An Uncertain Evaluation (Kuhblam, Foxfire)

Calm and quiet peace had been what Halc had always sought. Yet now he was going to the singular place in the verse that had both, the Jedi Temple. One would indeed wonder how he was feeling speeding toward there, finally returning after quite a number of years since the funeral of Millyann. How was he feeling?

His twisted mind was blocking what he was seeing or truly knowing where he was at that moment, for if he had then the effort of Sherasti would be for not. How it was doing this is Halc had found a ponbon toy. The toy was just ball of artifical hair and optic fiber tubes wrapped around a small and very cheap bot. It had a simple responsive AI program that would coo or purr even churp when stimulated my either sound, movement or touch. This simple toy was holy consuming Halc's waking thoughts.

With all the distractions by either the Sherasti or the toy still could not block out all the information going to Halc's mind.

Singing softly a lallaby to ponbon in togruta-Green, swaying sweet grass.....Bring looong life.... Happy we are.... Happy we are.... Rain falls, life blooms, and it goes round an round an round... -repeats over and over.

When Sherasti asked Halc a question all Halc could do was to repeat that same tune. Though if one looked close they would see a single tear forming in his left eye.

Green, swaying sweet grass.....Bring looong life.... Happy we are.... Happy we are.... Rain falls, life blooms, and it goes round an round an round...

The same tear formed in Sherasti's eyes as she remembered the words and the tune from long, long ago. A male voice she half-remembered, crooning them softly to her. Her father.

She felt her lips matching the words, and before she knew it she was singing the lullaby in her native tongue as well. And with much more depth than the Aleena could manage, the trills and vowels of the Togruti words were joined by the subtle harmonics of her montrals and lekku. Her eyes were filling up with tears she didn't know she had. She'd never really thought about 'missing' her father, well, ever. Until now.

The Togruta placed her left arm gently around Halc, giving him a subtle hug as the speeder touched down in the hangar bay.

"Thank you," she whispered to Halc in Togruti before rising. Outside the speeder she could see Councilor Darkonel standing in the hangar. She held Halc's hand and walked him down the ramp of the vehicle toward the senior Jedi.

It was rather chilly in the hangar.

With the durasteel blast doors wide open at such an altitude, sweeping gusts of wind periodically clashed with his body as well as that of the run of the mill support technicians working on the Order's smaller starships and speeders in this location. He had his arms crossed over his chest, a datapad tucked in one of his hands. Both eyes looked forward to the Coruscanti dawn outside as speeder airlanes convulsed and contracted along, above and below the horizon. The speeder he was waiting for was closing in on the hangar; he'd just been up with the communications control room to verify it's clearance.

Weathering the mild frostbolt that permeated into his layers as he moved his arms to inspect the datapad, he pressed a series of keys that brought up Halc Griemer, renegade Jedi Knight and supposedly insane by the supports of this Knight Sherasti Rin. He, as well as the rest of the Council, had long since given up hope in finding the newer generation of Grey Jedi and turning them back to the Tenets. They were so... elusive now-a-days. Before, they had been hermits. But these... they were adventurers, vigilantes, mercenaries. The Order didn't have the time or resources to devote to constantly tracking these moving beacons of Force energy. With the Galactic Republic' war against the Sith Empire drawing the Jedi Order closer and closer into full-scale involvement, he was afraid they'd lose track of the brethren who could be saved almost entirely.

A finger pressed another key, and it popped up with the most recent information on Halc before he had been recovered by Knight Rin in void space. Apparently, he had been checked into the Hotel Cali mental institution and had met with another Grey, a certain Dulgan Pryde. Other reports confirmed the fact that he was clinically insane, which worried Tyrdo. Could he be helped so far into his dementia?

The speeder touched down with a thud, the boarding ramp lowering as the Togruta and her companion exited from the vehicle. His hands behind his back, he nodded in acknowledgement to Sherasti and took a quick look at Halc. He wasn't in the best of shape physically, but no doubt he was still in a recovery phase for the moment.

