Nar Shaddaa

Alysele was still in the hospital. It wasn't getting any prettier. Uglier, really. She looked down at the.... 'food' provided. It had one good attribute. It made Republic rations look good. And taste good.

At least she will be allowed to leave later. Hopefully.

"Yeah, the fucking Jedi." Murmuring voices. "No, I'm the one who brought her in." More murmuring. "Yeah, you and whose army? If I kill you now who'll call em, huh? Yeah, get back to work."

The door to Alysele's room opened revealing a large Pureblood sith in full battle armour. He looked over to see if she was awake as he closed the door behind him.

"Did they give you paste? What the fuck." He shook his head in exasperation. "Everything the body needs, except flavour. How's the... Head, ribs, leg? Did I miss anything?"

He gave her a grin and took a seat.

Aly slowly took notice of the increasing noise outside, and then the red juggernaut... the friendly red juggernaut, stepped in.

Alysele felt.... well, a whole lot of things. There was some relief, then jealousy, then disappointment, then some humor and....okay, maybe that was it.

"Hello." She smiled weakly. "What needs to be on the inside is there. Mostly." She offered. Old instincts taking over, she gestured to a creaky old chair. "Want to take a seat?"

Jo'ren sized up the chair and gently lowered himself into it. There was some creaking, but after a few moments it seemed that it was going to support him for the time being.

"So. We lived. We learned." He winked at her. "Azanak managed to pull off a lucky escape but we'll get the fucker. Killed all of his buddies at least."

Satele pauses in the doorway and then says, "Am I interrupting?"

Jo'ren looked up at the attractive human and then back at Alysele. Big shoulders shrugged.

"It don't bother me."

Alysele observd him, a weak, tired smile on her face. "We learned... yeah. A lot."

when Satele arrived, Aly gave her a nod. "Master Shan." There was an edge in her voice. "This is Sith Jo'ren Rath, my savior. You are not interrupting."

"Apprentice to Darth Vengean, I am aware of him," she says striding past towards Alysele. "I was concerned when I heard what happened and now that I see you, is there anything you need? I have assigned Jedi Knight Balos Tyl to watch over the hospital. We can move you to the Enclave if that is better for you."

She has a look of concern.

Alysele slowly raised an eyebrow. "I don't need protection Master Shan. I have my destiny after all, I am sure it'll all work out." Her words were full of venom.

"Ooh, she's 'aware of him'. If only 'he' was in the room so she could address him like he was here right now.". He rolled his eyes and smirked at Alysele. "I guess Jedi masters are above talking to sith like they're people."

"No offense meant, but my concern is with Alysele, if you would excuse us a moment," she counters to the Sith and then looks at the Jedi.

"I sense great anger in you, Alysele."

"You are truly a master then." Her voice was dripping with venom, before she turned to Jo'ren. "Thank you for your help yesterday, and for your visit. It is appreciated."

Satele folds her arms across her chest and says with no amusement, "I fail to see why you are angry with me."

There was a creak as Jo'ren stood up. The chair remarkably remained intact.

"You're welcome, call me if you want to talk." He looked over at Satele and made a gesture as if he was tipping a hat before looking back at Aly. "I'll be in touch later Princess. We've got a cultist left to kill."

With a last wink at her he left them to their Jedi business.

/Exit

"Take care Jo'ren." She replied, before looking, before turning to Satele.

After Jo'ren, left, she turned to Satele. "Master Shan, why would I feel that? After all, I merely faced my destiny, which was to lose miserably again against the same opponent, and to be saved by the Sith. Again. I truly appreciate the support I received from the order for this matter."

"What destiny are you talking about? You think I have never lost a fight before? What you went through was traumatic... but to attribute that to some destiny... whatever the future holds for you, this is not the end of it. You lost but you lived, and that is all that matters. You are more than just a warrior, you're a Jedi of the Order," she says calmly.

"Your worth as a person is not valued by your victories but by the example you set. By doing the right thing and standing up to the darkness. You did that, you should take no shame in that."

"What use am I as a Jedi if I cannot do my duty? Facing a lone opponent in single combat... I have trained my whole life for that.!" She was shouting now. "I have failed. The Order stood by while that happened. There is a serial killer on the loose, and I'm the only one doing something."

Tears were flowing now. "What is the order doing?" Her voice was weak. "I don't see anything... Master Merls drugged everyone for a vision, even outsiders. Master Lorne could've helped, but refused to stay and help the talks."

She looked down at her hand, clenched in a fist. "Why should I go on? What is it that I can even do now?"

Satele frowns but stays silent through the tirade. She says calmly, "The Order does many things, Alysele you know that. Just because you do not see everyone acting as you are does not mean we are doing nothing. Master Resmi aids the poor, I have been dealing with the peace talks almost daily... Yslane has been working on several projects and my apprentice has been tracking down a terrorist just to name a few things going on outside your vision."

"You are angry, and perhaps a natural response but you let that emotion control you and you will become the very monster you have been trying to stop. If you believe your only use is the lightsaber you carry then your Masters have failed you because a Jedi is not their fighting skill it is their heart and their dedication to aiding others that makes a Jedi and in that regard you have done everything you can."

Satele says, "This won't make you feel better but it is the truth, you can do everything right... Alysele, you can commit no mistakes and still lose. That isn't a weakness that is life, but you can't let this moment defeat you. You are a Jedi, when I knew you were hunting the killer I trusted you to see it through. I still trust you."

"But... a Jedi should be better." She didn't look at Satele, rather at her own sheets. "I should be saving people, yet Iam the one that needs to be saved."

She wiped away the tears. "I know nothing but how to fight. And even that, badly. Yslane is resourceful, she's... she's the best."

She slowly raised her eyes to look at Satele. "Perhaps you're trust has been misplaced, Master Shan."

“It is not misplaced, you are learning a valuable lesson here, if the only thing you think you know how to do is fight then you need to expand your way of thinking. Fighting is a last resort, not you’re first.”

She adds, “You are helping people and even a Jedi needs help, we are part of this galaxy not apart from it. No one is above needing aid and you will have to accept that. Like I said this is a traumatic situation and you need time to process but giving up or feeling sorry for yourself is not going to help your recovery.”

“Your character is being tested as it has before, Alysele. Now is not the time to give up.”

"What is it the time for then?" Her voice was weaker now, shaking. "I don't know what to do, how to do what I need to do. I tackled the problem as I do, and I failed. Again and again." She looked in the master's eyes. "I don't want to give up, but what should I do? I am lost, Master."

“Ask for help from your fellow Jedi or allies… perhaps tackle the problem from a new angle? You have a multitude of avenues to try. There is always another way to handle a problem,” Satele offers in reply.

Alysele sighed. "Then help me Master Shan. I have fought him, his armor makes the fight difficult. Help me track him, help me defeat him." Her voice was low, almost pleading now. "There may be paths, but I feel blind to them all."

Satele says, “Master Thun has a great deal of knowledge in this sector, I would consult her on this issue. She is always open to aiding her fellow Jedi, the Force is your ally Alysele, you need some time to recuperate and assess the situation with clarity.”

“I will contact SIS and see what they can find on this warrior and we will put a stop to him. You need to focus on recovery ad finding your center.”

"I will talk to her." She looked down at her hands. "What if I can't defeat him again? He has run free, due to my lacking." She sighed. "Recenter myself.... perhaps that would be best.