Almost five years ago
"Cadet Portland what happened back there? I thought things were going okay and now suddenly you've just had a breakdown"
"It's not okay, I can't do anything right, I am far from home, I have to adapt so suddenly to a new means of defending myself, I'm constantly around authority figures so that I can tell you about my life in the Republic, I'm the only Jedi at the academy, this scenario happened to me back at the Republic and I just went into instinct mode seeing as how I barely survived last time I was in this situation and most likely thought dead, and I'm lucky if I get fifteen minutes to meditate, it's too much the Republic and Jedi council should have never sent me here, I hate it!"
"Wait, what's so important about meditation and how come you're only getting fifteen minutes if you're lucky enough?"
"Meditation is how Jedi release their emotions into the Force, it helps center us, gives us focus, depending on how deep we go it strengthens our connection to the Force, but I can't meditate at all on some days because I was given strict orders by you not to reveal myself as different in more ways than simply the fact that I've decided to join in my mid twenties. If there was another Jedi here at least I could talk to them about how I'm feeling and be able to talk to someone who understands what I am going through and give me somebody to talk with whom I have a connection to"
"Okay, I don't know what we're going to do to fully get you through this cadet, but for now I think it's time we did something that should have been done long ago, I think it's time you saw a councilor, one who has the right security clearance to know everything about you and until the councilor says otherwise the meetings will be mandatory"
"I think that will be a big help thank you Admiral"
Over the next several days Ashland meets the Betazed councilor and the people in charge of the Academy and the debriefs discuss how to help their lonely Jedi and easily come up with a solution. A few days after the breakdown they requested to see Portland in the head office
"Cadet Portland I believe we've found a solution that will benefit everyone, starting tomorrow you'll come here after the noon meal for three hours every other day for meditation, on the weekends it will be for as long as you need to but under observation so that we make sure you still eat"
"I can accept that"
So that's exactly what they do, within a few days they noticed a marked difference in how well she seemed to be doing and asked to join in on her meditation sessions and also asked her to teach them a little bit more about meditations seeing as how they might benefit them as well. They continued for three months and then those meetings went back to debriefings but by that time Ashland had finally managed to balance her life a little better. Ashland would also continue to see the Councilor on occasion when her meditation periods failed, like right after the major accident
Immediately after the accident
"Councilor Johl, can we talk?"
"Yes Portland what is it?"
"It's about the recent training accident"
"I heard, I'm glad to see that you're healing alright"
"Except I'm not as okay as I seem to be"
"What's wrong?"
"My meditations have failed I just can't seem to find any peace when meditating, I think...I think it's best that I talk about what happened to you before I try meditation again, get an outsiders perspective who will let me simply talk instead of forcing me to talk about how I felt during that crazy period"
"Very well, let's simply start out by how you've been doing since your last session with me"
So for the next several session she simply caught the councilor up and then they started working through what had happened on the training exercise. Once those sessions were over Ashland was able to properly meditate again but both knew that there would most likely be something else that forces her to be unable to meditate and she'd be right back at the councilors office
Present
"After that they wanted to make sure there were no other surprises so they asked me everything a Jedi needed to do to keep their lives balanced and I told them that those two things were really the only things that they couldn't really know or understand about us, everything else they did just fine in keeping my life balanced, though I did warn them that if I went into a healing trance while in the medical facility I would heal a lot faster than most students and sometimes I wouldn't even need the medical facility if it was minor enough and they accepted that"
"What about the training accident with those serious injuries?"
"Three days in medical, one day in a healing trance and several meditation periods afterwords just to make sure I was healing well"
"And the medics?"
"Seeing as how they knew about me they weren't worried and besides, with the modern medicine that Starfleet has several students who had broken bones or bruises, dislocated parts, or sprains and strains weren't in medical for very long either, though follow up was a bit longer for them and they were on light duty a bit longer as well"
"Didn't I hear a complaint about your healing trance at least once Sentinel? I believe it's in your file soon after you joined my crew, though we didn't know it was a healing trance until just recently"
"Oh that, um that was actually a combination of a healing trance and a coma Captain, you see I knew I was pretty seriously injured and needed all the help I could get to heal so once I knew I was safe with the crew I went into the trance, unfortunately for me I went a little too deep and that combined with my injuries meant I wound up in a coma for two weeks. I made the decision right then and there that there would be no more healing trances until I revealed myself to the crew no matter how much I wanted to, the only time that might have happened unintentionally was the one time I was found already unconscious from that building collapse"
"The doctor almost declared you in a coma when she realized you were just deeply asleep, but I think now that we know the terminology I believe she'll be able to tell when you're in a healing trance"
"Agreed, but I warn you here and now just like I'll warn the doctor, those trances are dangerous if not done properly or if they last too long unobserved"
"What makes them so dangerous?"
