Knights of the Old Republic: A Changing Force (By Invite Only)

[Tymeless]

John looked at Whyr and nodded. "Go ahead and take care of what you need to Whyr, I'm going to get a bite to eat I think. My stomach isn't feeling all that well. I'm hoping something to eat will settle it." John purposely left out what he thought was causing his tingling in his throat and upsetting his stomach. John also began to notice that the tingling was starting to head to other places of his body. He was also starting to feel a bit warm but tried to shrug it off.

John then turned to the red headed girl, "Nice to meet you again Jybs, I'm John Shepard. Sorry for forgetting my manners earlier and not telling you my name." He paused and noticed the golden girl before him and the others. "Oh hey Reya, would you two ladies like to join me for lunch." He then turns and heads towards the food area, not taking the time to get their responses. All the while he was hoping noone was noticing how out of sorts he was feeling and probably behaving.

 

[HookerBoots]

Reya exhaled softly. This was turning out to be a typical day - not a normal one. Heavens knew there was no such thing as 'normal' here. So she smiled a winsomely as she could at everyone. "Thank you Whyr, John. I was carrying those books, and Whyr offered to take them from me so that I could escort . . . Jybs, is it? Miss Jybs to wherever she was heading." She took a deep breath. "But lunch would be grand, afterwards, as I haven't eaten anything since last night."

She looked at the newest arrival and sighed inwardly. She could feel the other woman, and knew Whyr could as well. "That depends on which Master you seek, friend." If Taseli wanted to be anonymous, that was her business. Foolish, but her business. "Some of them are available at any time, others are never available."

Chewing her lip for a moment, Reya looked at the motley collection of entities gathered in the hallway. Whyr, if you could stay to help figure out what needs done, I would appreciate it. The Wookiee was as able as she was, and almost everyone knew it except Master Mira. Even she knew it, really, but she refused to believe that he could be trusted.

Her smile beamed. "Of course, we could go our own ways and then have lunch together. Wouldn't that be nice? New friends and old, having a meal together." Reya blushed, her golden skin coloring bronze on her cheeks. "Oh, dammit. I sounded like an old woman again, didn't I?"

 

[Pywakit]

Jybs

Jybs giggled, then cut herself off when she realized how childish the habit made her look. "I wouldn't say you sounded like an old woman at all... just someone who's hungry!" Although she'd just eaten, Jybs knew it could be a while before she got a chance to eat again, and a return trip to the dining hall would give her a chance to get something to drink at least, and maybe a snack or two. And besides... she didn't really have anywhere else to go. She didn't really fancy sleeping under a table at some bar again, but unless she found a job soon that'd be where she'd end up.

The problem was... did jedi even hire people to do jobs? Didn't they have all sorts of strange powers available to them to take care of things on their own? In any event, she wasn't about to turn down any offer of companionship until she knew for sure that there was nothing in it for her.

"So, yah! Let's go get some food!" she said, then took Reya's hand in her left and John's in her right and started heading back to the mess hall.

 

[Armphid]

Whyr blinked as Jybs hauled John and a rather surprised looking Reya down the hall to the cafeteria. He smiled, a fearsome sight as it exposed his many fangs and sharp teeth, and chuffed softly. The young human was the kind not to turn up a free meal it seemed. She had a strong energy to her; a great will lurked under that overly large flight suit. "You have things well in hand, Lady Reya," the fur covered sentient thought with amusement, "but I will stay by you in this." And whenever she asked, for that matter.

He looked down at Taseli for a moment. The others were almost out of sight. "...I will not tell anyone if you do not wish it, Taseli. Nor will I speak to you again if you are no longer care for my company. But it is good to see you again. Your presence has been missed." He had never understood the purpose for her exile and thought it a mistake. He had said as much, Wookiees were rarely silent in their opposition to anything, but it had done little good. "Will you not join us? I do not consider your honor stained, nor does Lady Reya, I am sure."

"Ah, there they are!" A pair of younger humans, barely into their teens came running up. Both the young boy and girl were dressed in the robes of novices, not even yet padawans. "Hi, Whyr! The librarian sent us to find those books and the holocrons. We've been tracking them down for an hour now!"

The boy nodded, "Can we have them to take back, please?"

The wookiee nodded and carefully handed over one stack to each of the children, the youths at first grunting under the addition of the weight he'd handled so easily. "Be careful, cubs," he thought after them as they walked away with the careful unsteadiness of children carrying almost more than they could handle.

