For the next three days Liera spent her early mornings in the temple archive, speaking with Madame Nu and tagging some old texts for study. Master Allie had asked her about her initiate studies and showed her the curriculum they used to teach future healers. Liera was surprised to find many things she had been taught were essential were no longer being offered at all. Not even as an elective or advanced class. It baffled her how much knowledge was being ignored or deemed insignificant. Especially when it came to mental health. The conversations she had with some of the healers, and later Master Allie, made it clear to her that entire schools of healing were being ignored outright because of new technology.
Searching around the temple areas she knew the Tholotian council member frequented she finally spied the woman speaking with a number of healers. "Master Allie." Catching the master between conversations was always difficult, since she was a very busy person, but she always seemed to make time specifically to speak with Liera. If she didn't know any better she'd have thought the council was pushing Master Allie to be their spokesperson.
"Adept Liera, it's good to see you." Taking one look at her the Tholotian's serene smile faltered slightly. "I suspect you have something important to tell me." Folding her hands into her sleeves she waited.
"I do." Liera let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand over the long braid she'd put her hair into for the day. "Master Allie, during my research I have found things that have me very concerned for the welfare of those in and outside of the temple." Of course she never spoke about the order itself, only about the people living within it. She had no desire to start political or religious debates as long as the jedi allowed her to follow her calling without interfering. They could argue that she wasn't following the will of the force until they turned blue in the face but the fact that the force, itself, had sent her to this time was all she needed to know she was following the right path.
"I was looking into the medical files of padawans and initiates for the past two centuries and have noticed a startling trend. There is a distinct lack of psychological data. Do the jedi no longer perform yearly psych evaluations?"
"Did we used to conduct yearly examinations?" Liera scowled at the smooth stone floor, crossing her arms over her chest.
"The jedi used to conduct psych evaluations for padawans after nearly every mission. Especially any that involved violence, death, abuse victims, or slavery. Diplomatic missions were exempt for the most part, since they were more about focusing on compromise and keeping the peace." Holding out the datapad she'd been using to keep notes she scrolled down to her references and held it out to Master Allie. "There seems to be some kind of ruling about three hundred or so years ago about the mental health of initiates and padawans being the purview of the student's master or the youngling's crechemaster." Stass took the datapad and looked over the case notes.
"It looks as if there were more changes to the order from this case than just the ones pertaining to mental health." The master jedi frowned.
"You're right. The council of the time ruled that in all matters of health it was up to the master or crechemaster to enforce trips to the healers for their charges." Liera scoffed. "All it would take is one overly stubborn master setting a bad example for their student or one inattentive crechemaster and an entire lineage could be compromised! There's no oversight, no one to make sure that the master isn't missing certain signs of trouble. Everyone reacts to trauma differently and sometimes the reaction is delayed, by months and in some cases even years." The master winced and Liera's eyes narrowed. "Unfortunately I don't have access to medical files for knights or masters. So I can't follow the careers of the initiates up until mastery… if they even survived that long." She mutters darkly.
"Besides research is there another reason you wish to access the files of knights and masters?" Liera looked up at her, violet eyes sharp as she weighed the pros and cons of telling someone, especially someone on the council, what she was planning to do.
"You've read my report about Knight Skywalker already?" After the incident with Anakin out in the hall she'd been required to submit a report about what happened. The 'disagreement' happened right outside of the council chambers, after all. They had been able to feel Anakin's anger spike momentarily. It had been Obi-wan who immediately called for medical assistance and taken his former padawan aside to calm him down.
"I have. What you've described is… alarming. To say the least." Yeah, that was an understatement if ever she'd heard one. Having someone as dark as the Chancellor spend time, alone, with a young man like Anakin… It was no wonder he had random bouts of uncontrolled rage and confusion.
"While I'm stationed with the 501st I want to keep an eye on Knight Skywalker's mental health. If he was unstable before the war I need to know about it. Along with any emotional triggers he might have and past trauma he may have suffered." She could also read between the lines to see what may or may not have resolved itself with time. Although with how he reacted to her accusations against the Chancellor she had a sinking feeling he had held onto his past trauma as a way to protect himself. "If I can, I'd also like to see Master Kenobi's file as well. Since the 501st and 212th often work together." Kix had mentioned that Obi-wan avoided the medical bay like the plague unless someone else was hurt. She was going to put a stop to that.
