Incident at Saris

Chapter Fourteen

Saris Prime Observation station- Serendipity

" Mmmm," Ren said as he did an examination of the body "height 6.0, humanoid but not human, judging by these strange structures on his head, possibly semi reptilian.... Burnt beyond recognition, but male".
"How can you tell it's not human?" Rik asked as he was standing with Ren as he examined the body "could be just a mutant or something".
"Those bony structures on his head suggest it," Ren said, " I have to look up what race he is, but upon further examination, definitely male".
"Uh huh," said Rik, he and Ren were hard to tell at a glance what gender they were, seeing their 'parts' weren't visible as they were mainly internalised until needed, but they were both entirely male.
Ren had cut the body open and was weighing the organs writing his observations down.
"We're going to have to do a dental check or something; he has been burnt beyond recognition, so I'm not sure what race he is!" Ren said, " was one of the miners though and male, you can tell by his internal and external organs".
"Human enough," Rik said.
Ren said " many races do! Especially if their near-human! This guy was. Rik, we do have them to only their not visible. Usually, we're more Saurian".
Rik nodded and said, " go on".
Ren said " hmm" he paused as he looked at the victim's fingernails " six fingers, and judging by their shape he was one of the miners, you can tell by their shape".
Rik nodded " and the hole in his head".
"That is the interesting part," said Ren "it is like something had burrowed into his brain and when expelled his brain blew up, although it is hard to determine whether that was before the blast or because of it".
Rik said " well that is why we're also both fully trained in Forensics!" he paused and looked at the victim " you're probably not so used to stuff like this, I am. But we're both gotten the training for stuff like this!" he frowned " we need to dig deeper then and find some more clues...."
"Exactly my thoughts!" said Ren " it is the reason why I wanted to examine the body first!"
Rik nodded " yes humanoid, but not human, possibly Gorta-Trellian or dragonkin or something like that."
"Not Gorta-Trellian, " said Ren "I can confirm that they don't usually have six fingers, maybe even T'ron".
Rik nodded "that would be a find if they were T'ron, shame there isn't much left of him...those protrusions though....I'll look in the database".
"They were caught in the blast fire, so I don't think they are T'ron, due to the head wound, why would they do this to one of their own?"
"Point," said Rik, he looked at Ren, noticing how drained and tired his gentle brother looked "want me to take over?" he asked softly.
Ren said "I'm ok Rik....I've done this before" he picked up an instrument poked around in the victim's head "Hello what's this" and pulled it out and looked at it "looks like the remains of a carapace or something".
Rik nodded then " Brain Bug, I've seen this before on a battle zone on that Bug world we went to a couple of years ago, you were in the medical centre, so you probably didn't see it if we found them they were usually already dead".
Ren said "probably not. Gee, I feel so sheltered compared to you sometimes".
Rik said " Ren you're a Doctor, so am I but I'm more of a Paramedic or a Field Medic, and I've had a bit more military training. You're worn out, so do you want to spend some quality time with Kayla? I can finish up here. You're not the only one who has a degree in Forensics Ren....".
Ren said " Ok, this day... the last two days, have been draining. Besides I need to start showing Kayla how to shield, so she can come with us on stuff like this".
Rik nodded "try the Garden of Contemplation and Memory."
"The what?"
"The garden, silly! That's what they have on its sign; it's the name of it" Rik said, " it is in the middle of the station, and that is what they call it".
"Oh," said Ren
Rik said, " I'll join you both later for a meditation session, but I will finish up here....write my notes and share with you later, but right now you need some timeout so go spend some time with Kayla, the child is our apprentice after all, and it is time we started to train her".
Ren chuckled " don't let her catch you calling her a 'child';".
"I call her 'Kid' she doesn't seem to mind it so much".
Ren chuckled "yeah I guess," he sighed "your right though I will wash up and go spend some time with our young Apprentice, don't forget to note down your observations".

A while later washed and changed, Ren and Kayla were walking towards one of the station's transports, the mining station above Saris Prime was large and was a self-contained city within itself, it had been originally being built for the miners and their families but had grown since then.
"There's a garden here?" she asked.
"Apparently," he said as they caught the transport.
"Ok," said Kayla.
Ren said "the calm surroundings will help us both I'm still bone-weary, and I have to meditate....I fell asleep last night, but first I need to teach you to the shield."
She nodded " so I can join you."
"Yes," he smiled at her "I only just noticed that you have a tuft of hair on your tail like mine".
Kayla said, "yeah I think it's a clan thing".
He nodded "I didn't notice it to now".
"I'm of the Gryphon clan or something," she said.
Ren said, "it makes sense if you're of the Gryphon clan or something".
Kayla said, " so what's your clan?"
"I don't have one," he said " Rik and I, we were one being once" he got into a carriage, and Kayla followed him.
"I was so looking forward to the day you and Master Rik would come to claim me so I could become a real Jadaini! Some of my classmates haven't even been chosen yet or have had a Master assigned to them or one interested in taking them" she said.
"It's not necessary," said Ren "but it sure helps! Especially if you are a healer and will benefit from an Apprenticeship, Rik and I have been watching you since your early training, you are strong in the Way, Kayla, but we are a little surprised that they assigned you to us! Like I have often said I'm not even sure if Rik and I have the appropriate experience even to be considered Masters! Given GT ages and our background, we aren't that much older than you are!"
Kayla said, "guess we're all in the same boat then".
Ren said, " yeah, it is a Journey we will all complete together then".
Kayla said, "Master Ren I'm glad it was Rik and you though".
Ren said, "I only hope we can prove worthy of such an honour and as Masters".
Kayla said, 'you will be!"
Ren smiled at her "how about an ice-cream then? Or something like that I have a craving for a big plate of chocolate ice cream and there is this great place I know".
"Serious?"
Ren nodded "Rik and I found it last time we were here, it is not as good as the one we frequent on Saris 4, but it suffices, Rik and I...we have a sweet tooth".
"Ok," she said.
Ren said, " we were one being once, and so a lot of our tastes are similar, Rik likes chocolate ice-cream as much as I do, we both like pancakes, maple syrup, bananas and so forth".
"Oh," she said.
"Rik and I's background, it's complicated ...to say the least," Ren said pushing the stop button on the transport and getting up, he and Kayla tapped their cards again and left the transport, Ren leading the way, for such an oddly shaped alien, Kayla mused, he moved slowly but steadily, he wasn't fast, but he wasn't as slow as many would take him for either, and she knew that he was agile and lean.
"You remind me of a Kamado Dragon or something" she remmarked.
Ren chuckled "Hmm yeah I am in many ways, basically a big lizard!"
She said, " I wouldn't say that dinosaur or dragon maybe, you both remind me of a Dragon or Dinosaur."
He chuckled " yes well....".
Kayla said, "I felt like I well intruded on a private moment last night when I saw you in your quarters".
Ren said, "I was simply singing for the dead, I do strange things like that...."
Kayla said, "I still feel I should apologise".
Ren turned to her and said " no need to Kayla" his blue eyes regarded her kindly "It wasn't like I was doing anything forbidden, or private or something I was simply singing for the dead".
Kayla said, "I recognise a death chant when I see one...one of my classmates sung one for her grandmother when she died, and she asked us to join her".
"Corran honour the dead," said Ren "I know the Song of the Dead, there is that power behind that song".
She nodded " and power behind your voice, I felt it when I saw it, you were building power with your voice...that's why I felt I had intruded".
Ren nodded "I use it for building power, but I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, I don't do it a lot, but I'm sorry if I have led you to believe that I was ashamed".
"I guess," she said, "I guess you did."