#oc Emera Doza

[queerest-beetle]

I continue to put off finishing my main ocs refs and instead have done a ref for Ihaz!

They are a creche worker, one of the main caretakers for the Lorikeet clan which happens to be the clan Emera, Myel and Odala are in before the purge.

[theelin-sea]

Escaping the Purge

A companion piece I wrote to accompany a my best friend wrote of the purge from the perspective of their two OC's Kho and Aya. Kho and Aya belong to Bee, and Cimmeth, Bell and Myel belong to some of our mutual friends.

I wrote solely from Odala's perspective since her and Emera stick together <3

Odala knew that the temple guard accompanying Ihaz and the other initiates of the Lorikeet clan was Novro Zoira. 

They weren’t supposed to know, but Koma was scared of the masks the guards wore so Guard Zoria would let her hair poke out of her hood a little, or when they were just in the creche or the garden she would push her mask up to show her face. 

Ihaz would always scold her and remind her she could get in trouble, but Zoria always laughed and let the children see her stick her tongue out at them. 

So when Emera tugs on Ihaz’s robe and says that Odala doesn’t feel well, Zoria is there in an instant offering to take her to see a healer. Emera insists on coming too, worried for her friend, and Myel comes along by virtue of being strapped to Zoria’s chest in a sling. 

Odala is quiet, trying to be brave as he clings to Zoria and Emera’s hands. His seizures had been further and further apart, the healers even said he might have grown out of them, but as his head pounds with dizziness enough to make him stumble into Zoria’s side as the group made their way down the temple halls he thinks they must be wrong. 

His vision keeps trying to trick him, telling him there is blood on the floor and scorch marks. It’s not something that has happened to him before but the healers said sometimes people had new symptoms. It had to be a seizure building. 

Zoria’s hand tightens around his as she suddenly steers Odala and Emera toward the creche. The sudden change in direction almost sends him sprawling but Emera and Zoria steady him. She’s herding them into an empty nursery, pressing them to hide against a back wall as she gently hands them Myel. 

“Somethings wrong, I need to go help. Keep Myel and each other safe.” Zoria slides her mask up, offering the trio a reassuring smile. “Stay here until someone comes to get you, okay?” 

Odala keeps one arm supporting Myel as his other hand moves to find Emera’s hand and in turn she wraps her other arm around the baby as well. Emera nods and Odala follows. They could be brave. 

With one last reassuring smile Zoria is off, mask properly secured and saber in hand. 

Odala’s headache suddenly vanishes though it threatens to return with the new noise echoing through the temple. There is the sound of saber and blasters. Cries both grown up and childish. Something is wrong in the temple, and when Odala tries to focus on the force it hurts. 

For the first time since coming to the temple, Odala is terrified.

It feels like hours of hearing boots pass the nursery door and waiting for Zoria or Ihaz or anyone familiar to come get them and say that everything is okay. The Pantorian and Devaronian that burst into the room and crawl toward them, draw by Myels fussing, are not familiar. They look not much older than Odala or Emera. 

When they start reaching to take Myel, Odala almost wants to shake his head and tighten his hold. But Zoria said to keep Myel safe, and that she would send someone to get them. These were Jedi, and they were older, so they would know how to keep Myel safe better. 

The group huddles, the baby quiets in the Pantorians arms and Odala and Emera keep as quiet as they can while the boots pass, instinctually clinging to the robes of the older Jedi. Odala had heard lots of boots pass but somehow these were louder than any of the others. 

When the boots have long passed, the Devaronian offers her hands out to Odala and Emera, an offer that they eagerly take. Ihaz had reassured their initiates that it was okay to hold each other's hands to feel brave. They were still just children, so sometimes they wouldn’t be able to feel brave all on their own. 

Holding Emera’s hand had made Odala feel brave, but holding a bigger Jedi’s hand made him feel braver. 

The bigger jedi whispers a plan to them, her and her friend were old enough for initiate lessons and Master Yoda had told them that the archives were very important and kept very safe. They would try to hide there. 

Odala isn’t able to focus much on anything other than clinging to the hand of the older jedi like a lifeline. The blood and scorch marks from his headache are on the floor. It makes him dizzy all over again and he has to be yanked back to avoid slamming into some clone troopers. 

