[color=00aeef][center][h2]Chapter 6[sub][color=0076a3][center]Sacrifices[/center][/color][/sub][/h2][/center][/color] [hr] [right][color=00aeef][right][color=0076a3][h3]6 ATC, 8[/h3][/color] Week 5, Day 4, Midday[/right][/color][/right] To Dominik Rothul, two months on Ryloth seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, yet he could remember almost every single moment when he looked back. Perhaps it was his young, good-spirited padawan who had made every moment memorable, or perhaps it was the new friendships they had both made with the Twi’lek people, or the experiences of living off the land and fighting off an enemy that always seemed one step ahead. The Twi’leks had made their own improvements though, despite all of the hardship the relief effort was putting them through. From discovering a large tunnel system underneath the village and refining it, making it into a home to making the largest cavern they could find into a village suited for the people. Large crystals hanging off the cavern walls provided light during the day as they absorbed the energy from the sun which hit the planet’s surface. At night, the crystals would dim and provide enough ambient light for the villagers to continue working and going about their duties. Materials to build their homes and stockpile supplies they needed were provided on a monthly basis with the second supply drop from the Jedi just being received. In these drops were bundles of medical supplies, old tech that could be repurposed, and weapons and ammunition needed to fight against the Zygerrians. Master Rothul was able to get through to the Jedi council twice since their arrival on Ryloth. He relayed their location and gave a brief update on the situation; winning this conflict would be difficult, but the Twi’leks were hopeful. With their main base of operations moved underground, the village above the cavern, on the surface, provided a very reassuring decoy to anyone who wished to spy upon their efforts. So far though, hourly scouts and perimeter checks had thwarted many Zygerrian spies who wished to get the upper hand on the relief operation. Despite the efforts they’ve made as a village and the progress that can be seen, Sar’s clan, New’Talik, had received criticism from other clan leaders and their people, stating it would be easier to lay down their arms and accept slavery as a way of life, versus to fight it and die to a cause that they most certainly believed to be useless. Dominik had made Lo’s training a priority during all of this. He provided help to the Twi’leks when necessary, otherwise the two Jedi were rarely seen if there was free time to be had. The younger Jedi had both learned and taught much to the Twi’leks about the art of healing and medical care and had helped in building their knowledge and respect for the Jedi as a whole. Dominik noticed her growth every day; from the way she held and swung her lightsaber to the way her hands worked while helping an injured Twi’lek, she was constantly learning and growing. He often found himself reflecting upon their recent time in Ryloth. He took a few hours each night to himself to meditate and think about all they had done and all they had yet to do. There was still much to teach her. He finally felt the grief from his time as Jedi and as a previous teacher to a deceased Padawan start to release from his heart, allowing the man to find peace with what was now, in the present. Even now, as he and Lo were joined by Sar and a couple other Twi’lek as they scouted the perimeter, Dominik found himself reflecting on their time there and felt a sense of obscurity and uncertainty about the future of Ryloth and the friends they have made. “Our scouts saw a small group of Zygerrians just past the next bend in the canyon.” Sar explained, snapping Dominik out of his thoughts. “They spotted them early this morning, as the sun started to rise.” he continued, glancing over to Dom as the group walked down the canyon. “How long were they around for?” Dominik asked, his old eyes glancing up at the top of the canyon, keeping an eye out for movement, and keeping his senses pushed out, preparing for anything. “Not long. My men think the slavers noticed they were being followed, so they bolted.” "Did anyone track their direction and follow them or investigate the area?" Lo asked, worried a trap might've been placed there for one of the younger children or adults. "For a little while, yes. But the men stopped before they got too far, just in case. They didn't want to get ambushed if they were too far out." Sar explained, glancing back at the younger Jedi next to Dom. Lo looked to Dominik. “Should we check it out first?” Dominik nodded to his Padawan, words seeming to escape him as his focus was suddenly directed elsewhere. His eyes closed as they walked, his feet stopping just a few moments after as something pulled at his senses. Eyes opened slowly as he looked to Sar, then to Lo, and then to the other two Twi'lek behind them. "How long ago did you say they were spotted?" The Master Jedi asked, his head turning to