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

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This thread is by invite only. If your really interested you can pm me and we will see if we can't work something out for you to join. Also the name is intentional, Kinda. Know it's not my mass effect character but i have been playing mass effect 2 a lot lately and just like the name.
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John Shepard sat outside under a tree trying to find his center again. He was constantly getting scolded by his trainers about how his aggression if he didn't find a way to direct it positively was going to lead him down the path of the dark-side. He didn't believe them after all his ability to quickly assess the danger and perform had lead him to save many lives. It had also landed him recognition among many of the Jedi Knights and even the Masters were taking notice.

John's meditation on the remote Jedi enclave was serene as he closed his eyes he could feel the breeze blowing his hair. He thought about the events today that had caused him to come out here and begin his meditation. It wasn't from the orders of the masters or the trainers. No he had felt hesitation in making his decision yet he carried it out anyway. It had lead to one of his fellow padawan learners getting hurt in the mission simulation they were on. This bothered him not because of the injury to a friend he had come cold to that thought awhile ago realizing that casualties and injuries happened all the time. What bothered him was his hesitation. No one else would have even noticed it but he did. That split second could have cost them all while he sat there deciding on a plan of action.

His mind wandered back to the present as he grounded himself he felt the breeze blowing again. His mind focused and envisioned the landscape before himself in his mind. This was how he found his center and calmed himself. He heard the footsteps of someone approaching. Awaiting for them to make their presence known to him.

John thought about how while his aggression was what he was constantly reminded could lead him down the wrong path, on the other hand he was constantly praised for his cool demeanor and how he didn't let his emotions cloud his judgment, even if he seemed almost completely uncaring by some.

Jybs Talkoo

Jybs cursed under her breath, shook the creditstick as if that would magically make more money appear on it, then tossed the empty chit aside. She'd been hoping to double, even triple her winnings at the cantina, but in hindsight it seemed obvious that the games had been rigged. Shoulda gone with her gut. She hadn't, and now she was broke for the third time in a week; a new record! She snorted ruefully at her accomplishment.

Frustration had taken her out of the city, as often it had. Always before, she'd found some measure of peace out there, away from the madness of the city, and always before that peace had allowed her to come up with a way to get out of whatever latest predicament she'd found herself in. And she'd need to come up with something fast, this time. All she had left to her name was the old flight suit she wore (a baggy and shapeless thing that did much to hide her figure), a blaster that looked menacing but that hadn't actually worked since she'd accidentally stepped on it, and a creditstick. Wait. Scratch that one. The creditstick was somewhere back there in the grass now.

She ran a hand through her shoulder length crimson hair and sighed in frustration again, but when she finally rounded the corner in the path, she froze.

Someone was already sitting under her tree.

Her hand shot to her (broken) blaster. She'd managed to bluff her way out of scrapes several times before without actually using the broken weapon, after all.

"Okay, chump," she said, her voice low with menace. "Care to tell me why you're sitting under my tree?"

John Shepard

John tenseness was gone once his meditation had started but the intruder had broken his concentration before he could do what he had set out to accomplish by coming out to this remote location. He wasn't looking for a fight but he wasn't going to back down from one either.

John's eyes fluttered open and he quickly got to his feet. All the while his hand on the hilt of his light saber ready to react. "Listen friend I don't think you really want to cause any problems right now." He resisted the urge to use a mind trick on this intruder. He didn't really like messing with people's minds. Although he allowed his light saber to be seen clearly by the approaching woman.

"Why don't you have a seat right next to me and we can talk for a minute or two. Then I'll finish my meditation and we can go our seperate ways if you like?" He asked trying to show the compassion that he sorely lacked towards others at times.

Jybs

Jybs's eyes flickered down to the man's light sabre and she bit her lip reflexively. Either he was a Jedi, or he was a Jedi killer with a trophy. She wasn't sure which of the two options were worse, to be honest. She decided to play it cool.

"Well, it is a pretty big tree, I suppose," she said as she sidled up to the side to John's left, then slid down to sit among the roots. She glanced up at the man, who was still standing. "You always meditate standing up? Seems like that'd be kind of uncomfortable."

Once John felt a calm in the girl that had just popped a squat next to the tree he had been meditating at he slowly responded to her by slowly sliding down the tree and continuing his meditation. He began to concentrate on the force flowing around him as well as around her. He could feel it flowing branching out touching everything living and unliving. The force was neither good nor evil but there was a light and dark side of the force. John knew there was no chance of him falling to the dark side because he lacked strong emotions of any kind but he also knew he could never be a great Jedi if he didn't learn to feel compassion and empathy towards others. He would never be a defender of justice which is what Jedi are if he couldn't feel anything for those he was supposed to be defending.

