[right] Week 7, Day 1, afternoon[/right]

Lo listened to Val as they continued to walk, her eyes breaking contact with his occasionally. The young Bothan couldn't lie. She found Val's presence comforting and familiar, even after the time spent apart. She folded her arms into her sleeves and continued to walk at a steady pace. When Val mentioned his pride in her, she kept her smile. It seemed to reach her eyes slightly. Deep down, she felt the earned praise was excessive. She merely did what any other Jedi would've done in her position.  

A soft chuckle escaped her muzzle at his joke. When her laughter died, she collected her composure and replied.  

"Most of what I've seen has been forest and swamp. It is rather pretty when you mediate in it. Despite its beauty, Ryloth is still very dangerous. It is also why some clans feel slavery is the safer option than to live here." 

Her tone softened with the last bit. She had compassion and empathy for the Twi'lek who made slavery a part of their culture. Trading freedom for safety seemed to be a decision made out of fear and desperation. Lo shook the thoughts from her mind as Val tugged on her arm. She immediately slowed her pace to a leisure one. Her brow furrowed and a brief frown to replace the smile, her figure following his lead. With a few careful steps she lowered herself into a cross-legged sitting position. She turned her head to examine him, determining his motivations in her head. 

At hearing his question, her eyes turned to the ground. Silence ticked by as her awareness counted time stretching across the day. After seconds that seemed like hours, Lo's voice gently rippled through it. 

"Let me ask you the same question if you were in my position. How would you feel if your Master showed signs of improvement, but wasn't waking up?" She didn't wait for an answer. 


"I feel scared, angry, and shame. All the emotions a Jedi fight against for a better world. On H'Ratth, they teach you not to feed them. However, actually being able to let them fade away is much harder when you're in a place that causes it." 

Lo inhaled She let the cleansing breath give her strength to continue.

"I have to pretend that I can't feel the weight of them and it's been hard. I didn't expect my Master to sacrifice this soon. With each lesson I do on my own, I find myself less and less prepared for the future." 

Her eyes turned to his, filled with pain and the spoken emotions. Most of all guilt overwhelming the rest. 

"It is silly, right?"