Scout woke up on the Jedi Temple's rooftops overlooking one of the gardens, yawning and rubbing her eyes with her knuckles before tilting her head back to look up at the sky, smiling as the faint glow of Coruscant's morning sun broke through the smog. She sat up, ran her hands through her tangled ginger hair, muttering, "Yuck," and shook it out while scooting to the edge of the slanted roof. She slid down, jumped off, and landed on a thick branch jutting from a tree below, balancing for a moment as it creaked under her weight before flipping forward and dropping to the grass, bending her knees to soften the landing. She stretched her arms high above her head, twisted her torso until her spine cracked, and walked across the garden to one of the stone fountains, dipping her hands into the water to splash her face, scrubbing her cheeks and forehead, then running wet fingers through her hair to rinse off the grime.
A rustle sounded from a tree to her left—she spun around, hand snapping to her belt where her lightsaber usually rested, heart thudding for a second until she saw two younglings darting between the branches, giggling as they chased each other with wooden sticks. She exhaled, smiled faintly, and turned back to the fountain, finishing washing her hair by cupping water over her scalp, then gathered the damp strands and twisted them into a tight Padawan braid, knotting the end with a quick flick of her fingers. She stood up, pulled her personal pad from her tunic pocket, and scrolled through her schedule while heading toward the Temple's main entrance, footsteps tapping on the stone path as she read her duties and lessons for the day, muttering to herself, "Okay, first day back in lessons—gonna be a good day." She nodded, relieved the Council finally let her resume training after weeks of sitting idle since they returned, her hands itching for something to do beyond wandering the halls.
She skimmed the list and saw lightsaber training first, grinning and saying, "Good, I can work with that," then scrolled down, spotting a long stretch of Republic history lessons and sticking out her tongue while groaning, "Bleh, why so much of that, who even cares about history anymore?" She kept going, noticed meditation next and sighed, rolling her eyes, then reached the end where a session with Master Luminara sat waiting—she stared at it for a long moment, face still, then slid the pad back into her pocket without saying anything. "Pretty boring day," she said to herself, shrugging and walking through the Temple's arched doorway into the cool corridors, weaving past a group of initiates carrying datapads and dodging a droid rolling a cart of cleaning supplies.
In the canteen, voices called out to her—Whie Malreaux waved from a table near the center, Lena Missa shouted her name while juggling a tray of cups, and Bairdon Jace nodded from a bench by the wall. Scout grinned, waved back with a bounce in her step, and walked over to join them, sliding onto the bench next to Whie while saying, "Hey, everyone—didn't think I'd miss breakfast, did you?" She leaned forward, propped her elbows on the table, and kept her smile wide as Lena plopped down across from her and Bairdon pulled a chair closer, setting his plate down with a clink.
"Where were you last night?" Whie asked, tilting his head and pushing his empty cup aside.
Scout shrugged and said, "In my room, sleeping—what else would I be doing?" She kept her voice light, grin steady, and folded her hands under her chin.
Lena leaned forward and squinted at her. "I tried to find you—we had a holotape to watch, knocked on your door, but you weren't there."
Scout paused, tapped her fingers on the table for a second, then laughed and said, "Ah, you must've missed me—I did some late-night training before bed, helps me sleep better." Her smile twitched at the corners, but she held it firm, leaning back and stretching her arms over her head.
Whie looked at her for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, but carry your comm next time—we watched it without you."
Scout saluted with two fingers and grinned wider. "Order received—won't dodge the next one."
Bairdon smirked and lowered his voice while leaning in. "It was a wild tape—some smuggler seducing a female Jedi, lots of touching and rolling around." Lena giggled and added, "She dropped her robes, and he kept grabbing her—didn't get why at first, thought it was a duel or something." Whie chuckled and whispered, "They ended up on a bunk, moving all weird—I figured it wasn't fighting, but I'm still not sure what it was." Scout laughed with them, nodding as if she understood, while they kept their voices low and glanced around to make sure no Knights or Masters overheard their chatter about the forbidden holovid.
Droids rolled up with trays, placing plates of steamed grains and protein slabs in front of each of them—Scout grabbed hers, looked down at the pile, and took a bite, chewing slowly before sighing and saying, "Tastes so good." Lena laughed across the table and shook her head. "It's the same mush every day—you're crazy."
