And with more hyperspace lanes being cleared every day, the frontier couldn’t elude Orla for much longer. Wild open space beckoned, and she couldn’t wait to answer the call.

Reath got to take it easy on the trip back to Coruscant. His injuries from the venting maneuver were minor but numerous: scrapes and cuts on his skin from shards of debris, a slight sprain of one hand from gripping the ladder so hard, plus bruises and a blackening eye from his lifesaving collision with Geode. This meant he got propped up in his bunk with hot tea, blankets, and praise for his heroic actions, which was the best painkiller of all.

For the purposes of keeping their eyes on both patients at once, the other Jedi had taken down the barrier between Reath’s “room” and Dez’s. Unfortunately Dez wasn’t doing nearly as well.

Dez lay on his cot, his breath ragged. His golden-tan complexion had turned ashen, and his skin had gone clammy. Despite being bandaged with synthplast skin, the wounds on Dez’s arms and legs remained livid and tender.

When Master Cohmac came to check on them, he murmured, “Have you tried a healing, Reath?”

“I tried,” Reath said. “Master Jora always said it was worth trying. But I doubt I did much. Not knowing exactly what toxins the Drengir put in his bloodstream—well, that didn’t help.”

Orla poked her head in. “How is he?”

“He’s not getting worse,” Reath said. “But he’s not getting better, either.” It was clear that Dez needed to get a lot better, and fast.

“Pardon the intrusion,” said Leox, who was coming through the door with a cloth-wrapped packet in his hands. “I may be able to provide some surcease of our friend’s pain.”

Orla and Cohmac exchanged glances as Leox went to sit by Dez’s head. Then Reath couldn’t register their reactions, only his own shock, as Leox pulled out pressed leaves that smelled distinctly, strongly, unmistakably of spice.

Leox began pressing the broad, soft leaves to Dez’s chest, then wrapped others around his wounds, and finally laid one across his forehead. By the time he’d finished applying them, Dez had already begun to breathe easier.

When the Masters exchanged glances, Leox said, “I told you it was medicinal.”

Master Cohmac actually smiled. Reath generally didn’t think it was a good idea to keep secrets from the Jedi Council…but this one time might be the exception. Besides, the Council would be unhappy enough with them already.

It had been just over a day since they’d left Coruscant, but the memories felt far more distant. Reath reflected again on the rules they’d broken to get there, the reaction that would inevitably result. “We’ll be disciplined, won’t we? For coming here in the first place.”