Back In Action(Rugs, open to Tal/Dutch)

[Jazen]

Step. Step. Pivot. Deflect.

Shift weight to right foot. Slide attack to left. Spin. Horizontal slash. Blocked. Step back. Prepare for the incoming counterattack. Deflect incoming blaster bolt back at its source.

Step. Step. Pivot. Deflect.

This basic sequence was the core of Jazen's exercise, the core of his lightsaber technique. Only it was being executed at the speed of this thoughts, his body instinctively moving into the needed action even as his mind started thinking it. His blue saber glowed in the dim light of the training chamber, clashing with the three yellow lights of the training droids sabers, the room cast in dark shadows from the glowing weapons of death. Somewhere in the shadows of those sabers, two more droids silently waited, blasters in hand, their programming looking for any opening they could exploit. Five droids, programmed to function as a unit in their task of bringing down a single Jedi.

Which was much the story of recent weeks in Jazen's life. Although the galaxy was at war and the Jedi needed now more then ever to assist in galactic peace, for those of the Blades to take the battle to the Sith wherever they should arise...even a mighty Jedi had to rest. Especially when they were hit with a minor illness that kept them from active duty for a short while and spent the next few weeks recovering from being laid up for a week straight. A recovery that included extensive time spent in the Archives brushing up on plantlife that one should not take cover in.

That...had been one of the most embarrassing moments in Jazen's life. Both he and his fellow padawan, Elysia, had dove into a mess of shrubbery to avoid an explosive counterattack on their last mission. A few hours later, with the mission complete, they had been about to head back to the temple when they both had collapsed in a fevered heat. The bushes they had taken cover in had apparently carried a local parasite that brought about fever in someone who came into prolonged contact with it...not fatal, unless you literally ate a bucket load of the greenery. But it did make for a long, agonizing week of delusions and fever.

Now, almost a month later, Jazen was back to physical and mental capacity, which was why he was putting himself through this training exercise for the millionth time today. With the dim lighting and varied combat effectiveness of the droids, Jazen was being pushed both physically and mentally. Every muscle burned, his body was covered in sweat lines from the exercise, his mind wavering with his exhaustion...and it felt great. It made him feel alive.

He was just about to go through another set, about to give the droids the command word to begin operations again...when the air in the room changed slightly and a familiar presence stirred in his connection to the Force. Grinning, Jazen muttered the shutdown command for the droids before casting a glance over his shoulder the man in the doorway. "Good morning, Master. Find us something interesting to do yet?"

[Rugs]

"Something interesting?" Locke asked, strolling lightly into the room where his student was training himself. "No, not quite. Not right now, anyway."

Locke was dressed simply; a casual some shirt, some plain worker's pants, light, comfortable boots. He didn't need any more for just bumming around the Temple, and it would suffice for a short excursion into the city if needed. Even his coat was back in his room, hanging on a peg on the wall and drying after he'd run it through the laundry. His lightsabers and pistol were on his hips of course, as always.

The Investigator walked to a table, tossing down a few flimsies that he carried with him. He leaned against one of the simple chairs there, weight shifted mostly to his left leg, and turned to regard Jazen with his stormy grey eyes.

"Interesting things tend to need to wait until certain padawans are fully back up to speed, no?" He smiled a little and left his table, walking now to his student. The Galaxy beyond the Temple's walls was moving quickly now, urged by forces that were beyond either of their control. But in Locke's mind it could wait, until his student was ready to step back out into it again.

Even his own work had been put aside during Jazen's illness to watch over him as he recovered.

"But, if this sweat's anything to go by, guess you must been gettin' back there, eh?" Locked asked with a grin, pulling a towel from a rack as he approached Jazen. He held on to it as he reached Jazen, letting it hang limply by his side. Then his eyes closed and he lifted his hand to Jazen's forehead, reaching to him with the tips of his fingers.

Skin met skin and Locke's senses flooded into Jazen. He searched through the learner's body, feeling the weariness that seeped into muscle as a strong, healthy heart pounded to get nutrients into them. Jazen's mind, he did not invade, but the aura around it felt more whole, more at peace and relaxed than it had during his illness, despite his body's weariness. Locke's student was tired, but as Locke could tell, he was whole again.

All of this took a second and as Locke withdrew, both his fingers from Jazen's forehead and his senses from Jazen's presence, he chuckled and handed the boy a towel. "Dry off, kiddo. We've got some company that'll be arriving here shortly. Gotta make yourself at least a little presentable."

He chuckled again, rubbing his beard. "Why, I even trimmed this morning. Special occasion." A grin, a wink, and Locke turned away, heading back to the table. Perhaps, if Jazen was back to full health, the flimsies he'd brought would be of use. That'd be nice, he thought, a quiet hope rising within him. It's been too long.

