As we returned to the storied spires of Coruscant, I was forthwith escorted to the hallowed halls of the medical bay, there to submit myself to the ministrations of the skilled healers who dwelt within. Kix, that wise and venerable medic, shook his head in dismay as I walked in, flanked by Anakin and Ahsoka, my loyal companions in arms.

"Again, damn it, Nyx!" he exclaimed, a wry smile spreading across his countenance. "You keep getting wounded, I think you do it on purpose, soon." His eyes, like pools of warm honey, scanned the bandages that swathed my torso and chest, his gaze lingering on the telltale signs of injury that marred my person.

Yet, despite his jesting words, I saw the concern that lurked beneath, the deep-seated worry that had become all too familiar in our long and storied acquaintance. Kix had tended to my wounds many times before, and I knew that he would not rest until I was whole and healed once more.

He took my hands in his, his fingers warm and gentle, and led me to a nearby bed, where I sank down with a grateful sigh. "You don't really need to do much, Kix," I said, smiling up at him. "That villager healer did most of the work."

Kix held up a finger, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Nuh-uh, I'm doing my best to have you back on your feet," he said, his voice low and soothing. "But thank that healer, he did make my work just a little easier." He smiled, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. "Still, I'll need to take a closer look, just to make sure everything is healing properly."

With a gentle touch, he began to unwrap the bandages that swathed my torso, his fingers probing the wounds beneath with a practiced ease. I closed my eyes, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as his skilled hands worked to soothe and heal my battered body.

I turned to Anakin and Ahsoka, still hovering around me, and rolled my eyes with a warm smile. "You two go, I'm sure the Council would love the report."

"Obi-Wan is already taking care of it," Anakin said, crossing his arms and smiling. "We're staying right here. I'm not letting you out of my sight again. You get hurt... all too much."

I chuckled, feeling a sense of comfort and security in Anakin's words. He was always looking out for me, always trying to protect me from harm. And Ahsoka, too, was watching over me with a fierce devotion, her eyes shining with a deep concern.

I reached out, and Anakin took my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine in a gentle grasp. Ahsoka sat down beside me, her eyes never leaving mine, and I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I was safe, I was loved, and I was surrounded by those who cared for me most.

Kix, meanwhile, continued to work his healing magic, his hands moving with a quiet confidence as he tended to my wounds. I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of his touch, and let myself drift into a state of relaxation, surrounded by the people and the love that mattered most to me.

Soon Kix had to shoo them away, his voice firm but gentle. "Okay, okay, you two go on. She will be fine. Don't you trust me?" he said, and Anakin sighed, his eyes lingering on me before he nodded and turned to leave. "Okay, but call us as soon as she needs us," he said, his voice low and serious, before he and Ahsoka departed the medic bay.

Kix came back, shaking his head, a wry smile on his face. "Damn, Anakin loves you too much," he sighed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Then, his expression turned serious, and he began to lift the bandages, his fingers gentle but firm.

I winced as the fabric brushed against the wounds, a sharp pain shooting through me. "I thought Ripper only got my eye," I said, my voice tight, as I touched the bandage over my eye. Kix sighed, his expression somber. "It seems he didn't."

His words were laced with a quiet concern, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. What had Ripper done to me? I tried to remember, but my memories were hazy, fragmented. I knew I had been hurt, but I didn't know how badly. Kix's next words were like a cold wind, blowing away my uncertainty. "You've got some deep gashes on your torso, and a few broken ribs. You're lucky to be alive."

As I lay upon the medical bay's pallet, the soft glow of the luminescent orbs above casting an ethereal light upon my form, I felt the weight of my exhaustion bearing down upon me like a physical force. The gentle ministrations of Kix, the skilled medic, were a balm to my battered body, and I felt my eyelids growing heavy, my breathing slowing, as I succumbed to the allure of slumber.

But my reprieve was short-lived, for soon I was jolted awake by a sharp pang of pain, a searing sensation that shot through my torso like a bolt of lightning. I hissed in discomfort, my eyes flying open to meet Kix's concerned gaze.

"Sorry, sorry," he murmured, his hands pausing in their gentle manipulation of my wounds. "Looks like I'll have to try a different approach. Your body's not responding to the bacta injection as I'd hoped."

I gritted my teeth, a wave of frustration washing over me. "Just do it," I said, my voice tight with pain. "I think maybe some of my nerves were severed in the attack, and that might have stopped them from working. I can take it."

Kix's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as he examined my back. "By the stars, you do eat, don't you?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of incredulity. I furrowed my brow, my mind foggy with pain and fatigue.

"Yes, I do," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kix's laughter was a low, rumbling sound, a gentle mockery that was tempered by his concern for my well-being. "I can see all the vertebrae in your spine, sweetheart," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of surprise. "I don't think you're eating as you need to. How many times do you hunt?"

I swallowed, feeling a pang of embarrassment at the question. "Almost never," I admitted, my voice barely audible. "There are no forests here on Coruscant."

Kix's expression was a map of concern, his eyes creasing at the corners as he gazed at me. "Then you need to go with an escort to other planets," he said, his voice filled with a sense of practicality. "How about Sorgan? It's a forest planet; there should be plenty of game there."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes in exasperation. "You think Anakin will let me go to a whole different planet just to hunt?" I asked, my voice laced with skepticism.

Kix shrugged his shoulders, a wry smile playing on his lips. "He'll have to if it's what the doctor orders, and that's what I'm doing. Our food here clearly isn't enough for you."