look at either side of the canyon before he glanced behind them. "Just this morning. A few hours ago." Lo’s brown eyes lingered on her master. The fur on the back of her neck rose up, but she knew from his expression he could sense the Force’s disturbance. Her arms stood at her side while she absorbed the information their strengthening bond had begun to feed her. “Master?” She didn’t say much more than a single word, unsure how much her master wanted to share out loud. Her head tilted and right eyebrow raised. A subtle hint to clue him into the fact she knew something was up. A deep rumble could be heard and even felt through one’s feet should they be paying attention. “Get to the caverns, everyone, now!” the man shouted as a high-pitched whistling could be heard above them. Mortars, a weapon Dominik hadn’t fought against in years, impacted into the ground just fifty feet from them and immediately exploded in a symphony of fire and destruction. The man’s hand grabbed Sar and pushed him back in the direction of the caverns as another one went off further down the canyon. Lo had already been moving the moment Dominik yelled for the caverns. Distracted by trying to understand the feelings of concern and unease, she hadn’t noticed the incoming threat until then. Her figure bolted toward the alerted Twi’lek with her arms waving a warning. “MOVE!” She screamed when the first mortar hit the ground. A panic spread through the villagers. Many dropped whatever they had and bolted toward the tunnels as the mortars continued to rain down. Lo stopped just outside the entrance and sought sight of her master, pushing those slower in before her. “Get inside! Don’t stop!” Dominik yelled, ushering anyone inside that he could and helping the smaller children and older Twi’leks move. The concussions caused a lot of the younger Twi’leks to lose their footing, or stop and cover their ears at the overwhelming sound. Dominik had two younger Twi’leks in his arms by the time he made it to the tunnels, passing them off to adults who ran by before he continued. “Lo! Don’t stop, get in there!” He yelled to his Padawan as he came running towards her. Sar had also stopped a little further in the tunnels, helping his people move and waiting for Lo and Dominik, ensuring they made it inside safely. Not many Twi’leks had passed into the tunnel, but he knew there were other entrances nearby that many of them could use to get to the cavern. Dominik caught up with his Padawan and ushered her on, looking behind him just as a mortar exploded near the entrance of the tunnel, throwing dirt and rocks in every direction. Lo flinched at the explosion. Her feet paused and steadied her to prevent loss balance. Her eyes glanced behind her to note Dominik coming in hot on her heels. Ushering the last Twi’lek in, she pushed in behind and traveled deeper into the tunnel. Despite haste being critical, her fears and worries about her master held her back. She made sure to be remained among the last that entered. Ears ringing, Dominik’s eyes watched as Lo ran just ahead of him. He could feel the explosions on the surface, threatening the integrity of the tunnel’s structure, barreling down upon the decoy village they had created, turning it to ash and dust. The tunnels that led to the cavern didn’t wind through the ground too much, they were fairly straight with a few bends and turns here and there. Many of the Twi’leks had pushed ahead while Dominik had initially stopped to make sure everyone had made it inside. The older Jedi’s mind had little time to think about the fact that the weapons they were firing down upon them had seemingly appeared on the enemy’s side in days. A recon into their ranks hadn’t revealed any plans for equipment or ammunition such as this. He thought about the Zygerrian’s capabilities; the allies they might have that could supply them with such firepower. The Sith, sure… but what about the Treaty? Lo’s eyes kept drifting back. The tunnels were tight and narrow, creating a claustrophobic sensation all around her. Even with the anxiety building, her worry kept returning to her master. The exit of their underground tunnel drew nearer with each step now as she spotted Sar’s figure at the mouth. “We’re almost there.” She panted, feeling exhaustion settle in her bones. Dominik too saw the light from the large cavern up ahead. His eyes took in the light, his lungs took deep breaths as he pushed his body towards safety. It was his ears that made the man think. He heard Lo’s panting, heard their footsteps on the hard ground; but from behind them, Dominik heard the explosions growing again, and felt the heat slowly grow on his back before he turned to look. The crystals that lined the cave were filled with a form of gas. This gas allowed the crystalline structure to illuminate when there was sun and heat on the surface during the day. The gas was also encased in crystals, making it relatively safe to be near. But with the combined force of the explosions and heat the mortars created, should one land too close to the outer walls of the tunnel, near