"The Galaxy outside has moved on quite a bit since your illness set it," Locke said. "I suspect I'll have to spend some time catching you back up on things. But, that can wait for a time." He reached the table, pulled the chair from it and turned it around, sitting in it backwards, forearms folded 'cross its top. His set his chin on his arms, eyeing Jazen curiously. "So while we wait on our guest to arrive, tell me, what've you been working on here? And how've you been handling getting back into things?"

[Jazen]

"Bah. Just when I thought something more entertaining was about to come along."

Turning his lightsaber over in his hands, he flicked the activation switch to close down the hissing blue light of death before turning to face his master. Sweat doubled up in earnest on his body now that it had come to a stop, the rush of adrenaline and air on his moving body no longer holding the heat he'd built up at bay. Of course, he'd known that he was going to be pushing himself till his body was exhausted...and then pushed some more, so he'd left his upper body bare to avoid drenching his clothes in them.

Jazen tracked Locke's motions through the room as he focused on regaining his breath. His eyes glanced briefly to the flimsies Locke discarded onto the table before turning back to his Master, frowning at his words. "I'm fine. I think Elys is still a step under but this is the best I've felt in months." Which was only half true. There was still a lingering feeling of nausea at times, a moment in time where the world spun far faster than it had any right to. But those moments were becoming farther and farther between. What was really getting to him now was being coped up in the temple when his body wanted to get out and do...something other than lay moaning and sleeping in a bed.

Confined to a bed he might have been, but that hadn't meant he'd been idle. During the moments where the illness subsided for a time, Jazen had used that time to get caught up on the events that plagued the galaxy at large. Things had not being going well. Jazen wasn't enough of a fool to think that his sudden return to active duty would change much but he was a Jedi, dammit. It was his duty to be out there, helping in whatever way he could. Even if it was the smallest contribution, Jazen wanted to be contributing it.

He was about to tell Locke just that when his master suddenly approached him, pulling a towel from the wall rack and came to stand before him. "Um...what are you..." Before he could ask the question, Locke pressed a finger lightly to his forehead and abruptly Jazen was filled with the Force as Locke's senses intruded upon his body. Well...intruded might have been overstating it. It was more like a gentle probe, his Master's senses analyzing every inch of his body.

After a moment, Locke withdrew and Jazen let out a sigh before taking the towel Locke offered him and using it to begin wiping the sweat from his body. "You trimmed?! By the Force Master, who are we expecting that would make you trim that beast of face fuzz you were growing? That either meant the person was higher up on the list of Jedi, an important political face...or just a really really pretty woman. Hey, just because they were Jedi didn't mean they couldn't like nice for the other gender.

Tossing on a shirt, Jazen was about to reach for his robes before Locke's questions stopped him in his tracks. Pausing, Jazen let out a sight before snapping his saber back to life, spinning it in quick and complicated circles a few times before reaching his hand out towards one of the training droids. Focusing the Force, Jazen brought the droid clear off the ground, spinning in around and around in the air a couple of times before settling it gently on the ground again.

"I know Master. I wasn't completely idle despite my illness. I'm more or less caught up on recent events. You could fill in the details that the media and such don't bother handing out though.

As for what I've been working on, nothing much. Physical exercise for the most part. Giving my muscles, which have done nothing but lie stiff for the better part of a month, a chance to loosen up. I'm still a little behind normal, but other than that, I feel fine. I should be back up to complete capacity within a day or two. Nothing that should hinder me though.

So...what's on those flimsies? Work? Fan mail?"

[Rugs]

"I do trim regularly, I'll have you know," Locke chided his student, voice filled with clearly-feigned hurt. "And here I thought you cared enough to notice. That hurts. That hurts right here." He put a hand over his heart, watching as his apprentice finished making himself at least somewhat presentable. "And also here, I suppose," he added, rubbing his now neatly-bearded chin. As ever, his spirits gave a twinkle to his stormcloud-grey eyes. Laughter danced behind them; mirth rippled through his presence.

"In any event," Locke continued, arms folded over the back of his chair, "our guest is an old friend." Locke smiled a small, knowing smile. A smile that hinted that he knew very well who was coming but didn't at all feel like blabbering and ruining the surprise. "I'm sure you'll be glad to see them again, kid.

"And as for the flimsies, well," he sighed, glancing over his shoulder at the neat stack on the table behind him. "Reports. News items. Information for the two--well, four soon, I suppose--of us. Most importantly, importantly, information to get you back up to speed. A Jedi should be all things, but most all, he should be informed. Not only in the ways of the Force or techniques with a blade or blaster, nor histories and legends, or the ways of cultures beyond our own." As the Investigator spoke, he pivoted in his seat and carefully removed the first few flimsies from the stack he'd set on the desk. He turned around again and beckoned Jazen to him. "But in the events that shape the Galaxy around us as they happen. Know the past to give context to the present. Know the present to try to shape a better future.