The older jedi decide they should crawl through the vents to be safer, Odala only manages to nod because Emera is there, holding his hand as the older jedi remove the vent. He doesn’t like how close the walls of the vent are, but he crawls behind the older jedi. 

When they pause Emera squeezes into the space beside him, watching the older jedi tense. Something smelled faintly of smoke. All Odala could do was lean to press into Emera for a moment before the older jedi were moving once more. 

When they leave the vents the older jedi holding Myel urges Odala to climb on their back while Emera climbs onto the other ones back. The older jedi are running, and when the group rounds a corner and crashes into a group of troopers Odala finds himself sprawled on the floor, recovering just in time to see a blaster pointed at him. 

The blaster is gone almost the second after its noticed and the sound of a familiar voice echos down the hall, accompanied by the sound of a saber. “Get against the wall and close your eyes!”

Odala doesn’t fully listen, not closing his eyes tight even as Kho cuts one of the troopers down. Kho is there, familiar and protecting them. Odala wants to ask if Zoria sent them, and where Ihaz is, and where Kho’s master was, and what was happening. He manages none of these questions as Kho turns to the group.

“You’re afraid,” Kho’s tone is soft as her tendrils settle from their previous whirlwind of movement. “It’s okay. I’m going to get you out of here.”

“Kho!” Emera’s exclamation draws Odala to echo it as he tries to stand, not managing it the first try.

“Odala, Emera, are you alright?” Kho is there, right in front of them, fussing over them before moving to check on the older jedi. “Who’s with you?”

“I’m Cimmeth Neddec,” The Davorian answers for the pair, “That’s Aya Chivana. We don’t know the baby’s name…?”

“Myel.” Odala had been excited to introduce Kho to the baby zabrak ever since Ihaz had announced that their clan would be helping the nursery with Myel for a while. The moment feels nothing like it should.

“I’ve heard the name. Rhy’s last update gave us the list of the Jedi foundlings.” Kho looks sad and Odala wishes there was a grown up around to tell the group what to do. 

“Is Master Rhy okay?” Emera seems to have the same thought as Odala, watching as Kho starts to answer before a clone comes running up behind her. Odala’s scream echoes Emeras as one of the older jedi, Aya presses into the wall beside them. 

Kho turns to the clone, unafraid as she turns back to them. “It’s okay. That’s just Del. He didn’t turn bad, okay? Whatever happened to the other clones didn’t happen to him.”

“Commander, we have to go,” Del urges. Odala finds Emera’s hand, trying to be brave. Kho wouldn’t lie to them, if she said he was safe then they would all just have to be brave. 

“Okay, let’s go. Odala, Emera, grab on to me, and I’ll carry you. Cimmeth, Aya, will you be able to keep going on your own?” Kho lets Emera climb onto her back as Odala clings to her front. The pair hold onto each others arms over her shoulders as Aya lets Cimmeth take Myel.

“There’s a ship depot just outside the western entrance,” Del reports, his focus is solely on Kho but it almost makes Odala shrink. “If we can get there, we can hail a ship to take us off-planet. I don’t think they’ve imposed restrictions yet.”

“Okay,” Kho’s confidence soothes both of the younglings clinging to her. “We’ll go that way. I’ll take point.”

“Sorry, commander, but no.” Del steps around Kho. “I’m going to get you all out of here. I’m taking point.”

The group doesn’t move too fast, they’ve been running a lot that day. When they approach a turn a squad of clones round the corner and take aim. Kho uses the force to shove them back, always keeping the group safe. She shouts as she herds the group the opposite way. “They’ve found us!” 

“Commander, the door’s just around the next corner! You need to take the younglings and go!”

Del has stopped, drawing his own gun. Kho stops too. Odala can feel her tremble ever so slightly. “Del, I’m not leaving you!”

“Kho, you have to!” He yells after her. “Take the younglings and leave. I’ll see if I can talk them down.” Odala can’t properly follow Khos gaze to see Del’s expression, but Kho does not seem comforted by it. “They’re still my brothers. I have to try.”

Kho is frozen, staring at something Emera can see but Odala cannot as the former digs her fingers into his arms. Afraid of something he cannot see as Del shouts. “Go!”