Scout chuckled, took another bite, and listened as they went back to whispering about the holovid while she hesitated on her third bite, fork shaking in her hand until she gripped it with her other to stop the tremble, checking around to ensure no one saw. She picked up her knife, cut the food into small, even portions, and slipped each piece into her pockets one at a time, keeping her movements slow and casual under the table so they wouldn't notice.
Breakfast wrapped up, and they stood, grabbing their pads and heading out—Scout walked with them through the corridors, stopping when a loud clank echoed from a droid dropping a tool nearby, making her flinch and crouch slightly before she straightened up and smiled at Whie's curious glance, waving it off. They passed a window where a transport landed outside, and she froze for a second, staring at the pilot unloading crates swearing that it was someone else that it was Elor-
"You alright?" Lena asked as she nudged her.
Scout laughed and nodded. "Yeah, just zoned out—let's go."
They reached the training chamber where Master Drallig stood at the front, arms crossed as initiates trickled in—Scout stepped onto the padded floor behind Whie, listening as Drallig outlined the day's saber drills and started pairing them off with training sabers from a rack. He called her name and matched her with Hanna Ding—she muttered a curse under her breath, clenching her pad, and glanced at Hanna walking over with a smirk, silver hair tied back and saber already in hand. Hanna excelled in everything—Force skills, saber technique, academics—and never forgave Scout for getting a Master before her, especially since Scout lagged in most abilities except her knack for sensing what came next.
Hanna stopped in front of her and tilted her head. "Ready to embarrass yourself again, Scout? Surprised they still let you train with the real Padawans." Scout sighed and grabbed a training saber from the rack. "Let's get this over with—I don't have all day."
Hanna twirled her saber and stepped into the sparring circle. "You don't belong here anyway—should've stayed lost wherever they dug you up." Scout gripped her saber tighter and moved into position, facing Hanna who stood rigid with her weapon poised while Scout shifted her weight and rocked on her heels, ready to wing it.
Drallig signaled the start—Hanna lunged, thrusting her saber at Scout's chest, and Scout dodged sideways, swinging at Hanna's arm, which Hanna blocked with a flick and countered with a slash at Scout's legs, landing a hit on her shin that made her stumble. Scout spun, slashed at Hanna's side—Hanna parried, stepped in, and struck Scout's shoulder, pushing her back while saying, "Too slow—pathetic as always." Scout gritted her teeth, ducked a swing at her head, and thrust at Hanna's stomach—Hanna twisted aside, brought her saber down on Scout's wrist, and smirked as Scout yelped and shook out her hand. "Weak... how could someone like you survive Jabiim," Hanna said, spinning and slashing at Scout's ribs—Scout blocked too late, taking the hit, and staggered while Hanna laughed. "So many good Jedi died there—what a waste it wasn't you instead."
Hanna twisted a dial on her saber, cranking the power beyond training settings—Scout swung at her legs, but Hanna sidestepped, struck Scout's arm hard enough to make her cry out louder, and watched her drop to one knee while clutching the spot. "Get up," Hanna said, looming over her. Scout pushed herself up, swung at Hanna's chest—Hanna blocked, kicked Scout's stomach, and sent her sprawling back to the ground with a thud.
Hanna stepped closer, pressed the humming training saber against Scout's chest with enough force to dent her tunic, and leaned down until her face hovered inches above Scout's, sneering as she spoke. "You shouldn't be here—you should've died on Jabiim, your weakness probably got your friends killed too." Scout froze, breath catching in her throat like a stone, and then snapped—pushing herself up from the padded floor with a surge of adrenaline, she lunged at Hanna, swinging her training saber in a wild arc toward Hanna's head, gripping the hilt with both hands as she put her full weight behind it. Hanna raised her own saber, blocked the strike with a jolt that sent vibrations up Scout's arms, and stumbled back a step, boots squeaking on the mat.
Scout pressed forward, slashing again at Hanna's shoulder—Hanna twisted aside, parried with a flick of her wrist, and countered with a quick jab at Scout's stomach, but Scout sidestepped, grabbed Hanna's wrist mid-motion with her left hand, and yanked it down while twisting it behind Hanna's back in a hold she'd learned from Jaden on Jabiim, bending the arm until Hanna grunted and tensed. Scout slammed the butt of her saber into Hanna's shoulder with a dull thud—Hanna wrenched free, spinning out of the grip, and swung her saber low at Scout's legs in a sweeping arc. Scout jumped over the blade, landed on her toes, and snapped a kick at Hanna's knee—Hanna staggered but stayed upright, growling as she lunged forward and thrust her saber at Scout's chest.