"Thila has fallen, or will do so shortly. The Sith ambushed our people at Makem Te, though details of what happened are still hard to come by. A senator was killed, whispers spread of threatening intrigue, the Mandalorians continue their Force-damned crusade against us." As Locke rattled off item, he handed Jazen a flimsie with corresponding reports. "And to boot, something is stirring in the underworld. I don't know what; my people aren't completely sure enough to say what it was. But something big is in the pipe, kiddo."

With a suddenly-weary sigh, Locke stood up to stretch his muscles and pop his back. It was hard, at times, knowing what he knew about the Galaxy and keeping a sense of melancholy from falling over him. But despite his vulgar, sometimes cynical ways, Locke was an optimist at heart, and that hadn't changed. "And there's whatever curveballs the war throws at us as well. Lots going on out there, kid." He regarded Jazen briefly, smiling at him. "Just means there's lots of work for us to do."

He leaned on the end of the table, one hand its polished surface, the other stuffed in his pocket. "Anyway, you can catch up on all that later. We'll be making a trip shortly, after our guest arrives. You'll have plenty of time for reading on the way."

[Jazen]

(Sorry for the wait guys; got bogged down by RL.)

Locke's reply brought a little smile to the corner of Jazen's face before he put on his own mock frown towards his Master, folding his arms lightly across his chest. "Please Master; there are far more interesting and appeasing things to look at compared to that thing you called a beard. As for it hurting, well...maybe you need to be a bit more careful when you shave?"

Shrugging, Jazen twitched his head in the direction of his robes, bringing the brown tunic to his waiting hand before tossing it on, adjusting it to fit upon his form. His saber quickly found its connection upon his belt once again, though his hand did not remain empty for long. A couple of the flimsies floated into his grip and Jazen began peering over them, his eyes tearing through even as Locke beckoned him over. Jazen opted to stand rather than sit in this moment, purely because his body didn't want to be idle or relaxed. It wanted to move again, to find purpose and seek to achieve that purpose's will.

Locke wasn't joking when he said things were bad. Just from the flimsies in his hands, Jazen could see that his month abed had been a bad month for their side. One was a report on the current battles being waged across the galaxy, along with a minor detail as to their current situation. Some were good...many were bad. There were likely more detailed reports somewhere, maybe even in the other papers Locke had brought, but for now, Jazen turned to his Master to listen.

"I know Ive been abed for a month Master, but you don't have to reteach me. I was sick, not brain dead. But the lesson is well recieved regardless." After that, Jazen listened to Locke list off the current matters that were, to the sound of it, the most dire. Losses, likely losses, foul whispers that did not bold well. The talk of the Mandalorians was something Jazen hadn't much heard about, other then the race bred for war was doing a wonderful job of living up to their name. They were a dangerous enemy and Jazen wondered what would happen if they came against them in the future. Sith were one thing...they were foes the Jedi had dealt with constantly, the dark to their light. They were deadly, fierce...but they were familiar at least. Mandalorians, however...they were not as common. A rarity, but a dangerous one statistic wise.

At Locke's final words, Jazen gave a small sigh and a little shrug before grinning at his Master. "Good. Lots of work means we won't be idle and things won't be boring. Terrible as everything is, it beats sitting around and doing nothing. Besides, how am I ever gonna learn your sneaky tricks if we don't have a reason to use them?" Grinning, Jazen snatched up the pile of flimsies and peered at the first one. "But in order to play, work must come first I suppose. So who is this guest of ours? Must be someone special to make you tidy up for them."

[Dutch]

"A Jedi should not seek to apply the Force, Jazen Solari."

Levin would enter, seemingly summoned by the young man's words. His boots would sound a steady rhythm as he stepped further into the room, hands held behind his back. He approached slowly, a slight limp visible from the leg wound he had recently received at Makem Te. That was not the only sign of the battle, a couple of new scars were visible on the Healer, and his normally bright eyes were dulled from exhaustion with dark bags around them to match. He would appear to not have slept in days, which was near true with the amount of time Lev had spent in the Halls of Healing lately. Despite his physical appearance, the Force thundered around the paragon, his aura palpable in the Lightside. He approached Locke and his Padawan, his gaze casually looking them over. Locke was a welcome sight. Though Levin's expression said nothing, he was quite glad to see his friend alive and well. Especially after the one-two punch the Sith had lain down on the Jedi. Too thin were their ranks becoming, and each strike from them only seemed to fill theirs with fallen and dead Jedi. They were a voracious enemy, fanatical and worst of all, powerful.

