Bankor

Niall found his way to the hospital. It wasn't hard to find, of course, being some of the largest buildings in the camp besides the hangar.

It wasn't that he was wounded; he'd been fortunate enough to avoid that. But that wasn't the only reason to visit a hospital, of course.

Niall walked around, looking here and there, in search of Cole.

Cole could be found near his favourite kaff machine, the one that he'd adjusted just the way he liked. It was near the back of the main 'wing' of the Facilities, close enough to the patient beds that he could be available on a moment's notice. The surgeon was seated at bench, space was scarce and the surface was crowded with equipment, but he'd found enough room for his mug and datapad, and was typing something up.

Niall smiled, spotting his old friend. He raised a hand, knocking on the nearby wall as though knocking on a door.

"Hello there." Niall said. "I hoped I'd be able to find you, and not immediately occupied. Do you have a moment?"

Looking up, "Captain, I was just writing you a report." Cole turned and ran a hand through his hair, "what can I do for you?"

"Actually..." Niall folded his arms across his chest. "I wanted to check in on you, in particular. See how you're doing. Make sure you aren't running yourself ragged." He smiled, just a little. "You aren't, are you?"

"Only when I have to attend covert meetings after pulling double shifts," he deadpanned, sipping his kaff.

Niall chuckled, wincing. "Good point. I shall try not to give you too much extra work. You're the doctor I trust the most, though."

"Ummm... what report were you writing?" Niall asked. Not that he was done with the other subject, but he didn't want to forget about that.

"Another possible suspect Force user. Goes by Draagh, he's one of the mercenaries supposed to be helping the strike force."

"Oh?" Niall's brows drew down thoughtfully. "I've met him, although only very briefly. He assisted with the water project for the Resistance at our last site."

He gave Cole an encouraging nod. "What do you have on him?"

"Only that he has the capacity to utilise the Force in such a way. Which means that we have to at least consider the possibility he may be involved."

Niall frowned, mildly daunted. "I think that confronting these Force-users, especially if they're capable of choking someone to death with their powers, may be beyond normal military personnel. Especially since we have no way of testing their powers."

One finger tapped his lips thoughtfully. "What we need is a Jedi. Or, preferably, more than one. I know a few..." He thought of the various Jedi he know. Baesal? Lunda Mae? Layne? "Hmmm..." His frown deepened.

Cole frowned now, pushing a hand through his hair. "As with last night, who said anything about confrontation? Why would we confront anyone? Even when we discern who the culprit is, it is not our purview to arrest them."

"If they're connected with the smuggling, I can. This is my investigation." Niall said evenly. He shook his head. "But you're right. A potential Dark Side Force-user is the purview of the Jedi." His lips quirked. "I don't suppose you have a recommendation there? The Jedi I know are all... a touch eccentric." Maybe Arali? She was eccentric too, really.

Cole shook his head, pitying the commander who granted Niall that capacity. "I will give you a name, but don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?"

Niall grimaced. "The Jedi need to know about this sooner or later. I would rather it were sooner. Especially if they have a way to determine if someone is a Sith."

"The Jedi know," he answered flatly. "I've already notified a member of the order." Cole pushed his spectacles up his nose and waited for the Captain to dress him down like he had the last time he thought Cole had stepped on his toes.

Cole would be disappointed.

"Oh." Niall blinked. "That's good, then. Which one? I'll want to speak with them if it does end up connecting with the smuggling investigation."

"You would be familiar with her, Jedi Knight Carrack. She's been representing the Order at the meetings."

Niall nodded. "Yes, I'm familiar with her. Good. She seems very sensible." He sighed. "Well, perhaps that's one less thing to worry about after all."

Niall swallowed, looking at Cole. "But that wasn't why I was here, after all." His brow furrowed in concern. "Ah, last night excepted, have you been sleeping enough? Eating enough? Everything like that?"

"Did you come just to check up on me?" an eyebrow raised slightly, "I thought that was my job."

Niall smiled warmly; for him, that was almost a hug. "I did, in fact. You've heard the phrase 'who watches the watchers', haven't you? Who doctors the doctor?"

He shrugged. "Not that I'm qualified as a doctor, of course. But perhaps a friend will do just as well? Besides, you've looked after me often enough. I wanted to return the favor."

The iciness that Cole had guarded himself with thawed slightly, though it was still a step back from whatever friendliness they'd shared on Nar Shaddaa. "I sleep as much as one can in the middle of a desert warzone, and eat as well as can be expected after having a section of my digestive system removed."

Niall winced. "Sorry. I wasn't sure quite how bad that was."

He tilted his head, regarding Cole. "How bad is it, anyway? I know I've seen you use medication a few times."

"It hurts from time to time," he half-shrugged, "and the change in diet between here and my last assignment wouldn't be fun even if my intestines were intact." He sipped his kaff and ruffled his curls again.

Niall nodded slowly. "I'm sorry to have to be so blunt..." He cleared his throat. "Is it going to get better?"