Travels

"four hundred twenty three... four hundred twenty four... four hundred twenty five... four hun--"

"Healer Tala?"

The dull brown eyes turned from the ceiling to the woman hovering in the doorway. The healer lay in the infimary's top bunk, arms crossed on his chest, long wavy hair flopping over his face. He looked the typical scientist, glasses, dorky aurora, large nose. He looked tired, frazzled, stressed. He also looked extremely bored to death. Blushing slightly, "I was just counting the dots on the ceiling. Quite fascinating in their multitude and variety, really." He gave a sigh. "What is it, Karston?"

The woman ran a hand through her hair, letting it linger on the back of her neck, rubbing nervously. "Tala... the captain..."

In a flash of green velvet robes, the man had landed on the floor of the ship with the gracefulness of a Parsian feline. The moment his boots hit, he was off down the corridor. He felt the hot stares of the crew as he ran; everyone he passed knew, everyone understood, everyone judged— at least he thought they did. The tall, lankly, awkward man burst into the captain's quarters and threw himself at the foot of the bed, head bowed in the captain's lap, tears running from his face and hot waves of the force shooting through.

The Jedi in bed was old but looked ever so much younger than his three hundred and ninety seven years of experience led to. What hair he had left appeared in white tufts around his ears. His face was mostly smooth, but strong wrinkles stood on his forehead and cheeks. //I have not the energy to lift my hand, my chief.//

Tears streaming down his face, he gently picked up the captain's hand and placed it on top of his head as the man was normally so fond of doing. They were a pair in duty, but their relationship was not on such even ground.

//Thank you so much, my chief.// The man had not spoken a word in years, perhaps had permanently lost his voice. Tala, however, was so deep in the ways of energy that he still had not mastered the art of forming mental words for communication. //Fear not, no tears need be shed for me.//

Tala snorted a laugh, looking up at his master through the tears, "I will sniffle always shed tears for those I love." He sighed, rubbing his arm across his face to dry his tears, only to have a dozen more spill out in their absence.

//Tala, the waves of force you are giving... they cannot help me. You know this.//

He nodded, sniffling, wishing no more than to act the maturity of his age, rather than be reduced to a sniveling mess of tears and pity. "No, but they cannot hurt, and they can make it sniffle easier. I am a healer... I want to make you well..."

The man coughed and closed his eyes. //My chief medic, there will always be things you want and cannot have. I am... I am simply sorry to be leaving you before the missions are complete.//

"Jedi Master Arnoch--"

//Hush, my Tala, I must finish. Your talents are many, and your passion for helping those ailing and hurt is incredible. You have a heart more kind than any I've known.// He sighed, opening his green eyes to look down at his most trusted chief medic. //Now I know you have doubted your role with the force. I know I was here to lead, and that you are able to my job as well I have. But a replacement will be your decision. I only want you true to your... yourself.// His voice was growing more and more faint by the moment.

And Tala was growing more and more worried. "Master Arnoch... you have always sniffle taught me to follow my heart. To help these people."

//If you wish it, they will find you another captain for the ship.//

"I know, Master." They had discussed this millions of times. And each time Tala had made it clear that Master Arnoch's role was irreplaceable.

//But above all, Tala. Spread your love, spread your passion. Help all you find, then find more to help.//

Tala took the master's hand from his head and squeezed it tightly. "Always, my captain," he whispered, all other sentiment caught in his throat.

The elderly Jedi Master squeezed back weakly then closed his eyes once more. His body tightened in pain, then relaxed. The hand grew heavy in Tala's, and the head fell to the side as he went slack. And Tala, weak, sobbing, alone, could not move. He was frozen, pressed up against the body of his Captain, tears slowing as sadness made way for a hurt beyond mourning. It seemed hours before he could finally move, finding hands on his shoulders. He turned, staring into Lady Karston's sympathetic eyes.

"Tala, I'm so sorry..."

He shook her off with a jerk of the arm. "It was going to happen sooner or later..." he sniffed hard and raised his arm to rub his sleeve over his face and against his eyes. "I'll be all right."

* * *

The ship was named Aesculapius and had been Tala's idea from the beginning. A ship of healers and Jedi guided by the power of the force to those who needed medical care. It had taken several dreadful events to convince the Jedi Council of its importance, years to organize and create, and a lifetime to perfect. But the reality, when it finally became one, was incredible. The light behind them was true, it was love, it was kindness, and it directed them to use their powers for all the good that they possibly could. As Tala had been banished from the Jedi academy as an initiate, the ship had been captained by a talented Jedi Master named Arnoch. Tala, at request from the same council who'd seen to his banishment, served as chief medic of the ship. They had been matched for their talent in healing and their love of adventure, but had been bonded under much more than that. Two full-fledged Jedi Knights served as security, technicians, and worked a good number of the navigational, defense, and offense controls, Knight Tia and Gon-Show. Two Jedi healers worked on the ship, Healers Yi-min and Garret. Four other healers and helpers traveled with them, Martine, Lady Karston, Fio, and Sir Ran-Laul. There were a number of droids, though most fulfilling small jobs on the ship and ones of greater importance when the severity of an encountered situation called for it. All together, The Aesculapius was the pride and joy of Healer Tala and Jedi Master Arnoch.