the entrance, it would set off a chain reaction. And a chain reaction it caused. With each crystal that burst open, exploding outwards, came more gas and more fuel for the raging wall of fire and combustion that could only go two ways. Back out towards the canyon, or in towards the cavern they called home; the same cavern that was filled with these crystals. The Master Jedi saw the speed at which the wall of fire and death was gaining on them, and the distance they still had to go before reaching the cavern. There would be no time to block the tunnel entrance when they got there, it would be too late. It was only about fifty feet from the cavern, but Dominik had made his choice. The Jedi Master used the Force and pushed forward, towards his Padawan. The push sent her the last few feet she had and into the cavern. Sar was there in an instant, kneeling down to Lo and moving to help her stand. The Jedi Master stopped suddenly, his feet digging in to their position as his body turned to face the raging inferno that raced towards him. Arms stretched out and wide, palms open as he focused the Force, Dominik pushed forward, meeting the wall of fire with a strong resistance as he fought to keep it away from the cavern. If he could hold it long enough, the combustion would die down and he could retreat to the cavern. He could feel the heat on his face as he held the wall of flame at bay just twenty feet from him. Eyes closed as he focused on the Force, feeling it flow through his body and push to fight the natural forces that threatened to overtake him. Lo pushed herself upright with Sar’s help. Her hand reached to touch her head and shook the daze from her focus. Quickly, the blurry shapes becoming sharp again. A dread filled her mind as she glanced back. It and adrenaline buzzed at the back of Lo's skull before it shot through her system. Everything appeared to crawl now as she absorbed the scene playing out before her. Her eyes widened at the surreal scene. Impulsively her body moved to reach him, but met resistance from Sar. The Twi'lek's arms gripped her shoulders and held her back. "No, NO. Sar, please. I have to get to him! He needs help!" The desperate scream ripped from her throat into the air. Fire light barely illuminated her youthful face. Terror from the possibility entered her thoughts. Her struggle against the older Twi'lek increased as the reality grew. Sar's eyes couldn't meet hers, even when he continued to hold her back. "NO! Please, let me help him!" "No Lo, it's too dangerous! You [i]need[/i] to stay back!" The Twi'lek argued, holding the young Jedi tight as she struggled against him. A sinking feeling dropped her heart into her stomach. "This can’t be happening. NO! Please..." Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision and feeding her determination. Sar just held her tighter. Helplessness haunted her while she watched her worst fears come to life. Memories of her mother flashed in her head, fleeting emotions of love and loss weighed her down. Her knees crumbled underneath her. "No... Not again." As Sar held Lo back, the Twi’lek desperately watched Dominik, hoping to see the Master Jedi making a move towards them, doing something that indicated he was coming, that he would be alright. His arms tightened around Lo and held the young Bothan close, steeling himself against her desperate outcries as she tried to get to her friend. Dominik could feel the emotions flooding from Lo. His heart hurt for his Padawan because with each passing moment, as the inferno refused to die down and instead wanted to push towards him, to push towards those he cared about, he knew he had to stop this himself. Dominik Rothul had lived sixty years, learning to use to Force, learning to trust it and to let it flow through him, so he could become one with it. He had seen things most couldn’t stand, had endured hardships that many couldn’t bear. He had failed his first Padawan, Evin, during the attack on the Coruscant temple. As he stood there, losing a battle against the natural forces that gas and fire created, he hoped that in doing this he wasn’t failing Lo too. He could only hope. Keeping one hand towards the wall of fire, the Jedi shot the other one back behind him, turning his body slightly so that he could see the mouth of the tunnel. He saw Sar, he saw Lo. His old eyes went to his Padawan, to the young Bothan whom he had known through her entire life. He wished he could’ve seen her sooner, could have started training her as she deserved. She deserved more, and Lo did not deserve this. Suddenly, the mouth of the tunnel started to crack and rumble. Cracks grew up into the cavern just after the tunnel exit. Large boulders started to dislodge from the wall and the sides of the tunnel. Dominik’s eyes met Lo’s. He held that gaze for as long as he could. Suddenly he pulled that hand down, and down came large boulders and pieces of rock as they began to pile in the entryway of the tunnel. Dust and dirt flew, and by the time it settled, the tunnel entrance was completely blocked - with Dom on the other