"Instead, let the Force apply the Jedi as it wills."

He would stop before the pair, a slow nod of his head given to them in greeting. His green and silver eyes would turn to Jazen, and the Healer would step closer to the teenager. Levin remembered the state of him upon arrival to the temple, the illness had gripped him and Elysia so. But it wasn't anything Levin couldn't handle. They had been asleep during each of his visits, hours spent at their bedside removing the toxins that coursed through their body and taking them into himself. Not many were able to channel such a power, and when Lev had heard it was Locke's apprentice and their friend who needed aid, had taken them on personally. However, he never did officially meet the young man.

"You were unconscious during my visits. It is good to see you are recovering, Jazen Solari. I am High Councilor Levin Caelum."

The Healer introduced himself officially. The man left out the other titles, preferring to keep things simple. He tilted his head slightly to reach out a single hand. The tips of his fingers would set gently upon the Padawan's forehead and left temple. The Force would cascade out from the Healer, a sweeping tide that would envelope the young man. Levin's presence would be warm, comforting even as he scanned through his circulatory and nervous systems, checking for any remaining traces of the ailment. He found none, but it was clear that Jazen was not fully recovered. Such diseases were more detrimental than most would believe. Levin removed his hand to turn to Locke with a nod of approval.

"You missed your appointment last week."

He chastised his friend. Aoife had laughed endlessly when Levin had messaged her his disappointment at Locke not showing up. And Kanika had been disappointed to not be able to meet the infamous Locke she had heard so much about. Sadly Locke and Levin's duties often didn't have them overlap, but when they had both been on Coruscant and the Investigator had requested his presence, the Healer took the opportunity to aid his friend. Lev stepped around Jazen to the table, his left hand reached down to take one of the flimsies. For a moment the Jedi regarded the information, not surprised to see his name under the reports for Makem Te. He remembered the scolding Aoife and Kanika had given him for not telling them what had happened, but he didn't want to worry the two women more than he had to. Levin turned his eyes to Locke for a moment before shifting uncomfortably. Aoife had been on Coruscant recently, though not for long and had already left the planet.

"... Our mutual friend sends her well wishes."

[Rugs]

Locke smiled at his ward's desire to be off and out in the Galaxy again, but refrained from answering Jazen's question. Instead, he treated Jazen with a knowing smile topped with a clever spark the eye that teased knowledge known to him, but not yet to the boy.

And then Lev appeared.

Locke knew of the councilman's approach. Levin's was a presence that was both familiar and comfortable to him. Besides, he was the visitor he'd been teasing since he began speaking to Jazen.

"A Jedi should not seek to apply the Force, Jazen Solari. Instead, let the Force apply the Jedi as it wills."

Locke chuckled quietly and shifted his weight ever so slightly from his hand to the side of his hip that leaned against the table. He offered Levin one of his usual lazy salutes and grinned. "Wise words as always, Lev."

The healer's attention turned to Jazen and Locke let it be so without interruption; the boy seemed to be well enough but a final word from an actual medical specialist wouldn't hurt in the slightest. That was part of the reason Levin was here.

But only a part.

"You missed your appointment last week."

"Hmmmm?" Locke looked up as Levin's attention pivoted from the padawan to him. He knew he was grinning stupidly in spite of himself. "Now Levin," he started in a voice that was far too casual, "you know I'd never miss an appointment. You sure you looked at the right day in your planner? Besides, didn't I just have an appointment oh about... well it wasn't that long ago."

Part of Locke's banter was the usual good-natured teasing that came part and parcel with him. But underneath was a truth that he knew Levin was all too aware of.

Locke hated doctor visits. Utterly and completely. They terrified him. Shootouts, wild rides in ships gone out of control, life-threatening gang infiltrations, duels with molten, burning beams of plasma were all acceptable to him.

But a routine check-up gave him the willies like nothing else could.

"Besiiiiiiiiiiiiiiides," he continued, fishing around in his coat pocket, "I still have some of your candy." His hand emerged from his pocket with a flourish, two round hard candies balanced neatly between his fingers. With a flash of the grin for the healer, Locke flourished his hand again and back into the pocket they went. "So I think I'm okay."

He knew he'd eventually have to go back for that appointment—Lev would drag him back personally if he kept shirking it. Guess I'll put that on my list for later. Maybe when we get back... Still other things to worry about before that.

"... Our mutual friend sends her well wishes."

Locke nodded, a bit more serious now. "Right, of course. Tell her I send the same next time you talk to her."

