Long Road Home

[Ben Kenobi]

***Permafrost - Unknown Grid***
***Sanctum of the Jedi***
***Sometime after the events on Dromund Kaas and the Spire Prison***

Recovery hadn’t come easy. Years among the horrors of Darth Tormentous’ insane and atrocious trappings would instill that in one’s mind. Torture through interrogation to find no answer at all for the simple pleasure of testing the mind beyond that which the body could take, it had been menacing and sadistic. The attempts to break him had never once eased in all the time that they’d held him. Unending and without pause. His body had broken not long into the weeks and months. Literally and internally as malnutrition and poor hygiene lashed his middle aged body and when the bones began to break and he could stand no longer on his own, they crudely pinned the bones back together just to break them all over again.

Without his body, the mind began to crumble and there were few secrets that he didn’t give away. Lengthy torture had a habit of breaking even the strongest of men. Fortunately there was nothing that he truly knew that was detrimental to the Jedi Coalition or the Galactic Alliance that the Sith and their unnumbered intelligence operatives didn’t already know. The truth, however, was that they’d cared as much for his known secrets as they did for his well being. For they just wanted to see him break time and again for no other cause than the laughter of their Dark Lord.

There had been one thing he’d been able to retain in all of this; his vow of dedication. While doubt had crept in and haunted him by the hour, he’d never once succumbed to its taunting lies. He never gave up that part of him that refused to stop fighting. In the face of his tyrannical oppressors, his eyes never lost their vitality. They had his body and even his thoughts, but they failed to ensnare his mental fortitude. As impossible as that task had been, he’d found that victory through a well learned lesson: Patience.

With patience he learned to endure in a different way. When his knees buckled during the beatings and when he was too weak from lack of any food source or water… he focused on patience. When he failed to touch the Lightside of the Force after they drowned him amidst their Darkened auras, he responded with patience.

Day after day, week after week, he observed patience… and eventually the Force answered. While Derric Starr gave his life and Neive Undant took his own beating, they managed to save him from the depths of the Spire Prison, infamous lair of the Sith. Unable to even run out of danger, he was carried away to safety and brought back to the security of the Jedi where they healed his wounds and slowly brought him back to health. It had been an excruciatingly long and tedious process over several months to fully mend broken bones and restore ravaged musculature, but in time the Jedi Healers released him.

To this day he never left the security of a walking staff and in the mornings his bones ached with disregard to his nightly preparations. Given over to meditations, he gradually reconnected himself to the Lightside and through his patience of a recovery sought; he finally found respite after nearly four long years of suffering.
Though now, with a bodily recovery behind him, he now faced the management of a recovery of the mind. How does one move beyond such things? In truth, one does not. Thus, keeping to his quarters mostly and out of the opinions of the younger Jedi generations, Ben Kenobi quietly, yet continuously, made for the pursuit of the Light and the healing of the soul.

His quarters were largely empty, devoid of decoration and quite tidy. It pained him physically to tend to daily chores though knowing they were healthy for overly damaged joints he made effort to complete them. Then, after a hearty meal he would retreat back to his quarters where he would move to the window and watch the weather for a time, giving way to a bit of patience in several exercises to clear his mind of thought and worry, of which he had much. Eventually, when able, he would find his center of being and through meditations he would restore a portion of calm within his broken form.

[Neive Undant]

Time had passed.

It had been years since the initial suffering had ended for Kenobi, but Neive knew that he would be pained for a long time to come. However, circumstances had led Neive back to the quarters of the man he had seen only twice before, once as an enemy he swore to destroy, along with a twi'lek girl, and as a victim, who needed Neive.

For the moment, they were even. Neive had partially put the man into this pain, and he took him out of the pain that the sith inflicted... but it wasn't enough. He needed to do more if he ever could.

But that wasn't what he came to the man's quarters for today. Today, he needed guidance... he needed a master, even though he wasn't an official member of the jedi.
As Neive approached the door to the man's own small estate, he hesitated before knocking on the door. He let his eyes gaze at the floor as his head hung low, not sure how he would be perceived by the jedi master.

