Shameless Self Plugs Sometimes Work (Rugs)

Yet another slow breeze blew through the door as it slid open on a slow afternoon. Locke yawned in his chair, leaning back and stretching slightly. Today had been a slow day. Sort of. While he never really took a 'day off,' things had been light. Training sessions--both with Jazen and for himself--had been truncated, meditation had been brief, and now the two were separate, doing as they would.

Locke was using it as a time to catch up on reports. He kept a well-groomed network of contacts, as might be expected for his occupation. But, with the war brewing and missions carrying him far and wide, he'd not really had the time to keep up with them as well as he should have been. Truth be told, he hadn't really gone on a real investigative mission since taking Jazen under his wing. There was reason for that, good reason, and it was an expected sacrifice, but still.

He missed the thrill of it all sometimes.

But what can ya do? he mulled to himself as he 'flipped' to the next page of the report on his datapad. It wasn't anything exciting. Another report on some criminal ring running drugs and money laundering. Run of the mill stuff.

He yawned and glanced up to the windows. The sun was a bit lower now. His stomach growledThink I'll get something to eat in a bit. But that could wait. He had a few reports left to read.

Locke was vaguely aware of the others moving through the hall. There was always some sort of traffic this near to the archives. While he was aware of them, felt them through the Force, he didn't really pay any attention to them. As such, he was dimly aware of a person taking the seat next to him, though he didn't really pay attention to them until heard a voice.

”You wouldn’t happen to know anyone looking for an investigator padawan, would you?”

"Can't say," he said idly, not looking up from his report. "You wouldn't know a padawan looking to be an investigator, would you?"

Tilting her head just slightly to study the man, she took his slightly scruffy appearance into account. The jacket was an odd touch as well…maybe he was a shadow. The girl didn’t even dare hope that he might be an investigator…she simply couldn’t afford to get her hopes up like that. ”As a matter of fact, I do. I'm looking for a master, and to be honest I'm a bit desperate at this point. Not finding one after two months does that, y’know.” For all her tone of voice implied, she may as well have been talking about the weather. Under that, however, there was an honest (though subtle) ripple of desperation and frustration. With a sigh, she smiled and shrugged a little, settling into a cross-legged position in the chair and readjusting the stack of flimsies on her lap before they fell, then looking back over at him.

”Well, if you know anyone I’d really appreciate it if you could point me in their direction...” she chuckled a little and grinned, ”I nearly forgot to introduce myself, sorry. I'm Elysia Chronostia, most people call me Elys though…It’s just so much simpler-HEY! Is that a blaster you’ve got there?! You use a blaster? That’s awesome!” She’d been reaching over to hold out her hand to him when she caught a glimpse of the blaster on his hip through the foggy image that was the chair he sat in. In an instant her mood took a sharp upturn…unfortunately, the sudden twist of her body to face him better also upturned the flimsies on her lap.

”Crud! Uh…heh, yeah sorry I got…dangit…” Swiftly trying to gather up her fallen flimsies as she spoke, she barely missed catching the few that had still been on her lap and were now on the floor as well. With a frustrated sigh, she shuffled them all together and picked up the haphazard pile before sitting back down again. It just really seemed like she wasn’t going to catch a break today…mostly because of herself. That’s what really irked her. ”So…yeah, sorry I got all excited just now. I just don’t see many other jedi who practice blaster use. Sometimes I wonder if that’s a reason why some of them don’t take me on…I mean because of the blaster. Well, the excitability too, I guess.” With the pile of flimsies now all in one direction she turned her face to look at him and gave him a little, almost embarrassed smile. ”Uh…sorry, I must be distracting you as well…”

For a moment she looked down at the flimsies in her hands, remembering how she’d met Ayani at the Culu Center. She really didn’t learn, did she? ”…Ah well…anyway, if you don’t mind, I would really appreciate any leads on potential masters if you think of any. Especially if they don’t mind blasters…I’d really hate to have to give up practicing.” She settled in again and eyed her satchel before nudging it to the side a bit with one boot. The staff of her pike, settled against the wall beside her, slid slightly until it rested in the small corner created by the chair, and with that Elys started absently sorting through the flimsies to get them back in order. No point in bothering the man further, after all.

Locke's stony grey eyes drifted up from his datapad to glance at the girl as she spoke. She was interesting, to say the least. Eager. Excitable. Not things that were entirely unexpected from a student, as she so clearly was.

He chuckled with a soft amusement when she noted his blaster pistol. It was the sort of thing that usually got double takes from other Jedi. Some approved, most were indifferent. Others, like his student, seemed to hold something personal against the weapons. Locke only shrugged at their disapproval. It'll be there problem if it bites them in the ass one day. Except for Jazen. Jazen was his student; that meant one way or another, Locke would teach the boy how to at least shoot a gun with some semblance of accuracy, whether he liked it or not.

His attention returned to the report on his datapad as the girl continued to talk, though he still left an ear open to hear her. Elysia. She was another masterless padawan. Got too many of those wandering around the Temple these days, he mulled glumly as he tapped the screen, closing the current report and opening another on some small upstart gang working out of an old abandoned industrial center down in the Lower City.

Jazen had been one of those--one of the padawans that lost a master partway through his training. Locke took him on after that. The month since had been interesting, to say the very least. They'd had plenty of good times. But there had been times where things hadn't been so good. There had been unexpected struggles and bumps in the road. Sometimes Locke wondered if he was truly up to par for having a student.

And here's another one that needs a teacher, he thought as he looked at Elysia from the corner of an eye, watching her gather her fallen flimsies. He sighed and shook his head.

"Elysia, was it?" he said, scrolling down his report. "I'm Locke. Tell me about yourself." His attention went up to her again. "I know a few Investigators that might be looking for a student."