He left what he said at that. No need to delve further into it—not at this juncture.

"Anyway, I presume you've already been told about our task at hand, being who are you," Locke said, thumbing through the few flimsies he hadn't already given to Jazen so that the boy could look over them. "But I've not told the kiddo here. Not yet, anyway."A soft laugh and he turned his attention to Jazen.

"Well Kid, we've been out of action for a while now haven't we? How do you feel about getting back to it?"

[Jazen]

Rare as it was, there where times when even a Jedi could be caught off guard by something. The sudden appearance of a voice that Jazen didn't recognize was something he could have dealt with; what caught him by surprise was by the fact that he hadn't felt the presence of the person who carried that voice arriving. As such, Jazen half whirled towards the source, a slightly bewildered expression on his face. That expression faded as quickly as it appeared, Jazen's training kicking in enough to hide the slight embarrassment he felt at reacting in such a way. He knew full well that there were Jedi who could suppress their presence in the Force until it was almost impossible for even some of the older and more powerful Jedi...Locke and Talau were two who could do such a thing. Jazen just rarely had to encounter others who did it.

Frowning, Jazen eyed the new arrival, his mind trying to place a name to the face. Granted, there were thousands of Jedi in the temple at any given time, so for Jazen to expect to know every single one was a stretch. But if Locke had brought him here for the mission, there was more of a chance that Locke knew the man, might even have brought him around before. If he had, however, it obviously had been when Jazen was not around. He didn't recognize the man at all. The name he gave when he approached them, however, rung the bell in Jazen's mind quite well.

"Master Caelum...my apologies. It's an honor to meet you in person.

Tipping his head slightly towards the Jedi Councilor, Jazen rose back up...to find Caelum's fingers touching his head lightly. In that instant, there was a strange warmth that suddenly was flooding throughout Jazen's body, making the young apprentice freeze from head to toe. The moment was brief and as soon as it had begun, the warmth faded from Jazen's body, leaving him standing there blinking in confusion. He'd managed to work out that Levin was inspecting his body with the Force...but he'd never quite had it happen like "that". Rubbing the back of his head, he turned to his master and Levin as the two began their own conversation.

It didn't take long for them to converse, the two men discussing things that Jazen had no clue about in the slightest. Well, a month laid up caring more about trying to just get to sleep while having every inch of your body burning had a way to make you miss things. Still, there were enough times that Jazen could chip in...times that he withheld until the two of them finished their private world chat before considering speaking. Sighing, he shook his head at Locke before half smirking at him.

"I'm out for just a single month and look at what happens. Master's slacking off, dodging appointments and taking candy from other men. By the Force, that makes me worry what else you've been doing in my absence, Master. Do I have to babysit you to make sure you don't slack off?"

All joking words and if Locke couldn't tell that by now, well, the Locke must have taken a good hit the head while Jazen was laid up. But his master would get it; Jazen didn't need the Force to tell him that. Shaking his head and chuckling, Jazen turned his expression slightly more serious at Locke's final question. Folding his arms across his chest, Jazen pulled the flimsies into his hands with the Force and eyed them briefly before looking back to the older Jedi.

"For the love of....for the last time, YES! Get me out of this damn temple and to wherever in the great galaxy we're going for this mission. Speaking of which...what ARE we going for this mission and what are we doing?"

[Reisier]

Something felt quite odd about this whole ordeal.

At first the padawan had dismissed her worries as a result of an overworked body and a stressed mind. A thing resulting of the wounds and the pain she had been exposed to for the last couple of weeks. But now, she was unsure. There was something quite off about this so-called mission, Kanika swore she could feel it in her bones. “Why send us when there are so many others? What is he even expecting to find?” Kanika swayed forward, the movement slow and her steps measured, the clacking of her soles barely audible within the Temple walls. The prospect pulled her lips into a callous smile, a chuckle caught steadfast in the back of her throat. “Or perhaps I am reading too much into this– I’m sure Master Caelum is well aware of what he is doing.” The padawan, however, found no comfort in her words.

But, could one blame her? For days now, Master Caelum seemed to have been preoccupied with something she couldn´t quite place. The man with the stern gaze had been on edge, and whenever Kanika had so much as brought up her observations, his demeanor would instantly change. He would change the subject immediately, refocus her attention to an incoming patient or encouraging a friendly spar ‘just for good measure.’ It was obvious he was avoiding the subject as a whole, it took no keen mind to see that. But while curiosity had eaten away at her insides for days, Kanika had respected her Master´s wishes, ignoring the subject to the very best of her abilities.