side. There was little time as he turned back, holding back the wall of inferno for as long as he could. Dominik made sure the tunnel had been sealed, so that all others in the cavern would be safe. Including Lo. He felt the inferno building, threatening to overtake him as he fought against it with the Force. Too long had the explosive forces been held using the Force, too long had they been contained. Dominik suddenly felt his hold on the Force loosen as the forces he was trying to fight exploded violently outward. The Jedi master felt the gravitational force against his body as it rippled through him. He heard the sickening crack of bones, and the internal tearing of something more. His body was forcefully thrown back against the wall of rock he had created mere moments ago. He hit the rock wall hard, losing the air in his lungs as his body succumbed to the forces of gravity. The man’s body sunk down over the rubble, sliding down closer to the tunnel floor as the flames he had been fighting danced along the tunnel ceiling above him. From within the cavern, the sound of the explosion could be heard, louder than ever. There was an eerie silence as explosions from mortars on the surface could be heard, their sound suddenly so much quieter compared to the one on the other side of the collapse Dominik had created. Nothing can prepare the young for when their world crashes down around them. Yet against her will, Lo faced it. Any strength within her seemed to die when the cave-in happened. An emotional storm of his last moments raged inside her core and flooded it with regret. Lo trembled at the disassociation of her master's death before her eyes. She pressed her face into Sar's shoulder, hiding her agony and shock from view. She fought not to openly weep while the mortars' muffled sounds began to lessen. An emptiness gnawed at her. Where warmth seemed to give her hope, a dull ember struggled for the last of its life. A weak, faint... Lo's head jerked up. Her eyes blinked away the salt stinging at her vision as she wiped the tears on her sleeve. Her confusion evaporated when an epiphany dawned on her. Without warning, she pushed the Twi'lek aside then rushed to the cave in. The Bothan's small heart pounded at the sheer, renewed hope rushing in. Broken words gained new strength while she shouted. "He's alive. He's still alive! Help me, please. He needs help! Master Dominik is alive." She raised an unsteady hand, but her mind struggled to focus. Fear and doubt pushed at her calm, driving it from her. Unwilling to give up, she began to scale to the top. She stumbled when a rock dislodged and cracked its way down, skinning her knee. Lo didn't feel or care. When she finally reached the top, her hands began rip away the rubble. Lo could feel Sar’s concern burning into her back, but she didn’t care. Her mind fell to a single task: get to her master. New callouses began to build on her old ones causing a soreness to sink in. It didn’t stop her. Seeing she relentless in her actions, Sar stared a few moments longer then shouted for others. He pointed and directed his fellow villagers to start digging. Needing little encouragement thanks to Lo's determination, the work began. Locked in a single mental goal, Lo didn't register their existence. She just kept mumbling the same phrase under her breath. “Please let him be alive…. Please let him be alive… please let him be alive.” When Na'seca's hands touched her shoulders, her attention returned to the present. Lo blinked as she let the younger twi'lek guide her to the bottom of the heap. "We need your help for the medical supplies." The younger boy urged as he continued to pull Lo away, allowing the other Twi'leks to work. Hesitating, Lo looked back to the collapsed entrance. Many villagers started at the top and worked through thinnest parts first. Their display of loyalty filled her with reassurance they would get through. She inhaled, letting her frustration and fear settle, before she nodded in agreement. Strength from her was needed now. "We'll need..." She stumbled in her thoughts until she forced herself to continue. Listening to the Force, she listed off the critical materials. "Bacta, herbs, stims, bandages, and a surgery medical kit." Na'seca nodded. "We'll see what we have available. Let's allow Sar and the others to work while we prepare. We won't have much time when they find him." She nodded then allowed him to lead her away. Time was lost to the group of Twi'leks as they worked tirelessly to get through the top of the collapse. Sar knew time was critical for his friend, who knows what happened to him after he had blocked himself off with the collapse. No one had been keeping track of time when they finally broke through to the inside of the tunnel. Pitch black and with a hazy feel, Sar and a couple other Twi'leks slid through the small opening and searched for the Master Jedi. It didn't take long to find him after they got through, and for that Sar was thankful. Gently moving larger rocks that had Dominik pinned into the collapse, not much could be seen for injuries