[Ben Kenobi]

A darkened cell with lighting designed to impair, a damp and frozen floor to harm the touch of fingers and toes, afar there was dripping water to taunt the lack thereof. It had been days since he’d seen his jailors and the last meal or drink which was in itself nothing more than a half empty bowl of gruel, clumpy and covered in mold, half rummaged through by a slave some time before and water that was stale and impure, visible parasites drifted in the grayish liquids. Of this he considered it a feast for on the bright side, he didn’t have to contend with the worms this time for the gruel. At first he’d defiantly stood and refused to partake in the givings of his captors. Then there came a time when he’d first broken down that he failed suppress his lamentations. His cries were well received by the Sith and their fiendish minions.

Here amid the gloom he hung from a pair of loosely clamped binders; not open enough to free his hands but just loose enough to slide up and down his wrists and eat them raw from the hammered irons. Bodily too weak to stand, he hung like a slab of meat though in his condition he was far less worth keeping around than the former. Nearly too weak to even look up, he could hear the distant sound of keys rattling against the irons of cells; they were coming. Dazed from fatigue and the failure of motor function, the thoughts ran through his mind to resist his captors today.

Just as he appraised that notion and tried to set his feet beneath him, his knees gave out and his weight fell. He was caught by the blood encrusted wrists and the yanking motion forced him to stifle a whimper of weakness… he failed. A firm grip seized his chin, the once well trimmed beard was now scraggly and unkempt. Wrenching his face up the light stung his eyes and he winced away though the heavy hand forced him to focus.

“Not worth putting my boots through the muck to come and see.” The voice was unidentified by name though Kenobi knew him through his actions. It was the master interrogator. He’d memorized this voice on countless occasions as he taunted the Jedi for hours on end during his sick and twisted torture sessions. Fear crept into his heart and though he was unable to resist, his eyes found focus and he stared into his foe’s face; a helmet of bronze, eye slits deep to create darkened recesses, spattered blood from countless victims. “But this is a special day, Darth Tormentous is coming to oversee today’s session.”

Panic seized his mind and body. The torturers were some of the most severe hosts in the known Galaxy, likely far more a match than even the Hutts. They brought pain beyond description and even if he could share the stories he’d dare not for their acts delivered deep scars he’d live with forever. But Tormentous… that fiend… he was a monster of another breed. Already broken to ruins, Kenobi could no longer oppose the Dark One and once Tormentous ensnared his mind, he would rend him from all respite. Even fading into unconsciousness, the Darth held sway over all Kenobi’s reality. There was no escape.

Once proud, Kenobi held respect as a name known throughout the Galaxy and among the Alliance he’d been a hero of renown. Even the Empire knew him by name, slaying the Emperor in a duel on Coruscant all those many years ago. Though for all this pride and the wealth of honor to stand beside him… it only made the fall that much harder.

His cries of denial echoed throughout the depths of Spire’s dungeons… and the mocking laughter of the Sith echoed back…

The door thumped and his eyes shot open. Here he was back in his quarters on Permafrost. He wasn’t facing down his trepidations and the woes that followed back on Dromund Kaas. He looked to his lap, his staff was held in a white knuckled grip so tight that his hands hurt to open and he was drenched in sweat. It had been a long road home, but once he’d arrived, he hadn’t yet convinced his mind that he was in fact home.

Climbing wearily to his feet he dusted himself down and smoothed the wrinkles in the grey robes he’d been given. Dabbing the perspiration from his brow with the sleeve, he righted himself as best he could and regarded the door as another knock sounded. “Enter.” He spoke, his voice lessened and so he cleared his throat and repeated the command that the door parted away for Neive Undant to be revealed.

A sea of emotion crashed into the old Jedi as his eyes fell upon the Zabrak, his savior and condemner alike. He swallowed hard and motioned graciously, “Please, come in. Stand there too long and one of these Padawans will run you over. Always in a hurry these days it seems.” His comment wasn’t pointed, rather an observation or perhaps something to break the tension. In truth, Kenobi bore no ill-will on Neive. There had once been a time that his most faithful brother, Aries Kiborn had been in need of redemption and he’d found it despite the hold of the Darkest machinations to keep him rooted. He knew redemption was real, if Neive had found it then he would accept it.

Though to say he was one hundred percent comfortable would be a lie. Neive had practically gifted Ben over to Tormentous back over Randon… his mind forgave him, but a portion still held reservation. “Tea?” He offered as he crutched his way into the corner kitchenette where he tested his filled tea pot, it was cold… he’d been in meditation for a long time… pressing an icon the pot began to heat and in the meantime he secured to modest cups from a set of rods above the heater.