As the days came and went, it became significantly harder. When word had finally come on the meeting regarding the mission brought much needed reprise. And so she followed the path she had committed to memory – throughout the twisting corridors and to the training room where the debriefing would be taking place. The hiss of the door and the sharp breath of cool air renewed the padawan's vigor. Instantly, she recognized one of the three figures that occupied the room as Levin Caelum, but it was the two strangers that forced her pale eyes on them.

The older of the two strangers was, for a lack of a better word, as odd-looking to Kanika as Master Caelum had been when she first met the man. Like Master Caelum, Master Locke, she assumed, was relatively disheveled – a person that seemed more fitting of filling a civilian role rather than a Jedi one. Perhaps, Kanika assumed as she rested listlessly against a wall, friends did mirror one another over time. The second stranger, a peer of hers it would seem, was a familiar face – though perhaps he would not say the same. She had seen the teenager in her rounds in the medical ward, merely observing the process with which the older healer extracted the toxins from his body – Solaris, was his name, she believed.

“Your patient seems lively considering the ordeal he was subjected to…” Kanika greeted without flourish, her voice tired and her posture a straight line. The amused gleam that had danced across her features vanished instantly. Her tired eyes flickered to the solemn man across from her, softening slightly. She tested her lip, trying to find the right words, but failing miserably. Ultimately, her head motioned to the younger padawan across from her, though her eyes never broke from her Master’s. “Nevertheless, I cannot help but express the same curiosity, Master Caelum…”

“What exactly were we called to assist with?” or, for that matter, why. Lest the Council members were expecting trouble, sending a healer and his trainee along a Jedi Investigator and his own padawan seemed relatively odd to her. Then again, did Kanika really want to know? Did she want to busy herself by constantly worrying about whatever it was they were about to endure, about the running, about the possible dangers? Or, did the padawan prefer to live with a veil pressed against her gray eyes, unwilling to see what stood before her? Ignorance, Kanika figured, was bliss.

“Ah, pardon my interruption…” The bland words left her suddenly, without any particular reason. They seemed almost like a fleeting breath that echoed across the silent room, disappearing as quickly as they had been conceived. Kanika turned slightly to the other members of this curious array, head slightly dipped to Master and padawan, a foreign smile drawn on her lips. “…Kanika Shoshan at your service.”

[Dutch]

"Besides, didn't I just have an appointment oh about... well it wasn't that long ago."


Levin turned his deadpan gaze at Locke. Without blinking he responded.

"That was one year ago." The Jedi did not react to Locke's showing off, the two brightly colored candies in his hand eliciting no reaction. Though Levin was impressed that his friend had milked that one jar for so long. Padawans and Younglings were voracious, and a jar normally lasted less than a week.

"Right, of course. Tell her I send the same next time you talk to her."

He did not verbally respond, an enigmatic nod given. Lev was grateful as Locke shifted his attention to Jazen, the High Councilor doing the same as the boy's mastered queried his state. The Padawan had a similar energy to him as Locke. It would almost be considered intoxicating if Levin was the type to mirror others. Long had the Jedi been known for his stoicism though.

"I'm out for just a single month and look at what happens. Master's slacking off, dodging appointments and taking candy from other men. By the Force, that makes me worry what else you've been doing in my absence, Master. Do I have to babysit you to make sure you don't slack off?"

A single blink lead to Levin canting his head slightly at the boy.

"He took candy that was meant for children. And Locke is a Jedi, bound in service to the Order, he does not require supervi... Oh. Humor." Levin cleared his throat once and glanced over at Locke. Sad thing was, that before Aoife and Locke, Levin would probably have not realized that was humor until it was too late. Perhaps it already was. The Healer wasn't known for his social skills.

"For the love of....for the last time, YES! Get me out of this damn temple and to wherever in the great galaxy we're going for this mission. Speaking of which...what ARE we going for this mission and what are we doing?"

Levin's gaze hardened. Two steps lead him to stand much closer to Jazen, his unwavering green and silver eyes staring the Padawan down with intensity.

"Jazen Solari. The Galaxy is a much more dangerous place now. Be grateful for the serenity our Temple offers you while you are here. This may very well be the last time your mortal form is within it."

He let those words hang in the air for a moment. Never once did he look away from Jazen, never once did his expression lighten up. A single hand moved up to pluck one of the flimsies from Jazen. Lev was just about to start when their fourth arrived.

“Your patient seems lively considering the ordeal he was subjected to… Nevertheless, I cannot help but express the same curiosity, Master Caelum… What exactly were we called to assist with?””

Levin almost smiled. Kanika had arrived. He finally turned away from Jazen, his gaze lingered until he physically couldn't look at the boy anymore. Master returned the nod given by Apprentice. He motioned with a single hand for her to move closer.