Scout ducked under the thrust, rolled forward across the mat, and sprang up behind Hanna, swinging her saber at Hanna's lower back—Hanna pivoted just in time, blocked the strike with her saber held sideways, and shoved back, forcing Scout to stumble a step. Scout regained her footing, charged again, and feinted a high swing at Hanna's head—Hanna raised her saber to block, but Scout dropped low instead, sweeping her leg at Hanna's ankles. Hanna hopped over the sweep, landed, and slashed downward at Scout's head—Scout rolled to the side, felt the saber graze her tunic, and popped up, tackling Hanna around the waist with her shoulder, driving them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
They hit the mat hard, Scout landing on top—she straddled Hanna's hips, pinned her left arm with her knee, and swung her saber down at Hanna's chest with a two-handed grip, striking her sternum with a crack that made Hanna gasp and writhe. Hanna bucked her hips, threw Scout off, and scrambled to her feet, swinging her saber at Scout's ribs as she rose—Scout twisted, took the hit on her side with a sharp sting, and lunged forward, grabbing Hanna's saber arm with both hands, twisting it outward until Hanna yelped and dropped her weapon. Scout kicked the fallen saber away, spinning it across the mat, and slammed her own saber's hilt into Hanna's jaw—Hanna's head snapped to the side, spit flying, but she recovered, tackled Scout back, and pinned her shoulders to the ground.
Scout thrashed under Hanna's weight, kneed her in the stomach to loosen her grip, and rolled them over, flipping Hanna onto her back—she grabbed Hanna's throat with her left hand, squeezed just enough to hold her still, and raised her saber with her right, smashing the pommel into Hanna's collarbone with a sickening crunch. Hanna screamed, flailed her free arm, and clawed at Scout's face—Scout jerked her head back, avoiding the nails, and shifted her grip to Hanna's right wrist, twisting it up and back in another lock, bending it until the joint popped and Hanna's arm went limp, bone snapping under the strain. Hanna shrieked louder, tears streaming as her broken arm dangled, and Scout straddled her tighter, grabbing both training sabers—one from the mat, one still in her hand—and pounded them into Hanna's chest, striking her ribs over and over with brutal, heavy blows, each hit landing with a thump that echoed in the chamber, her voice breaking into a hoarse yell as she swung again and again.
Hanna writhed, gasping and choking under the onslaught, her chest bruising with every strike—Scout raised both sabers high, brought them down together on Hanna's sternum with all her strength, and felt something give beneath the impact as Hanna's scream cut off into a wheeze. Master Drallig shouted from across the room, boots pounding the floor as he rushed over, weaving through the stunned initiates—he grabbed Scout's wrists mid-swing, yanked the sabers from her hands with a sharp pull, and tossed them aside, the weapons clattering against the wall. Scout thrashed in his grip, screaming and kicking her legs to break free, clawing at his forearms with her nails while a flicker of Master Sorcuna's face appeared in the corner of her vision, standing silently by the wall with arms folded, then faded as she blinked. Drallig tightened his hold, pressed his palm to her forehead, murmured a firm command through the Force—"Sleep now"—and sent her collapsing into unconsciousness, body going slack as he caught her under the arms and lifted her off Hanna, who lay groaning and clutching her broken arm, chest heaving as she curled into herself on the mat.
...
Scout slept fitfully on the medbay cot, body twitching as her mind sank into a nightmare—she lay pinned under jagged rubble in Choal, tons of rock pressing down on her chest, arms trapped at her sides while dust choked her lungs and the distant rumble of artillery shook the ground. She screamed, voice raw and echoing in the dark, thrashing against the weight as cracks spidered through the stone above her, threatening to collapse and crush her completely—she clawed at the debris, nails scraping until they tore, and screamed again, calling for help that didn't come, her breath hitching as the air grew thin. Her eyes fluttered, head jerked to the side, and she gasped awake, sitting bolt upright on the cot, hands clutching the thin blanket while sweat soaked her tunic, chest heaving as she blinked hard to shake the image of twisted metal and shattered earth.
She swung her legs off the cot, stood up slowly, and shuffled to a basin on a table by the wall, splashing water onto her face with shaky hands, muttering, "Just a bad dream... get over it." She wiped her face on her sleeve, walked back to the cot, and sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them while breathing deep to steady herself, hands tightening into fists as the memory of Hanna's taunts lingered. A droid rolled in with a tray, setting down a glass of water and a nutrient bar—she grabbed the glass, sipped it bit by bit, and unwrapped the bar, breaking it into small pieces with her fingers, slipping half into her pocket before eating the rest one crumb at a time, chewing slowly while staring at the floor.