Honestly, the girl had been prepared to leave the man alone as she’d started flipping the flimsies around to get them back into order (and the proper direction). That was why, when he spoke again, she was so surprised. Nodding to his repetition of her name, she smiled a bit as he introduced himself in turn. Locke…Locke…where have I heard that name before? I'm almost positive I’ve heard it somewhere…but… For a moment she mulled through her memories, attempting to place the name but, being unable to do so, sighed and shrugged to herself. Ah well, another mystery I’ll likely never solve…not until the middle of the night, anyway.

“Tell me about yourself. I knew a few investigators that might be looking for a student.”

Oh please don’t let this be a dream, I could really use the extra help…I swear if I’ve nodded off somewhere and this is a dream, I'm going to be so miffed.

”Well…hmm. Basics: I'm 19, Miraluka, padawan since I was ten to a twi’lek named Ayani’avan. I practice pike combat, hence the staff…” She nodded back to the staff behind her, ”and also blaster/slug pistol combat. I'm above average in sense and about average at everything else…except telekenisis…I'm horrible at that. I speak a few languages: primary was Miralukese since I grew up at the Culu Memorial Center, secondary is basic, I also speak some Huttese and smuggler’s cant, know a few words in Bocce and can understand some simple things in Twi’leki and shyriiwook.”

She paused a moment, debating what else to tell him now that she was done with the typical ‘introduction’ since it wasn’t very personal. ”Other than that, I'm not really sure how to describe myself. I’ve always been a bit odd, you know? I'm curious about pretty much everything and sometimes I ask a lot of questions. That was how I met Ayani…by asking about a zillion questions after I ran into her.” A light giggle escaped at the memory. It never failed to amuse her. Something else that never failed to amuse her was the fact that every time she did this she felt as if she were introducing herself on one of those old dating shows. ”I also enjoy long runs on the beach, jumping into stormy oceans after small boys, saving people from burning buildings, and carry a pink sock in my satchel.” Grinning from ear to ear, she had to bite back a laugh at her own stupidity.

Maybe this whole ‘looking for a master’ thing was finally starting to get to her?

Locke continued to scroll as she spoke, using and old concentration trick his master had taught him to read through it while paying attention to her. She was... interesting, to say the least. It wasn't the first time he'd noted that much. Her energy was almost refreshing, in a way; it was a bit of a welcome change from the stoniness that many of his companions within the Order could hold at times.

For a long moment after she finished speaking, he was quiet. In fact, he didn't even give any indication that he'd heard her, as he continued to scroll through the report on his datapad. But he'd heard, and his mind was turning.

What to do with her?

Why was that even a question? His hands were more than full trying to deal with Jazen. Two students would turn his hair grey and run him out of the Order. But there was this odd feeling that he didn't normally feel around other masterless students--a sort of pulling, an urge to talk to her more. Perhaps it was the Force telling him something. Someone needs to tell the Force to keep its damn mouth shut, he groused silently.

Once he'd finished his report he tapped the power button on the side of the device and sighed. For the first time in a while, he looked up to her, giving her his full attention as he slipped the datapad away into one of the pockets on the interior of his coat.

"A pike, eh?" He flicked his eyes over to look at it. "Interesting weapons, them. Very dangerous in the right hands." Images of Adara flashed in his minds eye. The final words from Druckenwell echoed through his mind. They were a command, telling him to get stronger. They were a warning of things to come. "Very dangerous." Locke closed his eyes briefly and shook his head, dispelling those thoughts. Don't need to worry about that here. Not like she'll come walzting in through the front gate. Not if she's smart, anyway.

His grey-eyed gaze settled on Elys again, silently studying her. That blasted sensation wouldn't just leave him. He suppressed a groan. Can't have a simple life, can I?

Locke sighed quietly and eased out of his chair, dropping down to a knee to gather what few flimsies remained to be picked up. "It's always good to see an ambitious student though," he said, his tone friendly enough. "Don't see many Jedi that use pikes at all, much less students. And to return your introduction..." he smiled slightly as he set the flimsies right, ensuring that they were oriented the same way.

"I am Locke Nemsee. 26, Jedi Knight. I use a lightsaber and a pistol, mostly separate, but occasionally in tandem. As for skills in the Force, telekinesis is my strongest area, followed by telepathy and a smattering of other areas. Don't come to me if you get hurt, though." Now his grin was genuine, and he even chuckled to himself as he handed the flimsies he'd gathered to her. "I'd probably only make things worse. I'm awful at healing and medical care. Not much of a mechanic either. My first attempt at a lightsaber nearly exploded on me. I don't know anyone else that can say that." He stood to his feet, stretching slightly and popping his neck. "Most would see it as a failure. I, on the other hand, wear it as a badge of pride."

His smile faded as his mind turned back to more serious thoughts. What was he to do with this girl? Sure, he could let some of the other Investigators know about her, but if the Force was really pulling him to her...

I need to know more about her before I make any decisions.

"Elys," he said, sticking his hands into his coat pockets and gesturing down the hall with his head, "walk with me, will you?"

Once she was ready, he set off down the hall; there was a place he liked to go to think, and he figured he could walk there with her as he mulled over his choices. First they'd have to go up a lift, so that's where he headed.

"You know," he started as they walked along, giving a sidelong glance to her, "you don't see many students your age running around without a master. Ayani, you said yours was?" . Ayani'avan. Presumably, if Elys was looking for a master that was an Investigator, her previous teacher had been one as well. Locke didn't recognize the name, though. That wasn't too surprising, though; Locke knew quite a few of his fellow Investigators, but not all. They were a secretive group by nature and by necessity, and he had a feeling only the very highest ranking members knew all of their number. It wasn't something he'd put a whole lot of thought into. Probably something to protect us in case one of us falls or is otherwise compromised.

"What happened to her, if you don't mind me asking? And how long have you gone without a teacher?"

