| abstract
| - Remembrance Hospital -- New Alderaan; Ord Mantell Amidst a manicured campus is a large network of buildings connected by wide corridors. Each building and corridor is constructed of smooth, clean, efficient stonework that mirrors the Alderaanian architecture of the Legacy Complex. The main interior areas are white, save for the colored navigation stripes on the corridor walls and the occasional expanse of window or comforting artwork. Main corridors are clearly marked as being designated in part for hover-traffic; small hover-skimmers move personnel rapidly from one area to another. In the main lobby of the hospital, administrative droids direct visitors, staff and patients to their respective areas. All casualties and ailing persons entering either through the lobby or via the emergency entries are sent immediately to Triage, where they are assigned a status color and treated accordingly. From the lobby, the general public can also access the Cafe, the Lounge, and the Gift Shop. Remembrance Hospital is one of the premier facilities in the New Republic; its staff includes many varied races and welcomes healers and researchers of all types. Areas of the hospital accessible to staff and patients include Research, Intensive Care, Surgery, Maternity, Recovery, and Isolation Wards. Guests may visit the recovery and treatment wards during visiting hours, usually from dawn to dusk. The weather outside is clear. Only a few puffy, pinkish clouds spot the skyline. => Raxis => Serenella Serenella laughs out loud when she understands what he was driving at and shakes her head. "Oh, 'forever' is certainly a bit harsh," she replies, watching him with a warm expression in her eyes. "I think I'd prefer to return to that spa on Caspar for... more pleasant activities, wouldn't you?" she asks, giving him pause for thought while she refills her glass with pure water and takes a sip. "I'll damn well make sure I'll have 'nice and quiet' penciled in somewhere..." Having heard through a random news source that a miss Serenella Jordain had been hospitalized, Luke Skywalker takes a journey to the legacy complex, where he comes into Remembrance Hospital and inquires the lobby clerk of Jordain's location. An orderly comes into Serenella's room moments later, and quietly asks her if she'd be willing to have another visitor. Blushing a little, Raxis flashes a boyish grin and is speechless for a moment. "I'll request the leave just tell me when. And if I have to hurry up and defeat the Empire to make it happen you know I will." He replies, taking another bite from his food. "I miss Caspar actually. It's a good---" He gets out before the door opens. A Mon Calamari nurse peeks her head in, speaking in a guttural tone evident of the difference to their species' vocal chords outside of their planet's aquatic environment. She speaks of a visitor, and Raxis lifts a surprised eyebrow to Serenella, expecting it to be Inanna. Giving her and approving shrug to let him know that he's okay with it, he takes another bite of his food. Serenella looks a little surprised when the nurse appears but nods. " Sure, the more the merrier..." she grins and gives Raxis an apologetic look. Their little date a deux seems to have come to an end. "We'll go back to Caspar together some time, I promise..." she just whispers before she falls silent and sits up straight, wondering who might be coming to see her. A few moments later, Luke peeks his head into the room. He spots Serenella where she's bound to be, and begins to step in fully, when he recognizes Raxis in the room as well. "Oh. Hello." Noting that the pilot is not wearing his duty uniform, he simply bobs his head in greeting, foregoing any pleasantries. "This isn't a bad time, is it?" Serenella looks surprised when she recognizes Luke Skywalker and her cheeks go pink with embarrassment. But then, with all the media coverage her trial got it was only to be expected that he heard of it at well. "Oh, Luke... Mr. Skywalker... errr... what a surprise!", she smiles and gestures for him to come and find a seat. "Do come in... This is my friend, Raxis. Raxis, this is... well, I guess you know..." Smiling to Luke with a genuinely happy smile, on what appears to be an unhappily mangled face, Raxis slides off of the bed and pulls a chair up so that Luke can sit with them. Offering Luke a nod and a quick witted reply. "Oh we've met. He bailed me out of a bar fight." He grins, sitting back on the edge of the bed. "Actually...uh...would you two like some privacy? He's your visitor Sel I'd hate to be a Jawa..." There's a mild bit of humor on Luke's face in lieu of Serenella's surprise, but the injuries to Raxis' face do well enough to remove the surprise in favor of something different, a type of concerned curiosity. "Well, don't