After some time he stood and while he wasn't empathic towards anyone he was still a gentleman and offered his hand to the girl. "I'm heading back to the enclave, would you like to join me? I can't offer you much but I'm sure we can find some food or something if you like." He thought that he would probably just ditch the girl as soon as he arrived back to the enclave and seek out his mentor. His mentor might have some answer to opening up his emotions just a little.

Jybs

Jybs had almost fallen asleep under the tree, but when John spoke her eyes snapped open. And as he mentioned food, she felt her stomach growl. It was hard to keep yourself fed when you had such a hard time keeping ahold of your money.

"Food sounds great, especially if you're buying," she said as she stood up and stretched, then waited for him to lead on.

John Shepard: To the Enclave

John generally wasn't one to talk or even offer those help that didn't ask for it. He wasn't one that felt the empathy for anyone even when he was trying to. He couldn't tell that the girl before him was in desperate need of a friend all he saw is a girl that could stand to eat a bit more and by her ranting that he had heard in the distance a need for a meal. That's what he was going to offer her and nothing more. He didn't even break the ice anymore than had already been done thus far.

"Well everything at the enclave is pretty much free just don't overdo it or they will cut you off and put you out on your feet. They also generally don't let anyone that isn't training stay for very long."

With that he led the girl back to the enclave. "Well here is the dinning hall, I really need to be going to speak with someone. If you need anything I'm sure you can find someone to help you." John then turned and began to head towards his mentor's quarters.

Hor Rollan

Rollan, who had been going by his last name for as long as he could remember brought his hand up slowly, brushing his slim fingers through the bangs of his dark brown hair, letting his blue eyes look over the empty table before him. He had been meditating on the situation at hand and just how it was that he was going to deal with his padawan.

John Shepard had not been easy to deal with, and there had been a number of problems that had cropped up over the years. As it was, with his conflicted emotions, and his tendency towards reaching out to young attractive women to show that he had compassion, it was beginning to look like he was never going to become a Jedi Knight. This was not so much the problem. The problem was that the council had started suspecting that it had something to do with his teachings, and him not setting the boy onto the correct path.

It was troublesome to have them breathing down his neck over something as tedious and tiny as the fate of one boy. It was restricting to him and he had been unable to move in the directions that he wanted to, and equally unable to move in the directions that he truly needed to. It was a dangerous situation to be in and he could imagine it being very costly towards him.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath moments before the boy entered his quarters, "So you've brought another attractive girl into the enclave." He brought his hand up slowly, several objects from the shelves at the side of the room moving to clutter his desk in the manner that John would have been more accustomed to than the way it had been moments before, empty and clean, "Sometimes you can be too impulsive John. You should learn to control it..." His blue eyes slowly opened and looked over the things that cluttered his desk to the boy who had come seeking his help, "...lest it control you, and put you on the path towards the dark side."

There was something more though. John had not just come here to talk about the girl that he had brought with him. Something deeper was troubling him, and while he was not adept enough to know what exactly it was that had John confused and worried, it didn't take his Jedi powers to know that something was bothering him, "Something weighs heavy on you. Speak up so that you may rid yourself of this burden."

John Shepard: A young padawan

"So you've brought another attractive girl into the enclave." John listened as his mentor began to speak before he could even fully enter the room and take a seat. John was unaware of the sudden clutter that showed in the room, because it was always that way when he had been in the room before.

"Sometimes you can be too impulsive John. You should learn to control it..."His blue eyes slowly opened and looked over the things that cluttered his desk to the boy who had come seeking his help, "...lest it control you, and put you on the path towards the dark side."

John listened to his mentor and knew that he was speaking the truth. His impulsiveness could be an asset and also tended to leave him with just as many problems as solutions. "But Master it was clear that she needed help even to myself." He said without a lack of conviction was his master right. Was there something else to why he led her back to the enclave other than out of what little goodness in his heart he could begin to muster.

There was something more though. John had not just come here to talk about the girl that he had brought with him. Something deeper was troubling him, and while he was not adept enough to know what exactly it was that had John confused and worried, it didn't take his Jedi powers to know that something was bothering him, "Something weighs heavy on you. Speak up so that you may rid yourself of this burden."