To be perfectly honest about things, she wasn’t sure how to feel about Locke…she couldn’t tell if he was paying any attention to her answer or not and after the stress of the day it stung a bit. She worked to let it slide off her back; he had been busy already, and she had just sort of started talking to him randomly…it was understandable that he was going to try and continue whatever he had been doing, after all, she was asking a total stranger for a pretty big favor. True he was another jedi, but even then it wasn’t a requirement that he pay any attention to her, much less help her. On the other hand, she felt fairly comfortable around him…but then, she felt comfortable around a fair amount of people, especially if they were jedi, why would he be any different?

…Still…

Shrugging it off, she pulled her legs in to sit cross-legged and turned her attention to the flimsies in her hands and started filling in some of the (purposefully) blank spaces beside the anatomical sketches of a bothan. By the time he looked up at her she’d be engrossed in the task, only looking up when he mentioned her pike (or pikes in general). Pausing with her marker just above the flimsy, she’d shrug a bit. ”I suppose so…but I just feel more comfortable with it than a regular saber, that’s why I started learning with spears and staves. I don’t consider that particularly ambitious…” She’d gone back to what she’d been doing as she spoke, but his motion caught her attention and had her looking over, puzzled, before rifling through the ones in her hand. ”I thought I’d…aww crap…thanks. I thought I’d gotten them all.”

His introduction was right on par with hers, but the fact that he suggested that if she got hurt and went to him he’d only make things worse had her lifting her eyebrows before giggling a little. That turned into soft laughter as he continued. ”Wow…and I thought I was bad with the droids! Needless to say I’ve had quite a few…erm…shocking?...moments while trying to fix them. Almost making a lightsaber explode though? Yeah, I think you certainly have me beat there.”

“Elys, walk with me, will you?”

”Uh…sure?” Stuffing her flimsies back into her satchel, she’d sling the leather bag over her shoulder and grab her pike before coming up along side him. She felt an odd sort of anxiety as she followed along, listening to his questions. She’d really wanted to avoid those, but it always came up…”Ah well…it’s been about two months, just a little over…as for what happened to her…” She sighed a bit and shook her head. ”It’s a longer story than I want to go into, but the short version is she left the order with some other person and…I was privy to a…downward slide…while I was with her and how she left me…well…I’d think it’s pretty safe to say she’s a dark jedi right about now.”

Shrugging she glanced over at him with a slight tilt of her head trying to judge his reaction to the news. ”I know that sounds awful, and it is since she seems to hold something against me for staying instead of going with her, but…well I suppose it can’t be helped, all I can do is face whatever’s coming.” There was a long pause of silence then, one that said ‘if I make it that far’ rather clearly. ”That’s another thing that seems to put a lot of masters off I suppose…no one really wants a padawan who has a crazy ex-master running around somewhere in the universe.”

So her Master left her too, huh?

Locke was quiet for a few moments after Elys finished speaking, only nodding to give indication that he'd heard and understood her tale. It was different this time, though. Rather than trying to present a sort of detached air, he was thinking.

He was thinking a lot.

Silence rode on as he stepped into a turbolift, waited for her to enter, and then hit one of the buttons to take them higher up into the Temple. The clear glass doors eased shut with the quiet whisper of compressed air and up they went.

They were given a view of one of the many atriums scattered throughout the Temple as they rose up; a view that saw Jedi, old and young, scampering about their duties. Some walked in groups. Some, clearly masters and students, walked in pairs. Others walked alone.

"She fell," Locke finally said. He glanced down at the girl that stood beside him. It was a blunt way of putting it; while the Investigator could flower things up and dance around saying them outright if he wished it, he preferred to say things as they were. He sighed and shifted his weight, watching the Jedi down below as their ride took them ever upwards. "At least she didn't take you with her."

The view of the atrium was cut short as the lift rode through the floor for a moment, coming to a stop when it reemerged. A light flashed, the notice pinged, and the doors slid open. Locke stepped out, hands in coat pockets, and motioned for Elys to follow along. Down the hall he led her, toward a door that'd set them out on balcony that looked out over the Processional Way and into the city.

"That is a shame. Always is when one of our own leaves the Order. Even more so when they leave through falling. But you're right. All you can do is keep going forward and face whatever comes your way." He paused near the door to the exit to the balcony, offering her a supportive smile. "And perhaps find some friends to help you along the way."

He went through the door then and walked to the balcony's edge, where he proceeded to lean with both forearms resting on it. For a few quiet moments, he stared off into the skyline, which was painted a light shade of orange by the sun as it began its final descent toward the horizon.

"Funny thing, though," he finally said, almost chuckling softly. "My current student's situation wasn't too different than yours. We don't know what became of his master, but he left, all the same." He sighed and his shoulders drooped a bit. "Shame. He was a really good friend of mine. But we move on." He glanced at her. "His name is Jazen Solari. I don't suppose you know him, do you?"

If Elysia had learned nothing else over the years it was when to talk and when not to…well, most of the time she could tell the difference anyway. This was just one of those times she decided it was better for all if she didn’t talk. There was an odd swirling in the force around him that she couldn’t quite latch onto the meaning of…maybe he was thinking? She didn’t know for sure, but she kept quiet anyway. Following him into the lift she’d settle back against one of the walls and pin one end of her pike between her boots, allowing the upper part of it to bounce back and forth between her hands like a metronome’s arm. Finally, as she watched the jedi below them moving about as they went upward, he spoke again.

“She fell.”

”That’s right.”

“At least she didn’t take you with her.”

”She wanted to.”

There was no doubt in her voice…there wasn’t any room for doubt.

The lift pinged quietly as it settled to a stop and she stepped out after Locke and followed him through the hall. One of her friends waved to her as they passed and gave her a thumbs up, but Elys wasn’t going to jump at it this time. Instead she waved back and smiled…no doubt it confused the poor Rodian girl immensely that she was following a knight but seemed rather subdued. Oh well, she’d just have to explain later.

