Useless

Posted on Mon Oct 29th, 2012 @ 3:58am by Berry & Thane & 2-1BH "Useless"

3,187 words; about a 16 minute read

Chapter: Chapter II: Era's Dawn
Location: Medbay, Red Raptor
Timeline: Midday, Day Three

"Are you certain you left the bacta patches on all night?" The holodroid insisted once again, its glowing white head moving slightly closer to Thane's.

The Jedi growled in slight annoyance at the AI. "Yes, I am quite certain."

"Hmm..." Whilst much of the Red Raptor came across as well-used and not well-kept in some places, no one could deny the advanced level of the medbay Grogga had maintained. Whilst it would have been preferable to have an actual medical droid on board, the 2-1BH holodroid had access to a substantial amount of medical data. However, his personality was not necessarily something to be coveted. "It is healing well, but you should spend some time inside the bacta tank - just to be sure. And then, of course, you should see a real doctor."

"Because of how useless you are, Useless?" Thane shot back, standing up from the bed to walk over to where his white undershirt sat. According to the holodroid, the supposed physician who had served on the Raptor before (who apparently spent more time drunk than practising medicine) had named him Useless. The doctor himself was in fact called Sawbones, and only because he genuinely only enjoyed sawing bones off, rather than healing.

Thane thought it an apt name for the irritating contraption as he picked up the undershirt. Useless had insisted on inspecting the burns and bruises on his chest, too. Luckily, he had not taken much damage there, and what little there was was being treated well by the patches.

Berry scampered down the hallway, her orange tunic fluttering. Even though she had washed the green one, it seemed to have shrunken a little from the dryer, and she hated it when things brushed against her skin too much...since she moved around too much. Her hair was pulled back into two braids, and she repeated her daily ritual of investigating as if she had never been here before. Then she heard voices. Sounded like...a droid! Another one?! She excitedly ran into the medbay, having seen nothing here before. Now there was...a weird kinda see-through droid and a pale guy! Wait, no, Pale Guy.

Berry waved, grinning. "Hi, Thrane!" Her eyes widened. "Oooh, and who are you?"

"I am Useless," the hologram replied drearily but without preamble, unable to refuse to admit its name. "A 2-1BH series medical holodroid, an advanced but affordable artificial intelligence directly linked into the starship's mainframe. I am versed in over seven million forms of communication and have access to a comprehensive medical encyclopaedia, allowing for treatment of all nearly all encountered species, as well as enough practical information to sufficiently improvise treatment for unknown integers."

She smiled stupidly, flapping a hand at the droid as she tried to be nonchalant. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her smile faded as she looked over at Thrane. "Hey, are you feeling better?"

The corner of his mouth twitched into a slight smile. "Not too bad, thanks, considering a power-crazed lunatic pumped be full of lightening." He pulled his tunic on and stretched to get out the creases, then grabbing his red jacket from behind the chair. He had slept finally since that morning, when he had spoken with Bomoor following his whole night awake, studying Darth Bane's holocron. "Deactivate holodroid," he commanded to the medbay, and Useless blinked out of visual existence. "I'm sorry we did not get a proper chance to speak after we got on board yesterday; it was all a bit hectic, and we've had a lot to deal with - yourself included. I suppose you are finally going to get to reach Coruscant now."

Berry nodded furiously, then laughed. "I know, right?? My crew would be so amazed it's actually happening..." She smiled gratefully at him. "But it's because you guys took me along, so that's really nice of you." The part-Aquar paused, and then scratched her head as her smile looked a bit more confused. "...why'd you guys take me along, anyway? I'm pretty useless here." She chuckled. "Like that droid!"

"You're nothing like that droid," he replied as they stepped to the corridor with the cabins, "but we took you along because both Bomoor and I could feel the raw nature of the Force within you, how - even without training - you call upon it and use it quite freely." Thane opened the door to his cabin, took the dead Gran cultist's lightsaber from within his jacket before placing it on top of the holocron, covering it. "And then there's that vision we shared. If it wasn't for that, I probably would have just left you on Nar Shaddaa, or maybe pointed you in the right direction off that slime hole."

Thane sat himself down on his bunk, and offered for Berry to take the single chair that was by the utilitarian desk. "With what we saw, you have to be trained, but the Jedi won't have you. Heh, I believe some of them may even try to remove you, based on what we saw, so it's only fair I let you know a bit more about them, what they do... and about myself, and what I do. Let's be straight here: I'm not the typical Jedi, and," he paused as he thought of what to say, "I'm not going to train you be like a typical Jedi, but I will show you how to use your powers, as well as helping you in this galaxy. For those of us who can touch the Force, it's our responsibility to use it properly." He offered the hilt towards her.

Berry glanced at the hilt and then stared expectantly at him.

"Take it, Bería," he said, not unkindly, nodding forwards. "There are quite a few things to learn about, including this."