Master Allie watched her quietly for a moment, contemplating her words. Liera waited patiently, understanding the importance of her request and giving the woman time to think it over. Anakin might only be a knight, and she was fairly certain she'd get permission to see his file, but Obi-wan was a council member. She was no longer a part of the jedi order. To let her see any files at all already seemed like a large enough concession.
"I'll give you access to their files and look into the matter of psych evaluations for everyone who returns to the temple after a deployment." A tired look came over her face and Liera didn't blame her. The very scope of this war and the damage it had caused to countless sentients was immense. It put a lot of pressure on those who dedicated their lives to healing others body, mind, and soul.
"I had another matter to bring before the council later today. I can bring up your concerns then." Liera smiled and pushed away her curiosity, the matters of the council were none of her business unless it involved herself or the clones. Whose rights as sentients she would always champion.
"How would you feel about recording all you know of your healing methods in a holocron?" Her eyes went wide in her face and her mouth fell open slightly in surprise.
"M-master?" Master Allie laughed quietly at her reaction.
"Don't be so surprised. You are a fountain of knowledge that has been lost to us for centuries. Our healers would benefit a great deal from what you know, and so will any of their patients." Liera felt her mouth go slightly dry as a mix of apprehension, pride, and joy coiled around inside her.
"I'm not sure if the council will allow someone like me to use a holocron, but if they do I would be happy to share my knowledge." Although she wasn't sure whether the 'heretical' parts of her technique would remain unaltered or not. Not everything she'd learned came from the temple or the jedi. She had learned techniques from everyday medics on the battlefield, from medicine women, priestesses, and wise women. Even the way to heal bonds was a secret technique that she'd learned from her own mother when she'd returned to Haasufeiliah. A lot of what she learned used emotions and connections to others to help in the healing process.
Master Allie glanced at the chrono. "Are you returning to the GAR barracks again today?"
"Yes. I don't know when the 501st will be deployed next and I still have a lot of work to do." She'd already healed most of the 212th and 501st. Now she was working through the 91st. The Coruscant guard had offered to wait until the others were healed, since they were permanently stationed on Coruscant and would be easy to find whenever the 501st returned. They wanted their brothers to have that small freedom in case they didn't make it back from battle. To know that if they survived the war they would have time to make a new life for themselves. A lump formed in her throat just thinking about it.
"Then I wish you a productive day. May the force be with you." The Tholotian master bowed to her. Liera bowed in return.
"And with you, Master Allie." She said as the councilor took her leave.
Making sure her comm was with her and turned on she quickly made her way to the landing pad for the shuttles between the temple and the GAR barracks. When she arrived she smiled and waved to the mechanics she saw taking a break.
"Good day, Miss Liera."
"Good day." She replied courteously.
"Heading to the barracks again today?"
"Yes. I still have work to do. I'm sorry I can't stop to talk, I'm a little behind schedule already." The mechanics just waved her on with friendly smiles.
"Don't worry about us, Miss. We'll see you on your way back."
Coming up to the shuttle she stood with the soldiers, who glanced her way before nudging their brothers. By now she was used to the strange and mixed reactions she got from the clones. If they'd already heard of her they were friendly more often than not. If they hadn't heard of her yet they were a mix of awe, nervousness, curiosity, and sometimes fear. That was the one she hated seeing the most. Fear. There should be no reason for any of them to fear a jedi, which is what they often mistook her as.
Getting on the shuttle she sat down and tried her best to keep calm. She knew from past experiences now that if she started to panic the clone soldiers would either start bleeding stress out into the force or begin to fuss over her. She didn't really want to deal with either possibility at the moment. Closing her eyes she felt about with her senses before opening them again in surprise. One of the clones nearby was force sensitive.
Looking at the armor he wore she realized she'd never actually spoken to anyone in the battalion with the grey paint. If she wasn't mistaken they were the 104th under Commander Wolffe. Rex had spoken of him before with exasperated fondness.
"Something wrong, Miss?" The man asked her gruffly. She shook her head.