Turning out to the balcony as he paused and spoke, she moved to the railing and look out along the open grounds before them that led to the main gate. ”Yeah…well I have friends, it’s just not easy when they all have masters. I mean, they keep cheering me on, kinda like Jiria back there, but that doesn’t always make things easier to deal with.” Looking out, she could still pick out the planter she’d been slammed against that night.

”Bah…” I doubt I’ll ever like that planter again.

As he came and settled against the rail beside her she’d look over at him. ”It’s frustrating, you know…trying to find a master at my age. I just came from the youngling tournament to see if I could try and find someone willing to take me on, or at least get someone to give me any suggestions for others that might be willing…but they were all primarily interested in the younger ones. If they seemed interested in me…well…after a little bit of talking to me they weren’t, or it just didn’t feel right. I mean…don’t get me wrong, most of them were nice enough, and I really appreciate Master Me’ballan’s helping me…but it’s still frustrating.”

As he spoke again, she tilted her head just slightly. So he not only had a padawan, but his padawan had gone through the same sort of thing. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that information, but as he finished speaking her jaw would go slack. ”OH MY GOSH! THAT’S where I’ve heard your name before! Jazen, I just met him yesterday! In all the commotion today I must have forgotten…”

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Locke said. "Well, not from the same experience, but I can sympathize." He sighed, still staring off into the distance and watching speeders flit this way and that. "To have the hope for something yanked away every time it looks like you're getting closes enough to finally touch it..." He shook his head. "It's the worst kind of frustrating. But we go on. Not much else to do y'know?"

He ran a hand through his hair idly, leaning a bit further forward onto the rail and shifting his weight from one leg to another. The obvious recognition that Jazen's name brought to her gave rise to a small grin spreading on his face. "So you do know him, then? He's a good kid." A headache sometimes, he continued inwardly, but good.

"When I first took him on, I wasn't sure what to expect. Up to that point, I'd done the bulk of my work as a lone wolf, and the only experience I had in the master/student relationship was being the student." Locke's smile grew a hair, and in his eyes there was a sort of wistful nostalgia as memories of days gone by rolled through his mind.

"I was scared, really. Afraid that I wouldn't know what to do." He looked turned his head to look down at her. "But these past few months have worked out well enough, I'd say. Certainly haven't missed a bit with getting into trouble with having a student." He turned back to look at the city, and a laugh suddenly came from him. It was a happy laugh, filled with a warmth that echoed through his presence. It was genuine. "If anything, I've only gotten into more trouble.

"But," said he, shaking his head and sighing wistfully, "I'm getting away from the reason I asked you about him in the first place. Tell me, Elys, even if it's just an initial impression, what do you think of Jazen?"

”Well…I’ve met him, sure. Not certain I’d go so far as to say I know him, though. I figure it takes a few conversations to start getting to ‘know’ someone.” Her reply was simply enough, but it was the truth as far as she saw it. When he continued, she would listen quietly, gazing down at the jedi milling about below them…going about their business as usual. It was difficult for her to imagine a knight or a master being afraid to take on a padawan, wasn’t it supposed to be something to be excited about? His short explanation as to why he had been afraid sort of made sense, though. Maybe…sort of. It was still a difficult concept for her to wrap her mind around and she tried to put herself in his shoes…attempted to imagine herself as a first time master.

Okay, so it made a bit more sense after that…

His laugh took her a bit by surprise, causing her to look up at him more fully now and tilt her head slightly to the side as she felt the emotion echo out from him in the force. She could only tilt her head further and give a little, confused, smile as he said that if anything, he’d only gotten into more trouble having Jazen as a student. Why in the galaxy would he be laughing about that?! Despite herself, she chuckled…though the confusion she felt was obvious, radiating out from her.

What an -odd- man! She thought to herself, I rather like him.

“But, I'm getting away from the reason I asked you about him in the first place. Tell me, Elys, even if it’s just an initial impression, what do you think of Jazen?”

”Well that’s a funny question to ask…” she mused aloud before shrugging it off. ”Hmm…well, he’s nice enough. Friendly, y’know? He talks a lot…more than I do, maybe, and that’s saying something because I can talk a lot. It’s kinda neat to talk to him though, he’s funny…but….” She hesitated, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip before sighing. ”Well he has a real big problem with blasters and that sort of bothered me. I get it enough from knights and masters, but even then some of them understood why I wanted to keep practicing. Sometimes I wondered if he was just being stubborn just to argue the counter point or if he has some sort of vendetta against them. I just…don’t get why he wouldn’t want to learn as many ways to fight or protect himself as possible. I mean you can’t just always whip out your lightsaber….”

She'd smile a bit then and shrug. "Other than that he's fine, I guess?"

”Well that’s a funny question to ask…”

Is it? Locke cast a sidelong glance to her, keeping his face to their front, toward the city. The question seemed natural to him, of course. Jazen was his student, Elys was a candidate. If they'd met before, it might prove fruitful to get her opinion on the boy. Chemistry among your comrades is important, he told himself. Especially when you have to work together as a team.

Wait a minute...

His brow furrowed slightly.

Why am I thinking that? I haven't made any decisions yet. But that incessant pulling would not go away! Hell, it only seems to get worse as I talk to her. With a mental sigh, Locke shrugged his thoughts away and listened in to Elys, who was speaking again.

Her response wasn't too far off from what Locke had expected. Despite his occasional struggles, Jazen was a good kid. The boy was friendly and polite most of the time, if a bit formal at times for Locke's tastes with always insisting on calling him 'Master,' rather than simply 'Locke.' Every so often, Locke imainged that it was something that Jazen did intentionally, but he had a feeling it wasn't. Besides, even if he wouldn't admit it, it was growing on him. Whether that was something to worry about or meant he was slowly growing to become more accustomed to the role of being a master, he couldn't say. Truthfully, it wasn't something he liked to dwell on.

