Battlefield Etiquette

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut is in a temper.

Winter is coming for NiJedha, crouching at its door, and the desert wind blows shrill over the city. The pitch makes meditation an impossibility for Chirrut, making him tetchy, making him restless. He's been in the training hall all day, taking challenger after challenger. Those around him are growing wary of his fey mood, and the challenges are coming slower. This... is not helping matters.

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[iprotectyou]

Baze's ears tear, blood spurting from the bite of Chirrut's nails. His throaty scream drowns out Eiko's horrified gasp. She's never seen her teacher fight so filthy. So dishonorable.

Baze rolls off of Chirrut, taking his staff with him--which means dragging it up and over Chirrut's face. Eiko hauls Baze to his feet, and they both stand ready for Chirrut's next attack.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut staggers to his feet, panting harshly, the most inelegant he's been all day. His face is a horror of blood, with tears streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks. The blood has stained his robes and streaked his hands.

And still he grins.

His staff is a blur of motion as he rushes them, crashing into Eiko's braced staff first to knock her down and back before rounding on Baze again.

Eiko regains her feet in a mad scramble, unwilling to stay down when her teacher is so maddened. She still cannot believe what she just saw, cannot reconcile it with the man she knows.

[iprotectyou]

Baze clenches his staff so hard his knuckles turn white. This turns out to be a mistake, as he knew it would be, as each hit to it rattles his hands. He forces himself to loosen his grip, just slightly, in between Chirrut's strikes.

He's so wild, Baze can barely catch his breath. He catches Eiko's eye again. He shoves forward, and she punishes Chirrut for turning his back on her, clobbering his shoulders while Baze has him engaged.

[idontneedluck]

His shoulders are on fire. They throb in agony, the distraction making him sloppy - he whirls away from Baze to switch his focus, and his block is set incorrectly. Baze's staff finds his ribs, and he feels something give, setting a new fire up his side.

He ignores it.

Eiko's world narrows to a furious dance of strike and counterstrike, her blocks keeping Chirrut from sending her flying but only just. She is desperate to keep him off of her, not wanting to find out what other tricks he may have up his sleeves.

[iprotectyou]

Baze is tired. It takes a lot of energy to block, and to hit, and to keep moving despite the pain he's in. His adrenaline rush died a long time ago, so now he's running on empty. But he continues to buffet Chirrut, slamming the larger man's staff into the smaller one's back and ribs. Chirrut can't last forever, and neither can Baze.

Neither can Eiko. She stumbles backward, pressed by Chirrut's viciousness--and trips. One mistep twists her ankle, and she falls, crying out and losing her ability to block Chirrut's attack.

"Eiko! No!" Baze barks, trying to get Chirrut to focus on him with a flurry of successive strikes aimed at his head and neck.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut staggers forward under the blows, panting raggedly. He spins to block, leaving Eiko to retreat.

His muscles scream in agony. His heart screams to the beat of the wind outside. He roars into attack, ready to pour the last of his strength into a whirlwind attack.

When he forces his attack past Baze's defense, the crack of wood against bone is sickeningly loud.

[iprotectyou]

Baze hears the snap of his collarbone before he feels it. For him, the fight is over. His staff slips from his useless hands and lands on the mat with a muted clatter. He sinks to his knees, clutching his neck, which burns.

Eiko gasps. She tosses her staff aside and throws herself at Chirrut's feet, nose to the mat and arms thrown over her head to protect herself. "Teacher!" she shouts, and it's a strangled cry for mercy.

[idontneedluck]

For a long moment, he stands untamed, a wild thing with pain and shredded nerves driving him on. A few who stopped what they were doing look to each other, a silent agreement to risk Chirrut's wrath and rescue Eiko if he goes on the offensive again.

And then he feels it.

Fear. Revulsion. Pain. Horror.

Caused by him.

He can hear the pain in Baze's breathing, the hitch and tightness of it. He can hear the fear in Eiko's heartbeat - she doesn't expect him to stay his hand.

