Rules of Engagement

[idontneedluck]

Spring days are not fine on Jedha - if anything they're worse than winter's deadened chill.
Rain comes sporadically, but when it does come it drenches the world, the ground too desiccated to absorb the water poured onto it. Outside the temple, short-lived rivers flow as the rain pours down. Inside the temple, the atmosphere (in at least one hallway) is much more cheerful.

Chirrut's practically skipping as he leads the way down the halls, tugging impatiently on Baze's sleeve. Agilely he dodges classes of acolytes and manages to slow to a more respectful walk when they come in range of one of the Elders. He's back to skipping once they turn a corner.

"Come along Baze, we're going to be late - she has lessons this afternoon, we can't be all day." He chides, gleeful in his eagerness.

Comments

[iprotectyou]

Eiko's bruises show up vividly against her pale skin, darkening almost immediately into a purplish-red that Chirrut will never see. Her arms are numb already from the repeated contact, discolored down to her elbows. Chirrut's vicious in his attacks--he's always been vicious--and she tries her damnedest to keep up, to fight back, to never drop her guard.

She'll never, ever let him in.

She steps forward too fast, and Chirrut punishes her for it. She steps backward, retreating, and he follows, pummeling her. She dances to the side, twisting her body to glance a blow off her shoulder rather than take it in the chest, and her teacher takes aim at her once again.

Eiko plants her feet, meeting his assault with an equally ferocious one of her own, aiming for his legs, to trip him, and his face, to hurt.

[idontneedluck]

The dance goes faster now, the flow of attack and counter-attack constant and bone-rattling. Fights around them have ground to a halt, the crack of wood on wood loud in the echoing hall.

His breath comes in harsh pants as he blocks her, sometimes only a hair from his face, grounding an end of his staff to keep her from sweeping his feet from under him. She catches his wrist with a blow, leaving it stinging and the hand numb for a handful of precious minutes. He improvises, relying on speed and flexibility to avoid her blows altogether until he can hold his staff steady again. When he can, he charges her with a roar, intent on ending this.

[iprotectyou]

The hall is silent, waiting. Guardians and younger acolytes alike watch and wait, holding their collective breath.

Baze knows Eiko is ready.

But he can also see her flagging. The last blows before Chirrut's charge had her staggering, had her relying too much on her footwork and not enough on her staff. He can tell that she can't breathe, that she has taken one too many hits to the arms to grip her weapon hard enough to block her teacher.

Baze expects Chirrut to drop her, and drop her hard. When she finally meets his strikes, sweat flies off her face and chest with the force of them, and her arms shake in the aftershocks. She nearly drops to a knee. Baze bites his tongue as she rights herself, a steely glint in her red eyes.

Then, the unthinkable happens. A child trips onto the mat. The Guardians' collective breath draws in a gasp. But Baze only has eyes for Eiko, who swings her staff, aimed at Chirrut's temple, with all her remaining strength.

[idontneedluck]

His pride in her determination, her skill is immense. At this point he knows he has the conditioning and the skill to outlast her, but he will have to make a point to acknowledge how far she's come. He won't be able to handily defeat her for very much longer.

Then there is a thump, the crash of a body against the mat, a cry of pain that isn't from his throat or hers. The noise rises around them, blocking out his ability to pinpoint where that young voice came from. It's no joking matter, he knows - a young child could come to serious harm getting in the way of a quarterstaff fight. The Force is no help, the rising concern of the crowd drowning out everything else.

He fails to raise his guard against the incoming blow, his attention fragmented, searching for some clue as to where the child is.

Pain blossoms along the side of his head, fire-hot and consuming. His knees suddenly lose solidity, his fingers their grip.

Chirrut drops to the mat in a heap, following the path of his staff.

[iprotectyou]

Eiko staggers, the grace suddenly gone from her movements. Her staff falls from her hands to clatter on the mat, oddly loud despite the noise of the crowd.