in the darkness of the tunnel. It wasn't until he was pulled back to the other side that Sar started to realize time would be Dom's enemy. The Master Jedi was unresponsive as they called his name, caressed his head and glancing over what injuries they could see. There were cuts and gashes that littered his forehead, face and neck. A trickle of blood ran from his nose and the corner of his mouth, indicating something internally was wrong. His breathing was slow, and inconsistent; chest heaving with each short breath he took, audibly they could hear he was struggling to breathe. Laying him on a blanket and using that to carry him, the four corners were all lifted simultaneously as the Twi'leks ushered him off to one of the larger, empty adobe houses that had been constructed recently. Meanwhile, Ro'Sara ran as fast as her legs would take her to get Lo. The place where most of the wounded were kept was an area covered by a canopy of blankets and cloth on the opposite end of the cavern as the tunnel Dom was pulled from. The Twi'leks eyes spotted Lo immediately, changing her course and shouting for the Bothan as she approached. Lo's arms were elbows deep in a basin of water. Her hands scratch away the dried and wet blood, tainting it brighter blue. Her lips curled into a frown at the thoughts of all the wounded. As she sloshed them about, her ears caught Ro'Sara's words. Her head turned to face the older Twi’lek standing there. "Lo! They found him! They took him to the new hut!" She called, pointing in the direction of it. It was the most recently constructed adobe house, built bigger so that it could house a small family, or in this case, a Master Jedi in need of much care. Lo's fur fluffed out. She shook her arms dried and grabbed the nearest surgical kit beside her. In a quick dash, she rushed toward the mud dried structure. Realizing she forgot something, Lo abruptly stopped then hollered back. Ro'Sara stopped in her tracks at the mention of her name. "Ro'Sara, grab the rest of the supplies and bring them to the hut. Quickly!" After that statement, Lo took off. On arrival, she ducked through the entrance. A hand pressed against the smoothed walls as she stepped down the stairs on to the main floor. In the corner, her eyes locked with her master. He rested on the clay bed covered with woven leaves and softer materials. Purple-blue crystals rested in a nearby mount. Their faint glow illuminated the darkness where the fire light failed to reach. A makeshift table had been set up nearby. Lo hesitated. Her fear jumped up into her throat and began to suffocate her on the spot. Each breath felt like inhaling powdered glass as she tried to move. Ro'Sara's hand touched the young Bothan. Lo jumped and looked over her shoulder. Fresh tears brimmed along the corners of her eyes from the conflict within. The Twi'lek gently squeezed her shoulder with reassurance. "We have to hurry Lo, if we're to save him." Proving her point, the older alien moved past and began to set up the tools. For the second time that miserable day, Lo dried her sorrow from her face. She purged her suffering with an intake of air then drew closer. Hope. It drove her as she set the kit down and assessed the damages. Her head leaned over his chest to hear the faint, rattling signs of life. Lo gestured for a knife which Ro'Sara passed her. With a skilled and practiced movement, she sliced along the robe sides. Extremely purple bruises maimed his white skin. "We need to stop the internal bleeding before I can heal him with the Force. I need the vibro-scalpel and bacta bottle." As Ro'Sara handed off the small device and bottle, Lo went to work. She silenced her worried thoughts while she sliced open her master. Memories of injured Jedi and Troopers on H'Ratth leaped into her mind, driving her skills. Time ticked by at an agonizing slow pace. After some cartelization and stitches, Lo sealed the ruptured veins. Finishing off with some bacta patches she turned to her assistant. "Ro'Sara, get me a chair." The demand in Lo's tone caught Ro'Sara off guard, but she didn't question her friend. The Twi'lek girl brought a chair as the padawan sat cross-legged in it. She once more rolled her sleeves as her expression hardened. Her hands rested on Dominik's patched abdomen lightly as she took a cleansing breath. With closed eyes, she quieted her thoughts into meditation. She spread her connection with the Force to the planet itself. Her heart and soul touched it, asking for its help to heal him. Nearly an hour passed before a tingling edged from her center into her hands and finally into him. Just when her Force healing took hold, a fearful thought surfaced. [i]What if she couldn't bring him back?[/i] Lo shuddered as her fingers curled. The tingling ceased and the collected energy quavered. Threatening to fade. Lo's eyes snapped open in pure shock. "No, please no...Why isn’t it working?" She couldn't stop the trembling. It started off small then grew, engulfing her whole body. Paralyzing her connection with the Force. She wrapped her arms about her, trying to soothe herself. A deep, gentle voice rattled through her mind. [i] "Trust yourself and trust in the Force."