"Welcome back, Knight Rin. We have much to discuss. Let us walk to the medical bay; Halc will need full clearance by the healers before I let him any further into the Temple. I have no need for formal evaluations; I have seen your report, but please regale me again of the tale on how you came across him."

"Yes Councilor," Sherasti said deferentially, much calmer and collected than she had been a few minutes ago. Her 'moment' was over and it was time to be professional, it was the only way to help Halc.

As they started to walk toward the medical bay, the Togruta Jedi started to provide the explanation again. "I was returning from the economic negotiations between the Hutts and Gamorreans when I felt something in the force. I walked up to the flight deck of the freighter I was on and took us out of hyperspace. It was there that we found a pair of derelict freighters emitting a distress call. I boarded them, and quickly encountered Halc. At first, he mistook me for his former master, but he realized the difference. We sat down together and talked for a long time. I managed to draw out some of his life story, which I put into my report, but things were complicated." She paused, trying to find the right words to express the situation. It was a challenge to describe exactly what she felt was 'wrong' with Halc.

"There are two Halc Greimers inside his body. One is darkness personified. Anger, fear, paranoia, and aggression. He was created as some kind of survival instinct. The other..." She lapsed off, smiling at the thought of the Halc she liked. "The other is the light and true Halc. Quite kind and sweet, who still believes in the Jedi Code. Simple perhaps, but simple in the way of a child."

Sherasti smoothed the sash she wore, running her hand idly over the fabric as she transitioned the topic from what had happened to what would happen.

"I am no healer, but if there was any way his dark personality could be removed or minimized, then his mind could heal in safety. He could be given instruction again, and have the second chance for a life. I knew if there was any way in the universe to help him, it would be found here."

His head was titled down the entirety of the way as they walked down the medical bay. He was constantly looking back towards Halc, who was toddling along with them like he had been the moment he had followed Sherasti off the ramp.

"I see..."

For someone with his experience, Tyrdo wasn't quite sure how to help him. Physical therapy would be easy; malnourishment and a bacta tank would easily heal his worldly wounds. In fact, he wasn't worried about Halc's recovery in the material world at all. No, it was this "other" persona that Sherasti kept speaking of that worried him. Even if they could root out this darker nature, he was unsure if Halc would ever be able to return to active duty as a Jedi Knight. Rehabilitation with the Force could only go so far, and it would require long hours of hard work in order to help him at all. Yes, the Temple was the place to be if Halc was to be helped. To what degree, he was not sure, but he could indeed be helped.

"Based on the information I have heard, I believe he can be helped."

They had reached the blast doors to the medical wing that adjoined with the hangar. He punched a four-number key code into the door pad and both panels slid open to reveal white-washed corridors and adjoining hallways that branched off into numerous rooms filled with medical equipment. Their destination was the closest room on the right, where a Jedi healer and a regular medical physician were waiting to place Halc on a medical table and examine him. He was unsure what Halc's reaction would be to foreign people trying to reach for him or the droids and logistical equipment in the room. Hopefully it was favorable, but only time would tell; whether the flashing lights and sounds would be too much for him would soon become apparent. They'd be able to watch him from a one-way transparisteel window, so if anything went wrong just about everyone would know about it. He turned to Sherasti and spoke to her specifically.

"Knight, please escort Halc into the room. Make sure he understands that it's only a medical examination. I'm unsure what his reaction will be to the healer and physician with all the time he's spent isolated. When you're done, come back outside as we need to speak on his condition."

OCC-sorry for any misspelling using phone-also will bring my Jedi Mal Kontie healer in.

Halc moved quietly through the halls fully unaware of where he was going. The sights and sounds of the temple and then the medical lab areas failed again and again to stir Halc's mind. Once in the containment room Halc mind was still clouded by his twisted mind. As soon as the doors slid shut and the air recycled a very common smell came to his litte nose, chloriform.