However, the subject she brought up after a brief pause was both amusing and unexpected. "Ah, yeah," Locke started, looking at her with an amused twinkle in his eye, "he does seem to have a phobia of the weapons or something." He shook his head, chuckling softly. "You'd think that with the age we're in and the technology it has, ranged weapon training would be pretty standard among the Jedi, but for some reason, it isn't. As if our lightsabers are the end-all be all for every situation."

Muttering to himself, he leaned forward onto the rail a bit further. "And I keep trying to get Jazen to see the point, that it's not about using it as a primary weapon, but to have the knowledge and the ability to shoot something more than half a foot away if the need ever arises." A sigh would tell how well those efforts went. "But he always refuses, for whatever reason." Pausing for a moment, he chuckled wryly and shook his head. "I think one day I'll just invoke the Master privileges and teach him whether he wants to learn it or not. It'll do him some good."

Force only knew being made to learn things he didn't necessarily want to had been good for him when he was a student. And I came out just fine. For the most part.

"Anyway..." he said, looking down to the girl at his side again. Then he stopped. Anyway what? What else was he going to talk to the girl about? How long would he put off making a decision? I could talk to her all night, but it's not gonna change this.

How was it that it was always the days when nothing was supposed to be happening that things like this always came up?

"I..." he paused, not sure what to say again. I need some time to take a step back and think. Locke sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Tell you what, Elys. I need to... consider some things. If you'd meet me back here in... oh say three hours, it'd be appreciated." He turned from the rail, letting his hands fall from the rail and stuffing them into his coat pockets. The ghost of a smile touched his face as he looked to her. "Sound good?"

Even as she spoke, Elys could feel some sort of dismay from the knight beside her. Typically, she wasn’t that fragile of spirit, but these past few weeks had really been bad for her ego…sad as that was to admit. Elysia didn’t like to believe she had an ego, but…sure enough…she had some sort of ego and it was pretty damaged right about now, so what dismay seeped out from him simply served to bruise it further. Is it really so bad, talking to me? Maybe he just feels obligated to help and doesn’t really want to…I don’t want him doing something he doesn’t want to do, but I -really- need it at this point, I'm just too close to give up! She couldn’t know that what she felt from him stemmed from an internal debate on if he should take her as a second padawan or not.

Inwardly she sighed and tried to stuff her own emotions down; they really weren’t going to help her right now.

As she touched on Jazen’s dislike of blasters, however, the man’s mood seemed to perk up…and with it, so did hers. Shaking her head a little, she’d shrug. ”I dunno…I don’t get it either, but I kinda agree with you that maybe you should just not give him a choice. Heck, Mas—Ayani didn’t give me a choice in learning shii-cho. I really didn’t want to…it never interested me really, but then she bribed me with being taught other things too.” Standing straight, she’d put one fist on her hip, the other hand shaking a threatening finger at a shadow of her younger self somewhere off the balcony as she did her best impression of Ayani’s ‘miffed’ face.

”You’re going to learn shii-cho Elysia, so help me…even if that means I have to bribe you with something!” She’d pause for dramatic effect…something she figured Ayani had paused for as well, at the time, and folded her arms across her chest. ”Alright, here’s the deal padawan…you practice shii-cho diligently and I’ll help you learn, or find someone to help you learn, another martial style of your choosing. Deal?” Chuckling, she’d unfold her arms and lean on the ledge again, shaking her head a little. ”Of course, the offer was just too good to refuse. That’s how I started learning staff originally, you know.”

After a moment of quiet, he spoke again…and again there was that feeling of mild dismay and now something she could only guess was uncertainty or confusion. Looking back up at him from behind that blue sash, she tilted her head slightly, furrowing her brow just a bit.

“Tell you what, Elys. I need to…consider some things. If you’d meet me back here in…oh say three hours, it’d be appreciated.”

She tried not to look too crestfallen at the words, but it was difficult. The teen just couldn’t understand what there was to think about…either he was going to help her look for a suitable master, or not. It was sounding more and more like ‘not.’ All she could do was nod slightly for a moment.

“Sound good?”

”Ah…right…sure, okay. That’s no problem.” She also attempted to sound somewhat like her chipper self, but she wasn’t sure how well that had worked either, though she did manage a somewhat convincing smile. Too bad she knew better than to think he wouldn’t catch on to her emotions, but she was doing her best at trying to delude herself into believing otherwise. ”Three hours…I’ll see you then.” With that she hitched up her satchel, grabbed her pike and vanished into the hall, making it a point not to stick around too long or leave too fast. Unfortunately Jiria caught up to her half way down the hall and wouldn’t let her be…

Ah well, may as well walk with her for a little, I guess…I’ve got three hours to kill anyway.

It was hard not to notice the change in tone in the girl's voice, even if she did a decent enough job of hiding her emotions behind her smile. Perhaps it was because he'd been trained to notice such things; picking up little cues in tone and body language was a vital tool for someone in his line of work, after all. Or maybe it was simply because the girl's presence change. Drooped. Wilted a bit. He bit back a sigh and nodded as she turned to leave.

'Hey, cheer up kid,' he wanted to call after her. 'Everything'll work out just fine. You'll see.'

But he couldn't say that. It would be making a promise to her--a promise that he couldn't commit to, not yet. So instead he merely watched her go and once she'd passed from sight and earshot, he sighed and turned around to lean on the balcony's railing once again.

For a long while, Locke simply stood there, alone with nothing else but his thoughts and the flow of the Force to keep him company. The evening air was cool, and it would only get cooler as night's cloak continued to spread across the sky. "So what am I supposed to do?"

The question hung in the air. No answer came, despite his deepest hopes. No shining light pointing down the right path. No voice from the heavens with instructions on where to go. Nothing. Just the drifting distant hum of speeder engines from the city.