She finished, stood up, and paced the room, stopping when a shadow flickered by the door—she didn't turn, sensing Kass standing there silently, watching her, but muttered under her breath, "You're not real," and kept pacing, rubbing her neck to ease the tension. Footsteps approached, and she looked up as Master Luminara entered. "Ah I see you're awake, How are you feeling Padawan Enwandung-Esterhazy,"
Scout forced a smile, straightened her posture, and said, "Hey, I'm fine—feeling great actually, and please call me Scout I hate that name."
Luminara said nothing, walked to a pad on the counter, and picked it up, scrolling through it before speaking. "You've been showing signs of exhaustion from lack of sleep, malnutrition from not eating enough, and physical strain from overexertion." She set the pad down and faced Scout, folding her hands in front of her.
Scout waved a hand and laughed. "I'll catch up on anything I missed—no big deal. Should get to Republic history now anyway, my favorite lesson." She lied, stepping toward the door with a grin, brushing past the cot.
Master Luminara stood still and spoke. "It's been decided your lessons won't continue until you're cleared by a Mind Healer."
Scout stopped, turned around, and frowned while raising her voice. "That's unfair—it was just a small fight, nothing worth this, me and Hanna will probably laugh about this later." She crossed her arms and shifted her weight, staring at Luminara.
Luminara stepped closer and listed off facts. "You broke Hanna Ding's right arm in two places, bruised her ribs severely, and caused a minor concussion with repeated blows to her chest and head." Scout winced, uncrossing her arms and looking down at her boots, hands clenching at her sides.
Scout said nothing, mouth opening then closing as she struggled to find words, staring at the floor while Luminara watched her.
Luminara softened her tone and continued. "In your entire time with the Order, you've never had a violent outburst like this—these things are serious, especially after returning from a place like Jabiim."
Scout looked up and shook her head. "It was a one-time thing—I lost my temper, that's all. Won't happen again." She forced a smile and spread her hands, trying to sound convincing.
Luminara gave her a sad smile and said, "Until you're cleared by a Mind Healer, you cannot continue your training." Scout looked down, shoulders slumping in defeat, but Luminara added, "I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt since it's your first offense."
Scout perked up, lifting her head and smiling faintly while waiting for her to go on.
"But," Luminara said, "we'll have our scheduled session now, and you'll convince me that whatever caused your outburst is something you're working through—not something you're holding inside and letting fester."
Scout hesitated, bit her lip for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright—I can do that." She walked to a locker by the cot, pulled out a fresh tunic and pants, and changed quickly, slipping off the sweat-stained clothes and tossing them into a bin before tugging on the new ones, lacing her boots while Luminara waited by the door. She grabbed her pad from the table, stuffed it into her pocket, and followed Luminara out of the medbay, walking through the Temple corridors past initiates carrying training gear and a droid polishing the floor—she glanced to her left, thought she saw Master Sorcuna walking beside them in silence, but didn't turn her head and muttered, "Not real," under her breath, keeping her eyes forward.
They reached a meditation room, and Luminara pushed open the door, stepping inside while Scout followed, boots tapping on the smooth stone—she looked around at the bare walls and circular mat in the center where Luminara gestured to a cushion, offering her a seat. Scout walked over, sat down cross-legged, and rested her hands on her knees while Luminara took the cushion across from her, folding her robes around her legs and settling in, waiting for Scout to begin.
Scout sat on the cushion in the meditation room and shifted her weight from one hip to the other while folding her hands in her lap and glancing at the bare walls before settling her gaze on Master Luminara who sat across from her with robes draped over her knees and hands resting flat on her thighs. She waited in silence and watched Scout fidget with a loose thread on her sleeve for a long moment until Scout cleared her throat and started talking. "So about what happened with Hanna earlier today I just got really mad because she said some things that annoyed me and I lost my temper for a second which was dumb of me to do." She paused and forced a laugh while waving her hand in the air. "It was all just a stupid mistake and I feel silly about it now but I'll start meditating more to keep myself calm and I promise it won't happen again." She grinned and leaned back on her hands while crossing her legs tighter and tilting her head to look at Luminara.
