It had been several days since Callista's lesson with Master Karrde, and she took some time to check in with Master Azad. She had progressed far during her time here at the Temple, on her way to becoming one of the most skilled Healers.
Manna was proud of her Padawan. She applied herself diligently to her studies, finding ways to practice the techniques. Her natural abilities as a Healer served as a solid foundation to what she learned here at the Temple and in her lessons with General Dinn.
She listened intently as her Padawan described some of the things that she had been learning with the General. While she did not approve of some of the General's methods of instruction, she could not argue that they weren't effective.
"Callista, I have a small mission for you. There has been an outbreak of the Correllian Flu in Coronet City. The Council has asked me to send you there with a shipment of the vaccine, and to serve in a medical capacity."
She couldn't hide her surprise. "Master, I'm in the midst of my studies, surely there is someone else..." Manna shook her head. "The Council asked for you by name." Callista pondered that a moment. "I can be ready to leave in an hour." She rose from her seat and went to pack, stopping in the infirmary to pick up her precious cargo in its sealed container. Before she left, the staff made sure she had received a vaccination.
The flight cabin of the small courier ship was quiet as Callista made the hyperspace transit. Suddenly, the stillness was shattered by an earsplitting alarm, and the ship dropped abruptly out of hyperspace. Looking at the navicomp, Callista found herself in a small system halfway between Coruscant and Corellia.
'Looks like I have to replace a motivator coil. I hope there is someplace on this planet that has one.' She set the ship down on the outskirts of a small city. A mechanic's shop was found easily enough, and the part purchased.
On the way back, she passed many people. One in particular stood out to her, but the feeling she got off him made her skin crawl. In spite of everything her instincts were telling her, she approached him. "Can I offer assistance, sir? You are injured..."
The man straightened up at once, like a wild animal that finds itself confronted by a predator. The look in his eyes was unfocused, nearly delirious, and as he sized up the young woman he seemed to grow only more tense. Seemingly by instinct, he clutched his leg with his hand.
"What business do you have with my afflictions, young Jedi?"
Callista backed off a step, startled at the look in his eyes. She gazed back at him. "I can heal your leg for you." The man's eyes seemed to relax the slightest bit, though his body was still tensed and ready for action. "Fancy yourself a healer, do you?"
"I am a Healer sir, both by skill and training..." Her hand hovered near her saber, as she was still uncertain about him. The man tried to smile, but at that moment his leg buckled and his smile became a grimace.
Stepping forward, Callista caught him, slipping his arm over her shoulder. "Let me help...please..."
It seemed at first as if the man was trying to come up with some snide remark, but another grimace made it clear that pain had overcome his regular reasoning. "My wound is no mere scrape, young Jedi," he said at last. "Are you so sure of your abilities?"
She nodded silently, remembering just how she had learned a particular lesson from Arie. She shuddered slightly from the memory.
For a long moment he was silent. Finally, relaxing his body, he put his weight onto his good leg and slowly picked himself up. "Very well, then. Let us see what the young Jedi is capable of."
Supporting him on the other side, Callista made her way back to the courier ship. She could sense the effort it took for him to stay upright, and she hurried him aboard, helping him settle onto one of the bunks.
Kneeling in front of him, she carefully lifted his leg, gently peeling away his leg wrappings. He winced, and she sent out calming waves, easing and helping to block his pain.
"My thanks for your assistance, young Jedi. There are few willing to help one such as I." He closed his eyes, seeming to focus for a second, and a deep, almost invasive chill came over her. "Perhaps you would have been better off trusting your first impressions of me."
She glanced up quickly, her focus faltering, as her hand drifted towards her saber.
"Your tibia is broken…"
The man locked eyes with her for a long second, his eyes still showing the pain he tried, and failed, to mask. "So it would seem."
She shivered slightly at the searching look he had given her, and then she refocused on his leg. "I'll have to set it before I can repair it..."
His body tensed up again. "Be done with it, then." His hands curled into fists, and he closed his jaw firmly.
She nodded, and grasping his ankle, she pulled firmly. She felt the bones scrape against one another as they moved back into place, and she once again eased his pain through the Force. Settling his leg across her knees, she placed one hand gently on either side of the break, bathing it with healing energy.
Despite her attempts to ease his pain, the man couldn't help but let out a groan. Nonetheless, he seemed to calm down, and sinking back into the bunk, he remained silent as she finished her work.
She glanced at him. "I would recommend staying off that leg for a couple of days so the bones have a chance to reknit."
"Of course," he said, slowly opening his eyes again. The wound had taken its toll on him mentally, and with the pain gone he seemed to be drifting towards sleep. "You need not fear me, Jedi. Not all of my kind are so malicious as you may think."