Locke sighed. Of course he'd known nothing would answer him. But he'd hoped saying it aloud would at least help kick start his mind. It didn't. All he felt was the same roiling, tumultuous indecision. It threatened to drive him mad.

Still, he stood there for little while longer before finally standing up and turning to leave. Maybe a talk would do him some good. And he knew just who to talk to...

-----------------------------------------

The old Iktotchi's face cracked into a smile when Locke walked into the room. "Locke! It's good to see you again!"

Locke couldn't help but smile as well at the sight of Tiino, his old master. The Iktotchi hadn't even had to turn around from his practice. He simply knew Locke's presence nearly as well as his own. "I had a feeling I could find you here, Tiino. I wonder why." He smirked slightly as he walked around to the end of one of the shooting ranges where his former master was standing. It was said that Tiino was the best marksman Order. Locke wasn't sure about that certain specific (though it wouldn't surprise him) but the Iktotchi was certainly among the best. After training with the old Master, Locke understood how.

"Maybe you just know me." Tiino glanced to Locke for a moment before his attention returned to the three drones spiraling through the air down the range. Their movements were swift and erratic. But as Tiino brought his pistol to bear and fired, he made the shots look like child's play. Three shots. Three drones hit the ground a heartbeat later.

Satisfied with his work, Tiino holstered his blaster pistol and finally looked fully at Locke. "Good to see you again, kid." The Iktotchi paused for a moment, studying Locke. "Something's troubling you."

Locke sighed. "Yeah. There's... an issue that's come up recently that I'm not sure how to handle. You got some time?"

Tiino smiled and put an encouraging hand on Locke's shoulder. "Of course, Locke. You know you can always come talk to me if you need advice." He chuckled as he started to move and gave Locke a pat on the back. "Don't tell some on the Council I said that though. Force knows what kind of knots their pants would tie themselves into. Come on, walk with me."

Locke chuckled a bit and let himself be corralled off. The two of them passed from the room and went back up into the halls of the Temple. As they walked along with no particular destination in mind, passing around and merging into the streams of other Jedi that filled the Temple, Locke laid his worries our for his master to hear.

He told Tiino everything. He told about his fears and his worries about being a master. He told him about the joys and the hardships that training Jazen had brought. He told him about meeting Elys and the tugging in the Force and of his feeling of nearly being lost.

When Locke finally finished, Tiino stood quietly for a long while. The old Iktotchi was leaning against the wall, one leg crossed in front of the other with one of his hands tucked into a pocket. Locke had learned years ago that such postures often meant Tiino was thinking. So he waited, standing quietly to the side to hear what wisdom his master might offer.

Looking around, Locke noticed that he'd been led to the Processional way. A faint little smile touched his face when he glanced back to his master. You would bring us here, wouldn't you? I guess some things never change. When he was younger, Tiino had often brought him out to the Processional Way. On nights like these, when I'm having trouble with something. He even looked up to the base of the statue he'd developed a habit of sitting on; the place where he still sat when he came out on his own to think on his problems.

"So," Tiino finally started with a sigh, "you believe the Force is pulling you to this girl? To Elys?"

Locke nodded. "It's the only thing to describe that feeling. And it only got stronger the longer I spoke to her. She's a nice girl, she really is, but if it were just up to me, I don't know if I'd even think about taking her on. Jazen's enough of a handful as is." He sighed and shook his head slightly. "I don't know if I can handle two students at once."

"That is something you'll have to decide on your own, Locke." Tiino took a few steps forward to stand behind Locke and put a firm hand on his shoulder. "It could be that the Force is calling you to the girl, in which case, you know what you must do. It may also be that this... sensation you feel is something else entirely.

"You must take some time to think on this. Meditate. Be mindful of the Force's voice and its currents." The old Iktotchi's voice was friendly, as it always was, but there was a noticeable firmness to it. Locke recognized it from his younger years; it was the voice that said he was the student and that he should listen. "This isn't a decision for you to rush headlong into, as much as I know you love running headlong into things."

"I know, I know. It's just..." Locke shook his head again, trying to find the right words. "Say it turns out this is the way it's supposed to be--that I'm supposed to take this girl and train her. What if I just can't? What if I can't handle two students at once?"

Tiino sighed. "I cannot say. At the very worst, you could ask the Council to relieve you of a student, but I don't think it will come to that." The hand on Locke's shoulder tightened encouragingly, and Tiino's craggy face broke into a smile. "You are a capable Jedi Locke, more capable than I think even you realize at times. If the Force calls you to teach Elys as it did with Jazen, it will not lead you astray. " He gave Locke's shoulder another squeeze and let his hand fall away. "I cannot say it will be easy. Training a student rarely is. But remember, training up another Jedi is as much a learning experience for you as it is for them. Maybe more so in some ways. I would know."

Though he smiled at his master's words, Locke was quiet for a little while. Finally, he sighed. "Yeah, I suppose that's true. Thanks, Tiino. I think I'm going to go meditate on this."

"Good." The old Iktotchi nodded. "Be open to the Force, Locke. And remember, if you ever need any advice or just an ear to listen, you can always come to me."

"I know." Locke smiled. "And it probably won't be long before I'm back."

With that, the two exchanged a few final parting pleasantries and went back into the Temple, splitting off to go their separate ways.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Locke hurried along through the halls of the Temple. He hadn't lied when he said he was going to meditate. In fact, he'd spent a bit longer meditating than he'd meant to. Time had found a way to slip away from him, and now he was late.

That was also about the time he realized he hadn't set a place for Elys to meet him again, so he was hurrying back to the balcony where they'd been talking a few hours earlier, hoping she'd make her way up there.

Or that she was still there, with as late as he was.

Tiino's advice had been helpful. While honestly, Locke had expected he would have to go back to Elys and tell her she'd have to wait again for a few hours until he figured out what was going on, the answer had come once he'd given himself over to listening to the Force.