The combination is painfully sobering, washing away battle-madness and leaving him battered and sick of himself in its wake.

His staff hits the mat with a clatter.

Slowly, deliberately, he lowers himself - first to his knees, then down, prostrating himself on the mat. At his surrender the mat is rushed, two burly younger Guardians pinning Chirrut effectively while others move in to help Baze and Eiko.

[iprotectyou]

Baze comes to his senses slowly, rising up out of a fugue of pain to focus on the trembling Eiko. He struggles against the Guardians dragging him off to the infirmary.

"You filthy bastard!" he screams, tearing away from the Guardians and stalking over to Chirrut. He shoves at the Guardians pinning him with Baze's useless hands, not managing to dislodge them at all. "You attacked her while she was disarmed! How dare you?"

Baze was annoyed with his friend before. But this dishonorable conduct, beyond the pale, has him well and truly incensed. He spits on the mat, aiming away from his now-calmed friend. "Battle-mad or no, there's no excuse for that! What the hell is wrong with you?"

[idontneedluck]

He doesn't know. He's not sure he wants to know, not sure he likes the answer.

Not sure he likes himself, very much at all, after fights like these.

"I was wrong." His voice is strong, and steady, despite the way the mat muffles it. He forces it to be. To do otherwise would be to add disrespect on top of his current offences. "And I am shamed."

[iprotectyou]

Baze could kick him. It'd be easy--Chirrut is pinned, and wouldn't be able to retaliate. It's tempting.

But Baze Malbus does not kick a man when he's down.

"You should be," Baze grinds out. He opens his mouth to scream again, but stops at a gentle touch from Eiko on his arm. Her own are bruised and bleeding, and she has a black eye reddening, Baze notes, despairing.

"Baze," she says calmly, despite her eyes being a winter storm, "leave him be. His shame will temper him."

He swallows thickly and shifts his bulk to face away from Chirrut, trying not to move the larger man's broken collarbone. "Come to the infirmary, Eiko. You need bacta."

Eiko gives him a guilty look. Baze has no idea why. She glances to Chirrut. "So does he."

Baze sighs. He remembers beating Chirrut's nose into a pulp. "So does he."

[idontneedluck]

The men pinning Chirrut take it as a command, and haul Chirrut to his feet. He doesn't speak, his head hung low as they force him forward, toward the infirmary. He doesn't pick up his head when the whispering starts, a slowly growing crescendo that will ring through the temple before too long.

When they reach the infirmary, Master Sheotar is there, stony-faced. At a look the Guardians release Chirrut, and goes to his knees, then lower, bowing his face to the floor.

"Guardian Malbus, Acolyte Eiko, how do you fare?"

[iprotectyou]

Baze stiffens. Even now that he's older, Master Sheotar still inspires awe in him. "We... are bruised, Master, but still whole," he says, and sighs. She knows it's a lie. She knows everything. "I have a broken collarbone and a broken foot. Eiko has had her arms battered. Chirrut has a broken nose."

Master Sheotar's gaze snaps to Chirrut. "Explain yourself, Chirrut Imwe. Your friends aren't the only ones you've put into the infirmary this morning."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut flinches at the recitation of injuries. He didn't realize he'd been so brutal.

"I lost my focus, and my temper." He recites, to the floor - this has happened before, but usually it has been caught before he'd worked himself into that foul a mood.

"And what were you to do in such a time?" Her tone is implacable. Chirrut's is bleak.

"Find you, Master Sheotar."

[iprotectyou]

Baze wasn't aware that they'd had this arrangement, but it makes sense. Master Sheotar would have beaten Chirrut into the ground, saving Baze the effort. Next time, he'll tell his friend to find her and watch the ensuing fight. It will be short, he can already tell.

"This will not happen again, Chirrut Imwe," Master Sheotar says, laying a hand on Eiko's shoulder and gently pushing her towards the infirmary techs. They lead her to a exam table and start slapping bacta patches on her abused arms.