[/i] "Master. I'm not sure I can do th-" Her mutter quieted when she heard her master again. [i] “I told you to trust in the Force, to let it guide you. It is the will of the Force that you and I are together."[/i] Lo nodded softly then closed her eyes again. She pushed her hands flat against his still body and meditated once more. Another long, endless hour passed. The longest one in her whole life. A faint tingling budded in her center. Gradually it trickled out into Dominik giving him renewed life and will to live. "Please master, I'm not ready for you to leave me. There's still so much you have to teach me." Lo pleaded as the tingling grew stronger. Dominik's pale body was still as Lo meditated beside him, her hands on his abdomen as she tried her hardest to focus. Nearly two hours went by as Lo started to find her inner peace, to collect herself, trust the Force, and to trust herself. During the second hour, as Lo's life energy helped to heal his body little by little, Dominik was pulled back from the brink. Color returned to his skin, indicating that blood was starting to flow properly again. The difficulties that hampered his breathing were slowly pushed aside by Lo's life energy, allowing the older Jedi proper oxygen, his lungs able to expand fully as deliver the breath he so desperately needed. Though he had been pulled from the brink, from knocking on death's doorstep, the man's body had undergone tremendous trauma and would need much time to heal properly. He did not wake, his mind hardly stirred as Lo's energy poured into him. If she had been looking close enough though, the younger Jedi could see a very small twitch of his fingers on the hand closest to her. Once, twice, a third time they moved before going still again. Lo slacked in her posture. The boundless energy she usually held onto now carefully redirected into Dominik. Her chest slowly rose then fell, a steady but notably weaker pace. Though her common sense knew to stop, but her worry insisted on going on. Heavy eyelids fluttered open then glanced toward her master's hand. Twitches of life caused her to smile as she removed her hands. Exhaustion weighed down her like a reminder of the burden her responsibilities carried. "He's going to be all right..." Immediately her head lowered to her folded up arms, resting on the narrow space at his bed edge. "I'm so tired now." Standing just outside of the doorway so as to give Lo and Ro'Sara room to work, Sar watched the entire time. He did not move for two hours, for fear of not being there for Lo, should the worst happen. Upon seeing the young Bothan pull her hands from Dominik the second time, resting her head at his bedside, he walked in and up to her side. “You need to rest Lo… we’ll take it from here. I promise… he’ll be alright.” the Twi’lek man said, a gentle hand on her back as he kneeled down to her level. On the other side of the Master Jedi, Ro'Sara began to clean up what she could, and gathered the tools she had used so that they could be properly sterilized should they be needed again. Medical supplies were already running low, they had to take care of what they had left so their wounded could be properly cared for. “I’ll stay here too, Lo. I’ll get him cleaned up, and find him some blankets. Everything will be alright.” The young padawan shook her head. Her braid had become disheveled and spring stray hairs across its well-kept form. She rose upright, leaving her comfortable position. "I can't rest. I need to assess the situation. That means checking the medical supplies, the wounded's condition, and-" Lo's muzzle opened into a wide yawn, interrupting herself. Though she still had strength to stand upright and walk, weakness showed in her figure. The young padawan felt hundreds of years older in a few hours. Her balance tilted causing her arm to snap out and prevent her tumbling into the floor. “We can do that Lo. Those of us who aren’t hurt. You don’t have to take on all of this responsibility alone. I’m here to help, just as I helped Dominik. We’re all in this fight together.” He said, one hand gripping Lo’s shoulder as she suddenly started to lean. “Pushing yourself will only make the situation worse.” Lo put her fingers to her nose bridge. She tightly closed her eyes and breathed, steadying herself. "You're right. I need to listen to my body and accept my limitations. Rest will do me some good. Will you bring me information over the state of the tunnels, the wounded, and see if we can send a message to the council? Ro'Sara." Lo turned to the twil'lek causing Ro'Sara to pause and pay attention. "Can you run the small group of healers? Take stock of the medical supplies we have and monitor their usage?" Ro'Sara nodded. "I also have to prepare burials for those we lost. Just go rest little Lo, you look terrible." Lo nodded. "I feel worse..." She began to move to the door then turned back to Sar, "I'm going to find an out-of-the-way place to rest. Please keep me in the loop over