With a sigh John began to explain his problems "Master you know as well as anyone what bother's me. I am nearly emotionless when it comes to others. I can't pick up on the subtle clues and even when I do I am not empathetic to anyone. Even when I am helping someone and know I should be. I also know to be a great Jedi that powerful emotions are bad and as a result I've cleared myself of them but as a result I feel no emotion what so ever. If I want to be a Jedi I can't be a robot that just analyzes things in a purely logical way. I have to empathize with those I'm trying to help." John began to bear his thoughts hoping that Rollan would have some advice to help him find the answers he seeked.

Hor Rollan

Rollan brought his hands up, tenting them in front of him as he let his elbows rest upon a clear strip of desk right in front of him. He looked over the tented fingers at the young padawan who seemed to be struggling so much with what it was that he had to do and what the best way to do it was, "Do you? Do you really?" He blinked slowly, his blue eyes continuing to watch the boy, "The interesting thing about helping people is that you don't actually need to understand the people that you are helping. People cry out for help every day, John, and if you let them, very often they will guide you in helping them all on their own." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "You don't need to be able to put yourself in the place of a drowning man to be able to drag him to shore. You don't need to know how it feels to be starving in order to offer food to the hungry."

He was a troubled boy, and it was obvious that he was seeking help in the form of advice, advice that Rollan felt very ill-equipped to give to the would-be Jedi. He had a long way to go if he was going to become a Jedi, and it was going to be an even longer journey if he was going to be anything else. He wanted to be able to understand the emotions of others, and that was most definitely dangerous for him.

"John, you take your training too literally. You are too strict on yourself." He turned his head to look at the shelves for a moment, wondering if perhaps it was time to set things into motion, "Just because some emotions can be dangerous doesn't mean that you should close yourself off to all emotions. Some emotions will lead you to suffering, yes, some emotions will lead you towards the dark side, yes, but not everything is so black and white." He slowly turned his eyes back towards the young padawan before him, "When you pass a test, or succeed on a difficult trail are you not happy? I feel happiness and pride well up inside of me every time I see you succeed at something. I ask you, John, has this sent me down the path towards the dark side?"

John Shepard: A cry for help

"Master that may be true that I don't have to understand their motives or their feelings to be able to help, but what about justice. How am I to discern things and figure out what is appropriate punishment or what is the appropriate decision when there isn't enough evidence to confirm something. How will I know when to keep looking or to stop. When will I know someone is trying to take advantage of myself and a situation if I can't read their emotions? By lacking emotions I make decisions in battles that may cost more lives then necessary. Master why can't I just feel emotions even remotely like others. I should be happy that you feel joy in my accomplishments but I feel almost nothing. It's like I am numb."

John was so conflicted he couldn't even tell that his worry over his lack of emotions was an emotion in itself even if it wasn't one of the stronger emotions that leads to the darkside if he could learn to feel others like he feels worry he would be dangerously close to falling to the darkside.

Hor Rollan: A solution to a problem.

Rollan took a deep breath. There was nothing to be done about this but to move forward. It was dangerous with so many people looking at him over John's training so far, but it needed to be done. It took a master to see a golden opportunity when it opened in front of you, and to act upon it. He could not afford to wait any longer in the case of John Shepard.

"So you feel that the problem is in your apathy, in your inability to feel emotions." He brought his hand up and motioned towards the shelves, a small vial of some sort of purple liquid floating over towards them. He held it in his palm for a moment before slowly looking up to John, "With this you'll be able to feel your emotions once again. It is a special drug, designed to make you more empathetic to the emotions around you and to tune you more to the emotions hidden inside." He stared at John for a long moment, "I am offering you this because I know that you can handle it, John. " He held his hand, and the vial out to the young padawan.

Jybs

She'd meant to thank the man for letting her in to the enclave, but the sight of all that food... all that FREE food... distracted her. She'd not had a good meal in what felt like weeks, and the smells of the dining hall had immediately set her mouth watering.

She ate quickly, with the ravenous speed of someone who half-expected her food to be taken away from her at any instant. The food was as delicious as she'd imagined it would be, but it took her far less time to get full than she'd anticipated. She noticed several faces staring at her as she finished; with a smile, she daintily wiped her mouth on a napkin and stood up and shrugged. "What's food good for if not for pigging out?" she said, and then as she was about to leave, she paused and snatched up a tall drink of what looked like some sort of berry juice and brought it with her as she emerged back into the enclave.