He rubbed his hands together and began to stride down towards the cafeteria in the direction John, Reya, and Jybs had gone. "Taseli, if you come...there is likely to be a master eating so you man finish your delivery. Consider it. Whatever you may believe, you will be among friends."

 

[Medevelin]

It was a brief shock to hear Whyr's voice in her head but it became familiar again very fast.

"I am grateful for your discretion Whyrrkka, though I believe this veil did nothing to mask me. It is more for my own discontent with returning. It has been a long time since I was here. It is not that I do not wish for the company you and many others have given to me. I feel I am a cautionary tale of what could happen to those who didn't guard their emotions. I failed where a real Jedi would have succeeded. Now I am merely a second-rate pilot, though I suppose it is better than the alternative would have been."

She hadn't spoken a single word to anyone of what had happened since that fateful meeting with her master. This brief emotional outburst was a welcome release of the pent up remorse. Strange that she would make it to a Wookie but Whyr was very different from many she had encountered and in his years there was wisdom.

"Will you not join us? I do not consider your honor stained, nor does Lady Reya, I am sure."

She was a caught a little off-guard at his offer, the last two years all she could think was that the masters posted a holocron of her in their classes, pointing diligently with their lightsabers and reciting the word bad several times.

"It was not my intention to return Whyr. Only by chance, in truth I hadn't felt the force so strong since my time on Manaan. I fear for what the force could do to me or what I could do with the force. Master was wary of this as well, which is why I left."

She smiled as the young ones came and gave the capable Wookie a reprieve from the load he carried, another reminder of what she used to cherish.

"Taseli, if you come...there is likely to be a master eating so you man finish your delivery. Consider it. Whatever you may believe, you will be among friends."

He was right on both accounts, as much as she wanted to seclude herself from them she did truly wish to be among their company again. Giving her the excuse of looking for a Master was a kindness, so she didn't feel so out of place.

"I suppose you would be right. Maybe I will accompany you." She gave her guarded response. Following slowly behind him at first before catching up, pulling the veil off reluctantly as she did not feel comfortable in her own skin within the Enclaves walls.

 

[Bluemage]

Hor Rollan

Rollan had made the shocking discovery that he actually didn't own very much. It actually was not so much a shock when he thought about it. All of the clutter that covered his desk every time someone wandered in was really just meaningless trinkets to do exactly what they always did, cover his desk. None of it was important, and none of it had any personal attachment to him.

It made packing easy. It made escaping easy. All he needed was the things that he would normally take with him when he left the enclave. He could make his escape easily once he had gotten that far. It was just a simple process of saying that he had some form of mission, and then never returning for it. After that, he was fairly certain that his Padawan would come to him seeking out answers to the oh so many questions that he had left behind. They'd cross blades and he'd win, after all, he had taught John almost everything that the boy knew, and had watched every move in his playbook.

That was still a ways off. It was also assuming that the council decided that John wasn't a danger when they discovered just what it was that had happened and cast him out. Things would move a lot faster if they went in that direction, but perhaps too fast.

 

[Tymeless]

John could sense the feelings of people around him but he wasn't sure what any of them ment they were all so overwhelming to his fragile emotional IQ. He soon found himself anticipating companionship over his meal which was different than usual where he generally wanted to be left alone while eatting. He was shocked and felt even happy as the red haired girl grabbed his hand and began to drag him off towards the cafe. His stomach made a roar and he cringed slightly in embarassment thinking it was from hunger and not aware of the changes that were taking place in his body as they moved towards the table.

 

[Armphid]

There was little in the way of set meal times at the Enclave. Given the relative asceticism of the Jedi and the tendency to mysticism, people could be expected to come in ready to eat at almost any time. As a result, the kitchen tended to make several large meals throughout the day and set them out for those who came by. Since they made such demands on the cooks, the Masters had placed few constraints upon them. Consequently, one could never be entirely sure what dishes would be awaiting them when they came to eat.

Today it appeared to be an assemblage of mostly Twi'lek food; spiced meats and grains with fresh fruits. Whyr wasn't a fan of Twi'lek food, he didn't understand why they would put all that stuff on there and hide the taste of the meat. It had something to do with deserts and meat that wasn't quite good but still...for a species that was still mostly carnivorous it seemed like a waste.

He plucked a few bits more out of camaraderie than anything else and sat down. He looked a bit comical at the table that was not designed for a sentient of his size but he no longer noticed.