Eyes flying open and dropping the toy, Halc started to panic. Neither his twisted mind nor the healers could slow Halc. He was leaping about using his swordless forms, a mixture of saber skills. Fear was quickly raising in him which made Halc redirect that in force fear. Flooding the room with the highest levels he had ever used.

-----------

The alarms sounded with in the many labs. The lab next door was the first responce labs for those who were training at the temple. The healer who was on call was Mal Kontie. He was looking at the current admittents and saw a name he thought was lost. Knowing the name the alarms made sence and so was the danger. With advanced speed and agility the hutt bounded out of the lab bouldering over the guards who were moving down the hall. Arriving at the locked door Mal found he was not admitted. Quickly he reached out through the force grabbing hold of Halc and turned him upside down and juggled him in the air until the doors opened.

When Mal entered the room Halc was giggling and repeativly saying....

Oops me am upside down again. Mr. Giggilly comes.

Well Halc I thought I lost you. Still playing around?

Mal looked around the room seeing one of the counsil there and a togruta who looked some what like Millyann.

Sorry for my barging in here. I would have been here sooner but I was slow to read the medical admittance. Otherwize I would have been here from the start. Now Halc ready for your check up?

Sherasti closed her eyes tightly and did her best to extend her own telepathic protections onto the others within 'range' of Halc's mental onslaught. It took her full focus, and she didn't even notice the force fear had stopped for several seconds. She dropped the protections and opened her eyes again.

Her expressive violet eyes met Halc's, and it was clear he didn't remember her any more. She probed telepathically, and saw their entire encounter was nonexistent to him. He was back to merely thinking she looked a little like his old master. The Togruta was crestfallen.

With a sigh, she picked up Halc's toy from the floor, closed the distance between them in a few strides, and pressed it into his hand with a sad smile on her face.

Sherasti turned her back now, leaving Halc to the healer, and walked across the room again to join Tyrdo in the observation room. She turned her gaze on him now, not even trying to hide her sadness.

"I don't know how much of him there is to save. He can't even remember me."

Mal and Halc stared at each other for a few seconds not saying a word. Mal smile and then started the exam, first external then internal. Though when Mal started the internal he said for those still in the containment room to move to the observation room for a bit. Once all had left Mal asked Halc to mimic him. Halc nodded his head yes and played along. Mal lowered his mind into the force as one would when meditating. Then he rushed out of it in a flood of force power.

Halc did the same except when he came back out of the meditation his twisted mind rose to the surface, with eyes shining bright with force power one white the other yellow. Neither talked to each other with words just by means of the force. Mal closed his eyes again delving into the force and into Halc's mind. Ten minutes passed and Mal open his eyes again. Halc's twisted mind had slowly closed their eyes, yet as soon as Mal opened his eyes Halc did the same.

Mal and Halc nodded to each other in an unspoken agreement. Mal left the containment room and soon entered the observation room where the counsiler andd now the known togruta Sherasti.

Sherasti I pursume? Yes, yes you must be. This good that you found him instead of someone else. His insanity is because of a dark jedi healer, who loved to twist beings mind and bodies just too see how they would react. Halc's mind is not split into but shattered as like a mirror. Putting the pieces back together will take longer than the little ones life time. Yet he will have the majority of it back, that is if he is allowed to stay.

He looked at each of them in turn and was about to say some thing more when the doors to the room opened and in walked Halc with out the toy. Mal looked at the containment room's door panel to see the toy hanging from it and standing wide open.

Hello Sherasti. Where is Millyann at?

Sherasti nodded to the healer at his description. "Yes, I learned some of this from him. I was even able to pluck some of those memories from his mind. And I can see why he was shattered. It would be enough to break almost any of us."

She turned, spotting Halc entering the room unannounced. The same rather sad expression on her face lifted into a warm smile as he called her by name. He remembered again.