Now that she was full, looking about the place she realized how big it was. She'd seen it, of course, from elsewhere in the area, but she'd never been inside. And now she realized that she was also alone; her guide was nowhere to be seen, and she hadn't even caught his name.

Jybs sighed and sipped her drink, wondering where he'd gone as she began to wander the enclave aimlessly, looking for something, anything that might be a hint toward employment.

John took the vial of purple liquid from his master. He didn't even take the time to thank Master Rollan before removing the stopper from the vial and pouring the liquid down his throat. The liquid tasted sweet but also burned as it went down his throat. He then looked at his master as he felt the tingling in his stomach and his throat still.

"Thank you Master Rollan. If this works I don't know if I'll be able to thank you enough. While I'm here is there anything else you need from me?"

Reya

The golden-skinned girl walked fast down the hall, her arms laden with books. Master Urakk had wanted her to take these all back to the library, since he had finished looking through them, and she was heading that way - more or less. When he'd asked if she was going to the library, she'd said she was, since it was clear he wanted a free pair of hands to carry stack of books. But she hadn't realized that meant the stack of books, three large scrolls, and two dodecahedron-shaped holocrons. She'd have been able to do it easily without the roll-y, awkward bits on top.

As she made her way down the hallway, she passed the dining hall, and breathed in deeply. Food. Drop the books off at the first desk she saw, and then food. Reya hadn't eaten breakfast, because she had a lightsaber class early, and eating before doing that kind of thing could lead to an upset stomach. And afterward, she'd checked in with Master Urakk - a habit from her padawan days that she didn't expect to ever shake - and wound up laden with knowledge in the most concrete form.

Her stomach growled loudly as she passed the room filled with delicious smells. The very first desk, all these books were getting set down and left and she would run back here and get something to eat.

In her distraction, Reya almost ran into a woman with bright red hair who was walking down the hall. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She paused, looking at the woman. She didn't look like an apprentice or Jedi . . . maybe she was looking for someone or something? "I'm Jedi Knight Reya. You look a little lost, can I help you out? If you're trying to find someplace, I'll show you there as soon as I," the pile of books shifted, and she adjusted, catching the top holocron with the Force before it fell, "drop these off at the library."

Whyr

"Lady Reya, I will take them so you can help this woman and eat." The words did not come through the air, instead coming into the golden skinned beauty's mind. They did not do the same to the human woman; without her permission or knowledge, it would be rude and dishonorable to mindspeak with her. "I am glad to serve."

How he had come upon them so quietly was hard to grasp as he came into view. Whyrrkka loomed over both women by more than a foot, almost two, and his brawny frame was far heavier. His body was covered in clean but thick hair, mostly straight but with a slight wave at the ends, in shades of dark, rich browns, the tips black, as was the ruff of hair around his hands and feet. The wookiee wore a webbed belt with many pouches, a few tools, and a vibro blade hanging from it. Attached was a bandoleer that went over his right shoulder, also bearing many pouches and odds and ends. His eyes were blue of the summer sky and looked down at the two women.

They were so small. Even now, after years of being among them, it surprised him. And yet, they were so beautiful. Lady Reya as well was lushly formed and her robes did little to hide it. The red haired stranger was pretty as well and her clothes were made for a much larger sentient.

The enormous apprentice bowed to the stranger and opened his mouth to speak. Instead of the powerful voice one would expect from a wookiee, all that came out was a strangled, primitive cry, barely carrying the words of a greeting in his native tongue. It was soft and quiet, and he felt shame at it. Yet he could do no more.

Jybs

Jybs looked from one alien to another. She'd seen wookies before of course, but they always made her a bit nervous. And while the other figure was much more human looking, she wasn't sure what race she was. Both of them suddenly taking an interest in her at nearly the same time made her even more nervous; Jybs usually wasn't the center of attention of more than one person unless she'd just been caught doing something illegal.

"Ummm... I was just looking for the man I came here with. I... uh, I didn't quite get his name, but I think he was a Jedi. He was in gray robes and had shoulder length brown hair, these really striking icy blue eyes, and seemed pretty serious." She smiled, putting all of her charm into the expression; usually she could disarm a tense situation with one of those smiles. And to be honest, she wasn't even sure this WAS a tense situation. She didn't quite know what to make of this place, after all. Not knowing that the wookie had already offered to help carry the woman's books, she reached out and plucked a few of them off of the load she was carrying.

"I can help you with these in the meantime, at least," she said. Couldn't hurt to try to make a few friends early on, after all!

