Chapter 6 The Reunion

"What are you doing here?" I asked, genuinely pleased to see him. I hadn't expected any company during lunch.

"I was on Tython to use the archives, and I thought I would come say hello since we haven't actually talked in months," said Quorian. "Master Hinada told me that you officially decided to stay with the Jedi."

"Yeah," I said, a little bashful at his obvious approval.

"What finally made up your mind?" he asked. "I was beginning to think you were never going to commit!" He winked to show he was joking.

"Lots of things," I said. "The Jedi want me, that's a big part of it. And I have everything I need without having to fight for it here. I don't worry about what I'm going to eat or where I'm going to sleep and I have medical care if I need it. It would be hard to go find a new home and job and life and try to get all of that on my own."

"Being a Jedi can be hard too," observed Quorian.

"Yes, but for perspective, I was a slave, and then I was an acolyte," I laughed. "This is a different kind of hard. I grew up so used to anger and greed and fighting for survival that making a conscious choice to let things go takes a lot of effort--but I am nothing if not determined."

"Yes you are," he agreed. "Why else did you stay?"

"I like the person I'm becoming," I said. "I wasn't sure at first if this was what I wanted, if I could even do it, but..." I paused to drink from the nearby fountain. "There's something sort of addictive about the peace and clarity, you know? The more I feel it, the more I want it."

"Plus I didn't want to give up my force studies," I added.

"You could still use the force if you weren't a Jedi," he said slowly.

"Yes, but I wouldn't be immersed in it all day like I am now," I said, "Are you trying to change my mind?"

"No, no, of course not!" he said quickly. "I just wanted to be sure that you're happy. You deserve every happiness."

"Thank you," I said, touched. We entered the cafeteria and accepted the trays that a service droid offered us.

"How's training going?" he asked, filling his plate with roasted vegetables and steak. "In your last message, you mentioned that you were working with Master Iie in the Medbay?"

"I don't know how much she likes it, but I'm learning a lot," I said wryly.

"What made you ask to work there?" said Quorian.

"Even with the Sith, I was able to do some healing," I said. He grimaced, remembering. "I thought, maybe this would be something that I was good at. And...do you remember when the flesh raiders attacked the temple?"

"I do," he confirmed. He'd been away from Tython at the time.

"Ever since then, whenever I get into a dangerous situation, I tend to reach for Force Lightning to defend myself," I said ruefully. "They've been trying to train me to use other powers, but whenever there's any danger, I panic, I reach for the Force, and I get the Dark Side and Lightning."

"Oh."

"It doesn't matter if it's Manka Cats or if it's Horranth cubs or Flesh raiders or even training droids!" I complained. "The moment I panic, zap." I wiggled my fingers at him. "I thought that if I were to choose to train as a healer, it would just be safer, you know? I don't want to disappoint the masters after all. I've got a good thing here, and I don't want to mess it up."

Quorian raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Did Master Vaar tell you that you had to do this?"

"No, of course not," I said, "but I know that not everybody was thrilled when you brought me back last year."

"You're taking that rather well," he said skeptically around a mouthful of bread.

"I've decided to make them eat their words," I grinned, showing a bit of fang. "Turns out, I'm rather good at healing. The Dark Side is more prone to corruption and decay, so I had to fight against its nature to do any healing at all. When you're using the light side, you don't have any of that malice trying to twist you into hurting the person instead. Of course, you have to share their pain during the healing, which is definitely NOT my favorite thing, but when you get a group of jedi together, it's not bad."

"It sounds like you're thriving."

"So tell me about you? What are you doing right now?"

"I've been attached to the peace negotiation effort on Sullust," he said. "They're still having disputes over the mining rights within their fourth sector, and the violence has finally died down but neither side seems willing to budge on a few key issues. If they don't compromise, the only other option is one side completely obliterating the other, and we're trying very hard to keep it from coming to that.

"I'm here on Tython to get some of the archivists' help," he continued. "The last master who participated in something like this made a holocron describing their strategies, and we're looking for anything that might help soften everybody's positions, or maybe an alternative solution that would appeal to both parties. The Republic negotiators are doing their best, and I'm optimistic that we're getting closer to a solution now that they've stopped killing each other."

"I hope so," I said.

"I'm heading back first thing in the morning," said Quorian, setting his cutlery on his now-empty tray with a sigh. "But I know that I'll be getting some time to myself when everything is finally settled. Can we talk again when I return? Will you be able to spare the time from your training?"

"I think that can be arranged," I said fondly. "We might have to throw in a spar or two, but that won't take much time."

"I'm sure you've gotten much better!" he said encouragingly.

"Not nearly enough," I said ruefully. "Yet another reason why 'healer' is such a good choice."

"It's not the Jedi way to flinch away from a challenge," he said.

"I know, Quorian," I said, feeling irritation at having yet another person say that to me. Did they all meet to collaborate on what they were going to say to me? Or was I just so terrible that they couldn't help themselves?

"You're working really hard, and that will eventually bring results," said Quorian. I felt the lightest touch of his mind against mine, a little apologetic, and I sighed and let the irritation go into the Force as I'd been taught.

"Thanks for the encouragement," I said. "I sure hope you're right."

"I am," he said confidently. "I've got a good feeling about this."