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

[Armphid]

The Sullustan doctor looked at the readout from Reya. "Temperature is slightly higher than average," he murmured, almost to herself, "but within standard deviation."

The alien man nodded and stepped over to the golden-skinned beauty, lifting the syringe. "I'd like to take a blood sample, if you don't mind." Once she assented, he performed the procedure quickly and easily, setting her sample in a vial tray. "Now just a few scans and you'll be finished, Jedi."

In the next sectioned area over, Whyr sat sullenly as the nurses did the same to him. They were very...skittish with him. Like prey animals sensing a predator, almost. It made him...not quite angry but...restless. Anticipatory. But for what, he was unsure.

He took several deep breaths. These feelings were so strong and from what? Nothing, really. Was he just on edge because of John Shepherd's condition or was this something else?

 

[Tymeless]

John's changes had started to slow. He was even starting to try to wake up and the doctors could tell from his moaning and talking in his fitful form of sleep that he was starting to come too. They figured it was still a few hours to early for him to wake up and applied a sedative that should knock him out through the night.

 

[Armphid]

Three Days Later

Though it was not normally the place for such gatherings and the doctors had protested mightily, the infirmity's meeting room had been taken over for what amounted to a council of war.

Micah, Jedi Master, once known only as Disciple, stood at one end of the long table. "Thank you, everyone, for your presence. I know the last several days have been very...interesting for us all." Master Brianna was there as well, sitting beside a pretty girl no one recognized though she did look very familiar. Reya was present, as was Whyr, and to everyone's surprise, Jybs Talkoo.

Master Micah paused a moment, "We know what happened and we know some of why. As you've guessed, a biological agent was introduced into the Academy by one of our enemies. An artificially created virus." He paused, "Hor Rollan, or rather the being we thought was Hor Rollan, was the one who brought the agent here and introduced it among us. Starting with his student, John Shepherd, who received a heavily concentrated mixture of the virus and a few other chemical catalysts. The virus hasn't spread far or fast, as this strain, at least, seems fairly tame other than when presented in the concentrated form."

The Sullustan doctor who'd examined Reya stood up from his seat and a screen on the wall came on. "This virus is very strange. It doesn't manifest many of the usual symptoms, coughs, and so on, other than a slight fever. And what it does is extremely unusual." Pictures came up on the screens on neural structures. "It alters the production of certain chemicals in the brain; increasing some and decreasing others. The effect is minorly mutagenic, meaning that it's effects are permanent without gene therapy."

Whyr rumbled softly. Micah's lips quirked in an almost smile, "The virus basically makes our emotions stronger. All of them to some extent but it seems to focus on negative emotions more: anger, fear, lust, uncertainty." He shook his head, "The intensity seems to vary depending on the individual infected and other factors but it does seem to effect all species. At least all those present here at the school."

The Master paused for a few moments. "Hor Rollan left us a message before he fled. This infection is a warning shot, apparently. His employers, whom he hints are a new Sith Order, intend to start infecting whole planets with the finished and apparently more potent form of the virus. However, his message also stated that they had not yet done so. It was a challenge for us to try and stop them."

Master Brianna spoke up, "And we need to. While this may be a trap and it may be a wild Bantha chase, we cannot risk that this is a genuine opportunity to stop the catastrophe that could unfold and let it slip. Someone needs to pursue this." She looked at the others around the table. "We've consulted and thought and meditated. And we believe that it should be you who do this."

 

[Tymeless]

John sat there nervously as the masters explained the situation of the virus to everyone. He was very uncomfortable sitting there. He fidgeted with his clothing not used to the way it fit his body at all. Really he was completely embarrassed with the entire situation. If he wasn't so embarrassed and feeling so vulnerable and helpless he would probably be angry as hell. The only person he had fully trusted had done this to him and he was angry.