"Locke, Jazen Solari, this... is my Padawan learner." Levin realized that would probably be a shock to Locke. Many had asked him before why in all his years among the Jedi, why he had never taken a Padawan. A Jedi as skilled as him surely would want to pass on his legacy to the Order. It was a simple matter of none having caught his eye. Until Kanika. His eyes moved from her to Locke, and a nod was given.

"It is time then. We will not be travelling far. Locke and myself have been tasked with an outreach towards one of the many non-Jedi Force organizations. Matukai Adepts to be exact."

The name still left a bitter taste in Lev's mouth. The only Matukai he had ever encountered had foolishly attacked the Jedi. It was an unnecessary death, one that could have been avoided. He hoped the group they were meeting were less foolhardy.

[Rugs]

Locke looked at Jazen and gave the Padawan a knowing little smile. "Now Jazen, at least give me some credit," he said, tempted to again flourish the candy in his pocket for all to see. "I've been stealing Lev's candy for much longer than a month." He clacked his tongue twice and winked at his padawan, then turned his attention back to Levin and the matter of his overdue checkup.

"It wasn't really a year ago, was it?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head. A year was bad, if it really had been that long; a year meant he probably wasn't very far away from Lev forcing the matter, which wasn't something Locke particularly desired. "Well I'll make it in before too long. But we have some other things to take care of first..."

Then Jazen had his outburst. Locke could understand the padawan's want to get out and about again—with Jazen infirm, it had been a while since Locke had been able to get out himself. But the Galaxy was a rapidly-changing place. Normally, he would have offered a gentle reprimand, a quiet reminder that patience was paramount, but he saw that Levin had things to say as the Councilor's face hardened. And so he deferred to the healer.

Still, an uneasy quiet hung between them all after Levin spoke, and Locke spoke to soften the blow. "It won't be long before we're out, kiddo. But remember that excitement isn't always a good thing, as much as we may crave it. Remember the mists. Remember Druckenwell."

He let the words hang quietly, but it only lasted a moment before Levin recognized his student.

It had been some time since Locke had really gotten to see Lev—the war had a way of pulling old friends apart—but he'd heard of the healer's new student, even if he hadn't met her.

From a brief observation, it seemed the young Kanika was a good fit for Levin. Likely better than he knows, Locke thought with a soft half-grin.

"Hello, Kanika," Locke said, giving her the lazy, friendly 2-fingered salute that he gave everyone. She was a small thing, but size was hardly an idicator of anything when the Force had a say. "Pleasure to meet you."

He was sure he'd get to know the Zabrak girl more as their time together progressed for the mission, but it seemed both she and Jazen were itching to know what they'd be up to.

"Well Lev?" Locke asked, leaning back with his arms folded across his chest and a steady smile on his face. "I suppose it would be rude keep them waiting, wouldn't it?"

"It is time then. We will not be travelling far. Locke and myself have been tasked with an outreach towards one of the many non-Jedi Force organizations. Matukai Adepts to be exact."[/img]

Locke nodded quietly. Seriously.

"The Council has realized that we'll have to make these kinds of outreaches as the war progresses," he told them, look at Jazen while he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "The Sith will press to gain allies or eliminate other groups that won't stand with them. We need to let them know that we're on their side, if they'll have our support. It shouldn't be hard—the Matukai are usually understanding, even if they don't always agree with us on everything. Usually." Locke gave Levin a glance, knowing about the man's history with the Matukai. Unfortunate thought it may be, one bad apple shouldn't spoil a bunch.

Not if that bunch was people.

"Anyway, we have reason to believe the Sith may attempt to press some of the Matukai. They're wanderers, not all held to a central location like we are, but we're going to meet with some of the more... wizened ones and see what inroads we can make."

Locke pushed off from the wall with a sigh, letting his arms fall to his side. He still needed to gather his coat from his room before they boarded up and left. "We still have some time, but we need to be leaving soon."

[Jazen]

Jazen had always been a strong willed kid. His first master had come to realize this and encouraged Jazen to speak his mind or defend his position if he felt strongly enough about something. Locke had come to realize this about Jazen as well; it was hard to get Jazen to back down from anything. So when Levin spoke to him as if he wasn't aware of the dangers of the galaxy, even if they might have grown in his monthly absence, Jazen was barely able to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"One look at my face would tell you how painfully aware I am of what the galaxy has to offer...but thank you for the advice, Master Caelum."

The tense silence that followed might have turned into ugly if not for the timely arrival of two things; Locke's always subtle attempts to defuse a situation by toning down the intensity...and by the final member of their group. Jazen hadn't needed to be reminded of Umgul or Druckenwell...those two memories would burn in his mind until his life no longer burned. He could have thrown that back at Levin, but he knew better then to waste Locke's defusing words. The entire time, Jazen had been matching Levin's stare with his own; now he turned it, albeit reluctantly, towards the Zabrak woman who had joined them.