Nodding, she rose to her feet. "You are welcome to stay and rest. I have a few repairs to make before I can continue on my way."
Nodding slightly, he sunk further into the bunk as he answered her. "My thanks again, young Jedi. Your kindness will not go unrequited."
Smiling slightly, she turned and made her way to the small engine room of the courier. She had a motivator to replace. It was found easily enough; as she slid it out of its slightly blackened receptacle. The part itself was charred beyond repair.
Replacing it was a different matter. She scooted under the hyperdrive, her hair brushing the base of it as she reached up inside to replace the part. That finished, she made her way back to the flight cabin to test her repairs. Passing his bunk, she saw that he was sleeping soundly, so she let him be.
Back in the flight cabin, she routed power through the new motivator and was gratified when it responded. 'I should still be able to make my delivery on time.' She felt him as he approached the flight cabin. Glancing up, she smiled. "Feeling better?"
"Considering my state previously, yes." His eyes had calmed down, holding only a calm intensity within them now. As he approached her, she saw that though he was still walking with a fairly pronounced limp, he moved fluidly. "Your skills are greater than I had expected."
She flushed slightly. "My thanks, I do what I can."
The man smiled back. "There is no wrongness in taking pride in our accomplishments, young Jedi. You needn't be modest about your talents."
She really smiled at that. "I guess I am at that. I don't like to boast though. I have a delivery to make to Corellia, is there somewhere I can take you?"
He nodded. "You have helped me enough as it is, but passage to Corellia would not be unwelcome. Beyond that, I don't wish to disturb what business you may have."
"Corellia it is then." She input the coordinates into the navicomp, and lifting off, engaged the engines.
Rising stiffly from the pilot's chair, she turned to her companion. "My thanks for your company, it was very welcome." She picked up the crate and made her way off the ship into the bustling Coronet spaceport. The man hesitated for a moment, and then called out to her. "Does the young Jedi have a name?"
She paused, smiling. "My apologies, Callista Gseran, sir."
He smiled and gave a small bow. "Thank you for the transportation, Callista. If you have any need of my services, ask for the name of Mephisto. For what help I can give, I will be glad to repay my debts."
"Thank you. Mephisto." She bowed back. "If you need me, I will be in the med center over that way." She pointed towards the center of the city.
"I will keep it in mind. For now, may the Force be with you, Callista." As he walked into the bustling crowd, a chance billowing of his cloak revealed what was unmistakably a lightsaber. A Sith lightsaber.
Her eyes narrowed as she glimpsed what could only be a Sith lightsaber. Shaking her head, she continued on her way, thinking only of his kindness. 'Not all Sith are as they appear to be, she thought.'
The med center was crammed full of people. The situation was so bad that the doctors and nurses had to step over them to reach other patients. It was organized chaos.
Callista made yet another round through the crowded halls, trying not to trip over people as she went. She was surprised at the calmness displayed by the city's inhabitants. They calmly followed any instructions the medical staff gave.
An orderly helped a young woman down the hall towards Callista. "Healer, this woman needs to be delivered now, she is full term..." Nodding, Callista moved to the woman's other side, helping her to an exam room. The orderly helped the woman up on the bed, and helped her lay back.
Turing to the orderly, Callista said, "Get me as many towels as you can find, and a pair of surgical scissors." The orderly nodded and raced from the room, as Callista turned to calming the young woman.
She looked to be not much older than Callista, and she seemed a little overwhelmed. Her face softening, Callista asked, "If you would like me to, I can lessen your pain during the delivery..."
She nodded, her breath coming fast as she struggled to control the contractions. Resting her hand on the woman's forehead, Callista sent calming waves at her, lessening the pain of the contractions. Just then, the orderly returned with an armful of towels and the surgical scissors.
An hour later, Callista settled the newborn child in the young woman's arms, and stepped out into the halls. They had cleared quite a bit, as the staff worked to treat those affected with the flu.
She made her way down the hall to a comm terminal, and punched in the code for the Temple. A young woman answered, and transferred her to Manna's office. Her mentor's face brightened when she saw who was on the other end.
"Callista, how goes the situation there?" Callista took a deep breath, centering herself after such long hours. "It goes well, about 80% of the population has been treated. I think the staff here have it under control now." Her face glowed as she remembered the small life she had helped to bring into the world. "And we have a new addition, a baby was born today."
She brushed some hair out of her face, and Manna looked at her intently. "You need rest, Callista, and I think you need to get away for a while, I'm sure Master Karrde would love to have you visit Cataan."