The Togruta knelt down, bringing her to eye level with the Aleena. She placed her hands on his shoulders lovingly and smiled warmly. Even though he was confused and asking for his deceased master, some part of him was fond of her in the same way she was fond of him.

"She had to leave, and join the force so she could always be with you." She answered the question rather vaguely.

Tyrdo remained in the observation room as Sherasti calmed down Halc. Stepping out into the hallway for a moment, he raised a palm as a quartet of Temple Security guards came jogging down in response to the alarms. The leader raised an eyebrow but still had his blaster rifle at the ready.

"Sir?"

He reassured them.

"It's quite alright here, Sergeant. Go ahead and notify Control to lower the security level back to normal."

The middle-aged human soldier nodded and spun on a heel, motioning for his response team to follow them back the way they came through the white-washed hallways. Seeing them off, Tyrdo continued to wait in the observation room and watch through the window pane, where a Hutt healer whom he identified as Mal Konti and Sherasti as well as the two original medical personnel in the room were tending to Halc and calming him down. As Sherasti returned, so entered with her was the Hutt who had neutralized Halc's crazed lightsaber form antics. As he spoke, Tyrdo consulted all the new information being given to him. Yes, this made sense. Why he hadn't found any of it in the Archives was odd, but none the less he knew what he needed to know now. Memory issues, torturing, pain of loss of close mentors... it was all coming together now. Halc was suddenly a much more complicated case to him than he had previously gauged him at, and the complexity of the situation had both simplified and sky-rocketed in a paradoxical manner.

"I see... I see. I will tell you right now that his road to full mental and physical recovery will be long and arduous."

He began to slowly pace about the room in his usual manner, one arm across his chest and the other stroking his neatly trimmed blond beard. Both eyes studied Halc intensely as he entered the room and asked for his deceased master. Behind him, both the original healer and medical physician were following him but waiting at the door. Tyrdo could tell the doctor in particular did not approve of his lax manner in this issue and that he considered Halc a security threat unlike himself.

"...We can definitely help him. Right now, save is a long shot; salvage is more accurate. To what degree of help, I can't say. This is honestly a case for Lamilia and the Circle of Healers, as she's the Chief Healer and has more knowledge on psychological matters than myself."

He was trying to think of words that seemed encouraging, but nothing favorable was popping into his brain. Every time he tried to probe Halc's mind, it was nothing but a swirl of confusion and unfocused energy. There was nothing he could discern that would suggest that he possessed even a fraction of his sanity. No, the only thing that suggested that was Sherasti's

"I heavily doubt he'll ever be able to return to active duty again; unless some radical change during rehabilitation occurs, his days as a Jedi are firmly over as he does not even possess the mental capacity to make the decision to rejoin our Order in the first place. If anything, he'll be confined to the Temple until we're sure he's no longer a security threat to anyone in the civilian quarter... I'm sorry, but I can't even say how long it will take to bring him back to even a quarter of his old self, if it's possible. Your thoughts, Healer Konti?"

Mal listened to the counciler nodding his head.

Yes, Lady Lamilia would be the best, yet the last two to three years I have been tracking and fixing him as I could. But a recovery is very possible for Halc that is if they would allow it.

Mal was watching Halc as he was mimicing the counciler, with hands clasped behind his back, until the topic of his permante internment. The twisted ones of Halc were now looking at them. What Mal had done now allowed the twisted sides to come to the surface easier. From the look on their face they were not happy as to what was said. Their power sig. were on the rise. Mal lowered himself quickly into the force and dove of Halc's mind and tried to piece together more of Halc's reasoning side of his mind.

Hold him or occupe please or they will leave and it WILL be bad.