Master Luminara sat still with her hands unmoving and her face unchanged as she listened to Scout finish speaking and let the silence hang in the room for several breaths before leaning forward slightly and resting her elbows on her knees. She looked at Scout and spoke after a long pause. "It's okay to open up here, nothing in this space will hurt you and I'm here to listen to whatever you need to say."
Scout shook her head slowly and stretched her smile wider while sitting up straighter and brushing her hands on her pants. "I'm already opening up and that's exactly what happened, I'm telling you the truth about the whole thing."
Master Luminara tilted her head and paused again before responding. "I see." She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap while keeping her eyes on Scout for a moment longer and then continued speaking. "Well if that's the full story then I have no issue clearing you to return to your training but I'd like to ask you a few questions first, if you can answer them we can wrap this up and you'll be free to go to Republic History like you wanted."
Scout sat forward and nodded while grinning and uncrossing her legs to plant her feet flat on the mat. "Sure I'm ready so go ahead, ask me anything you need to know."
Luminara unfolded her hands and rested them on her knees again while looking directly at Scout and speaking in a steady voice. "Why since you have returned to the Temple have you been sleeping on the roof or in the gardens or on a disused platform and never once in your assigned room?"
Scout froze and gripped her knees with both hands while her shoulders stiffened and her grin slipped for a moment before she forced it back into place and swallowed hard.
Luminara waited and then leaned closer while keeping her tone even and asking her next question. "Why when they searched your pockets after the fight with Hanna did they find pieces of food that you'd divided into equal portions and tucked away?"
Scout tightened her grip on her knees and stared at the mat between them while pressing her lips together and feeling her chest tighten as she sat there without moving.
Luminara shifted her weight and leaned in a little more while speaking again after a long silence. "Why have you been looking behind me this entire time we've been sitting here together?"
Scout twitched and glanced over her shoulder where Master Norcuna stood by the wall with arms folded and eyes fixed on her and then snapped her head back to Luminara while starting to stutter. "I don't know what you're talking about... I'm just checking the room sometimes, there's nothing weird about that so I'm not sure what you mean." She shifted on the cushion and rubbed her hands together while trying to laugh it off.
Luminara raised a hand and spoke over her. "You need to understand that being honest and opening up is the only way you'll move forward from whatever is holding you back and keeping you stuck where you are now."
Scout stopped moving and sat there for a long moment while looking up at Luminara and noticing figures around the room—Tae Diath stood by the door with hands in his pockets, Kass Todd leaned against the window frame, Elora Sund sat cross-legged against the wall, and Norcuna remained where he was—all watching her in silence. She blinked and shook her head while speaking slowly. "I'm not sure what to say, I don't know where to start with any of this."
Master Luminara leaned back on her cushion and rested her hands on her thighs while looking at Scout and speaking after a pause. "Speak your mind and say whatever comes to you naturally."
Scout pushed herself up from the cushion and stood while brushing her hands on her tunic and starting to pace across the mat with slow steps and speaking in a low voice that stumbled over itself. "Every time I wake up I expect to be lying in the mud or crammed inside an AT-TE with blaster fire ringing in my ears and smoke choking me out... like I'm still on Jabiim and nothing's changed." She kept pacing and twisted her hands together while glancing at the floor and then up at Luminara before looking away again. "I tried sleeping in my room when I first got back, I wanted to be normal but I couldn't breathe in there and the walls felt like they were pressing in and the ceiling was going to collapse on me so I had to get out and the only place I can actually fall asleep is outside where I can see the sky and feel the air."
She turned and paced back the other way while speaking faster and letting the words spill out. "I know the battle of Jabiim is over and I know Jaden saved us and got us out of there... he's a good man who's kind and kept me alive more times than I can count on that planet."
She stopped for a moment and faced Luminara while stepping closer and continuing. "He saved me when Alto Stratus had me pinned in Choal and was about to finish me off in a duel and then he dug me out of the rubble after the bombardment leveled everything and I was trapped for days and then he healed me when Zule and I got cornered in the Separatist base and had to blow the explosives we'd set which almost killed us both." She resumed pacing and waved her hands as she spoke. "And the last time was during the final battle when the Separatists turned on that Mass Shadow Driver that started ripping the planet apart and he stayed behind to shut it down while sending me on a gunship to get out."
Luminara nodded and spoke after letting her finish. "You must admire Jaden a great deal."