“Make yourself comfortable, I apologize though, I’ve yet to acquire a set of chairs.” He motioned to the sidewall near the refresher where a set of crates were located. If he had any belongings then they’d be there, for all he knew everything he owned was blasted to atoms when Tormentous ordered his disabled ship to be destroyed.

Once prepared he poured the tea and offered a steaming cup to Neive. “Again my apologies. Getting fresh herbs all the way out here is difficult but the leaves were fresh three weeks ago, straight from Naboo I was told.” He pulled up a crate and took his seat facing Neive. Fortunately the tea was hot and so the stale taste was hidden well, after his first sip he addressed his guest. “What brings you here, Neive?”

[Neive Undant]

As Neive entered quietly, he let his head stay low. He accepted the tea that Kenobi offered with humility as he held it.
"It's quite alright, it's no bother." Neive hesitated for a minute as he took a seat on the floor of the room, looking at the liquid that was given to him.
"I'm glad to see that after so long, you're at least physically recovered, to an extent... I had hoped that things would not be so limited for you. My... apologies."
Neive took a small sip of the tea as he looked back to kenobi. "I... came here for a purpose. But to put it off for a moment, I wanted to apologize for... everything that happened above Randon all that time ago... my time as a sith, I learned that the group that held you were not fighting for what they saw as right, nor for the people of the galaxy... they fought only for their own selfish desires, and the pleasure they took in the suffering of others... and that's nothing that I wanted to be a part of..." Neive sighed.

"But... as I'm not a formal member of the Jedi, I've... seen a part of me that I thought I had destroyed. Although I still doubt the jedi would take any positive interest in me, I still wanted to talk to you about this..."

Neive hesitated once more. It's not every day that you talk to someone about the darker parts of your mind, especially someone you haven't had much familiarity with. But Kenobi had seen the worst in Neive... and witnessed firsthand the best Neive had to offer. And that was why he had chosen to talk to Ben about this.

"The dark side has been tempting me, alot more then normal... there's been a few times where I've lost total control of my mind and body. The dark side has made me into a vessel on those accounts, and even then I remember not what I did while it took control..."
Neive thought for a moment.
"This hadn't happened in... a long time. I remember something about it during my childhood, but it wasn't what happened, only... the sensation that I felt when it was over... there was blood on my hands... I was frightened... and I had that same feeling not long ago, even though I hadn't done anything wrong during my time under the dark side's influence."

Neive's memory had holes within it... but he relayed what he could at that point.

"I'm not sure what's happening to me... but it's something I had never heard of happening to a force sensitive person. I'm afraid... that my mind is dragging me back into the dark side, and while I can control it at this point, I'm afraid it could consume me..." Neive sighed, keeping his head down. He didn't want to see the face of the man in front of him... He didn't want to see fear, terror, or anger in his eyes... and he knew that even a jedi, if he were told these things, would want Neive either dead or locked up because of these things he spoke...

"I have refused to let myself fall into the darkness... but I'm afraid that I may not have a choice soon... I need guidance, I need..." Neive closed his eyes, and for the first time in years... a single tear fell from his eyes.

"I need help. I need a jedi."

[Ben Kenobi]

“Apologies aren’t necessary, Neive.” Ben spoke low though his manner was serious in this regard. It certainly would have been just as easy to condemn him for his crimes, not just against the old Jedi but for his many services as an agent… a pawn of the Sith. No, he did not condemn but the opposite, his compassionate nature setting aside his internal feelings of reservation. “I was captured under my own accord. If I had continued the fight then Miyaza, Kema, and the rest of Sampi Team would have been indulged to press their efforts offensively and by that time the Massassi were arriving; it would have been a confrontation of which I fear our friends would not have fared well.”

He sipped his team and relaxed a bit, leaning his staff against his leg and taking in the situation. He decided to add to the point though not much, Neive had learned for himself exactly who the Sith were. “It doesn’t matter who among them is in power, it is always the same with the Sith and their minions. They are tyrannical lords that thrive off the woe of others for selfish gain. There is no action a Sith will do without it first seeking a means to expand their influence and power, they are sick and twisted; while we as Jedi are sworn to defend and keep the peace, when confronted by a Sith we must take extreme measures to bring that individual to justice.” Pausing a moment he recalled Darth Lore, a troubled Jedi turned Sith, indeed there were exceptions. “Though we must always take such confrontations in a case by case basis. Often times it is unwise to engage the Sith for they typically travel in groups, or even on occasion they may seek assistance. In these cases we must examine the truth for what it is and proceed with caution.”