Her nose wrinkled and she shook her head, leaning away from the hilt. "No thanks...you can teach me stuff, but I don't wanna use a glow sword. Kind of cheating, y'know?" Well, maybe he didn't since he used one himself and didn't seem the cheating type, but...whatever! Her brain vacated that problem and she continued frowning to the side.

Thane let out a short laugh. "I'm not offering for you to use it," he explained as he placed his free hand within his trouser pocket, then revealing a small red crystal between his fingers. "I've removed one of the key components - one of the most unique components, in fact - from the whole mechanism." Once again, he offered the hilt to her. "As it stands, it's just a collection of parts and someone's vision for a lightsaber. I want you to take it apart, learn the different parts, learn how to reassemble it, whilst also getting an idea for its weight; how you like to hold it. Although the Force is strong with you, you're not yet in tune with it enough to master such an elegant weapon. In time, though, you'll construct your own to suit your own feelings and technique, unique to your personality."

As he passed the lightsaber over to her, the Jedi Guardian unclasped his own from his belt and showed it to her. It was a far brighter and shinier design than the other, silver with some gold highlights; it was unlike any of the Dark Jedi within Axion's Cult had wielded.

"Whilst it is not the most important part of being a Jedi - any kind of Jedi - the lightsaber is personal, designed, built and attuned to you. Not only a rite of passage, but also a declaration, an achievement to be proud of. Even the Reborn Jedi Order accepts this," Thane explained. "A true Force user is never without some weapon, whether it be words or the powers they can call upon, but the lightsaber is a key element. It is sturdy, it is powered by the Force - by you - and stands for something. Or, at least, it should stand for something." He paused as the Human examined his own hilt, actually slightly smiling at the sight of it. "It's the reason why I use this as your first lesson. It is these qualities you should represent: strength, the Force and a meaning - a purpose. Whilst I don't feel the Jedi Order necessarily quite holds to these values, myself, Bomoor, some others and you can."

"I know I do," Berry said, still pouting at the half-glow stick she was holding. She peeked at Pale Guy and found him not looking so down. Maybe a glow stick wasn't so bad? But why was he lessoning her??

Thane continued. "It is also important that it shows a part of you - your personality, and your feelings. Like I said: you and the lightsaber have a lot in common. Just as, in time, it will become an extension of you in combat, it should always be a part of you; you will use the Force to tune it, and it should represent your attitudes and beliefs. That is why, if you looked, many of Axion's servants utilised blackened blades, and many of them were similar. Even in their ridiculous devotion and lack of individuality, they have expressed themselves in their hilts - they look alike, just as they act alike. I went to the extremes of independence; I have utilised electrum," he tapped the gold parts on his hilt, "in the design of my blade, and even went in search of Hurrikaine crystals, to give it a violet sheen. Even the modest Bomoor opted for a more unique colour, but that is not to say there isn't worth in the more common ones."

Berry smiled impishly at the human. "What if I want mine to be red?"

He let out a short sigh, knowing she was trying to test him. He continued regardless. "The colour of your lightsaber is an individual choice; many dark side adherents forge their own artificial crystals, which - almost every time - will result in an unstable, but powerful, red-hued crystal, like this one." Thane held up the red stone he had pulled from the Gran's lightsaber. "Naturally-occurring red crystals aren't impossible to find, but they are very rare; green and blue are the most common to discover on Jedi worlds where they grow, but other colours are possible to find. I won't say that the colour is unimportant, because, again, it signifies a part of you."

She pouted to the side, crossing her arms. "You said I wasn't gonna use a glowy stick but now you said it's gonna be an 'extension' of me." She frowned at him. "What if I don't wanna use it? I express myself enough without a glowy stick..." She slumped a bit in her chair, growing restless now that she was faced with a chance to be super uncool. Her golden-green fingers pulled on her necklace made of blue beads, pulling so hard it looked like it was about to break. Then it did, but the silver thread quickly connected back with the broken segments, like it was a magnetic liquid. She repeated the action as she looked to the side, very displeased.

Thane looked curiously at the thread, but quickly pushed his attention back to the young Near-Human. "It's a lightsaber, Bería - not a glowy stick. Glow sticks are actually something completely different." A hint of annoyance was in his voice, but he had already taken to mocking Bomoor with the variety of misnomers the part-Aquar had given him, so he could not fully deride her about it. "But there is a reason why nearly all Jedi, Dark Jedi, Sith and and their various factions have utilised this weapon - you would be a fool to ignore the history of it, the practicality of it, and the fact it is forged by you and your own connection to the Force."

Igniting his violet blade, he rose and gave a few shows of swinging it around quickly, bringing it very close to Berry and his own body, but not once impacting anything. "It is a powerful weapon and tool. It is light, it can defend you from most attacks, and can beat most defences. With the Force, you can master all manner of tactics that someone such as Sev Rezer never will be able to. Certainly, he could come close, but he would only ever use a sword, at best." He disengaged the blade. "Because with most other melee weapons, you can knock or skim yourself without fear of injury, but this," he tapped the hilt in Berry's hand, "can sheer of limbs, as you've seen. But it can also absorb some Force attacks, deflect bolts, cut into doors. As I said: you would be a fool to ignore it. And you may act the fool, but you were not born to be a jester."