Scout stopped pacing and looked up from the mat while speaking softly. "I'd do anything for him because he's the reason I'm still here."
She paused and then added after a moment. "But I didn't stay with him."
She started pacing again and spoke while staring at the floor. "Aubrie stayed with him, she's so brave and strong and I always looked up to her, maybe wished I could be more like her because in the moment it mattered she stood by him and I didn't." She turned to Luminara and kept going. "I could've stayed, I know tech, I helped Jaden build the Hammer, so maybe I could've done something with that Mass Shadow Driver but I didn't do anything."
She stopped in the middle of the mat and stood there while struggling to keep her voice steady and feeling tears prick at her eyes. "I was scared."
"I wanted to jump off the gunship and go back, to help them and if necessary die with them, but I couldn't make myself move because I knew jumping meant dying and I froze up completely and just stood there."
Luminara leaned forward and spoke after a pause. "It's natural to feel fear in a situation like that, it doesn't make you weak."
Scout looked at her and raised her voice while stepping closer. "Natural? In the moment it mattered I couldn't step up and I couldn't do what my friends did, I couldn't be there when it counted."
She resumed pacing and spoke faster while clenching her fists. "Aubrie and Jaden stayed behind knowing they'd probably die and I should've been there with them standing by their side until the end but I didn't stay and instead I got on the ship and got to safety while they fought and risked their lives."
Luminara stood up from her cushion and spoke while stepping toward her. "You can't blame yourself for those choices, they don't define who you are or what you're capable of."
Scout stopped pacing and knelt back down on the cushion while sitting there for a long moment before speaking again. "Every day I wake up and look in the mirror and it hits me all over again that I'm still here and they're not." She looked up at Luminara and felt tears start to slip down her cheeks while wiping them with her sleeve and continuing. "My friends are so amazing... I can't stop thinking about them—Kass was kind and incredible with a saber and loved reading cheesy romance novels and hated anything sweet and always dragged me to sit with her while she read them out loud."
She shifted her weight and kept talking while staring at the mat. "Elora was funny and found me whenever I messed up in training and sat with me until I felt better, she liked hot weather and hated plays and kept a vibroknife from her parents under her pillow because it reminded her of them, she'd hold it while she slept hoping to see their faces." She paused and took a breath before going on. "Tae was so empathetic and sensitive to thoughts but never told anyone's secrets and helped me with my Force skills so much that I wouldn't be a Padawan without him having guided me through it."
She rocked back on her heels and spoke again while her voice started to shake. "Master Norcuna was stubborn and never listened when he thought he knew better but he took me on when no one else would because my midichlorians were too low for anyone else to bother with, but he trained me anyway and gave me a chance."
She clenched her fists tighter and kept going while tears streamed down her face. "So many wonderful people who were so talented and had amazing futures ahead of them but they're all dead now and they died fighting or sacrificing themselves to get me here and I don't understand why it worked out that way."
She started sobbing and hit the floor with her fists while speaking. "Why am I here and why am I the one who made it when they didn't, I don't deserve this, I could've saved them... I could've done more but I didn't and I just don't get it, how did I get to be here, me the loser, the one who barely counts as a Jedi, the lowest midichlorian count in the temple, the coward?" She punched the mat again and again while crying harder and feeling her knuckles scrape against the rough surface but not stopping as her voice cracked with every word she shouted.
Luminara stepped closer and spoke while reaching out. "Calm down and take a breath, you need to stop hurting yourself." Scout kept hitting the floor and sobbing louder so Luminara knelt beside her and grabbed her wrists while pulling her arms back and holding them firmly against her sides as Scout thrashed and kicked her legs against the mat to break free. She couldn't get loose and slumped in Luminara's grip while crying harder with shoulders shaking and tears soaking her tunic—Luminara wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close while whispering into her ear. "It'll be okay and you're safe here and we'll get through this together." She rocked Scout gently while holding her tight as Scout's sobs slowed into quiet gasps and her body relaxed against Luminara's shoulder after a long while.
(AN: Some of you have wondered what has happened to Scout. Some of you think I've forgotten her. I haven't. Shell have an important role. This chapter is just to give you a little information on where she's at the moment. She's been like this the entire time but has managed to keep the facade up to everyone. She's in a lot of pain. It's not surprising she's the youngest out of them. She brightest smiles hide the greatest pain. I think that's how it goes idk I haven't seen many middle aged man Facebook posts in a while. Anyway i hope you enjoyed the chapter.
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