And so his decision had been made. Now all he had to do was meet with the girl again to tell her of the conclusion he'd come to.

“Elysia! You found one! I’m so…wh-what’s wrong?”

Her pace slowed a bit from her almost-trot down the hall to something less than a power walk as Jiria caught up to her. Sighing a little, the teen shrugged a bit. ”Well, he’s already got a padawan, and all I did was ask him for help, but for some reason he’s got to think it over.” It was all just so frustrating, she wasn’t sure she could take much more of the frustration…it certainly didn’t feel like it as she bounded down the steps and turned down another hall. ”I mean, what is there to think about in helping? All I asked for was to maybe talk to some of his friends who might be interested in a padawan. I mean…am I really such a pain that people even have to think about helping me out? A simple yes or no would have sufficed.”

“Oh…I…I didn’t…”

Sighing again, Elys shook her head slightly. ”I know you didn’t know. I’m not made at you, I’m just…I’m frustrated…and kinda hurt.” And behind in my studies now, too. Pausing at her room, she seemed to jolt suddenly. ”CRAP!” Not only did Jiria jump, but several of the other jedi making their way through the hall gave her varying looks of curiosity or shook their heads.

“What?!”

”He…didn’t tell me where to meet him…”

It wasn’t often that Elysia frowned, but she was certainly frowning right now…and looking rather deflated. ”Maybe he just wanted to meet me back there again?” That sash covered visage look over to Jiria, hoping for an answer she knew her friend didn’t have.

“Yeah…it’s possible, I suppose? How long do you have until then?”

”Three hours…”

The rodian girl winced slightly. That was an awful long time to wait, even for the less (hyper)active Jiria, but then, the misinterpretation of Locke’s request was likely the cause of that. For a moment Elys fiddled with her satchel before tapping in the code to unlock her door. ”Hey…uh…you wanna come in? I could use a distraction or something right now I think…”

“Sure, I have some time.”

---

Two hours later Jiria had left to practice with her own master, leaving Elys with some time to think. Not that she wanted to think. So instead she went back to her studies until it was time to go. She didn’t bother bringing her bag this time, only taking the time to grab her pike and lock her door again. Heading back to the balcony he’d led her to previously. She was a little early, so it didn’t surprise her that he wasn’t there yet, but as time dragged on she found herself trying to find things to occupy herself. In the end, however, she leaned against the railing, folding her arms on it and resting her chin on top with her pike settled beside her.

I can’t believe I’ve waited this long…I should leave. ”Maybe something happened and he’s just running late?” Then why didn’t he ask Jazen to come and tell me so? ”Maybe it had to do with Jazen?” She sighed heavily and buried her face in her arms. ”There must be some reason…right?”

She couldn’t help the gnawing feeling of doubt, however; after this amount of time trying and failing to find a new master this was more than discouraging.

Dammit Locke, you can't do this to people. Not at times like this.

The doors to the lift opened and Locke rushed inside, nearly bowling over the little pack of Younglings that came out of it. Hurried apologies were muttered as he stumbled in, walking around most and keeping the ones he brushed against from falling over with a steadying hand. A few of them turned back and gave him strange looks before going on with the rest of the group. One of them nearly gave him the stink eye.

Locke wasn't paying much attention though; he was too busy jamming on a button inside the lift, trying to urge the damn thing to close so it could actually go and take him up to where he was supposed to meet the girl.

Finally the doors closed and the lift kicked into motion to whisk the hurried Jedi away. Sighing, Locke leaned against the back of the lift, arms folded across his chest. It'd take a few moments to get to the right floor, since he was going from nearly the bottom of the Temple up to one of the higher floors, not counting the five spires that towered even higher above it.

I hope she's still there. Hells, I shouldn't have let the time get away from me like that... Stupid stupid stupid.

It couldn't have been helped, though, right? He'd pushed as deep into the currents of the Force as he had for a reason, and if he hadn't...

Well, it was sometimes said that no news is good news, but Locke wasn't quite sure the old proverb applied. Not here, anyway.

Just three more floors...

He stood up, letting his arms fall from his chest just as the lift slowed to a halt and started to open. As soon as the doors were wide enough admit his slender frame, he was out and into the corridor. While he was making an effort not to run, it was clear that he was moving much more quickly than normal, even for someone that normally kept a brisk pace, as he often did. Some passing Jedi noticed him and looked at him as if wondering what was wrong, but he ignored them

It didn't take long for him to get back out to that balcony, and much to his relief, Elys was still there. If he hadn't been so concerned about rushing to his destination, he probably would've noticed her presence there before he arrived, but it hadn't been on his mind.

"Oh good you're still here." He started to walk toward her, straightening his coat out a bit. That was when he felt her, really felt her through the Force. She was down, different than the bright, cheery girl he'd seen a few hours earlier. It made him pause, his shoulders dropping slightly and his eyebrows knitting in concern.

"Look," he said softly, "I'm sorry I was late. I really am. I didn't think I would be, but it happened." Smiling softly, he started forward again, coming to lean on the rail beside her. The skies were dark now. Of in the distance, the city bustled and glowed, as it always did. Locke looked down to the student beside him and smiled.

"Don't be so down, though. Everything's going to work out." A cool breeze blew in, ruffling his hair.

"I promise."

How much longer are you actually going to wait, Elys? she asked herself, picking her head up out of her arms and resting her cheek on them again to look out at the view once more with a quiet sigh.

“Oh good you’re still here.”

The words made her jump, her mind having been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to really pay attention to anyone coming or going on the balcony any longer. She’d stopped after a while, seeing as he’d been rather late, only vaguely paying any mind to the presences floating around behind her. Straightening up again, she tried to tamp down her hurt feelings…at least he’d shown up, right?

“Look, I’m sorry I was late. I really am.”

She shrugged slightly and brushed some of her hair away from her face as she turned to look at him and attempted a natural smile.