"Chirrut!" Baze shouts, scrambling to his feet. Three long steps and he's by his friend's side, skidding on mat on his knees. The larger Guardian flips the smaller one over, supporting his limp neck with a beefy arm encircling his shoulders.

Eiko's there in the next moment, her long fingers alighting on the blood on Chirrut's temple. Baze catches a glimpse of the horror on her face, and his heart goes out to her.

He gently slaps Chirrut's face, trying to get him to come around. "Chirrut! Hoi, Chirrut! Wake up, damn you!"

[idontneedluck]

He comes back to himself to the sensation of being solidly held, and to a raging headache. There is... shouting, so much shouting, but most immediately is someone saying his name, repeatedly.

And hitting him.

Baze is hitting him.

His first attempt at a protest is a slurred mess, prompting a frown and heavy swallow while he tries to figure out what went wrong with his tongue.

"Eiko." He enunciates carefully, the words wanting to slide out of his mouth. "Defend me. He won'stop... hittin' me."

[iprotectyou]

Eiko lets out a strangled sob, which quickly turns into a just as choked laugh. Baze embraces his friend, cradling the back of his head, before lowering his head to the mat.

"Stay still, Chirrut," Baze says, wishing not for the first time that he could actually check whether his friend's pupils were dilated. "You probably have a concussion, and bacta won't help with that. If you move too much, you might throw up."

"I'm so sorry, teacher!" Eiko says, her hands fluttering around her pale face, made paler by her worry.

"It's okay, Eiko," Baze says, capturing one of her hands in his own. "He'll be okay. Won't you, Chirrut?"

[idontneedluck]

"I'll be fine." He insists, wincing when the emphasis in his voice rings unpleasantly in his head. "And don't you dare be sorry, Eiko. You had an opening and you took it." Even flat on his back he fails to concede to any perceived disadvantage.

"Now one of you help me up."

[iprotectyou]

"I don't think that's a good--" Baze starts, interrupted by Eiko's, "Of course!"

She holds Chirrut's hand and shoulder, lifting him in a quick, smooth movement against Baze's stammered protests. "Are you nauseated?" she asks, holding onto him tightly with her thin fingers.

"He should be," Baze grouses. "You moved him quickly enough."

The show over, the crowd begins to disperse. The child that tripped is dragged away to be scolded, and the Guardians go back to their sparring matches.

"So, Chirrut," Baze says, watching him warily. "Our room, or the infirmary?"

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut kept his own counsel about the nausea, biting back the burn of acid trying to crawl its way up his throat. He is ridiculously glad of Eiko's tight hold, since his feet seem an awfully long ways away.

"You should always stretch after sparring." He replies tersely, unwilling to bend to his own injury. "It won't take long."

[iprotectyou]

"Absolutely not," Baze snaps, well aware that his friend's stretching routine includes showy backbends and handstands. "You're in no condition to--Eiko, tell him."

"He's right, teacher," Eiko says, guilt threading through her voice. Then she brightens. "I did hit you pretty hard!"

"You're coming to our room or the infirmary," Baze growls, folding his arms. "That's the only choice you have right now."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut loops am arm over Eiko's shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. If that also helps stabilize his world a little... that's his problem, right?

"If I go back to our rooms you are just going to nag." Chirrut teases. "Just so you are reassured, we will go to the infirmary."

[iprotectyou]

"It's almost like you know me," Baze grumbles, helping Eiko lift Chirrut to his wobbly feet. The trip to the infirmary is slow, with Baze insisting that Chirrut rest every so often. The larger Guardian would have carried the smaller one if he didn't have so much pride. The trio ambles down the stone corridor, bumping into Master Sheotar on the way.

The master takes one look at Chirrut, suspended between Baze and Eiko, and snorts softly. "Nice work, girl," Master Sheotar says, patting Eiko on the shoulder before striding purposefully down the hall.

Eiko lets loose a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Is there anything in this temple that she doesn't know about?"

"No," Baze says, guiding Chirrut to the infirmary, and one of the waiting beds there. "Your head is swollen, Chirrut. Business as usual."