John wasn't sure why he was in this meeting of the council with everyone he had been with at lunch the day all of this started but he would soon find out he guessed. That was when they dropped the bombshell of what the virus did and now they were going after the source. John didn't know what to do or say he just sat there his usual confidence and even arrogance was gone. He just sat there meekly feeling less than he was before. He had never held the view that women were equals to men and so he felt like he had been demoted. He refused to accept his new fate and even felt a bit of anger rise in himself and was actually going to look forward to hunting them down. He now a she though was afraid to speak up or even admit who she was.

 

[Pywakit]

Jybs Talkoo

Jybs felt conspicuous in the room. Everyone else here was on some level or another a bad-ass. Jedi, or jedis in training, or scary-looking aliens, or even scary-looking alien jedis. And what was this talk about sith? Why was she here? She was just a pilot, after all! She supposed that the fact that she'd been there when John... (it felt weird calling John that now that he looked so much like a she) ...had been infected. She hadn't had a chance to talk to him... her... since the event, but could tell that he/she was uncomfortable. Hell... not knowing if it was right to call him or her a him or her was exhausting in and of itself!

The room lapsed into silence for a moment, and Jybs grew even more uncomfortable. She couldn't take it. She raised her hand, suddenly felt ridiculous like she was back in school, then cleared her throat and spoke.

"Ummm... I can see why anger and fear and uncertainty might be bad things... but what's wrong with lust? I mean... um... it just leads to sex, and that's fun, so what's... ummm..." She saw all the incredulous eyes staring back at her, and she bit her lip and flushed red with embarrassment. "Or maybe I should just sit down and shut up? That sounds like a great idea!" She did just that, trying to shrink back into the chair to become invisible and let the council continue their conversation.

 

[Armphid]

Master Micah blinked as Jybs spoke up and as she went on, he began to smile. When she finished, blushing brightly, he laughed, turning his eyes to Master Brianna, "You see?"

"Yes, I do." The Echani woman was blushing as well, almost as red as the pilot. "The emotion itself is not bad, Miss Talkoo, nor is sex." She shifted in her seat thinking about the Exile and the one time they had...not now. "The risk in in these emotions controlling you. Even anger and fear, on their own, are natural and good, but letting them choose your actions and not using reason is the path to the Dark Side." She shook her head, "Lust could be the same, if you let it consume you and dictate your actions."

"You've also just shown us why we want you to be part of this," Micah said. "You'll ask questions the others won't think of, Miss Talkoo. And that's a very good thing. You're not bound by our training which will give you a different perspective and see things that might be missed."

Master Brianna stood up as well now, "None of you were chosen for this task at random. We selected all of you for a reason." Her blue eyes swept the people in the room, "But we will also understand if you do not wish to participate. If you do not, now is the time to go away from this business. Once you are gone, events will sweep you away into the flow of the Force and there is no telling where you will be taken together."

"I will serve, Masters," Whyr let the thought go to all those in the room. "I will go." Alone, if need be.

 

[HookerBoots]

Reya sighed inwardly, closing her eyes for a moment. This was dangerous, a mission that there was no way to predict its ending. She bit her lip, then opened her eyes. "I will . . ." she swallowed, "I will go as well." Her eyes traveled over the rest of the group, and she shrugged, standing up.

Master Brianna nodded, a small flash of pleasure passing over her features. "Very good, Jedi."

Hesitating a moment, Reya asked softly, "You said it was permanent without gene therapy. Will . . . do any of us need that? If so, will we be treated before we go?" Her arms were loose at her sides, but her hands were tightly clenched, betraying her nerves. "And John . . . will anything be able to help . . . hi-her?"

 

[Armphid]

There was a moment of silence following Reya's question. Master Micah sighed and shook his head, "We know that gene therapy would be able to help the rest of you but John's case is extreme."

The doctor spoke up, his jet black eyes glossy in the lights of the room, "While you will need the therapy to be cured eventually, your symptoms should not be severe. And the therapy itself would take four to five months, for the mildest case."

"Time we may not have," Master Breanna said with a nod. "I'm sorry if it seems unfair but you are all going to have to go as you are." She smiled, "But be at peace, Jedi Reya. You are ready for this task. All of you are. I am sure of it in my heart."