Luke takes up the explanations from there
"Easy, because one can easily become lost in the trance, and sometimes Jedi can have visions in the trance which makes it all the more dangerous because those visions can be extremely intense. It's why there's a recommendation that a Jedi not go into the healing trance unless with another Jedi, unless it happens during meditation when you're conscious and can control just how deep you are in the trance"
"I understand, Sentinel do you automatically keep yourself from the trance or will it have to be an order any time you're injured?"
"Captain I already told you it's automatic to prevent the trance unless I know it's going to be light or if I'm in medical, it's the newer Sentinel's that will need to be given the orders to avoid the trance unless in a medical facility unless they know for sure they just need a light trance"
"Well for now let's see what can be done to get Naboo back in order and then go from there"
They do exactly that and soon seven months had passed since the battle for Naboo. While in the Senate one day they heard a call no one was expecting for several more months
"USS ENTERPRISE to Republic Senate please respond"
"Captain Picard this is Captain Anderson of the Texas what brings you all the way out here?"
"We have the Federation representatives Captain, and you should know that it now only takes six and a half months to get from Federation space to Republic space, the reason why the test ship isn't here is because there was another problem soon after testing was completed so they modified my ship to bring the representatives. I have the schematics for your engineer and am volunteering my chief engineer until your engines are properly modified"
"Thank you Captain Picard, you can beam the representatives to my location seeing as how we're in the midst of a meeting now, they might as well join in, oh and I assume that since you are here things have settled down in regards to the rogue Dominion?"
"Somewhat Captain Anderson, I'll explain more in a face to face meeting, we're beaming the representatives down to you now"
Over the next several days the engines on the Texas were modified and they got a major update on what was going on in regards to the rogue Dominion soldiers
"So they're getting more organized but at the same time we have the advantage with our alliances, but I wonder is the Neutral Zone still up despite the alliance between the Federation and Romulus?"
"Yes Ambassador Spock is working on getting Romulus to join the Federation and also his reunification project but for now everyone is happy with an alliance and waiting to see where we go from there"
"Captain Picard would you mind a few extra guests on your ship?"
"What for Ensign Portland?"
"Sorry Captain but that's Sentinel Portland now in case you haven't heard of the new rank system"
"Of course you're a Jedi, my apologies Sentinel, I presume that the extra guests are fellow Jedi who want to give Starfleet a try"
"Yes Captain fifteen Jedi, most of them Knights but two of them Masters, want to try and join Starfleet"
"I can take five of your fellow Jedi but you will have to take the rest"
"No problem we can take ten easily, we just couldn't take all fifteen"
The Jedi quickly get organized into two groups and then were transported to their respective ships after the whole transporting thing was explained
"So Sentinel I need you in medical for a bit"
"What for Captain?"
"The doctor needs to fully understand Jedi and thus needs a full workup on you for future references for her and a general reference for doctors who might potentially have Jedi as patients. I get the feeling that more Jedi will eventually join Starfleet so I deem that workup necessary, besides you can help your fellow Jedi remain calm because they're getting a workup too. Oh and she wants to hear more about bacta and how that works as well"
"Understood Captain, once that's done am I going to my duty station at the helm?"
"Yes I need you there after words because quite frankly I'll need your help explaining everything to whoever greets us first if they're not part of the Admiralty"
"Understood Captain, good thing you have all the files you need to give to the Federation and vice versa in regards to the Enterprise having files for the Republic"
Portland goes to medical and spends the next three hours being poked, prodded and asked questions galore all so that the medical field could understand Jedi just a little better and how best to treat them when injured
"Bacta can also be used for burns but I would be very careful about how much you use on anyone but a Jedi at first"
"Allergic reaction possibility?"
"Exactly, not many people are allergic to bacta unless it's tainted but it is a possibility and one we should watch out for"
"Alright I think I have all the information I need for medical, you can go to your duty station now Sentinel, but be careful, I gave you some injections that I am testing to see how they react to a Jedi and their use of the Force. I want you to report to me immediately if you have any reaction you're not used to when given an injection is that understood?"
"Understood doctor, I will tell the watch commander that I am under medical orders to report to sickbay if I have any reaction to what you gave me while undergoing tests"
Portland goes to her duty station on the bridge and five hours later is forced to end her shift due to the fact that when she stood up to check something at tactical she felt dizzy and faint
"Lt. I need to report to medical, now"
"Understood Sentinel, do you want someone to go with you just in case?"