[idontneedluck]

It is, perhaps, a sign of how much he's feeling the blow when he fails to gripe at every pause along the way. He sits heavily on the exam table, waiting to be swarmed.

He hates this part. Even healthy, he avoids the infirmary when at all possible.

But the ache in his head is atrocious, and if someone brings food anywhere near him the results are going to be disastrous. So he waits.

[iprotectyou]

The two infirmary workers are distant. Professional. Experienced.

They also smile at Chirrut as if someone has told them a private joke they're not willing to share.

They draw his blood to check his oxygen levels, clean up his temple with moist towelettes and apply antiseptic, and bring him a cloth bag full of ice. He is to rest for the next week. No sparring, possibly for the next month.

Eiko is thoroughly disappointed. She was looking forward to learning something new from her teacher, and maybe challenging him again.

Baze, on the other hand, is torn between relief and frustration. He's relieved that Chirrut seems to be okay, but frustrated because he knows his friend can't sit still for a day, much less a week, and that Baze will have to keep an eye on him.

"I'm sorry you're injured, teacher," Eiko says mournfully, and Baze just grunts.

[idontneedluck]

"We've been over that already." Chirrut reminds her, waving off her apology - he would have been upset if she'd pulled her blow.

Even if he's already chaffing at the idea of keeping quiet for a month. That just feels excessive.

He's sure he'll be fine in a few weeks.

Maybe even two weeks.

Probably he'll feel great tomorrow.

"You should spar with Baze. It will help with your conditioning, and then Baze won't be bored since I won't be able to keep him busy." Chirrut suggests, pleased with his inventiveness.

[iprotectyou]

Eiko brightens at the idea. Baze doesn't.

"You'll keep me plenty busy," he grumbles. "Someone's got to make sure you stay in bed for a whole week, and I don't see anyone else volunteering."

"I volunteer," Eiko says immediately, and then has to dodge out of the way of the infirmary tech bringing Chirrut painkillers. "Baze, he can watch us spar, can't he?"

Baze folds his arms. "I... suppose so. As long as he doesn't try to join in."

[idontneedluck]

"Baze, what use am I on the sidelines?" Chirrut asks innocently, swallowing the painkillers dry. "I'd have to get one of the acolytes to describe the fight, and you know how much I hate that."

One should feel sorry for the acolyte in question, really.

[iprotectyou]

Eiko flushes to her roots, her pale face and neck red and blotchy. "Sorry, teacher. I... I forgot. I mean, you move so fluidly in the fights!"

Baze pats her shoulder. "I still forget, even after all these years."

The infirmary tech approaches again. "You're free to go, sir," she says. "Go straight to your rooms, apply ice for twenty minutes every two hours, and get some sleep."

Baze sighs. "I'll make sure he does."

[idontneedluck]

"I still don't understand this 'sight' thing you all keep going on about." Chirrut points out with a shrug that doesn't quite fit his frame. "The ability to tell what people are doing from a distance... and people call me mystical." He snorts, and instantly regrets it.

"Baze, you nag, will it help if you carry me for a while? Eiko, is he wringing his hands? I think he's wringing his hands."

[iprotectyou]

"He's wringing his hands," Eiko reports cheerfully.

"I am not," Baze snaps. He takes the ice bag from Chirrut and hands it to Eiko before scooping him up off the exam table. The trip to their room is much faster than the trip to the infirmary.

"Eiko," Baze says once they arrive, setting Chirrut down on his bed, "would you be a dear and get us some tea, please?"

"Yes, sir," Eiko says, rubbing her sore arms, and heads to the kitchens.

Baze shuts the door and rounds on his friend. "What were you thinking? You know better than to lose focus in a fight! She could have seriously hurt you. She did seriously hurt you."

[idontneedluck]

"Ugh, don't shout." Chirrut grumbles as he fusses with pillows. "I know, I know. I heard the child fall but then I couldn't locate him. I didn't want to hit him on accident." He knows, of course, of course someone would have scooped the child out of the way.