worry, I'm not here to interrogate anyone." Unknown to any of them, however, something in his words strikes a chord in the Force... a mildly disturbing route that Luke, for now, has yet to notice. He takes the seat with gratitude, then asks the obligatory question, turning to encompass Raxis as well. "What happened?" Serenella begins to put the finished meals back on the tray to clear them away later, ignoring Raxis' question about privacy, since Luke is obviously interested in hearing his tale. Surely he can't ask what happened to -her- as that's public knowledge all over New Alderaan? "I had an unfortunate run in with a bottle of grain alcohol." Raxis cringes a little, seemingly fine to talk about it. Closer inspection reveals recently healed cuts that will not scar as the bacta finishes its job. "It's kind of embarrassing really, but it wasn't a life or death situation. I was joking around with someone at a lounge and I said something I didn't know was personal. We've made amends." Luke nods his head at that. Story of a pilot's life, to be truthful, so he just smiles slightly and leans back into his seat. "I hope all is well," he says quietly. "The journalists around here can be nothing short of voracious. I'd guess it's because the Republic doesn't censor them like the Empire." Serenella shrugs a bit to that. "I don't care really, it makes me famous and hence I get booked for more concerts and get paid better.", Serenella replies, ever the business-minded, before she smiles faintly. "I have arranged for an exclusive interview on a popular chat show to give New Alderaan my version of events and then I hope it's all over and I can just go on with my life... or what's left of it..." Leaning back a little, Raxis gives Luke time to speak with Serenella as he takes another bite of his food. Wolfing it down, he feels a small twinge of guilt at the mention of Imperial censorship. Shaking the thought away, he continues to eat. Luke chuckles just slightly, having adopted a fondness for Serenella's existence, even if the manner in which she entertained people wasn't exactly in his line of approval. It's this same fondness that has birthed the concern that brought him here, to be truthful... if not the mere nudgings of the Force itself. His chuckle fades, and the spark of good-natured mirth helps to dial down the words he says next. "Well, that's good. Far be it from me to base opinions on sheer hearsay... but I must say I was concerned for you when it call came up. I wouldn't want to see you adopt a lifestyle that will only lead you to more danger." Serenella looks a bit sheepish now and lowers her eyes to look at the black ribbon still tied around her hand, although it looks a bit mangled by now. "You mean the spice? Or the fight on the spaceport? Or both?", she wonders and sighs a bit. "I was a bit out of it after I heard of my husband's death...", she explains and looks up again, her eyes lingering on Raxis very briefly before she faces Luke again. "It was a very unexpected blow and I tried to deal with it the wrong way... by getting stoned out of my head every day... that's what they're teaching me here to understand... I'm learning about myself... get in touch with my feelings and all that." Remaining quiet as they talk, Raxis sets his fork down to nod quietly as she speaks, considering his own role in the situation. Trying to avoid his thoughts twisting towards the role he plays at the war he fails. Quiet as they speak, he remembers his conversation with Admiral Rall, as well as the scarring of Lance, and ponders over it. Lance who'd been roughly scarred through interrogation with what he claimed was a Sith, had taken to irrational behavior as well to heal his inner wounds. Luke nods his head slowly, finding a better clarification to why Serenella was located in the rehabilitation wing. However, her words ignite that strand of existence on the Force, the very one that had been brought to life by Luke's words earlier. This time, his senses tingle at its touch, and his eyebrows arch inward. "Your husband?" he asks, out of sheer confusion at first. His body leans forward in his chair, hands resting on his knees as he looks upon her with empathy. "I'm so sorry. I... wasn't aware that you'd become married." The Force continues to tickle at his senses, and so, he begins to split his focus between this world and the ethereal. It doesn't show on his face... having mastered the ability long ago. Serenella nods and looks down at her hand again, palm upward, so Luke might see the faint scar running horizontally across it, the mangled ribbon half-covering it. A wedding ritual apparently, the scar substituting the more traditional ring. "It didn't last long...", she explains sadly and looks up to meet Luke's eyes. "You