Nodding as he listened to Neive’s story, he considered what had been said and Neive was right to relay carefully his predicament for the Council of the Jedi may have set him into confinement or at the extreme, exile. To have a rogue element within the grounds of Permafrost was a dangerous thing and when that rogue element was one so talented as Neive Undant… if he’d ever lost himself, there would likely be few Padawans that could defend themselves properly and in truth, few Knights who could. The damage wrought would be a toll that the Jedi could ill-afford to pay.

Maybe he was in control now, but what of tomorrow or the next day? What triggered these episodes? Was it proximity to a Darksider? Or something more material as in someone bumping into him or even receiving an overdue bill of some kind? The grounds they had found themselves upon were becoming thin and Ben knew very well that he had to tread carefully. Not through fear of Neive’s reprisal but rather that he had a strong desire to deliver the proper guidance and not lead him astray. “What you face is the eternal struggle, my friend.”

“Good and evil, Light and Dark; it is never ending and it will always be a part of what we do. The differences between us and normal beings is that we know of the Force and therefore the matters of what most call ‘the norm’ is no longer normal to us. Our purposes have become deeper and in doing so the stakes have also become more than they’d once been.”

“Temptations of the Darkside; from my first days as a Padawan until this moment that I sit with you now, I have been tempted by Darkness every single day. Neive, it is not something that we can ever completely conquer and live without. It is something that we must keep in the back of our minds for even the slightest misgiving is a step in the wrong direction leading to another and then another. Without this constant battle, however, we would be lacking our constant vigilance against the agents of Darkness. Our unyielding faith in our Code and what we stand for is what makes us strong enough and determined enough to resist the majority of those temptations. Yet there will always be a portion that nag in your mind and that you’re naturally drawn too.” He set his cup down as he explained with his hands, “For instance I am Corellian born and that daring side of Corellians is within me. It is vain and trying at most times. It is difficult to turn away from a confrontation regardless of the odds set against me. Before my days among the Jedi I was a fighter pilot in the Rebel Alliance, I’ll not boast, but I was among the best and holding such status makes selfish temptation very difficult to turn aside. Each of these are steps down the Dark Path and I struggle every day with them.”

“In Spire Prison, do not think for a moment that I did not contemplate giving in to the Darkside and using its power to break myself free and slay my captors. It took every ounce of discipline to refuse that temptation.” He rose from his seat and took a knee before Neive, resting a heavy hand on his fellow’s shoulder. “Temptation is not something you can ever escape. But it is up to you, how you deal with it.”

“In other words, do not find despair in knowing that your temptations are growing in intensity. The sooner you accept the ever present temptation of the Darkside of the Force, the better off you’ll be. The frequency of your episodes could be connected with those you keep close or even the activities you partake in everyday.” For this point though he wanted to make sure that Neive understood the minimum to the maximum. “Though it could be something far more sinister such as Sith Sorcery actively attacking you or a ritual already enacted and running its course.”

“Whatever the case, in truth, it doesn’t matter. It all falls back to the point of how you react to the actions being taken against you. Clearly you don’t sit and do nothing, but also you cannot stand up and declare war on that which you do not yet understand.” He stood back up and steadied himself on his staff, a little out of breath, “In the end, it will boil down to confrontation. You must always confront the Darkness where it lurks and always remain vigilant for it to strike, for evil is ever scheming and plotting our downfall, so should we be prepared to face it when it rears its head. And in cases of certainty, we must seek it out and bring Light to the Dark places.”

Retreating to his crate, he took a breath and another drag of the tea, it was comforting enough to release the fatigue he bore and so he looked back to Neive with new vigor. “If you’ve got the time, I wouldn’t mind moving into a few calming exercises with you. The Council has welcomed me back with open arms though those arms are keeping me at distance for obvious reasons, I’d welcome a bit of company.”

[Neive Undant]

After contemplating the words that the jedi spoke to neive, he closed his eyes. Even now, his mind struggled between the light and the dark.