There was silence for a few moments as people tucked in and the general uncertainty of what to say with so many people who were unfamiliar with one another. Desperate for a way to start some kind of conversation, Whyr sent a thought to those at the table, "Miss Jybs, may I ask you what brought you to Dantooine?"

 

[Pywakit]

Jybs Talkoo

Two meals in one day... Jybs couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed a luxury like this. And they food this time around was even better than before! She was enjoying some sort of chewy but spicy strip of pale something when she felt that voice in her head again. It was strange... she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to it. She swallowed, then noticed that everyone at the table was watching her. Jybs realized that they'd all heard Armphid's question.

"Well... first of all, no need to call me 'Miss' anything. Just Jybs is fine," she said with a smile. "As for what brings me here... I'd like to say my starship, but the fact of the matter is that hunk of scrap metal isn't mine anymore. So I guess what REALLY brings me here is bad luck. Although... this food is really, really good. So maybe it's not ALL bad luck?" She shrugged.

 

[Armphid]

"Bad luck?" The thought was somewhat startled. Then the massive wookiee laughed, though with his maiming, the sound that emerged was more similar to a low, soft chuckle. "To lose your possessions and end up in a place where you will be fed and sheltered, instead of taken advantage of...bad luck, indeed."

Luck as something of a joke to many at the Enclave. It was a term that those outside of the Jedi philosophy used to describe the effects and workings of the Force. And rarely was it applied in the proper perspective. Had this young woman ended up in a place such as Nal Hutta without money or comrades, she would have been preyed upon. Here she was being fed, freely, and would be given a place to stay, freely, and what did she say? Bad luck.

He glanced down at Reya with another smile that would have terrified most sentients, his fangs gleaming. Then he inclined his head, "Forgive me, I did not wish to seem unkind. But I am sure that your presence here is for a reason."

His eyes turned to Taseli, his next thought only going to her, John, and Reya, "As is yours."

 

[Tymeless]

John listened to the conversation going on around him and showed more interest in such conversations than he had in a very very long time. He was just about to speak up and add his own input to the conversation when he felt a cramping in his stomach to the point it caused him to wince in pain and even let out a small moan. John still hoped the others didn't see the wince or hear his moan. He wasn't ready to deal with such things. He was about to put several items of food on his plate when he felt the cramping again. This time he only managed to wince and supressed the moan.

 

[Medevelin]

Taseli had made few looks at the other patrons around her, she was certain she'd received some looks but mostly kept her gaze on the floor. She took a small helping of food, just enough to munch on. She had time before her crew would be leaving anyway so there was time to kill.

She sat silently and not just because Whyr only talked through the mind. She didn't feel comfortable nor worthy of the company she held, even if they were giving their best efforts to make her feel otherwise.

"As is yours."

She had thought there might have been something that brought her back, the force worked in mysterious ways, though it was just as likely that it was a matter of chance.

"For the feeling in my stomach I hope it isn't so. Emotion is a dangerous weapon of the dark side and through me a Sith could wield a weapon to work against the Jedi. Though maybe while I am here I could seek counsel from one of the masters. Once I deliver this case I may do that, I will have the time I believe. Regardless of my path, it has been good to be with you once again Whyr and back home.

 

[HookerBoots]

Reya had been absorbed for a moment in the food she'd gotten. While it was good to try to distance one's self from the needs of the physical world, it was easier to operate in the world when you had eaten. Her fork halfway between her mouth, she heard Jybs's comment on it being bad luck that she was stranded here, and almost said something. But then Whyr 'spoke', and she nodded agreement.

"Whyr is entirely right. It's better that you were stranded here than somewhere else, Jybs." She smiled brightly, taking the bite on her fork and chewing thoughtfully. "Everyone who winds up here usually winds up here for a reason."

Her eyes - and Force senses - caught a strange feeling from the other side of the table and she glanced at John. He seemed to be wincing in pain and gasping a little, and her eyes narrowed. "John, are you feeling all right? You look - and feel - as though you're sick."

Reya had never spent much time with the human man, but she knew him well enough to know that this kind of physical discomfort wasn't his usual when eating, and nor was it like him to show that much distress. If there was something really wrong, he should probably go to the infirmary so that the healers could help him.

 

[Pywakit]

Jybs Talkoo

Jybs flushed, not sure what it was she'd said, but sensing that, somehow, she'd made some sort of faux pas. But before she had a chance to explain herself, Reya drew her attention to John. She was right; he did indeed look like he was in pain. Pain was certainly something Jybs was no stranger to; her life had been rough, and she'd had to endure long stretches of discomfort during stays aboard ships that not only lacked any automed facilities, but barely had any sort of medical supplies at all. When you got hurt in backwater regions of space aboard old ships like those, you tended to stay hurt for a while.