With her arrival, the tension in the room broke, although Jazen surmised it could return just as easily if one was not careful. Although he'd been rankled by the other Jedi's words, Jazen decided it was in the best interest of the group if he kept his ire at bay. Jedi didn't get angry...but one could be annoyed just fine. With that in mind, Jazen focused on their new arrival, for her appearance was the key to unlock the mystery of their task that Locke and Levin had been holding back on.

At the mention of the Matukai, Jazen crossed his arms and lifted one hand up to his mouth, his fingers resting just below his lips as he tried to recall what he knew about the Matukai. From what he remembered, they weren't much different from the Jedi in practice; they just simply didn't wish to adhere to the Jedi way, preferring to stick to their own system of beliefs. They were a group that was devoted neither to the Sith nor the Jedi, but as far as Jazen knew, there had never been any real issue between the Jedi and the Matukai. For them to be sent to investigate them meant a piece had been shifted that required action.

Jazen thought he detected a hint of venom in Levin's voice at the mention of them, prompting him to raise an eyebrow at his Master in question. Locke merely shook his head, which was enough for Jazen to know that now was not the time. "Interesting predicament they have us. I get going to the Matukai to offer our support, but what if they won't have it? I mean, we can't just walk away either. The Sith won't be so nice if they refuse and we wouldn't sit idly by while the Sith tried to wipe them out either. But helping them when they don't want help could cause them to become cross with us and possibly even join the Sith in return.

It's...quite a paradox. I'm probably over thinking it but...well, hopefully, the one's we're meeting won't mind our support and this goes smoothly." He shot Locke a glance, then smiled in remembrance. "But then, when does anything ever go easy when we're involved, huh Master?"

[Reisier]

“The pleasure is all mine.” She added pleasantly, her eyes breaking momentarily from her master and falling towards his counterpart instead. Kanika’s head dipped slightly, motioning to the Healer before continuing, “Master Caelum has spoken of you fondly, Master Nemsee.” Though Master Caelum had also stressed certain character peculiarities the Jedi possessed; nevertheless, he spoke of them with the same admiration that Kanika had eventually come to recognize as warmth from the man.

Kanika breathed, her head tall and posture tense. It seemed that with every passing day it was becoming harder to ignore how the war was spreading. No conversation was excused from being drawn into the subject of conflicts, no happy tone lasted long. Preparations were always underway, drills for worst case scenarios practiced by Masters and students in the training rooms. She should have expected, she should have known that war was the underlining problem behind the mission. It should have been obvious. Kanika said nothing as the others spoke; she never raised her eyes or let a frown knot her brow. In fact it almost seemed as if the Zabrak was unmoved by the situation as a whole. Even the mention of the Matukai Adepts did little to break her listless demeanor, only causing her eyes to flick up to the three.

“The task they seek us to accomplish has been attempted more than once before and it has yet to succeed, has it not?” Kanika suddenly rung, a pale hand curled over her lips. And yet, the Jedi would try to extend a friendly hand once more.

There was never open violence between the Jedi and the Matukai as far as Kanika had heard. But the growing tensions were always mentioned by Master Shal Umkur. Call it a result of willful minds, the Neti would say, neither willing to dip their neck to meet the other’s eyes. What they wanted to do was something that would require multiple years to accomplish - a year at best - and yet, the Council wished to see it done in a single meeting? The padawan pursed her lips and pinched the bridge of her nose - they definitely were going to be busy.

"Interesting predicament they have us.” Kanika’s eyes turned to the younger male as he spoke, eyebrows raised and pale eyes a sliver, “...But helping them when they don't want help could cause them to become cross with us and possibly even join the Sith in return.” Yes, it was quite the predicament, on that she could agree.

But while she found reason within the male, she could not help but shake her head, “While the Matukai are strong-willed and their philosophies are much different from those of the Jedi,” Kanika quipped in a second’s breath, never allowing for silence to fall, “...they hold a strong sense of honor and rebuke all connections to the Dark Side of the Force.” No matter how much they disagreed with the Jedi, Kanika could not possibly imagine them turning to the Sith willingly or otherwise; it would go against their very nature. Similarly, neither could she imagine them accepting the offer of the Jedi, they would see it as a weakness in character. Kanika sighed, already this was proving to be relatively troublesome; she could only imagine how vexed the council could be growing.

“It is not my place to say,” She added with a thoughtful shrug, “though perhaps if we appeal to those notions we may be able to make them listen to our offer.” After all, they could not be that unreasonable.