knew my husband, didn't you? Antoine Dareus... he told me, he knew you... We got married only a few months ago... then I left for a concert tour to the Outer Rim and when I returned I heard he had died... His life had got totally screwed up by some jackass fucker who messed around with his brain -", she says bitterly, "He had changed completely... He wasn't the man I had fallen in love with anymore..." Flattening his lips, Raxis freezes and dares himself to move. She hadn't spoken with him about her ex-husband, and he worries that even the simplest of shufflings with keep her from venting her frustration. Looking down as they talk, he tries to make a small profile. Skywalker freezes where he is, an ice entering his veins. It shows in his eyes and the way his lips are parted just slightly. "No... no that's not possible," he says, before being able to second-guess himself about revealing that he knows something Serenella may not. He rises from his seat and turns away, eyebrows pinched together as he immediately latches on to the Force, drawing it into his soul deeply. Serenella frowns at Luke's reaction. She might not be a Force user but there's something to be said for female intuition, too. "Not possible? What?!", she asks, her eyes following him. Lifting an eyebrow to watch Luke, Raxis remains quiet. He'd never seen or heard of Luke having such a reaction. His mind races back through Luke's words and Raxis begins to become nervous. Opening his mouth to speak, he sides with discretion and promptly closes it. Luke is silent for a moment, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh as his focus is disrupted by Serenella's reaction. He turns back around, eyes opened. "I was not aware that Antoine Dareus was your husband," he explains, but there seems to be more to say. Luke isn't going to hide this from her, not with a man like Raxis in close proximity. His eyes shift to the pilot, guessing at their connection, and putting a fair bit of trust in it by choosing to go on. He looks back toward Serenella, and walks over toward her bedside, looking down at her with a most somber expression. "It's not possible because I've seen him... no less than a month ago." Serenella looks up at Luke with a frown, considering this. "Perhaps you saw him just before he died...", she replies carefully. Anything else surely can't be possible? "His ... his so-called friend... that big fuck Vichten... he told me about it... said it happened after he got arrested by the CSA on Etti... they poisoned him... that's all I know.", she explains, hoping it will fit into Luke's timeline of events. Mention of Axel Vichten brings a sardonic touch to Luke's otherwise serious features. "Well... I don't know what happened to him after he was in CSA custody. But I can try to find out. I don't know about you, Serenella, but I wouldn't trust Axel Vichten further than I'd trust Emperor Vadim. He draws in a long breath, and casts his eyes between Serenella and Raxis for a moment. Thoughtfully. Serenella has tried to not look at Raxis, seriously. She's learned the hard way that Force users can read minds and that might not be the best for her right now. But now she can't help herself, she does look at Raxis and bites her lip, as something seems to run through her brain, before she looks back at Luke. "He's a mean bastard.", she replies to him, referring to the honorable Mr. Vichten, "He... he dragged my marriage through the dirt... said all sorts of mean things about me... but why would he lie to me about something like this?", she asks, eyes filling up with tears at the memory of a certain conversation on Tatooine, "And if it weren't... well, Tony would have got in touch with me... comlink's dead though... there CAN'T be any other explanation..." A flash of intuition passes through Luke's eyes. "What I know is that Vichten's tongue is as poisonous as his hand," he says. "I also know that the ways of the Sith are deception and cruelty. Give me a short time and I will push my contacts to find out whether Dareus was poisoned, as Vichten claims." Serenella doesn't respond at first, she only crosses her arms in front of her chest, more as if wanting to hug herself and not in a defensive way. This is a wholly unexpected turn of things and she isn't sure what to make of it. "Luke... can I ask you something?", she asks, almost shyly and pats the free space on her bed to suggest he sit down. Looking up at the mention of the Sith, Raxis holds his tongue and looks back to the bed, remaining quiet. Skywalker's expression softens, and he turns to oblige by Serenella's request. He sits on her bedside and turns to face her, vigilance in his eyes. Serenella smiles faintly when Luke does sit beside her, but she cannot hide the anxiety in her voice. "If the Sith have brainwashed