"The conflict never fades, it is up to me on how to deal... Not to actively fight, but to defend against the darkness..." Neive nodded as he began to understand what the jedi meant.
"The jedi are never to actively attack, I remember that from my visits to Koda station... but to defend oneself passively is what is meant?" Neive reached into his own mind, for just a moment, and could feel the conflict. He hesitated before he let go, and the less he pushed against the dark side, it seemed, the less it pressed him. Interesting...
Neive opened his eyes as he heard the jedi's suggestion, smiling a bit as he stood once more, setting the tea cup beside the pot.

"I would be honored, sir." Neive nodded as he stood in front of the jedi. Although he knew now he would never be rid of the dark side's temptations, and these episodes where he loses control may not stop, but at least he can subside them without straining himself to do so. Neive looked down, thinking for a moment.

"I would like to ask you one more thing, though, before we do anything..." Neive looked at the door for a moment, a strange feeling in the air... it was the same feeling he felt while in the asteroid field that used to be dathomir.

"Did you... feel his presence as well? Do you know where he could be?"

[Ben Kenobi]

“Yes,” he responded with a nod, “passive vigilance is what we must seek to excel at. Without an absolute defense, our enemies will surely find the cracks and exploit weakness wherever it may be.” He set his empty cup by the pot and stood alongside Neive, “Though there are select few among the Jedi who are trained to go forth and proactively seek the Agents of Darkness and bring Light to these sinister beings; they are the Sentinels. Unseen and ever watching. Meeting the Sith behind the scenes and protecting that which otherwise ignorant of the ongoing war between Jedi and Sith.” He finished with a slight smile and then moved on.

Though moving on to the next turn was not one that he would enjoy. Neive asked of him. Kenobi fell quiet for a moment and also looked upon the flat grey of the metal door just a few feet away. “Yes,” he replied. “I do feel him. In the moments when my mind wanders. I’ve had a connection develop to him over time and yes, I could find him if I tried.”

They went quiet, there were no further words that needed to be spoken here. It was time to settle the conflict in their souls; that raging wildfire, it was in this moment that they would seek to douse the flames if even just a little. He closed his eyes, resting his hands around the staff that steadied him and he bowed his head slightly in a more relaxed position. It had been a long time since he’d fully spoken to the Lightside of the Force, of course when he’d arrived back at Permafrost he’d made strong efforts to reconnect and he had to much a great extent. But now he was preparing to seek the depths of the connection that he once held within the Force.

Finding the Force was simple enough, it dwelt within all things and even the tea pot, the crate, the doorway and the bunk not far away all held some depth within the Force. Neive even held a vast presence in the Force, whether he was attuned to it or not was unknown but it was there all the same. Each beat of his heart and each breath he took caused a reverberating pulse through the Force, like echoes in a cavern and ripples upon a pond. Ben saw these ripples, they made Neive’s form visible within his mind. Neive was a vibrant entity within the Force yet those ripples of Neive’s essence continued to clash with Ben’s own aura. The conflicting ripples met and conjoined, the Force was here and Kenobi took comfort in it.

Though now he made to see beyond the simplicity of the Force itself and seek out the separate schisms of the Force. This is where Light and Dark came into being. The sects of power; one of unity and life, the other consumed by jealousy and intent. He traveled through his mind and body to seek the core of his soul, the center of himself, where the Light was made manifest from the beating of his heart. It was the place where life was found and in life, there was always a source of Light. However small, life is where everything began and where everything ended. In this, only the Light could call home for in Darkness, the vile and selfish energies would only consume and destroy until eventually nothing existed but death and the pain of loss.

Here he touched the Light of the Force and as his mind touched the lake of power, as if his fingers touched actual water, his spirit was uplifted as the Light spread immediately to his mind and slowly began to wash anew the dried remains of a broken man. The refreshing feeling was very welcome and indeed he dipped his mind more within the waters of the Light’s embrace and so far did he go that within only a short time he found himself illuminated by the Lightside of the Force once more. A beacon of the Light, a buoy and guide through the Dark. Ben Kenobi began to remember who he was and his purpose in life.

There was much work to be done, but for now, he needed this period of recover… reconstruction. Where he would mentally rebuild his willpower and shore it up to be stronger than it ever was. The story of a defeated man was not to end here, no, it was only the beginning. The moments expanded into lengths of time lost to the chronometer’s tick, but eventually Kenobi began to seep the Light into his mind and ease the memories of pain and suffering. The emotional toils he felt and still held onto as scar tissue, he isolated them and through understanding them he began to let them go. Forgetting them was impossible, but coming to terms with the crimes set against him was the key. Acceptance of the difficulty he faced in life, it was the shield he now bore against these things.