”It’s alright. I hope everything’s okay…I was kinda worried that something might have happened…you know, to Jazen or something, and you just couldn’t let me know you would be late or wouldn’t be coming…”

Turning back to the railing, she propped one elbow on it and rested her cheek on her knuckles as she sniffed slightly at the cool breeze flowing in. Strange actions for a near human, perhaps, but she enjoyed the ‘smell’ of the wind…even if there wasn’t anything outstanding to smell on it.

“Don’t be so down, though. Everything’s going to work out. I promise.”

She really, really, wanted to believe him…but something was still nagging at her mind. Well, a lot of things were nagging at her mind, but one in particular when it came to him. Though she nodded to his words, she couldn’t really say okay…that she believed him…so she stayed quiet for several moments, until she just had to ask. ”Locke…I…I was wondering…why did you have to take three hours just to decide if you were going to help me find a master? I don’t understand. I mean, it was sort of a yes or no question and…and if you didn’t want to help me look for someone, I would have understood. You could have just said you didn’t have time or something, you know?”

For a few long moments after Elys asked her question, Locke was quiet. He looked out over the balcony's edge as he tapped a finger pensively on the smooth railing and stared off at the glowing skyline of the city that surrounded them. She didn't know why he'd had to go away to think for three hours. Then again, he hadn't really told her what was on his mind; how could he, when he didn't even know what it was that he was feeling at the time?

Well, now was the time, wasn't it? This was why he'd told her to meet back with him after he took the time to meditate.

But how to tell her? Should he just come out and say it? That he wanted to take her under his wing?

No, not yet. First he'd have to answer the question.

"No, no," he muttered, sighing softly, "nothing happened to Jazen. I was the one I was worried about, really." Chuckling softly, he pushed himself up off of the rail to lean on it with his palms instead of his forearms.

"The reason I left, Elys, was to do a bit of soul searching. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with you..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. No, that's not the right way to put it. "What I mean is, I believed that the Force was calling me down a certain path. I wasn't sure about it, though, so I had to get some time alone to think. To meditate, to delve into and listen to the currents of the Force." In spite of himself, he felt a little grin start to split his face and looked down to her, laughing softly. "You know, all the esoteric junk they tell us when we're too young to know what the hell they're talking about. Turns out it has a use sometimes after all.

"But that was why I left you. To think, to find an answer to a question." The grin started to fade away and his voice grew a touch more serious as he began to speak again. "Honestly, I wasn't even sure if three hours' time would be enough to find the answer I was seeking, but with some help from an old friend," he felt his lips pulling up in that little grin again, "I was able to find it."

A thoughtful sort of quiet fell over him for a moment. When he was young, Tiino had often told him that there were pivotal moments that defined and changed a person's life. Now he was at one, one that would more likely than not prove to be pivotal for both of them.

Here we go.

"The reason," he started slowly, "I went to meditate was not to think about what other Investigators I might suggest you to." He paused again, rubbing the rail with his thumb. "No, Elys, the reason I went is because I felt the Force was calling me to be your master.

"And now, Force willing, I plan to take you as my second student."

Cripes he was quiet. It made the talkative and hyper(ish) girl twinge slightly internally. She tried valiantly not to look at him as he stared off across the skyline around the temple, but she still found herself glancing at him from behind her sash. Okay, so she didn’t want to admit it, but she sort of felt…comfortable…around Locke, and part of her admitted she just wanted him to take her on as a second padawan, but…really? Who did that these days? Especially if they were still just a knight? Sighing slightly she shifted her entire stance to rest on the other side, her other hand coming up to take on the weight of her head.

“…nothing happened to Jazen…”

”Well that’s good at least…it’d be a shame if something had.”

“I was the one I was worried about, really.”

She lifted her eyebrows at that and looked over at him, tilting her head to the side just a bit in her curiosity. ”You weren’t sure what to…do…with…me?” Alright, I wasn’t expecting that, she mused silently as she gave him a baffled look that echoed her tone, her head tilting further to one side as she attempted to puzzle his words out. As he continued, she held that pose, only moving enough to face him a bit more and really show how utterly confused she was. Finally she brought her head back up so a position most would consider ‘normal’ and made a pensive little face as she considered his explanation.

”O-kay? Um…I guess I can understand that…sort of?” What was she supposed to say to something like that anyway? ‘Oh yes, I understand exactly what you’re talking about Locke, because I’ve had those moments too.’ Somehow she didn’t think that would fly…especially since it wasn’t exactly true. Sure there had been moments when she’d needed some time to think, but she’d always told people that.

”I’m…glad? That you found your answer, I mean…but…that still doesn’t explain…” She sighed a bit and let that thought drift away unfinished. He wasn’t answering her question and it was frustrating. She could feel him dancing around it but never straight out answering. Why do knights and masters always have to be so confusing and cryptic? Why can’t they ever just answer a question with a straight answer? Huffing quietly, she frowned slightly and turned back to lean on the railing.

“The reason…”

Was he actually going to answer her this time? Okay now that really isn’t gonna help anything, Elys, she reminded herself as she shook off the frustration. Unfortunately that frustration bubble up again (albeit a bit differently) when he continued, telling her he hadn’t gone to think over who he might introduce her to or suggest to her. But that was the whole point! Ugh…now what am I going to do? This is so frustrating! Sighing, she dropped her chin into the palm of one hand and tapped one finger against her cheek lightly. ”Alright…that’s oka…wait what?”

What had he just said?

She actually had to stand up straight and turn to look at him, just to make sure she was able to get a good, long, look at his face and his expression as her mind scrambled to repeat what he’d just said to make sure she hadn’t misheard him. Once, twice, three times or more she mentally replayed his words swiftly. ”A-are…are you serious?”

There was that glimmer of hope again, however unlikely...she just hoped that she really had heard him correctly.