someone... into becoming ... one of theirs... is it possible for them to change back?", she asks curiously, "Or would they never let them go again...?" A sudden wave of sadness rushes over Raxis, but he quickly severs it and buries it deep inside. He knew the reality of the situation. He didn't like it, but he was willing to accept it. However, his thoughts move to consider the Sith, picturing Lance being tortured at their hands. It's a heavy question, but fortunately, it is one that Luke can answer. He allows for ample time to fill the room, before he makes a quiet sound with his voice. "Mmmmmm." He nods his head slowly. "The grip of the dark side is seductive and strong. Only through a force of his will could Dareus break the grip that they have on him. His desire to turn must be stronger than whatever they have used to lure him into fear and the lust of power." This, of course, does not mean that it is impossible. "If he were still alive.", Serenella replies with a sad little sigh and shrugs. "I knew that Damion was screwing with his brain... I had been hoping that I could turn him 'round again... that's why I married him... well, that's not exactly the truth...", she admits, blushing a bit and most certainly avoiding Raxis' eyes now, "I didn't really care... I didn't want to KNOW. I closed my eyes to the Sith stuff he was messing around with... I don't know what I was expecting... or hoping for... or what I'd do if... if..." She can't finish the sentence, just buries her face in her hands and begins to sob. A week's worth of therapy down the drain. Flattening his lips, Raxis reaches out and puts a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Putting his possibly wounded pride aside for the moment, he gives Luke a sympathetic look and remains silent. Patting her shoulder, he retracts his arm and returns to being quiet. There's nothing to say for the moment, but Luke is not out of ways to help. Not by a long shot. The Force that he'd gathered into him its put into a different use, and he closes his eyes for a few precious moments. With his eyes closed, he focuses on projecting the Force away from him, filling the room with a sense of comfort and well-being. "The past cannot be changed," he says quietly. "It can, however, be learned from." His eyes open slowly, even while retaining his focus on the encouragement that comes mystically from his soul and touches the minds in this room. "And it can affect the path before us." Serenella senses the change in the air and smiles despite herself, the tears drying fast again. Looking up at Luke again, she smiles at him. "Do let me know what you can find out, ok?", she asks him, "I... I need to know... whatever it is..." Sound wisdom from Luke is worded, and Raxis visibly calms. What was once a pit of despair in his stomach has been reduced for a low rumbling as he sits in silence, staring at the floor. "I will," says Luke. He rises from the bed, and takes a step back so that he can encompass both of them. "In the meanwhile, try to surround yourselves with good people. Friends you can trust." He looks more specifically toward Raxis. "You'll find it's better therapy than most doctor's programs, I'll promise you that. And if anyone doesn't like the idea of hanging out with a spicer whose caused a couple fights, remind them that we're not the Galactic Empire." Serenella nods to Luke's words and smiles faintly. "I'm surprised actually how many people have supported me... I've never had friends on Vorzyd, so it's a bit of a change.", she admits and watches him get up and step back. "I just... I just wish... oh, I don't know... I need to think...", she sighs and shakes her head at some thoughts running through her confused brain, before she looks up at the Jedi again. "Luke... if... if I can be of any help for you, for the Republic... anything to get back at those fucking lying Sith bastards who screwed Tony's life and me... let me know, ok?" A look of contemplation in his eyes, Raxis nods at Luke in an attempt to suggest that he would do the same. There was something personal for him too attached to the word 'Sith', and although he was despairing for other reasons, he was still a soldier. Luke smiles a bit, enjoying determination much more than sorrow. "Get well first," he says, lifting his eyebrows in an authoritative way. "May the Force be with you." He turns to depart. That wasn't exactly what Serenella wanted to hear, but she does not protest, instead she just smiles. "Thank you for coming to see me, Luke... I appreciate it..." "May the force with you as well, Luke." Raxis calls out quietly, as he slips towards the door. Sighing, Raxis rubs his forehead out of stress. "You're welcome," says Luke, before he leaves.
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