Reya grinned as she handed the books to the stronger, larger being. "Thank you, miss, but Whyr offered to carry these - and he's quite a bit stronger than either of us." She looked at the other woman, and realized that the red-haired woman hadn't heard the Wookiee speak. "Oh, I'm sorry," Reya said, flushing a little. "I'm a terrible guide. He told me with the Force - Whyr doesn't speak normally, even for a Wookiee." She gave the tall, furry male a small, apologetic smile. I hope it's all right that I tell her this, she said to him before looking back at the human.

"Anyway," Reya said, turning back to the woman. "You're looking for the man who brought you inside?" She tilted her head, one finger tapping her lips thoughtfully. "Well, just a Jedi doesn't help much - there's tons wandering around here loose! But the eyes and the demeanor . . . narrows it a little."

The golden-skinned woman looked at Whyr. It did narrow the field a bit, but not that much. About two-thirds of the Jedi in the enclave were serious and had brown hair, and about half of that group had blue eyes to go with it. What do you think, Whyr? I can't feel anyone with everyone around, and you're a little better with things like that. "Did you see which way he went when he left you? Or did he say anything about where he was going?

Hor Rollan

Rollan shook his head slowly. There was nothing else that he needed from John Shepard. Soon enough everything was going to be dealt with and he'd be able to say that he had a successful test subject. It was going to be marvelous. He simply looked back to his desk, "My senses are telling you that you should go back to see your new charity case, John."

In truth there was going to be a lot of things that he had to do over the next few hours. He was going to need to pack up anything that he was going to take with him and prepare to make his escape. He couldn't afford to stay here in case any unforeseen circumstances arose from the new version of the drug. On a previous version it had made someone sprout hair all over their body making them look much like a wookie. Hopefully any changes that came about from this one would not be so drastic, but he couldn't count on that.

He closed his eyes and waited for his 'padawan' to leave and go back to what he had been doing before. It was time to move on to the next phase of the plan, even if this didn't work quite the way he wanted.

((Deleted, Sorry for the mispost))

The large wookiee felt a flush of happiness at Reya using the shortened version of his name. It was likely just an expedient for her, most sentients seemed to have trouble with wookiee names, but he liked to think that it hinted at good feelings, perhaps even a nascent friendship. "It is good. I could not tell her without invading her mind," he explained to the senior Jedi. "My shameful deformity is no secret," he concluded sadly. A wookiee warrior was supposed to be whole and strong, and a Jedi even more so. He could not roar, not even speak above a strangled whisper.

He lifted the objects the two women were carrying, hooking the holocrons on his belt to secure them and holding the books and scrolls in two separate stacks against his sides, each resting on a large, steady hand. He inclined his head to the redhead and spoke to her for the first time, "I am sorry for confusing you. Please forgive my intrusion this way, if you do not wish me to mind speak with you, say it and I will not do so again." He adjusted the stacks in his hands, "There are many refugees who come here seeking shelter and some work here for a time to earn the credits to go off planet. I am sure if you wish to do so, a position can be found." It was not his place to offer it, but it was true.

At Reya's question, his brows furrowed. Most Jedi were human and brown was a common hair color but blue eyes were less so. "It is a guess, Lady Reya, but her description reminds me of my fellow padawan, John Shepard." No one was as serious, as controlled, some would say emotionless as Shepard. It could be disconcerting at times. Whyr closed his own sky blue orbs and concentrated. He could feel so many sentients, so much life...focus. Focus on who you are looking for. There it was, a sense of a normally verdant meadow stricken with a harsh frost. John Shepard. He was with another, a full Jedi Knight like Reya. "He is with Sir Rollan now, if you wish to seek him out, Lady Reya." He paused. "You are kind to allow me to help this way, I thank you."

She could have sensed them, despite her words. She was a Jedi Knight and he was merely a padawan, and not a very good one according to Master Mira. "I will return these to the library," he thought to both women, "while you go about more important things."

Taseli sat alone in the cockpit staring into the vast emptiness of hyperspace. They had been travelling all over space delivering goods to many different planets. It was the next planet however that she feared to go to. Dantooine.

Not only was it her home planet, it was also where she had trained for nearly two decades to become a Jedi before failing and bringing shame to her master. Now she had to return to the Enclave once more, humiliated by her own shortcomings and possibly the ridicule of the padawan’s she’d trained and grown with. Her hope was to be a ghost, to not get noticed by any of those who had known her. Deliver the goods and be off before the memories came painfully back to the forefront of her mind.