One by one the pained memories of his years within Spire Prison were separated from the emotional attachment that he bore. Instead of haunting memories, flashbacks and visions of pained torture, he accepted them as just what they were… the past. Severing them of emotion also removed the power they held over him and without such power, his soul and spirit could find rest. With each memory struck down, the weight he felt on his shoulders gradually decreased until he even began to breath more smoothly.

In time, Ben Kenobi began to feel whole again. For the first time since his release from that dreadful prison, he felt like standing again and weathering the long vigil against the Darkness…

[Neive Undant]

Within the awkward silence, neive delve into his thoughts... The conflict had simmered within him, but it would return. However, he did feel a slight disturbance around Kenobi... It wasnt exactly a temptation that attacked him, but instead a conglict with himself. But he let go, as Neive had done, but within his memories... He let his past be just that, and didnt let it rule over him... Neive needed to do so as well. All the murder, all the pure evil that Neive had felt and performed, the hate that lingered in his heart... He knew it wouldn't leave him, but he could at least push it aside, out of his way... And he could move forward.

"Well... If he does return, I suppose something will need to be done... Lord Blood rules over the Sith as I saw on Roche, but how will he fare if he comes back?" Neive thought for a moment.
"Long ago, I put aside my fear of him... But now that he's back, its not fear that I feel... Its uncomfort, a disturbance, not in the force but rather within my own feelings... The sith will crumble again as he returns, I'm sure of it. But if he takes their throne, what will happen next? We cannot allow him to build them back up as they were when I first began." Neive thought... He may not be as wise as master Kenobi, but Neive knew how things were in the galaxy, especially revolving Jacobi Wylcott.

"I know the Jedi only have the sentinels to seek out those who conspire against them... But he's more powerful than any other sith, and could possibly have surpassed most of the Jedi... So what can be done?"

[Ben Kenobi]

The meditations had lasted a while and Ben had enjoyed the serenity that it had brought to him. When he opened his eyes he was far more refreshed, the memories of the past were as long forgotten shadows passing away with the breeze. He’d needed this moment, that it had come thanks to Neive Undant was no coincidence for it seemed the lonely meditations hadn’t brought forth as much purpose, but to help another it had given Kenobi the will to seek something more and he did so, furthering himself on the long road to recovery.

Passing the time along, the conversation drifted back to Darth Tormentous and this time Kenobi took the name with a grain of salt. It hadn’t brought back the trembling fears and the daunting flashbacks that it once produced. Already the Sith’s machinations were crumbling away from the stalwart defenses of the Jedi. It was the content of that name that brought deeper thought to Kenobi this time.

“If Tormentous does return, and I suspect that he will very soon,” he turned and moved to the window again, gazing out across the white landscape of mountains and tundra and up to the horizon where the stars twinkled bright. “Then the Jedi must rise up to face this foe. Tormentous has proven himself a tyrant beyond description. A despot that will maim and murder millions on a whim and enslave the strong to toil over massive Sith fortresses. He will not stop until the Galaxy burns.” Kenobi was utterly confident in his words and while he knew that the Jedi Council on any Temple, especially the High Jedi Council of Permafrost, wouldn’t like to entertain these thoughts, he knew that they had to be spoken.

“Darth Tormentous is a blight upon the Galaxy and his continued existence will only serve to destroy the Light. When he raises his head, whether the Sith rally to his banner or not, the Jedi must rise to counter him. He must repent of his vile ways, or he must be vanquished once and for all. Only then, will the Galaxy once more find peace.”

[Neive Undant]

Neive closed his eyes, nodding along with Kenobi's words. He agreed whole-heartedly. Neive leaned on the wall while thinking. From what he remembered of tormentous, his power had grown much... but a group of jedi, Neive doubted he could hold his own.
"I agree. The jedi need to make it a priority if he does return... but until the day comes that he shows his face again, I suppose all we can do is wait." Neive looked to Kenobi, smiling once more.
"Now, you mentioned something about calming exercises... I suppose after these thoughts, this topic... that we could both put them into practice." Neive looked at the door, still thinking for a moment.

"Shall we go?"