Having concluded her business at the med center, Callista once again boarded the courier ship. Once on board, she put in a call to Master Karrde on Cataan.
Steffan was bouncing little Catharine on his knee in the living room when the comm signal came in.
"I got it," he told Jade in the kitchen as he went to the wall panel with Catharine in his arms and routed the comm to the imager. "Well, Jedi Gseran, this is certainly a surprise."
Callista smiled as she caught sight of Catherine. "I'm sorry to bother you Master, but I was wondering if I could come stay for a few days? My mission to Corellia is complete."
"Corellia is only two jumps away," Steffan said as he thought about it. "We have a guest cabin that's not being used and you can use the hangar here. I don't see a problem."
"I appreciate it, it's been a while since I was away from the Temple. I could use a little time."
Steffan smiled and shifted Catharine to the other side. "You know where Cataan is?" Callista shook her head. "I have a rough idea from my stellar cartography course, but that's it..."
"Three parsecs Rimward of the intersection of the Corellian and Rimma trade routes," Steffan told her. "I'll make arrangements to get you through the system."
She nodded, remembering the Cataani Defense Force. "Thank you."
"Don't worry," Steffan said, picking up on her sense. "We're great to friends." She chuckled a little at that, laughing for the first time in days. "I have quite a story to tell you when I get there, as well..."
"Well, I look forward to hearing it," Steffan told her with a smile. "Call us when you get in the system."
"Will do." She nodded and cut the connection. Entering the coordinates that he had given her, she paused for a moment, reaching out with her mind until she found him. 'Be well, Mephisto.' Turning back to the controls, she lifted off from the plaza, and soon into open space.
Dropping from hyperspace just inside the system, Callista once again keyed in the comm code for the Karrde residence.
'Steffan' he heard Jade's voice in his mind. 'Callista is in the system and on her way. I've got the transponder for the hangar activated for her to home in on.'
'Good idea,' Steffan thought. This was the young Jedi's first visit; she didn't need to get lost.
The control board beeped, signaling a homing beacon had been activated. Locking onto the signal, Callista guided her ship down to land softly on the tarmac behind the Karrde residence.
She rose from her seat, grabbing her bag from the copilot's chair, and stepped out into the bright sunlight of Cataan. She half expected to see Master Karrde waiting for her, but instead there was a young lady...close to her own age...waiting for her at the boarding ramp. "Callista?" she called out and bowed to her when she came down. "Good to meet you. My name is Andrea."
Callista smiled when she saw, instead of Master Karrde, what could only be one of his children. There was a definite resemblance. "Hello Andrea, my thanks to you and your family for your hospitality." She bowed in return.
"Well, we're always happy to have company," Andrea said as she gestured towards the path. "Come on, I'll take you to the house."
Smiling, Callista fell into step beside Andrea. "It's beautiful here. Coruscant feels so stark compared to the life here..."
"We've tried to keep as much of the natural life here as possible," Andrea told her. "The only places that are even going to resemble a city are the capital and the three major port cities. All the other communities are small villages and townships."
She nodded. "It's very peaceful..." She paused, thinking once again of her encounter on her mission.
Andrea looked at her, "Are you alright? You're preoccupied."
Callista glanced up. "I think so, it's just something that happened on my way to Corellia..."
"Oh," Andrea said as she motioned to the wooden house across the lake. "We're almost there." Callista gazed across the lake and felt herself relax as she took in the simple home surrounded by trees.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to speak to Master Karrde as soon as I can..."
"I think he's instructing Ryneas at the moment," Andrea told her as they started going up the steps to the house. "I can take you down there if you like... but it requires a lot from you."
Callista raised an eyebrow at that. "He has instructed me in the lightsaber many times. I would be honored to be a part of that."
"You say not to reveal this to anyone?" Andrea asked her, her look serious. She nodded, sensing the seriousness of the moment. "You have my word."
"Don't mean to go overboard," Andrea told her as she led Callista to the fireplace. "But its something that this family keeps secret about this house. Only a few outside of it know."
She nodded silently, and followed Andrea into the fireplace. "What is this place?"
"I can't remember how far back the place was built," Andrea said as she rested her hand on one of the rocks. "But the house has been in the family for generations."
It had taken a few moments, and then Callista stepped back in surprise as a section of the wall began to move away to show a stone stairway.
"Follow me," Andrea said as she started down the steps.
Callista made her way down the dim stairwell, trailing her hand along the wall to guide her as she reached out through the Force.
Andrea led her down into the cavern, the lighting showing Callista the smooth surface, with marking, circles and ancient script written in the patterns.
"The training circle," Andrea whispered to her. "Funny, I thought they would be here."
"I don't see them either..."