"No. It's nothing." It shouldn't come as a surprise to her to find force sensitives among their number. Especially after she'd already met and worked with some of them. But the man was the equivalent of a solid rock in the force. Straight forward, fierce, protective, loyal, and ready for anything.
"If you need anything just say so." He paused and looked her up and down. "You're the one with the 501st." It was less of a question and more of a statement. Her shoulders shook slightly as he held back a laugh. Just from description alone she was almost certain she knew who this man was.
"Commander Wolffe, right?" He gave her a curt nod. "I see word has already gotten around. Yes, I'm with General Skywalker's battalion." And for reasons she still couldn't fathom the 501st seemed very smug about that fact. "I've been going to the barracks each day to help your brothers. If you come to the 501st barracks I can help all of you as well." The man looked down at her for a long moment.
"We'll see." And that was the end of their conversation. She sighed inwardly and went back to using her breathing techniques to keep herself calm. Once she'd gotten to know the pilots on her previous trips between the temple and the barracks she'd felt a lot safer than before. But that didn't mean the fear left her entirely. She trusted Hopper, Skip, Tuck, and Gerit to fly well but she still didn't trust the ship itself.
When they finally landed she let out a sigh of relief and got to her feet. Looking into the cockpit she smiled at Skip and Gerit, giving them a friendly wave, before heading for the gate.
"Good morning, Miss." Handing over her comm she recited the ID number that was quickly becoming part of her daily routine. After a quick scan she was waved onward.
By now the clones in residence knew her on sight. Although a lot of them called out greetings she unfortunately didn't have time stop to chat, only wave back politely to acknowledge them. She'd called ahead and told Rex earlier that she'd be at the barracks around zero-nine-hundred, by now she was at least half an hour late. It had taken her longer than she'd thought to track down the councilor and bring up her concerns.
"Vod'ika, you're late." The moment she turned the corner and arrived at the barracks Kix spotted her and began to fuss. Looking up at him sheepishly she shrugged.
"I had to talk to Master Allie and she's a difficult woman to find sometimes." Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear she sighed. "It was important." She promised him.
Kix frowned in concern. "Important how?"
"Important as in- oh force how in the hell have all the jedi stayed mostly sane all this time without anyone doing psych evaluations for three hundred years?" Kix sucked in a breath and waited, as if he expected her to be joking. "I'm serious, Kix. The jedi have been neglecting their own mental health for centuries."
Kix's eyes narrowed. "That would explain a lot." He muttered darkly. Liera patted his arm in sympathy.
"Master Allie gave me access to An- General Skywalker's and General Kenobi's files. I won't be able to look them over right now, I have appointments to keep, but I could use a second opinion." Kix gave her a crooked smile and held out his hand for the datapad.
"Don't worry, vod'ika. I'll take care of our jare'la jedi while you help the vode." Snickering over the jedi being called 'stupidly oblivious to danger' she left Kix to his reading and headed into the common room of the barracks. Smiling apologetically she hurried over to the men in maroon.
"I'm sorry I'm late, I was held up at the temple. But now that I'm here we can get started."
[Shaak Ti]
Standing with her arms tucked into her sleeves Jedi Master Shaak Ti listened to the monthly report on the progress of the eldest class of clones. Ever since she'd arrived on Kamino, a month after the first battle of Geonosis, the force had been giving her gentle nudges. They were light at first, the barest hint of something at the edge of her senses. Easy to overlook while devoting all of her attention to keeping the clones safe from the Kaminoans. However, the longer she remained on the perpetually stormy planet the more insistent those nudges had become. Seeing as they were not a response to something immediate and life threatening she ignored them once again. She should have known better than to push aside those feelings.
Without warning something in the force cried out in pain, catching her by surprise. The sound echoed through her mind and she had to grab the edge of the table to keep herself standing upright. When the pain began to ebb she let go of the table and slowly straightened.
"Are you feeling alright, jetii?" The Mandalorian trainer, or Cuy'val Dar as they called themselves, asked her carefully. His shoulders were tense and eyes wary, watching her for any sort of trick.