"Surely a recovery would have to be allowed. Even if only for safety. You saw the force abilities he showed firsthand. We were able to handle it, but the non-Jedi of the galaxy wouldn't have any way to counter it. He has to relearn control for his own safety and for the safety of others. But he needs our help to do that, and that means we can't turn him away." Sherasti analyzed the situation aloud until she noticed Halc becoming agitated again. She trusted Mal to provide effective treatment, but it didn't mean she could simply ignore possible problems. She simply tried to think outside the box. The healer could try to cure the root of the problem, but in the meantime maybe Sherasti could handle the symptoms.

She looked to the Councilor, not wanting to interrupt Mal's concentration. "Do you think the kitchens would be able to produce a dessert known as 'pie'? I have the feeling it would be perfect for calming down Halc in situations like this."

"I never meant we wouldn't allow for rehabiliation, Knight Rin. I just hope to clarify to you that it will not be short or easy; if anything, it will be difficult and painful. With Halc, it will be up to him on how much progress occurs in what amount of time."

He looked at Halc, who had been mimicking him throughout the entire course of the conversation until this moment. There was a new fire in his eyes; it was obvious that he was not likening to the possibility of being confined to the Temple for the rest of his days. The Force surging about the little blue dinosaur, but where as the others saw caution he on the other hand smiled. For someone who was clinically insane, Halc was indeed powerful. Then again, he had never known that mix to be a good combination. Ever. The smile lessened on his face, and when Sherasti mentioned the word 'pie' he almost chuckled at the word. However, recent events had told him that what was happening was anything but ordinary. He'd never known anything to calm himself down but careful meditation. If pie would bring Halc down to a manageable level, then so be it; he would call for pie from the kitchens.

"If you think pie will calm him down, then so be it."

He pressed his com-link once to activate it, and brought up the Temple cooks on the other end of the line. The head of the kitchens, Master Thom, was a grand old Anx with a penchant for being annoyed at personal orders for food. He also hated making or calling in desserts, for that matter. On a third note, he couldn't hear very well despite cybernetic implants that aided him in taking in the audio backdrop of his surroundings, so words needed to be stated repetitively or the only thing he would say back was any random re-arranging words that came down to a question mark.

"Hello, Master Thom. I need a pie delivered to the medical wing."

...

"Yes, yes I said pie."

...

"You heard me correctly, Master Thom, he needs pie."

...

"Yes, I know. Thank you, friend."

Turning off his com-link and shoving it back in his pocket, he looked at Sherasti while Mal tried to gain a control of Halc. Hopefully he'd said pie enough in that conversation to cool down Halc's nerves. Furthermore, once this medical examination was over he needed to get an idea on how much knowledge Halc still retained in that locked up little brain of his. If they were going to begin the process of reforming him, he needed to first figure out how much Halc knew before anything was set up.

Halc's twisted sides were watching them with caution. They knew that neither they nor the Jedi could contain Halc when he had a notion of moving onward. Only the feeling of belonging would or could keep him near to those he considered kind and shiny.

The words of the tall beings were blurring and wirling in their collective. Then one word shook Halc's troubled mind and allowed them to gain control once more, pie. They had known Halc's obsesion with food, but no other food got his attention like a warm pie. Mentioning the food would give them the needed time to mend and heal.

Healing it had been a very great while since they had the time and the direction. This Mal Kontie was giving them the needed help. In the short time the three worked on one thing, the feeling of belonging.

Soon the faint smell of pie wafted near and Halc's mind reverted to normal, what ever normal for Halc was. Closing his eyes Halc allowed his nose to search out the coming pie. Upon the doors opening Halc was half way across the room nearing the doors. His opened in a flash and even quicker he dove into the force and snatched the pie from the food preparer's hands. The pie swiftly flew over to his little hands and settled gently into them. With a bowed head and closed eyes he thanked the force for finding a place to belong finally.

Looking them each in turn. What is da rehab-nation you talk about? .... If I stay here where do i goes?

Tyrdo bent down on one knee to Halc's level as his clinically insane counterpart demolished the pie that had been ordered from Master Thom's kitchens.

"You have a lot of power stored inside that noggin of your's Halc," he said, poking the side of his own head in a symbolic gesture.

