Post by Marshall on Nov 13, 2018 20:01:40 GMT -5
Sometime later, perhaps a day or two, Eve would be getting a request for connection from Solomon's comm. On receiving the call, whoever had chosen to open the channel, would be greeted by the face of Darien Tekal, not his brother. Darien was clean shaven, and wore the robes of the Jedi in a combination of light and dark browns which would come through the image as off-sets of blues and greys.
It wouldn't be Eve that answered the call. Ava's face appeared on the screen, brown hair pulled into a low pony tail that draped across her left shoulder and wearing what looked like a grayish tank top. Though tired, the Knight looked healthy and well.
She was sitting at a desk on board The Reckless Gambit with a bowl of rehydrated noodles before her. At the side was a black ration bag of crisp wafers labeled 'Avaz' which were being dipped into the soup.
Surprise registered on her face as this wasn't the Tekal she expected to talk to. But then again, neither was she the Azalee he was trying to reach.
"Hello Darien." She spoke after taking a long sip of what could have been water allowing her face time to recover. "It's good to see you."
To the face that appeared when the call connected, Darien smiled. His warm baritone voice was made even warmer. By familiarity and recognition, and also, perhaps, by the surprise that registered on Ava's face through the imaging of the call, "Hello Ava, its been a while. How are you?"
"I'm well." She answered as the bowl was scooted off to the side. "So, you've talked to Solomon?"
"Extensively, yes." His head bobbed in a bit of a nod, "It does seem there is some correlation between what he's going through and The Force. There is no reason, physically, for the numbness. Meta physically, he's a mess. I'm not sure I can help him with it, either."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"I can work with him, try to get him on the right path energy wise. But unless he opens up completely, and is totally honest with me, I won't be able to do much. Did he tell you anything about what happened?"
"He did." She replied. "He told me about what originally caused the injury and how it started to get worse throughout the war. and then what it felt during and after the fight with Vikas."
"But no exact details." He paused for a moment looking thoughtful, "Have you ever seen a rotting tree trunk, Ava? All decayed and eaten away at by bugs and time?"
She nodded.
"That's what his arm felt like to me. His hand was rotting roots, and it was just decay climbing up his arm. Whatever happened to him during the war, and whatever Vikas threw at him during their fight, we need to figure out the specifics so a long term plan can be established."
"How do you suggest we go about it? From a scientific standpoint there's nothing to find. The damage is there but no pinpoint on what's causing it."
Eve's testing was proof of that.
He laughed a little 'heh', and shook his head, "If he were someone else I'd say we just ask him flat out what happened. I don't think he'd give me a straight answer, though, considering that I haven't gotten one since I've been here with him. We could start with people we know he's talked to -- Geraint comes to mind. If he told Geraint about Ureala, then he might have mentioned something about this."
"You would think he would say what happened considering the damage he's facing. It wouldn't make sense to keep something important like that to himself.... unless he's not concerned about what's happening to him."
"Its not that he isn't concerned. He's deeply concerned. But, he is also very afraid of what's happening, and maybe even what's caused it. Holding on to it, keeping it to himself, might be his way of holding himself together. Its pretty counter intuitive, but this is Sol we're talking about. It might not make sense to us, but to him there is a reason for it."
"Let's talk to him. Together." She suggested. "Before we run off on a wild chase to gather second hand information he may or may not have said."
"You're on Hapes?" Surprise flashed through his voice, and echoed in his expression briefly in response to the suggestion.
"Eve and I both are." She confirmed with a nod. "Where did you think I was?"
"No idea," his mouth shifted into a side-smile that hooked in a half-formed manner, "He said he talked to Eve, and mentioned you, but he didn't say you were both on Hapes. Where do you want to meet? He's meditating at the moment, but we can be anywhere you'd like soon enough."
"Wherever he would be the most comfortable." She answered. "It will just be me meeting you. I don't think he's fully comfortable with her." And then Ava added. "Plus she's resting right now. She's leaving the planet late tonight."
"Alright," He took a moment there to think, just some silence in the matter of a few seconds before he was offering, "How do the gardens in the palace city sound to you?"
"Like a bad place to try and get Solomon to open up. He doesn't have to fond of memories there. It has to be somewhere he feels safe. Or at the very least somewhat comfortable. If not, then we're wasting our time even attempting this." She added.
"Does any place like that exist on Hapes?"
"His home. His greenhouse. The place he picked to mediate." Ava offered. "Or you could ask him where he feels comfortable and we travel there."
"Alright. Give me two hours to get an answer from him. I know he's comfortable here, at home, I'd just like to see him get out more -- as his brother."