As the silence fell between us, I felt a sense of resignation wash over me, a sense of acceptance that I would have to acquiesce to Kix's demands. "Fair enough," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, the words trailing off into the stillness.

Kix worked on my back, his skilled hands moving with a quiet confidence, and soon I felt a small, sharp pain, like the gentle prick of a thorn. But it was over before I could even flinch, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

And then, like a gentle tide, the bacta began to flow through my veins, its soothing, healing properties spreading through my body like a warm, golden light. I felt my eyelids growing heavy, my breathing slowing, as I began to drift deeper into sleep.

As I slipped away, I heard Kix's voice, distant and indistinct, but still carrying a sense of determination. "I'll talk to Anakin," he said, his words fading into the darkness. "I have to make sure you eat more." And with that, I was gone, lost in a sea of sleep, my body healing, my mind at rest.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

As I slowly came to, I was greeted by the sound of voices outside my room, their words indistinct but their tone unmistakable - a low, urgent murmur that spoke of disagreement and tension. I groaned softly, my body still heavy with the lingering effects of the bacta, and turned onto my side, my eyes slowly focusing on the two figures standing in the doorway.

At first, I could only make out their outlines, but as my senses returned, I caught the scent of them - Kix's familiar aroma of medicine and oils, and Anakin's distinctive smell of gun oil and mint. I blinked, my mind foggy, and wondered what Anakin was doing here again. And then, as my memories began to return, I stiffened, my heart sinking.

I remembered Kix saying he would talk to Anakin about me going to Sorgan for hunting. It seemed that conversation wasn't going well. The tension between them was palpable, and I could sense the weight of their disagreement hanging in the air like a challenge. I watched, my eyes fixed on the two of them, as they stood there, their faces set in determined lines, their voices low and urgent.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for her, sir," Kix protested, his voice rising in defense. Anakin's face darkened, his eyes flashing with annoyance.

"I know you think you do, but you and the others don't know what I'm thinking," he said sharply, his words cutting through the air. "She doesn't need to go to Sorgan for a hunt. She can easily hunt here in the lower levels of the city-world, or I'll just bring her fresh kill. It's not necessary to send her all the way to Sorgan."

Kix's face set in a stubborn expression, his eyes narrowing in disagreement. "With all due respect, sir, that's not the same thing. She needs to hunt in a natural environment, not some artificial construct. And Sorgan is the perfect place for her to do that. It's a forest planet, teeming with life. She can hunt and feed as she needs to, without the constraints of the city-world."

Anakin's expression didn't change, his jaw set in a firm line. "I don't see why it's necessary. She's a Jedi, not some wild animal that needs to roam free. She can adapt to the city-world, just like the rest of us."

I watched the exchange, my heart sinking. It seemed that Anakin was determined to keep me from going to Sorgan, no matter what Kix said. And I knew that I needed to go, for my own sake, for my own survival.

"Anakin," I grunted, my voice rough from disuse. Both men turned their heads towards me, their faces etched with concern. "Oh, Nyx," Anakin breathed, his eyes softening as he reached out to me, but I held up a hand, stopping him.

I sat up as much as I could, my legs dangling down from the med bed, and looked up at Anakin, my eyes locking onto his. "Anakin," I repeated, my voice firmer now. "I want to go and hunt on Sorgan. I want to become more healthy."

Anakin's expression changed, his eyes narrowing in surprise. "You want this?" he asked, his voice tinged with skepticism. "I thought Kix was just spewing nonsense."

"Hey!" Kix shouted from the other side of the room, but I just chuckled, reaching out to take Anakin's big hand in my own smaller, paler one.

"Anakin, trust me," I said, my voice filled with conviction. "If I hunt like what I really am, then I will get better. No one is here to torture me anymore. I can get what I need from the forest planet and then be back at Coruscant before the sun bleeds."

I squeezed his hand, my eyes pleading with him to understand. "I need this, Anakin. I need to be able to hunt and feed like a normal being. It's not just about the food, it's about being able to connect with my true nature. Please, trust me."

He sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat, and looked away, his eyes drifting towards the wall as if searching for an escape from the conversation. His hand tightened around mine, a gentle but firm grip that spoke of his reluctance to let go.

He breathed through his nose, a slow, deliberate inhale and exhale, as if trying to calm the storm brewing within him. And then, his voice low and resigned, he spoke.

"Fine," he said, the word barely above a whisper. "But I'm coming with you."

He gave my hand a squeeze, a gentle pressure that spoke of his determination to see this through, to protect me and keep me safe, no matter what. I felt a surge of gratitude towards him, a sense of relief that he was willing to trust me, to trust my instincts and let me do what I needed to do.

I smiled, a small, gentle smile, and leaned forward, my eyes locking onto his. "Thank you, Anakin," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for trusting me."

He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound, and drew me close, his hand wrapping around my shoulders, holding me in a gentle but firm grasp. His mouth brushed against my forehead, a soft, tender kiss that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Anytime, care," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. "Anytime."

I felt a sense of peace wash over me, a sense of safety and security that came from being in his arms. I closed my eyes, letting out a soft sigh, and leaned into his touch, feeling his warmth and comfort envelop me.

For a moment, everything else faded away, and all that mattered was the two of us, wrapped in each other's arms, our hearts beating as one. It was a moment of perfect tranquility, a moment of pure connection, and I savored it, holding onto it like a precious gem.