Her hand reached out, almost instinctively, to John's shoulder. "You really do look like you ate something bad, John," she said. "Maybe you should lie down or something?"

 

[Armphid]

Sometimes people got sick, even strong people. And eating this Twi'lek stuff probably more often than not. John's pain wasn't too much of an alert to Whyr's mind; pain was something his people scoffed at, and that Jedi training said was transitory, an illusion. What was alarming was the way John was reacting.

The number of times he'd seen any expression on John Shepard's face other than composed stoicism was in the single digits, despite the years he'd known his fellow apprentice. Whatever was going on deserved attention.

Jybs had noticed John's condition as well, and the others present would likely attend to that. Instead of focusing on John, Whyr looked at the others in the dining hall. He did not do so with his eyes. The wookiee seemed to totally ignore what was happening at the table, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, his face tilted up. His chest moved in more deep, measured breaths as he cleared his mind and his senses of the world and opened them to the Force.

Senses and information he would never have words for poured into his being. He was dimly aware of a great music, a symphony of life and power that reverberated through all things. The tone was growing in strength but slowly and cautiously. There was a dark timbre still hummed and an overall feeling of tense anticipation.

Whyr pulled in his focus. The music changed to a song that seemed separate and distinct yet formed part of the overall harmony. The song of Dantooine in the Force. He drew in further, the distinct theme of the Enclave singing in his being. Something was off. The normally fluid and orderly song was bubbling with jittery new notes, often discordant. The chaotic new music came from one spot in the Enclave but it was spreading slowly, very slowly but without a doubt.

The illusion of the world returned, jarring Whyr, a muffled grunt escaping him. His eyes slowly opened. “This is more than just indigestion or a simple illness,” he sent the thought to all at the table. “I don't know what it is but it is significant.” He wanted to say that it was serious. But that word tended to make people a bit panicky.

Some of them needed to go to the infirmary but this also needed to be brought to the attention of the Masters who were here. He almost started to make suggestions, but hesitated. It was not his place. His eyes moved to Reya, the lone Jedi Knight in the room, asking her to act.

 

[Tymeless]

John had listened to everything around him. They were talking about him like he was some weakling that needed help. There was indecision in all their thoughts and voices on what to do when they had noticed the pain that he was in. John was in pain like he had never felt before like his entire insides were being ripped apart and reformed. He wasn't one to sit back and let things happen and he wasn't a person of indecision. No John Shepard was a man of action and not one that relied on others to make decisions for him. John got up from the table after eating very little and holding his stomach tightly he moved towards the door. "I'm going to the Infirmary. You all can stay here and I'll be back as soon as possible. I wouldn't want to inconvience any of you. Especially you Jybs and Knight Reya." He then slowly left the cafe heading down the hall towards the infirmary.

 

[Pywakit]

Jybs Talkoo

Jybs watched as John staggered up from the table, then glanced at everyone else. They seemed as puzzled and confused by his actions as she did... perhaps more. Obviously something strange was going on. She'd been in pain before, and watching John stagger away touched something inside her. She pushed back her chair and scurried up to John's side and put an arm around his shoulder to help support him. "I wasn't doing anything else anyway, so no inconvenience at all. Only, you'll have to tell me where the infirmary is if I'm going to help get you there!"

 

[Tymeless]

John wanted to push Jybs away he wanted to act like nothing was wrong at all, but then he realized he would hurt her more by pushing her away for doing her act of kindness. He tried to flash her a smile but he was sure it came across as a grimace. "Very well Jybs if you insist, I won't stop you. It's down the hall on the right." He then allowed her to support his weight a bit more as the moved down the hall.

 

[HookerBoots]

Reya sighed as she watched John stagger away. Always so proud. She didn't want to shame John by forcing help on him - even though Jybs seemed to have no trouble with it - but she was concerned. So she closed her eyes for a moment, and sent a Force message to the infirmary staff. This is Jedi Knight Reya. Apprentice John Shepard is coming to the infirmary right now, with a civilian escort. He is in obvious pain, and a Force viewing shows that it is serious.

There was silence for a moment, and then a familiar female 'voice' sounded in her head. Confirmed, Knight Reya. We are preparing for Apprentice Shepard now. Thank you for the warning. Hesitation, and then, Obvious pain? It must be terrible, if John's showing pain. I hope it's not a plague.

