make you feel better. How does that sound?"
The thought seemed to spark some sort of energy in the girl because she managed to smile and turn her head up to look at Ezra all the way. "Really"
"Really," Ezra said confidently. He struggled to get out with Nitza but when he did, Ezra stood on the leaf holding Nitza from bellow as she rested against his chest. He was going to jump but Bendu held out his hand. Ezra stepped on the giant's outstretched palm and then Bendu slowly lowered him to the ground. Though Ezra wanted to to get excited about the idea of being lowered by a giant, Nitza moaning in his arms focused him back to the real problem. "Thanks," he said before getting off and going to the speeder.
Kanan had made no move or exchanged a word since Ezra came out with Nitza. But as he made his way to the speeders next to Ezra, he couldn't help but look back at Bendu with an unsatisfied frown. Even if he couldn't see, knowing Bendu the giant didn't react to his glance. Kanan just wanted to let him know how he felt about the choices that were made. Kanan got on his speeder as Ezra adjusted Nitza in his hold. He put one hand on her back as she hugged him and rest against his chest. His other hand held on to the speeder handle. Soon, the two were off back towards Chopper base.
))))))))))))))) Atollonians ((((((((((((((
Bendu turned around as they went away. It's not that he was ashamed. He wasn't. he was the Bendu, he let nature take its course. He told himself from the beginning, especially since the strangers came, that Nitza had to make her own choices. And even if he could break it all to help her, how could he? He had no medicine, no way of healing Nitza. Bendu looked back in the direction they went. He grumbled nervously. It was up to the outsiders now.
A.N: And boy was there drama in THIS part of the arc. K so Nitza is defently sick and thank the force for Ezra's worry and need for excitement that they go to help. Bendu… bendu is just UGH! Drop your job and go be a dad, Bendu! Jk. But seriously. More next week. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!