"Yes sir that's probably a good idea"
Fortunately they arrive at sickbay with no further problems and it turns out that Portland did indeed suffer a reaction to one of the medications in her system due to the Force, turned out that it recognized the inoculation as foreign seeing as how a healing trance would be just as effective
"Basically any Jedi officer can't go to the planet until we work this issue out"
"Got it doctor do I have to stay here?"
"Yes for at least the night, I want to make sure your reaction doesn't get any worse, and I also want to make sure that you aren't reacting to anything else"
"Understood, have you given any other Jedi the inoculation?"
"No I was waiting for a full twenty-four hours before I gave them anything just in case, seeing as how you are already a Starfleet officer I could test the injections on you without you giving me full consent seeing as how signing up is your consent"
"Exactly, so a full night, very well, when will I be allowed to be back on duty?"
"After I let you leave sickbay you'll be cleared for full duty, however your diet will be restricted for at least twelve hours after you leave"
"Got it"
Ashland quickly recovers from the reaction and six months later they were back in Federation space looking at Earth, most for the first time ever
"So that's Earth"
"Yes it is a beautiful planet, you'll be undergoing tests over the next several days, normally only one student will be allowed to join from any testing facility but seeing as how it's been decided it would be better for you to have fellow Jedi with you it will depend on how many of you pass, and you will get to try again if you so choose at a later date so if you fail they will find places for you to stay until you can retest to join the Academy. I'll warn you it's a hard test and you're not allowed to use the Force, they want to see how you do without any special abilities. Once you pass they will start testing you while you use the Force so that they see exactly what they need to work on in regards to what they need to do so that you're not set up for failure and just what could potentially set you off in a flashback. That's especially important for you newer Knights because you won't have as many coping methods as the older Knights and the two Masters have, they learned their lesson when I had a breakdown in a training simulation and don't want a repeat"
"Just how closely will we be watched Portland?"
"For the first few months pretty closely but that's pretty much standard procedure for new recruits, as the year goes on they won't be watching you nearly as closely as before and you also won't be watched as closely as I was after my breakdown but that happened due to mistakes on both sides"
"So when's testing?"
"In three days but I won't be here to talk to you about it or help you cope afterwords, we have a supply mission to a nearby colony and we have to depart immediately, those on the Enterprise are also being dropped off, don't worry some Starfleet Admirals will be meeting you at the coordinates we're dropping you off at so that they can take you to where you are staying while you are being tested"
While the Jedi were getting tested the Texas went on their assigned mission which quickly got out of hand because of the fact that there were rogue Dominion that decided to attack the fledgling colony, seeing as how the colony had just recently been reestablished after frequent attacks by multiple enemies of the Federation. But first Portland got her new symbol of rank
"This is the Orange star signifying your rank, the colors are white for Probation, orange for Entry, purple for Freshman, red for Sophomore, black with silver outlining for First Junior, green for Second Junior, blue for High Junior and gold for Senior. You will only wear one star at a time except for those at the Academy"
"To signify how far in their Academy years they are right?"
"Exactly, now then we're still working on just what qualifies as a promotion unless it's a field promotion but we'll work everything out eventually"
"What I'm wondering is why black signifies First Junior"
"Oh that's easy it's the halfway mark between the ranks after graduation and everyone agreed that it was to be black to signify that they were at a point where they would either succeed or could potentially fall and be forced to leave Starfleet, as for the Jedi side it's a reminder of how they can easily fall to the dark side of the Force if they aren't careful"
"That makes sense then. Now then what exactly is our mission for the colony?"
"We're to resupply them and train them in basic defense, that colony has been attacked way to frequently lately and they would stand to benefit on learning how to properly use the phaser, seeing as how your phaser is permanently locked on stun I want them to feel the effect of a full powered stun, the rest will be seen via holograms that will act like real people"
They started the mission and things were actually pretty easy at first when suddenly they were under attack yet again and the enemy tried to make the building collapse. They would have succeeded as well if not for the fact that Ashland quickly put her hands up aimed towards the ceiling
"I would get out of here if I were you, I'm not quite sure just how long I can hold this entire ceiling up, especially considering just how large this building was designed to be"
"You only have to last five minutes Sentinel, and don't worry about getting yourself out we'll lock onto your commbadge and beam you out once everyone else is safe"
"Don't be surprised if you hear of me passing out, I was injured before this happened and thus am straining myself slightly so that everyone can escape safely"
"We'll hurry"
Exactly five minutes later Ashland was transported directly to sickbay where she did indeed promptly pass out. The doctor was surprised at just how long she lasted considering her injuries and how long she held up a building right afterwords. She gave the Captain a full report once he reported to sickbay three hours after the building collapse