Kho comes unstuck, hefting Odala in her arms, checking on Emera too as the children maintain their tight grips on each other. Kho leads the group, relentless even as voices echo down the hall, followed by the sound of blasters and armor hitting the ground.

Kho trembles but Odala doesn’t see or feel any tears. Odala watches as Aya and Cimmeth with Myel are ushered in front of Kho, feeling a sense of relief at the thought that Myel is safe even as a blaster shot burns past Kho’s head. 

Odala closes his eyes at the light of the city, flinching at the heat of another blaster bolt flying past Kho’s head. He can’t help but start to cry, hearing Emera’s sniffling as well. It spurs the group into motion once more, Aya and Cimmeth pressing against the wall. Odala looks up at Kho, waiting for a plan. 

Kho’s eyes open, and Odala knows that she is using the force. Odala doesn’t feel brave enough to reach out into the force again yet. It had been so loud and full of pain. 

There is a rumbling and a ship stopped before them. The door opens and a man peers out at the group, expression kind. “You kids need some help?”

There are footsteps, louder and louder and Odala looks over Khos shoulder to see guns trained on the group once more. He’s set down, though Emera finds his hand as soon as she joins him. Kho is yelling to the stranger. “Take them! Please, take them and get out of here!”

“Kho!” Odala can only cry. Kho isn’t following behind. He couldn’t leave Kho behind. Kho doesn’t move to join the group, only wiping her own tears away.

“Go with Cimmeth and Aya, Odala. This man is…a good man. He’s a good man, and he’ll keep you safe. I’ll give you time to get away. Go!”Odala wants to dig her heels in and cry, but Emera tugs his hand and Odala can’t let go of her either. His eyes don’t leave Kho even as he stumbles over the gap to board the ship.

The clones are shooting at Kho but she has her lightsaber and begins deflecting them away. Emera tugs Odala back from where the door will close. All he can do is watch as Kho turns look back at them. The door closes and all Odala can do is continue to cry as he stares. 

Odala has been on a ship before. He still lets Emera tug him to huddle with the other jedi. He can’t stop crying. He wants to yell that they have to go back for Kho. He wants Ihaz or Zoria or even Creche Master Orozz who made him brush his hair every morning. He wants someone he knows to tell him that everyone is going to be okay. 

The stranger returns. He tries to look comforting but Odala only wants to yell at him for leaving Kho behind. He doesn’t hear what the man is saying. Odala can only focus on Emera’s hand or he thinks he might sit down to cry and yell and never be able to get up again.

A little girl comes out, huddling near the man. She smiles at the group but Odala still can’t hear anything other than her own breathing until Emera answers a question.

“Kho,” Her voice is soft and her hand squeezes Odalas. “Kho Star-roo.”

“Well, then thank the Force for Kho Starru,”

Emera tugs Odala to sit down and eat when the stranger brings the group some food. Odala presses into a corner, managing to eat a little before reaching toward Myel in Cimmeths arms. Cimmeth smiles softly, setting the baby in his lap. Emera and Cimmeth had been talking, but Odala didn’t think he could do anything other than cry.

Cimmeth leaves Emera and Odala to check on Aya, and he surprises himself by managing to speak. “It’s just us now.”

Emera presses into his side, looking down at Myel. “We kept Myel safe. Maybe Ihaz and the others are just hiding still…”

“I don’t think they are.” Odala doesn’t think the force could’ve hurt so bad at the temple if their group hadn’t been all that was left. 

Cimmeth returns, and then a little later the girl that had smiled at them comes over to coo at Myel. Odala lets Emera answer Cimmeth and the girls' questions about Myel. 

Odala doesn’t let anyone take the baby. He tries to think of all the ways Ihaz and the other masters at the temple taught him to calm down when he was upset. Thinking about them only made him more upset. So he focuses on Myel. 

When the ship lands, the girl, Bell, tells Odala that he needs to let someone carry Myel. Odala hesitates, but Bell hadn’t been running around like the others had. She wouldn’t be tired. It would be safest for her to carry the baby. 

Odala clings to Emera as they enter the house. He doesn’t take much of it in. He trusts Cimmeth, who has taken to hovering over the younger three of the group to guide him to a safe place to rest. When he finally does lay down, he presses his back against Emeras as he closes his eyes. If he tries hard enough he can almost imagine he is back in the creche. He curls up tightly and tries his best.