"I'm fine. But there is an emergency I must attend to immediately. Please excuse me, we can speak later at your convenience." Shaak gave him a slight bow before turning on her heel and leaving the room. She made her way to the nearest lift, the force pulling her along urgently, pushing her to go faster. By the time she arrived where the force was leading her she was practically running through the halls. Palming the door control she stepped into the training room quickly, sharp eyes taking in as much detail as she could at a glance.
"Udesii, Nov'ika. Joran went to find a vutyc baar'ur." Immediately her attention was grabbed by a group of young cadets. They appeared to be about eight to ten years of age, which meant they were only four or five in actuality. One of the boys was sitting on the floor, arm at a slightly unnatural angle, leaning back against another cadet's legs. His face was drained of color, scrunched up in pain, and he was practically screaming pain-distress-frustration-anxiety into the force. So loudly, in fact, she wondered why she hadn't been able to feel it from three floors away.
"What happened here, cadets?" The boys stiffened at her words and she could feel fear-worry-guilt from them all. They huddled around their wounded brother, closing ranks as if to protect him. It both filled her with warmth to see them protecting one another and made her want to curse the Kaminoans for their monstrous treatment of the clones. The cadet who had been speaking when she entered, the one kneeling beside the wounded boy, got to his feet. He took a couple steps forward, as if to put himself between her and his brothers.
"Ori'vod, cuyir ulyc!" One of the other boys hissed quietly. Shaak Ti might not yet understand Mando'a as instinctively as the Mandalorian trainers or the clones, but she was slowly learning. Ori'vod, she knew, meant elder sibling. But with so many of them 'born' the same day the word held special meaning for the clones. Whoever this boy was the other cadets considered him to be one of their leaders, someone they looked up to and aspired to be like.
"Dar'baati, vod'ike." He said quietly to the other boys, never taking his eyes off of Shaak. Even though all her instincts were insisting she help the injured boy immediately she knew that pushing her way forward would only upset them all and possibly end with the boy being injured further. So she turned her attention to the leader of the group. Unlike his brothers this clone's skin was a few shades lighter in color and his eyes were a distinct shade of dark green. "We were practicing and Nova's foot slipped. Comet didn't mean to push so hard. I think it's dislocated."
"I see." She said evenly. "Might I ask your name?" She had a hunch she already knew who he was but having it confirmed would make the conversation easier to navigate.
"Boba Fett." He said, pulling his shoulders back and lifting his chin proudly.
"You would be Jango and Haati's son. I don't think we've ever had the chance to meet in person. I am Jedi Master Shaak Ti." The boy nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. She wasn't surprised. Shaak had met both Jango Fett and his life partner before. Both men were stubborn and intelligent, and it looked like their son would be following in their footsteps.
"Cadet Nova looks like he's in a lot of pain. I'm going to see what I can do to help." As she stepped forward Boba shifted so he was between her and the other cadets. She could feel a surge of protectiveness and wariness not only from him but from all of the boys. "I assure you that he is not in trouble, none of you are." Even with her reassurance the boys stood fast, closing ranks around their brother. If she wanted to get close she would have to order them to move, which she didn't want to do. They were disconcertingly cautious of her, as if she were someone to fear. If she tried to order them now it would only cement the idea that she was untrustworthy in their minds.
"Ori'vod, I found Baar'ur Olar!" An older cadet rushed into the room, followed by one of the medical trainees. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide as he seemed to finally notice her presence. "General!" The young man saluted her, back rigid. Behind him the medical trainee grumbled and pushed past him. On his way he gave Shaak a quick salute, not stopping until he was kneeling next to the wounded cadet.
"Yeesh, vod'ika, how did this happen." The boy nibbled on his lip and glanced over at her. The medic made a face. "Okay, later." Reaching over he gently took hold of the boy's wrist and stretched out the arm to examine the shoulder. When the cadet hissed in pain he gave him a sympathetic look and put a hand against his chest. "You're lucky, it's only a dislocation. Let me just grab a painkiller."
"That's better than it being broken, right Nova?" The boy looked up when Boba started talking and tried to smile. "R-right. It would have-" Without warning the medic wrenched the arm back into place with a sickening sound. Shaak winced. The boy's mouth opened in a silent scream of pain that rippled through the force, causing all the boys, the trooper, and even the medic to flinch. Then he promptly fainted. The medic sighed.