"However, you aren't quite in control of your abilities right now. Rehabilitation will help you re-learn to control the Force and remove that inner darkness inside yourself."

He stood up and looked back to Sherasti. He had forgotten to mention to her earlier that he had an assignment for her of sorts, a very earnest and specific one that would occupy the majority of her remaining time as a Knight and quite possibly eventually speed her along into the ranks of the masters. The name Xell Rayner popped up in his head again as the assignment itself resurfaced to his mind. This wasn't the best time, what with Halc needing immediate planning for his treatment, but granted he was unsure when he would have another meeting with the Jedi Knight and time was running out for the boy himself because of the way his old master had trained and taught him.

"Healer Konti, I would like you to make preparations for Halc's evaluation concerning Force ability so we can gauge his current strength properly. Knight Rin, I have a very important assignment for you if you feel you are up to the task. A certain Master Pedara and Councilor Te'Baas himself recommended you for the job."

"Oh?" Sherasti gave the Togruta equivalent of arcing eyebrows, a slight twitch in her lekku.

Though she'd only met the Councilor once, she was perfectly willing to oblige him. And of course her own master had won her undying devotion a long time ago, somewhere between watching over her sickbed and eating with her at a feast on Shili. Or maybe even since the day a Togruta Youngling had accidentally lost her grip and sent a training saber flying into the gut of a Jedi Master. Regardless, if there was anything at all she could do she would do it.

"Anything for Master Pedara, and Councilor Te'Baas of course."

She waited to hear what the task was, curious as to the nature of it. Fortunately she could be confident it was within her abilities, Master Pedara knew them very well.

Mal nodded his head as Halc somewhat listened but in the end Halc was face first in the pie eating it as if he had never had it before.

I shall prep the #4 youngling traing room for the first set of skill tests. Those blocks and toys should get Halc's mind a good work out. It will be ready thirty minutes. Halc shall we go and get you cleaned up for some playtime?

Halc's head snapped back up. He tried to speak but when he opened his mouth it was jammed with food. He tried to talk again and again. Closing his mouth and starting to chew Halc spoke through the force.

Talking VIA force telepathy--Yea playtimes! Is their going to be young ones there or will it be like here with the tall ones.-looking up at the Jedi Counciler-You are making my neck hurt, so I'm going. See you when you are shorter.

Still with a mouth full of food Halc walks out of the room Mal with eyes wide not knowing that Halc could do that slowly followed right behind him.

(OCC-next set of post will be at the training room)

"Thank you, Healer."

He turned to Sherasti this time before speaking.

"Glad you are willing then, Knight."

One arm tucked across his torso and the opposite arm's hand stroking his beard in the usual contemplation pose, Tyrdo watched Halc as he thought about the task he was about to assign to Sherasti. She was certainly qualified, and he wasn't worried about her ability. Kaiven's recommendations as well as that of Master Pedara's was also a plus, and he had no doubt she was walking strong in the light. That would be needed as the Padawan he was about to assign her was moving more and more into the grey each and every day without a proper master to guide him.

"As of late, a certain Padawan by the name of Xell Rayner needs a new master. Normally this would be a trivial matter, but Xell's master was quite... unorthodox. Too unorthodox, I'm afraid. I'm asking you to be his steward and take him on as an apprentice."

...

You are making my neck hurt, so I'm going. See you when you are shorter.

...

Tyrdo looked to the side as the telepathic thought poked into his head. Halc could practice telepathy? That ability was limited to specific species; usually, the only thing a Jedi could project unless telepathy was his specialty was prods. Sometimes strong bonds could allow for telepathic communication, but Tyrdo had no prior connection to Halc and the thought that had just entered his mind suggested something less than familiarity. As Halc walked out the room right behind Mal, Tyrdo went to the exit of the medical room as he looked at Sherasti with a smile.

"Come. I think it best that we not leave our new friend unattended."