But what if they hadn't?

He can weather a blow himself, but the thought of one of those staffs landing a proper lash against a much more fragile child...

[iprotectyou]

Baze draws back to the door, contrite. He really does wring his hands. "You wouldn't have hit him," he says, feeling helpless in the face of Chirrut's pain. "He was on the other side of the mat, and he was surrounded by Guardians."

Baze sighs, and licks his lips. "But I can understand. Still. Don't let it happen again, all right? A concussion is nothing to sneeze at. You'll be out of commission for a month, and I'm serious when I say I'll be keeping an eye on you."

[idontneedluck]

His frown deepens at Baze's retreat, and he huffs, irked. He's not made of glass.

At least Baze has moderated his volume. Shouts leave his head ringing.

"It won't be a month, they were being ridiculous." Chirrut scoffs, finally deciding the pillow was placed just so with enough care and floofed enough times that he could lean back against it to prop himself against the wall. "And I really don't intend to sneeze at it, that'd hurt."

[iprotectyou]

"It will so be a month," Baze snarls, but does manage to keep his volume lower than it was. "You're not sparring with anyone until you're cleared by the infirmary techs. And me. You're a terrible patient, Chirrut, worse than me, but this is serious. You can't just--"

Eiko shoulders open the door, and Baze stops talking. She carries a tray with three steaming mugs of tea and a pot on it. "They didn't have sapir. I asked, but they said they can't get it this time of year."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut bites back the heated retort that was building. Instead he toes the bag of ice that had been dropped on the bed along with him until he can grab it and haul it up to easy reach.

"No, it's one of the great tragedies of the universe." Chirrut sighs, accepting the mug with over-careful hands. "But this smells lovely, thank you."

[iprotectyou]

"I wonder why that is?" Eiko muses, handing a mug to Baze. "It's a shame, really, but you'd think they'd be able to ship it in year-round."

Baze takes a gulp of his tea, burning his mouth, to keep from snapping at Chirrut again. "Thank you, Eiko," he grumbles.

Eiko glances between the two of them, debating over whether she should stick her nose into the middle of whatever this is. She decides against it. "You're both welcome."

"Chirrut, is that ice melted?" Baze says, leashing his temper.

[idontneedluck]

"Still pretty chunky." He observes, poking at it with a finger. Other than a few tentative sips of his tea, he hasn't put much effort into draining his glass. The warmth of the mug is pleasant in his hands.

"I should..." The words trail off as he peaceably inhales the scent of his tea, smelling of lush growing things, some place entirely unlike Jedha.

[iprotectyou]

"Chirrut?" Baze says, his gaze on his friend sharpening. "Are you all right?"

"He did just have a concussion," Eiko murmurs into her tea, but her eyes widen when Chirrut's head dips down. "Teacher!"

Eiko darts forward, rescuing Chirrut's tea from being spilled in his lap. Baze crosses to his bedside next, reaching out to gently shake his shoulder. "He's out," Baze says, voice bordering on panic. "Is he supposed to be out?"

[idontneedluck]

"Err." A voice behind them breaks in, one of the technicians from the infirmary. The lanky fellow looks both amused and abashed, and keeps a healthy distance away from Baze. "Actually, he is. We slipped him a sedative." He admits, wryly.

"Guardian Imwe has a reputation. Guardian Malbus, if you need more, he has an open prescription. Mixes well with tea." He smirks, his innocent face not any more convincing than Chirrut's.

[iprotectyou]

"The--the painkillers were a sleep aid?" Baze says, puzzling this out. He glances to his passed out friend, and then gives an impressed look to the technician before he leaves. "All right, then. We can live with that."

Eiko sets the tea down on the nightstand and helps Baze settle Chirrut in the bed, tucking the blankets around his neck. "I have lessons," she says, smiling. "I'll leave you to watch him. Let me know if he gets any worse."

"Certainly," Baze says, settling on his own bed to keep an eye on his friend, as promised.