"Will he be alright?" Shaak asked once the medic had laid the boy down carefully on the floor and injected him with a single dose of painkiller.
"He'll have to spend the night in medical but he'll be fine." The medic's eyes flicked to Boba for a second before flicking back to her. Something nudged at the back of her mind but she chose to ignore it for the time being. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on him myself. Don't worry, General, he's in good hands."
"I have no doubt." She said honestly. Looking back at Boba and the cadets she watched them quietly for a moment. They seemed calmer now that their brother was being taken care of but they still shifted almost nervously in her presence. With an inner sigh she addressed them. "I see that everything is in order now. Unfortunately I have a meeting to gt back to. Cadets." She said, inclining her head toward them politely in farewell. The boys stood and saluted her. All except for Boba, who watched her warily as she took her leave.
The next morning she entered the medical bay, once again urged onward by the force. She was stopped a few times by medical personnel but politely sidestepped them. She wasn't sure why she was there, only that the force was calling out to her.
Entering another large medical room she felt the force pressing on her insistently. Walking down the row of beds she slowed as she neared one bearing a young cadet. Sitting next to him, talking quietly, was Boba. It was safe to assume this was the boy from the day before.
"Good morning Boba, Cadet Nova. How are you feeling?" Both boys stopped talking and looked over at her in surprise. The young Fett made a face before schooling his features into a mask of apathy. Nova, however, smiled up at her.
"I'm alright, General." Stepping closer she felt for him in the force and frowned slightly when she couldn't sense him. Yesterday he had been so loud and now it was as if his presence was barely there. Reaching out she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and almost recoiled in shock. The boy flinched and looked over at Boba guiltily.
"Shab." The older boy said angrily, glaring up at her in suspicion. Ignoring the curse she stared down at the force sensitive cadet in awe.
"You're force sensitive." She said quietly. The boy nodded.
"How many of you?" Because if there was one there was sure to be more.
"Uhm…" He looked over at Boba, unsure.
"Not a lot." The boy replied evasively.
"Why have we not been told about this? Being able to channel the force is a rare gift." Boba scowled.
"Because force sensitive clones are 'aberrations.' An 'unacceptable mutation' that should be purged, according to the Kaminii." Shaak stiffened, body nearly vibrating with anger. She'd thought the Kaminoans could sink no lower. But to call anyone, especially force sensitive children aberrations? To kill them because they were different… it was unspeakable.
"Haat'buir taught us how to hide so they couldn't find us and Jang'buir stopped the Kaminii from killing us. But… my buire can't be everywhere at once." Boba admitted angrily, clenching his fists.
"Why didn't your parents tell us? We're more than capable of protecting you." The boy's face screwed up into a 'are you serious?' kind of look.
"Because you'd want us to be jetii. We're Mando'ade, we don't want to be jetii!" He said it with such conviction that it caught Shaak off guard. In the silence that followed Nova looked conflicted for a moment.
"I do." Boba turned to the other boy, incredulous. "Ori'vod, ni enteyor slanar." Whatever he'd said made the older boy clench his teeth.
"Ti kaysh?" Boba asked, motioning at Shaak.
"Yes." The answer didn't seem to please the young Fett but the cadet was determined nonetheless. "I saw it." He said quietly, as if that settled matters.
"Saw it?" She asked.
"In a dream. I saw myself wearing jetii robes with a yellow lightsaber and," he looked up at her shyly, "you were there too." For a moment she wondered if it was just wishful thinking on his part but the force was too still for it to be a lie. If what he'd dreamed was a possible future she might very well be looking at her next padawan.
"Do you truly wish to be a jedi?" His eyes lit up and he nodded emphatically. "Then I will contact the Council and speak with them." She couldn't be sure how the council would take the news but she had a good feeling about it. Something about all of this just felt right.
[Ordo]
It was a simple snatch and grab. One minute there, the next minute gone.
Smuggled into the vehicle the young woman looked between him and Mereel, her expression almost unsettlingly calm. Placing her hands carefully in her lap she watched Mereel remove her lightsabers and comm from her belt without saying a word.
"You know, most people panic when they've been kidnapped. So… why aren't you?" Looking up at Mereel she gave him a small smile.
