Chapter Thirteen: Maladies

Ryloh stirred from his slumber to find the other acolytes patiently gathered around him, his companion directly by his side. Confused and disoriented, he felt solace in the presence of his partner and his allies, even Isorr who stood with his arms crossed a short distance away. Slowly, the Twi'lek rose from the ground and dusted himself off as all eyes fell upon him. Slowly regaining his vigor, the inquisitor was determined to press forth without further delay.

There were few words to be shared between the acolytes, for there was little to be said. The eight students had come to an inherent understanding. They realized that they all traveled along a singular path, that their fates were now connected and intertwined by more than just the meddling of their superiors. A physical, emotional, and spiritual connection resonated between the eight acolytes. And once everyone was assured of each individual's well-being, the group set out once more to return to the Academy. Toward answers. Toward fate.

Jresh took to the forefront of the traveling pack, ever confident in his navigational skills as he blazed the path across the harsh Korriban terrain. The abominable pit behind them, what rest in front of the acolytes was simply a maddening stretch of lightly jagged plains. And so the eight students marched, for a simple trudge would do them no good. They had their eyes set upon one singular goal, and knew in their hearts that they would see it fulfilled. For all of them. So they marched, and marched, and marched.

"How much longer do you think it will be until we reach the Academy?" Lorrik asked his companion.

"It all depends on any further complications. But I think if we can keep our pace, we may be able to return by tomorrow night," Jresh explained.

"Good. Good. I was thinking we should make camp early tonight and start early tomorrow. After the ordeal, I don't think Kar'ai and Ryloh will be good to travel through the night."

"How about you? Are you holding up?" Jresh calmly asked.

"I luckily managed to mitigate myself throughout the process to some degree. Still, even sensing what they were going through was… difficult," Lorrik admitted.

"We felt it ourselves as we watched. Externally, it was quite a display. The world around you seemed to take notice of your actions. A fine display of Force prowess."

"Well, thank you, but that likely had more to do with Ryloh and Kar'ai's reaction to the experience. You put a Force-sensitive through something traumatic like that… something is bound to manifest," Lorrik stated.

"You think it will have any lasting effects?" Jresh asked.

"I don't know. Kar'ai seems to have made a full recovery. Ryloh seems a bit sluggish, but then again, maybe he's just at peace with his partner being safe."

"Do you think it had any effect on you?"

"Physically? No."

"Mentally?" Jresh asked.

Lorrik hesitated. "In the beginning, I can honestly say I had no idea what I was doing. I was afraid of what would happen if we did nothing… afraid of what would happen if I did do something. I was hesitant. I was unsure. I couldn't believe in myself. But then… you gave me a sign that washed away all those things. A simply nod of the head. All that time I couldn't believe in myself, and all it took was a simple gesture from you."

"You have sufficient knowledge and power resting within you. If all you ever needed was the occasional push in the right direction, you'll find no complaints from me. I've seen acolytes with far greater debilitations."

"I guess I should be thankful."

"You needn't be," Jresh firmly stated. "You've long since earned my respect. You've nothing to prove to me, and I've nothing to prove to you. At this juncture, we are together. It is our duty to lend one another a hand, to lift them when they fall, to push them when they stall. To believe in one another. I am confident in our ability to fulfill that duty."

The Human let out a soft chuckle. "This place really has screwed us up. Your Sith brain won't even let you realize that you just defined friendship."

Jresh set his eyes upon the horizon alongside his usual stoic visage. Letting out another chuckle, Lorrik turned his attention to the trailing acolytes. They walked in their usual pairings, but occasionally would separate and reconvene, intermingling with their fellow students. The Human witnessed Kar'ai break away from her companion, leaving Ryloh by his lonesome. Patting Jresh on the shoulder, Lorrik quickly directed himself to the rear of the group where the male Twi'lek walked.

"Ryloh, holding up okay?" Lorrik asked, voice soft and warm.

"Yeah… yeah. Just trying to get back into the swing of things," Ryloh sluggishly explained.

"Kar'ai seems to be doing well," Lorrik stated, looking over to see the Rattataki engaging Arlia in conversation, Isorr walking a short distance them.

"Yeah, I'm glad."

Looking upon the other inquisitor, Lorrik saw Ryloh's face momentarily wince as he struggled to return to a norm. "Something wrong?"

"I have a confession to make…" Ryloh whispered as the Human gave him his full attention. "During the… ordeal, I attempted something."

"What?"

"I just… I just wanted to save Kar'ai from… from, I don't know," Ryloh struggled to explain.

"Slowly, tell me what happened," Lorrik directed, his voice losing some of its previous warmth.

"Back at the Academy, I studied a number of Force applications. I always knew I'd be too weak to summon lightning or move unmovable objects. But the one field I thought I could do, involved manipulation of the mind."

"Please tell me this isn't something I don't want to hear," Lorrik muttered, the warmth all but gone from his tone.

"I didn't know what effect the pain would have on Kar'ai. I wanted to make things easier for her. I thought… I thought I could erase the memory of the pain. Make her forget she suffered."

"You didn't…"

The Twi'lek shook his head. "You're right. I didn't. I tried peeking into her mind, but I couldn't focus. I instead managed to make myself a lightning rod for the pain she was experiencing."

"You meant to ease the pain, but ended up taking in all of it…" Lorrik said, almost in disbelief. "That's horrible! We have to stop. You need time to recover. That much sensory overload should have killed you."

"I'm… fine."

"No, you're not. What you've experienced, your mind and body shouldn't have been able to withstand it."

"It's because of Kar'ai. I knew, deep in my heart, that every moment I suffered, meant she didn't have to. She needs to be in peak condition. I don't. Now please, she's coming back, and I'd rather not have her know about this right now. I don't want her to worry."

Lorrik stared at his fellow inquisitor with conflicting emotions. He knew Kar'ai deserved to know what Ryloh did for her, but he couldn't risk the formation of anything resembling a rift at this juncture. Something inside the Twi'lek remained broken, something Lorrik couldn't fix, regardless of confidence or skill. Assuming it needed a fix in the first place. The Human knew he was capable of sacrifice, and would almost assuredly offer his mind and body should they be require for the sake of his companion. But still he remained unsure, of so many things.

"Hey, Lorrik," Kar'ai called out. "You do good work. You'd never know I passed out and fell down a cliff if it weren't for my robes. You have our thanks. Isn't that right Ryloh?"

"Heh, of course it is," Ryloh added, now seemingly unaffected by any internal malady. Lorrik flashed a half-genuine smile and offered a wave of his hand as he made his way back toward the front of the group.

'You do good work'. The words repeated in the inquisitor's mind. He wondered, could he have done things better? Ryloh was in his current situation because he knew of no other way to heal Kar'ai. He blamed himself. For all the good he'd done in uniting the acolytes, he felt he had a hand in every disaster that befell them amongst the wastes of Korriban.

Lorrik once again walked by his companion's side. Looking over, Jresh saw a melancholy in the Human's visage. He thought to speak, but sensed it was not a time for words. Instead, he offered a brief, but comforting hand upon Lorrik's shoulder. The two had their eyes set upon the stretching landscape in front of them. Slowly, the inquisitor lifted from his low state. He couldn't stop now. Hardship was the lifeblood of the Sith. Solutions came with knowledge, and so, he would acquire that knowledge. Rather than dwell on mistakes or missed opportunities, Lorrik set his gaze upon the horizon. Toward the future. There he would stand high, with Jresh by his side.