There were times, as there are with most all things of any importance, when its presence caused rifts in the crew. But together they had worked through these struggles, to find the strength of the force was greater in their work than it could ever be with them alone. And in the end, it was Master Arnoch's selfless passion to heal the universe that ended his life. The sum amount of energy, even when joined with the force, was so draining that his health decreased each day. They all saw it happening, perhaps Tala more than anyone. At times, it made his feelings toward their missions worsen- for the work the Master prized was certainly killing him. But as he bonded with the captain and gazed into his wise old eyes, he knew that there were things much more important than their life and death.

But though he'd spent the better part of six years discovering it, when it finally happened... it still hurt more than he could ever have imagined.

* * *

He sat, fidgeting at the com-panel while his message waited to be received. First he was unsure of his looks, then his robes bunched in the wrong places. He was nervous, and more so with each second the transmission went unanswered. The tinkling set of beeps made his heart skip, and his hand slapped down on the confirmation button. A moment later, he found himself face-to-face with Jedi Master Yoda himself.

"Hrmmm," the little green Jedi Master muttered, his eyes going sad. "Contact us soon we knew you would. A change in the force we felt, yes. Very sad for your loss... very sad."

Tala nodded. "Thank you. He was a wonderful man."

"One with the force he is now."

Tala nodded again.

"A decision you must make, hmmm? Decided have you?"

"Not yet Master Yoda. I wanted to request permission for us all to stay upon the Aesculapius until I make my decision. I know you would have trouble finding us a new Jedi master, or perhaps one of the Jedi on the ship, but I need more time to think on the matter. Is that possible?"

"Oh yes! Not to be entered into lightly, are the ways of a Jedi's mission. Understand your place with the force you must. Understand the place of your ship you must as well. Yes, as much time as you need, you shall be permitted."

Tala sighed with great relief. "Thank you Master Yoda."

"In the meantime... leadership must be established. A temporary captain for the ship you must find. You perhaps?"

He nodded with certainty. "We will have one soon."

The little green man nodded, eyes closed with satisfaction, ears twitching and lowering. “Good that will be. May the force be with you all.”

"And with you, Master Yoda."

* * *

Tala sat, nibbling on the edges of a sandwich, staring at the ripples in the glass of water. He'd chosen to eat after everyone, to avoid the inevitable sympathy hugs and kind-meaning words. Support was wonderful in its own right, but he'd been through it, he'd mourned, and now he didn't want to revert back to the tears. The question of the ship, now that was another matter all together. The Aesculapius was captain-less, mission-less, passion-less. It might take them all, he knew, to direct it as Master Arnoch had been able to. And yet the crew seemed much more bent upon fulfilling the first two problems than the last. This was the whole reason Tala had requested to remain, and still he had no idea if he could control the force enough to direct the missions, let alone if he should. The Jedi Council certainly would not be happy with him in complete charge, and he wasn't sure he could handle both roles of captain and chief medic. After all, simply the captain role had done Master Arnoch in. But perhaps if they had a someone like Master Sio in charge…

“Tala? Wakey wakey?”

He looked up to see Jedi Healer Garret looking down at him.

The man pulled a chair out, placed a large mug on the table, and sat all in one brilliantly flowing motion. And all with an accompanying heavy sigh. “What galaxy were you in that time?”

Tala shook his head. He wasn't sure he was ready for such humor. “Ours… certainly ours. Come back for seconds or are you still nursing firsts?”

He gulped down a good few mouthfuls, then wiped his face on the sleeve of his robes before answering. “Thirds, actually. Drinking to the captain. May the force be with him!” And down went another few mouthfuls.

Agreeably, to stay in the man's favor, Tala held his own up and sipped from the water, which strangely felt heavier going down than it should have. “So why have you sought me out this night?” he asked, knowing full well the answer.

With a sigh, “Well… I know you'll be acting as captain until we get a replacement… I wanted to offer my services. And make my desire for the position known.”

An eyebrow raised, “You believe you can handle it?”

“I wouldn't be here if I didn't.”

“Very well then,” Tala said, rising and collecting the uneaten and drunken portions of his meal. Attempting to be as civil and tactful as was humanly possible, “I shall make due note. Good day to you, Healer.”

After taking another generous gulp, “And a good day to you!”

Tala headed out quickly, though his steps slowed as he got further from the canteen. He really had no place to go, and no intention of sitting about in his quarters meditating upon things he really hadn't any control of.