"I understand but for this to have a chance in working... comfort needs to be the deciding factor."
He nodded, his understanding evident, "I'll get the definitive answer, and get back to you."
"Thanks. I'll talk to you soon."
It wouldn't be Eve that answered the call. Ava's face appeared on the screen, brown hair pulled into a low pony tail that draped across her left shoulder and wearing what looked like a grayish tank top. Though tired, the Knight looked healthy and well.
She was sitting at a desk on board The Reckless Gambit with a bowl of rehydrated noodles before her. At the side was a black ration bag of crisp wafers labeled 'Avaz' which were being dipped into the soup.
Surprise registered on her face as this wasn't the Tekal she expected to talk to. But then again, neither was she the Azalee he was trying to reach.
"Hello Darien." She spoke after taking a long sip of what could have been water allowing her face time to recover. "It's good to see you."
To the face that appeared when the call connected, Darien smiled. His warm baritone voice was made even warmer. By familiarity and recognition, and also, perhaps, by the surprise that registered on Ava's face through the imaging of the call, "Hello Ava, its been a while. How are you?"
"I'm well." She answered as the bowl was scooted off to the side. "So, you've talked to Solomon?"
"Extensively, yes." His head bobbed in a bit of a nod, "It does seem there is some correlation between what he's going through and The Force. There is no reason, physically, for the numbness. Meta physically, he's a mess. I'm not sure I can help him with it, either."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"I can work with him, try to get him on the right path energy wise. But unless he opens up completely, and is totally honest with me, I won't be able to do much. Did he tell you anything about what happened?"
"He did." She replied. "He told me about what originally caused the injury and how it started to get worse throughout the war. and then what it felt during and after the fight with Vikas."
"But no exact details." He paused for a moment looking thoughtful, "Have you ever seen a rotting tree trunk, Ava? All decayed and eaten away at by bugs and time?"
She nodded.
"That's what his arm felt like to me. His hand was rotting roots, and it was just decay climbing up his arm. Whatever happened to him during the war, and whatever Vikas threw at him during their fight, we need to figure out the specifics so a long term plan can be established."
"How do you suggest we go about it? From a scientific standpoint there's nothing to find. The damage is there but no pinpoint on what's causing it."
Eve's testing was proof of that.
He laughed a little 'heh', and shook his head, "If he were someone else I'd say we just ask him flat out what happened. I don't think he'd give me a straight answer, though, considering that I haven't gotten one since I've been here with him. We could start with people we know he's talked to -- Geraint comes to mind. If he told Geraint about Ureala, then he might have mentioned something about this."
"You would think he would say what happened considering the damage he's facing. It wouldn't make sense to keep something important like that to himself.... unless he's not concerned about what's happening to him."
"Its not that he isn't concerned. He's deeply concerned. But, he is also very afraid of what's happening, and maybe even what's caused it. Holding on to it, keeping it to himself, might be his way of holding himself together. Its pretty counter intuitive, but this is Sol we're talking about. It might not make sense to us, but to him there is a reason for it."
"Let's talk to him. Together." She suggested. "Before we run off on a wild chase to gather second hand information he may or may not have said."
"You're on Hapes?" Surprise flashed through his voice, and echoed in his expression briefly in response to the suggestion.
"Eve and I both are." She confirmed with a nod. "Where did you think I was?"
"No idea," his mouth shifted into a side-smile that hooked in a half-formed manner, "He said he talked to Eve, and mentioned you, but he didn't say you were both on Hapes. Where do you want to meet? He's meditating at the moment, but we can be anywhere you'd like soon enough."
"Wherever he would be the most comfortable." She answered. "It will just be me meeting you. I don't think he's fully comfortable with her." And then Ava added. "Plus she's resting right now. She's leaving the planet late tonight."
"Alright," He took a moment there to think, just some silence in the matter of a few seconds before he was offering, "How do the gardens in the palace city sound to you?"
"Like a bad place to try and get Solomon to open up. He doesn't have to fond of memories there. It has to be somewhere he feels safe. Or at the very least somewhat comfortable. If not, then we're wasting our time even attempting this." She added.
"Does any place like that exist on Hapes?"
"His home. His greenhouse. The place he picked to mediate." Ava offered. "Or you could ask him where he feels comfortable and we travel there."
"Alright. Give me two hours to get an answer from him. I know he's comfortable here, at home, I'd just like to see him get out more -- as his brother."
"I understand but for this to have a chance in working... comfort needs to be the deciding factor."
He nodded, his understanding evident, "I'll get the definitive answer, and get back to you."
"Thanks. I'll talk to you soon."