“Exiting hyperspace.” She called into the comm. to the sleeping members of the crew as she shifted back into space of the non-hyper variety. She sighed deeply as the familiar and dreadful sight of Dantooine appeared. She sent the necessary codes to the planetary authorities and began her descent into the atmosphere.

The ship touched down inside the Enclaves walls and marked the first time she had been back since her expulsion. Another long and deep sigh came to her as she again reached up and hit the comm.

“Rise and shine boys, we’re planetside.” She then stood and left the cockpit, heading to the storage bay. She was joined there by the two other members of the crew, the captain Mitch Dago and a Wookie whose name was far too long to pronounce and was known as Kit for convenience sake.

“Alright Tassie you are taking this crate to the Jedi’s, we’re heading to the farmers with the rest of the supplies, then we’ll come pick you up. Probably in a few hours.” Mitch instructed as he handed her a small metal case, the contents of which were a mystery to the crew though likely held some importance considering the secretive nature of their delivery.

“Got it.” She simply replied as she took the case in hand and left the ship, watching as it departed. Then she was alone in the courtyard, memories of the force coming back to her. She knew the Enclave well and it’s corridors were still planted firmly in her memory.

To avoid recognition she wore a veil over her face and hair, only her eyes were exposed. However anyone who thought to feel her through the force would recognize her. She began walking towards the Masters Chambers, turning down one corridor she noticed two familiar faces in the Wookie Whyrrkka and Reya both of whom she had trained with.

“I am here to deliver this case to one of the Masters. Would they be available?” She asked, her tone low and her eyes cast to the floor to avoid contact with their own.

(ooc I hope this post is alright. Let me know if I should change anything.)

When his Master Rollan released him and told him he should go back to the cafe with his new charity case he nodded and agreed to go find her. As he was leaving the room his stomach seemed to be unsettled from the drug he had just taken. He hurried down the hallway hoping that maybe some food would help his stomach and the tingling he was feeling in his throat.

As he was nearing the cafeteria area he walked passed a wookie at the doorway that he had trained with. One that he thought had the skill to be a great Jedi but seemed to lack the confidence in his own skills. John nodded to the wookie that was carrying the books out of politeness but didn't show any emotion towards the fellow Jedi. After that he turned a corner entering the cafeteria and ran right into Reya and the red headed girl he had helped before. sending him and the red headed girl falling to the floor.

John cursed himself for not paying attention to the force around him as he was moving. This made him realize that the drug was effecting him more then he could even think. John wanted to lash out at the girl and tell her to watch where she was going but he also realized it was as much his fault as anyone's. He quickly rose to his feet and then offered the red head his hand to help her up.

Whyr heard the noise of the humans colliding and falling over behind him. There was no spike of hurt or pain in the Force, just surprise, frustration, chagrin, the usual things that came with such an accident. But to his great surprise, there were two sources of the feelings and one of them was John Shepard.

The tall apprentice paused and looked back down the hallway. John was getting up and offering his hand to the redhead. The emotions were muted in Shepard once more...but that flare up was strange for him. Very strange.

Then he heard a faint voice speaking, a female voice that was familiar somehow yet he could not quite place it. From the third direction of the T-shaped corridor, the one that led eventually to one of the Enclave's docks, a visitor stood. She was veiled and bore a plain case in her hands.

The wookiee wuffed softly. Did she think no one would know her because of a veil? She was as strong in the Force as ever...and he could smell her. But she wished to be hidden. His people were not overly fond of stealth this way. Sneaking was for the hunt or war, for hostile intent alone. One should not do it with friends. Did this mean she wasn't any longer?

"There are many things happening," he sent the thought to Reya and Shepard. "Should I go on with this task or would you like me to stay and help somehow?"

Jybs

The wookie's mental communication had come as a shock to Jybs. She'd managed to reply to him, eyes wide, that it was fine for him to speak to her that way, but as she watched him head back toward the library, she was still a bit disoriented by the unexpected contact with his mind.

The next thing she knew, she was on her ass.

"Watch where you're... oh!" she said as she realized the man who'd run into her was the same one who'd brought her here. "Well then," she said as she accepted his hand and got back to her feet. "So did you get everything taken care of? Oh... my name is Jybs, by the way. Jybs Talkoo." She smiled, then pursed her lips as she glanced around at the small congregation that had formed. "So... what's going on?" she asked, feeling a strange sensation of expectancy, as if something important was about to happen.