"And Baze," Master Sheotar says, and he winces, "this was foolish of you and Eiko as well."

"Yes, Master Sheotar," he says, and Eiko mumbles the same.

"Chirrut, you will engage in solitary reflection for a week," the master says, tucking her hands into her robes. "If you're going to act like a rabid dog, you will be treated like one. Baze, Eiko, you have a day of solitary reflection, to consider how dangerous it was for you."

[idontneedluck]

That brings Chirrut up for the first time since the fight ended. Baze and Eiko fought for him, to help him regain control, they don't deserve...

There's a flurry of movement ending with Chirrut flat on the ground, Master Sheotar's foot firmly pressing into the center of his back to keep him there. Chirrut bites back a groan as his injuries flare hot angry fire.

"Two weeks then, to ensure the matter properly done." Master Sheotar announces severely, and waves a hands to the technicians to have them start on Baze. "Tend to his ears first, so that he might hear a question properly when asked."

[iprotectyou]

Baze almost laughs, startled. She moves so quickly, he can barely track her. He's terrified of her, and knows Chirrut is, too--and for damn good reason.

He's still angry with Chirrut for attacking Eiko--and not himself. Baze is the one who volunteered, and convinced her to fight. He's angry with himself for that; he should have challenged Chirrut by himself, and not put her at risk. He can't even look at her, he feels so guilty.

And then the infirmary tech slathers bacta on his ears and sets his collarbone. The thoughts go out of his head, replaced by pain.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut can practically taste Baze's pain, and its resurgence has him abandoning his newly formed resolve to stay still in favor of struggling to rise again.

He's flattened again, firmly, and with a directing nod Master Sheotar has the Guardians haul Chirrut to his feet.

"We will send an infirmary technician to you, Imwe." She informs him, curtly, and he's hauled out on dragging feet.

[iprotectyou]

Baze exchanges a look with Master Sheotar before she sweeps out of the room.

Two weeks later, Baze itches to see his friend again. The larger man stands outside the reflecting room, hopping from foot to foot. He's still in a sling from the collarbone injury, Master Sheotar having decided that letting the injury heal naturally would deter him from putting himself and Eiko in any more dangerous situations for the time being. He avoids moving his arm as much as possible; he hates the grinding noise and the pain that accompanies it. But for now, he's too excited. Chirrut is coming back!

[idontneedluck]

The doors open to release Chirrut into the world. He comes forward slowly, deeply unsure about his welcome.


His knees hit the stone floor hard enough to bruise, falling forward to bow, face to the floor, for Baze. He's not sure he can be forgiven, but he can at least ask.

[iprotectyou]

"Oh, Chirrut," Baze says, his formerly bright smile dimmed by his friend's entrance. Baze's shoulder slumps forward due to gravity and his broken collarbone as he kneels. He uses the hand not in the sling to cup Chirrut's chin and raise his face to him. "You always were over-dramatic."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut doesn't question it. He doesn't demand explanations, or that he be further punished for his sins. If Baze has seen fit to forgive him, how can he do less than accept it?

He throws his arms around Baze in a fierce hug.

[iprotectyou]

Baze sees the embrace coming, but it's too late for him to do anything about it. He wants to return it, but his collarbone flares with pain from the squeezing of his shoulders, bringing tears to his eyes. "Oh, ow, Chirrut, ow," Baze says, laughing through it. He bites his bottom lip. "Let go, I'm still injured."

He's still wearing a foot brace, too, though his ears have healed.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut jerks back abruptly, hands ghosting over the sling, the break, his remorse clear in every line.

"What are you doing up you should be resting not out here Baze...!"

[iprotectyou]

Baze cups Chirrut's cheek with his free hand. "And leave you to come find me? Not on your life," the larger man says, smiling through his remaining tears. "Eiko is waiting for us. We have sapir for you, and you look like you could use it."