Berry grinned. "Yeah, what's that?" So with a LIGHT stick, she could...cut people's arms off? 'Cause it could cut anything. So...like what Thane did back on the moon. Berry frowned faintly at him, then frowned stubbornly to the side again, mumbling, "Eye Guy d'snt h've t'Light stick'n h'can beat even J'di...."

Thane's eyebrow rose with amusement at the last comment. "Oh?" He said, grinning slightly smugly. "Surely you have wondered how Mandalore the Ego lost his eye and arm?" He tapped the blade in Berry's hand again. "Besides, not all Jedi are gifted with the use of lightsabers. Some are more adept at using Force techniques, whilst others are average in both, and a very select few are exceptionally gifted in both."

Her frown deepened, and she peeked at him with her brows knitted from the reality of what this weapon was. Firstly, she wasn't Orza and couldn't do shit with swords. Secondly, fists were so much cooler! But...since Pale Guy had water magic and knew things like she did, maybe it was worth a try...she wasn't gonna stay here long, anyway. She slouched even more in her chair, pouting slightly. "Fine, I'll try to use it." Then she looked over Thane, eyes locked with hers as her own gaze intensified. "But my decisions are what make the blade what it is." Her dark eyes flashed. "So no cutting people up and bein' crazy!!" Like you, she added in her head. She'd been smacked by her grandpa and Dondon for being impertinent (of course she blocked the move), so she actually learned to be sullen quietly.

"However much you use the lightsaber, fists, words, the Force, or simply just your surroundings is entirely own to you," he declared simply, "but you should first be able to do each one, to be the more likely victor in a confrontation. It's not something you will learn overnight, but both myself and Bomoor have sensed and even seen your innate ability; with enough focus and trust in your instincts, I believe you will very quickly gain an understanding of this weapon. It has happened before, and it would not be surprising."

When he stopped talking, Thane seemed to consider something to himself, and soon voiced it. "We should probably turn one of the spare holds into a training room, as it would benefit not only you, but also Bomoor and myself. I was certain I saw a smashed-up training remote shoved into one of the rooms." It would not take too long to repair it, even for someone as unskilled in mechanics as Thane, and would prove highly beneficial. "Once I've got it working, it will help you practise listening to the Force, as you dodge to avoid its shots. When you get better at that, you can then move onto deflecting the bolts with a blade."

Berry couldn't help but be a little bit excited at that. Finally, something to do on this ship!! She was tired of bouncing off the walls to see how many times she could do it without stopping. However, she stubbornly squashed that bit of curiosity and tried to keep her pout on her face, mumbling, "O'kay..."

"I'll speak with Bomoor about having a sparring session," Thane said. "You can watch how both of us utilise different techniques in a duel, and how we are having to use both practical thinking and the Force to adjudicate our moves. He will also be able to tell you more about using and understanding the Force as an entity. My abilities are capable but modest, whereas he is somewhat ahead of me in that particular department." He rose from the bunk and stepped over to the cabin door, opening it for the part-Aquar. "Let's get some food, and then you can go and bother Bomoomy about what I've told you."

Berry immediately threw aside her pout, replacing it with a wide and excited grin. "Food??!! Yeah!" She leapt to her feet and ran outside, grinning over her shoulder at him. "And that's not his name!!" She laughed as if something was stuck to his face. Then she sobered as she gave him a smile. "Hey, maybe I should let you 'teach' me more so you stop being so pale."

Thane let out another sigh, rubbing his forehead as it creased. "I've already explained this, Bería," he said, eyebrows rising as he addressed the young woman, his voice patronising, "the world that I come from is quite dark..."

The part-Aquar laughed again, merrily. "Noooo, I meant your eyes!" She leaned over toward him and peered into them, still grinning. "Sometimes when you talk about stuff they kinda sparkle like the deep waters off the islands." She straightened and crossed her arms, frowning in thought. But they easily clouded over from grey storms...and these two little seas had a LOT of storms already. She smiled faintly and patted him on the shoulder. Then her dark eyes widened as she suddenly gasped. "I forgot to ask Bombom what his favorite food was!!" Her brows knit with urgency as she started to fidget in place, as if waiting for Thrane to hurry up and get her food.

He placed his hands on his hips, looking at her with an expression crossed between exasperation and amusement. Shaking his head, he didn't even answer as he waved her away towards the rec room.

Watching her as she immediately bounded off at lightspeed, Thane let slip a small smile at how Berry behaved. Although her energy and naivety rubbed against him badly in some cases, causing him to wince at some of the things she said and done, there was still an element to her that showed a deep maturity, an actual eagerness to learn and pay attention. With time, he was growing more certain, she could become more than just the foolish girl who got herself locked within a fish tank bound for Nar Shaddaa.

He heard a crashing noise coming from the kitchen.

With a lot of time, he amended quickly, wincing.

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