everything. I have a feeling my master won't wake for some time..." Sar made sure to be next to Lo, just in case the young Bothan suddenly lost her ability to stand. The last thing they needed was the younger Jedi down too. "We'll make sure all of that is done, Lo. I promise. Get some rest, we will be here when you're ready to continue." He said, helping the younger Jedi to the door. Five hours after Lo's efforts to stabilize her Master, Sar had done all that Lo had asked. With two of their healers looking over Dom and cleaning him up with the help and guidance of Ro'Sara. No one bothered Lo while she rested, knowing good and well what she had gone through in a span of hours was enough for a person in a lifetime. Sar sat in a huddle of Twi'leks who were seen as leaders, secondary to Sar. They were tallying up their supplies, talking about how they should move forward from here, and what they were going to do should no support come soon. There was no sugarcoating what had happened to Dominik, and there was no guessing when the older Jedi would wake. All they could do was support the Master Jedi and his Padawan for as long as possible. It was because of them that they as a people had made it this far. Stepping away from Dominik's side, Ro'Sara was asked to find Lo and bring her to the small circle of leaders. It didn't take much searching to fond the young Bothan, passed out on an unused bed in a structure not far from the one Dominik was in. "Lo?" Came Ro'Sara's gentle voice. She walked up to the sleeping Bothan, making sure to give her space before a gentle hand rested on the younger Jedi's arm. Lo groaned and stretched, her tongue licking her chapped lips. Without warning, she flipped over away Ro'Sara and curled into a ball. She didn’t want to wake up. The older Twi’lek couldn’t help the small, soft smile on her face at Lo’s antics. It wasn’t all sadness and grief with this little one. “Lo, come on. Time to get up. Sar gathered all of the information you wanted. He and the secondary leaders are all gathered in a meeting. He wanted you there.” After a few moments, Lo begrudgingly sat upright. Her fists began to rub the reserves of sleep sand from her eyes as she took Ro'Sara in. Another yawn escaped from her lungs before she swept her legs over the edge then stood upright. “I’m coming. Still drained from healing Master Dominik, but I can at least stand on my own. Lead the way, please.” Ro'Sara's smile increased. She gestured with her hand and both girls walked out into the open streets. Silence swept over them during their path toward the gathering. Their shapes were easily disguised from the darkness thanks to the faint crystals. All huddled around the empty fire pit, talking in heavy conversation. Their words ceased when Lo walked into hearing range and all eyes fell on her. She swallowed her nerves as she sat in an empty spot near Sar. Usually her master took his place there, but his condition prevented it. A sharp pain entered her chest as she ignored it. She couldn't fall apart here of all places. "Ro'Sara you had the information I asked for, Sar?" “I do.” He said, looking around to the other Twi’leks before he turned a little more to face Lo. “Out of the three tunnels we had, two are still usable. They’re dangerous, but we can try to fortify the parts that look bad so that we can safely walk through them.” he paused for a moment before continuing. “We have twenty two wounded, six of them critical. Ro’sara was trying to divide out the medical supplies, but we do not have enough to ensure all of our wounded can heal properly.” Sar kept Dominik’s name from the report on the medical supplies, but did count him as one of the critical. He wanted to keep Lo’s mind off of her Master, constantly reminding her of his condition would not help. “We found your Master’s holo communicator, but it’s been badly damaged, and we couldn’t repair it enough to get it to work. I’m not sure how else we’ll get a message out for aid.” Lo sat quietly. Her eyes found the dirt floor. She digested the details, thinking of the possible solutions. At least one came to her. "The ship might have some spare supplies and a message can be sent there. It's best since there's no cave system to risk blocking the signal." She took a breath then continued. "We should also take the speeder bikes. It's likely the slavers will investigate the surrounding areas. Locking down the ship helps, but it makes getting anything out more difficult." “We’re with you wherever you need to go, Lo. When do you want to leave?” "Morning, we can prepare some gear for the trip. The ship is still a small trip away. A small group is best as it will attract less attention and quicker." Lo pointed out. “Alright, just before sunrise, when there’s first light. We’ll be ready for you.” Sar said, giving Lo a reassuring smile as he looked to her. He couldn’t imagine what she was feeling inside, but knew it had to be similar to the way he felt about losing all of his people. This was a night she would never forget, but he hoped it was something she could work past, in time.