"Unless I'm mistaken, you already know who I am. At the very least you must assume I'm a jedi, since the first thing you did was take my lightsabers." Her voice was soft but he could hear the faint alarm and confusion that wasn't present on her face. "Besides, I can sense that you aren't going to hurt me." A faint shiver ran down his spine, like an itch he couldn't scratch.
"Hmm, good point. Well, you don't need to worry your pretty little head. We just want you to have a nice chat with our buir." Mereel said, cheerful sounding as always.
"Are you talking about Haati? He's the only person I've heard referred to as buir." Ordo frowned. Haati hadn't mentioned anything about meeting her before.
"Haati is our unofficial ba'vodu. That means uncle in Basic." His brother added. Not many people outside of their culture actually spoke the language after all. "You haven't met Kal'buir yet." The woman digested the information for a moment then nodded politely.
"You really aren't scared, are you?" He finally asked from the driver's seat. This startled a small chuckle out of her, for some reason.
"Oh no, I am scared. You are honestly terrifying." Glancing back at her for a moment he took in her expression, body language, and tone of voice. From what he could see there was no hint of deception or sarcasm. She really thought they were both terrifying.
"Aw, don't be like that! We can be very friendly." Even without looking he knew Mereel was giving their abductee a bright smile.
"I'm sure you can be. But it doesn't make you any less deadly." The rest of the trip was spent in silence.
Setting the vehicle down on the platform at the operational house Ordo shut it down and got out. Mereel tugged gently on the woman's arm and was rewarded with her obediently getting out of the speeder and standing quietly next to him. Ordo let the two of them walk past him before slipping into a guard position behind her. If she tried anything he was in the perfect position to subdue her. Although he had no reason to expect her to act up now.
"Present for you buir!" Mereel called into the main room as he gently maneuvered their abductee. Kal'buir's face when he caught sight of the woman was full of shock and confusion.
"Did you bring a guest, boys?" Although he spoke calmly Ordo could hear the faint anger and apprehension in his voice.
"Good afternoon. To what do I owe the pleasure?" The woman's tone was light but there was a hard edge to it that made him pause. Kal'buir shook his head.
"Sergeant Kal Skirata, ma'am, and these are my boys Ordo and Mereel." He motioned to them as he introduced them. "I'm sorry if you've had a rough time of it." The woman watched him for a moment and her features seemed to soften slightly, the false calm leaving her as she smiled.
"Liera Buraaaisuh, chief medical officer of the 501st and former jedi padawan." She gave Kal'buir a polite bow. "So, why the sudden invitation?" Kal'buir's face twitched and he raised an eyebrow at them.
"She's the one who can get rid of whatever the Kaminii did to us that accelerated our aging." He answered the man's unspoken question.
"Is that all you wanted?" She sounded incredulous, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Why didn't you just say so?" Letting out a small huff she frowned at them. "Is it just you two?"
"No, ma'am. We have two commando squads downstairs, Odro and Mereel here, and a trooper named Corr." The woman looked between them for a moment before her attention focused on Kal'buir. There was a calculating air about her as she watched their buir that had him feeling on edge. If she even twitched aggressively in Kal'buir's direction he'd slot her before she could blink.
"I can start with you two then, if you'd like." She turned to look at them and smiled. "Maybe when I'm finished you'll let me heal you too, Sergeant." Ordo stiffened, wary for any threat. "I don't even need the force to tell that you're favoring one leg over the other. What the force does tell me is that you are a very dedicated and caring man. Someone these men are devoted to wholeheartedly. I'd be more than happy to help you." Watching Kal'buir from the corner of his eye he could see the man hesitate for a moment before he smiled.
"Just help my boys first and we'll see how it goes." The woman rolled her eyes as she turned to Mereel.
"I'll hold you to that, Sergeant."
Mando'a Trqanslations
Udesii- Calm down, take it easy.
Vutyc Baar'ur- Special medic. (Force sensitive medic.)
Jare'la- Stupidly oblivious of danger.
Ori'vod, cuyir ulyc.- Elder brother, be careful.
Dar'baati vod'ike- Don't worry little brothers.
Shab- Fuck.
Ori'vod, ni enteyor slanar.- Elder brother, I must go.
Ti kaysh?- With her?
Slot- Kill, assassinate.