So do I, Ishana. I have to deal with the rest of the table here, so we'll talk later. Over and out. Reya opened her eyes and smiled bracingly at Whyr and Taseli. "I've alerted the infirmary that John's coming, and told them what you've said, Whyr. Is there anything else you can say about what you saw?"

 

[Armphid]

Even amid his concern, he felt a faint stir of pride at the smile and question directed at him. Whyr looked down at Taseli, and then back at Reya. "I felt a strange tension; as though all I felt was holding its breath in anticipation of some event. I also felt a rising dischord in the harmony of Dantooine, centered here in the Enclave, around this area of it. I felt it concentrated in one place but also that it was...spreading."

Whyr shook his head, "I have a bad feeling about this matter. Perhaps we should seek out any of the Masters around. Or speak with Sir Hor Rollan to find out if he noticed any problems with John Shepherd earlier today."

 

[Pywakit]

Jybs Talkoo

They weren't making great time, so it was fortunate indeed that the infirmary wasn't that far away. Jybs could see the signs up ahead, but even as they neared, John staggered more violently and almost knocked them both down. When she'd helped them gain their footing, she spoke. "I know that it's cool and all to act the part of the tough guy, John, but it's obvious to me that whatever's wrong with you is serious. Were you in a fight earlier? Or around someone who was sick? Tell me what you think's wrong with you... I don't want you passing out before we get to the infirmary and not be able to tell the medics a thing about what's bothering you. Do I need to point out that I'm not part of this Jedi club here? I won't tell the rest of them anything you confide to me if you don't want me to..."

 

[Tymeless]

John had just convulsed again and then Jybs had done her best to get him to open up. He was able to maintain some semblence of strength enough to mutter. "Sir Rollan...Drug...Need emotions." and then John passed out completely in Jybs arms. His body began to convulse violently right in front of the infirmary.

 

[Bluemage]

Hor Rollan! Argh!!!

Hor Rollan sighed softly. He had just about finished all of his preparations for leaving, but then had suddenly stopped. He could sense the change. The change had already begun. Oh damnit. He had taken the drug too soon, and everything had been pushed into super speed. He had been struggling to get his packing done, and had been just about ready to go...and he wasn't ready. He took a long breath as he looked over to the door. He couldn't leave yet. They'd catch on before he could make his escape. Bugger. Bugger it all to hell.

This most definitely was not as easy as it could have been. He was supposed to make his escape as soon as the drug had been taken in by John. He had been hoping to be long gone by the time effects started. Oh what a problem. He closed his eyes and took a long breath, waiting for someone to arrive to inform him that John was ill so that he could look in on his padawan. He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this spot now...

 

[Pywakit]

Jybs Talkoo

Jybs just barely managed to catch John as he collapsed.

"John? JOHN!" She staggered a few steps toward the infirmary, but he was heavy and it felt like it was going to take ages to get there. But at just that instant, several medics emerged from the infirmary, looked around, saw them, and raced over.

"He... he was eating some food, complained about some sort of ache, and then just now he just collapsed! I don't know what's wrong with him!" Jybs said as the medics took John out of her hands and began loading him onto a hovering stretcherboard. She glanced back at the table in the dining hall, hoping that some of the others were coming to help... she suddenly felt very much out of her element.

 

[HookerBoots]

Internally, Reya made a face. This was the kind of situation where being the highest ranking member of a group was the worst hand you could be dealt. Either way, she was sure, she would be doing something wrong, and would get a lecture from the Council about making proper choices. She should go talk to Master Rollan, to see what, if anything, he knew about John's sickness, because neither Whyr nor Taseli had the rank to even convince him to talk to them. She should go to the infirmary because she was the ranking Jedi when John fell ill, and it was her duty to both check on his well-being as well as report anything that he or Jybs may not have noticed or been able to tell them.

Either way, she was, as they said on some planets, fucked.

She sighed, then took a deep breath and made a choice. "Whyr, if you would, please go to the infirmary and check on how John's doing. And tell them what you told me - that may help them in treating him." She paused for a moment, then added, "You may also want to contact a Master, preferably one of the Council who knows about this sort of thing, and tell them. If you don't feel comfortable doing that, I'll do it as I'm going to see Master Rollan."

Reya pushed back from the table and stood. "Tas - miss, I would appreciate your staying here until one of us can return, or can send an escort for you. Alternatively, you could accompany Whyr, if you would like. I'm sorry I cannot show you proper hospitality at this moment."