Quarantine Visit

Quarantine Visit
Date of Scene:	02 January 2025
Location:
Synopsis:	The doctor asks Pike to oversee Cayde, then Syralana interrogates the doctor.
Cast of Characters:	141, Cayde Alexis, Navi, Pike Windu

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Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
It's day ten of being in hyperspace, heading straight for the Outer Rim on a massive passenger freighter. Thankfully, nothing terribly notable and negative has happened - save for Cayde becoming ill and having to be isolated in a quarantine chamber with a slightly loony Dathomirian girl with telepathic abilities similar to his own.

The doctor, having been assigned to be the lead for all things medical routinely would check on the young padawan, and this time, he'd brought along visitors and a second opinion from inside the Order itself.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Since he's going to be stuck with Mal anyway, Cayde has spent some time trying to investigate her problems a bit further even though his first attempt hadn't really worked. But nothing good ever came easy, anyway. He needed to understand why she couldn't even remember yesterday or a few weeks ago before attempting to fix whatever was wrong.

Navi has posed:
Navi has tried to visit the quarantine chamber once a day at a set time, and had mostly succeeded; she was kept away by some inconveniently-rescheduled administrative training for her new role in the colony yesterday. Thankfully that hasn't happened again, but she keeps looking over her shoulder every time she's in the corridors of the ship, just in case someone comes running up to tell her she's due in classes or something like.

She's also trying to get along with Dr. Cassias, which is its own sort of headache. "How is he feeling, Doctor?" she asks as soon as they enter the chamber. "Has there been any improvement since forty-eight standard hours ago?"

Pike Windu has posed:
    The farther the transport gets from the Core, the fouler Pike's mood becomes. Even long hours of meditation have not remedied things, only revealed their cause. And on top of that, Cayde is making trouble again.

    "Where is his master," the Jedi Master grumbles as he answers the summons.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
"How should I know," the doctor says, "he'll only ever respond with 'fine,' unless he's at death's doorstep. He's improving some," he says, "but he's a terrible eater."

His brows arch at Pike's comment. "Not here, obviously. I suppose being 'Marshal' comes with priorities that are greater than looking after her own padawan." They arrive in front of the lift, and the doctor presses call button. As they're waiting, Master Yutelli arrives. She nods to Navi and Pike, then glances over at the doctor. "I hope you don't mind me tagging along. There's something I'd like to discuss with both Cayde and Master Windu. A pity his master is busy at the moment, but I'll update her when I can."

Navi has posed:
"Given the scheduling problems the training instructors seem to be having, and the necessity to hunt you up every time she wants to even come in here since she doesn't have access herself, it's hardly surprising you aren't seeing much of her," Navi observes, struggling and partly succeeding in reining in her temper. "I seem to remember her own training period coming right after mine most days, so she can't usually come with me to see him. For someone who's trying like a salt-eating Hutt to regain his former trust and credibility, you're certainly quick to judge others."

"And as for Cayde's responses, they're hardly atypical. He works his very hardest to not be a bother to anyone in some respects, and yet has a habit of creating more chaos by going off on his own and generally being difficult to find. Is it beginning to make sense why I told you that watching over him is so overwhelmingly demanding?"

"No offense or insult to you, Cayde," she adds, remembering where she is, and meaning it. "I know you have only the best of intentions."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu is unconvinced and leaves the issue. Turning to the doctor, he bows.

    "Master Pike Windu, at your service. What can I do?"

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
"Who said I was trying to regain anything?" the doctor says calmly, seeming completely unperturbed by Navi's comments."And I never said there was anything wrong with having priorities higher than her own padawan. After all, being tasked with the lives of twenty five hundred or more colonists is a heavy burden and the lives of many are always more important than the life of a single person." He shrugs. "Well, that's what stims are for. Take a couple over the course of 72 hours, and you'll be shocked at what you may be able to accomplish."

"Perhaps you can shed more light on some of the issues he's having," he says. "They seem specific to his abilities."

Once the lift arrives, the doctor will take them up to quarantine chambers and permit them into the room. Mal is there, sitting on the couch next to Cayde, a distant look in her eyes. Cayde, at this point, will be able to glean that whatever purge had occurred to destroy all her memories had not only left a void, but had damaged her mind in terrible ways. Hence why she had such difficulty remembering anything...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The group will find the two of them sitting facing each other on the couch, holding both of each other's hands and closing their eyes. Yes, Cayde had learned the reason why she couldn't remember anything, so now the challenge was finding a way to fix it...

Navi has posed:
"Well, /you/ certainly didn't. You didn't have to. It's obvious to anyone with eyes," Navi retorts softly. "And if you didn't see a problem with Anne's not stopping by, you wouldn't have brought it up." Clearly she's having trouble letting go of this issue, in spite of her efforts to do so. Probably because of his trying to shame her before.

"Hello, Master Windu," she adds to Pike as he approaches. She tries to pass the trip to the quarantine chamber in silence (but may not succeed. This will mostly depend on the doctor's actions). She almost greets Cayde and Mal, but, seeing them apparently in a trance, decides not to disturb them for the moment. "Hmm... they're both present and quiet, and she's dressed. I hope that's a good sign."

Pike Windu has posed:
    "His abilities are above my pay grade. But if there is something that can be healed, the Force will do so."

    Windu nods to Navi.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Cayde will be able to discern that she needs, stability and a strict regimen of healthy habits. Neither of these things had been introduced into her life after the terrible incident, and Gael was anything if disciplined.

"The public will say what they want about me," the doctor says, "and there's nothing I can do about it, so I won't waste my time and effort on it."

"I didn't bring it up," he says, "it was Master Windu who commented on the fact that she wasn't here."

The doctor watches Cayde holding hands with Mal, and his expression softens for a moment. Then he turns to Windu. "He has a difficult time being in a confined space with many other people," he says. "And him staying here the entire trip isn't really ideal."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    But what sort of healthy habits? Cayde tries to see if he can restore some of her more recent memories. Like maybe from a few days ago...maybe that would be a start? He doesn't seem to be aware that others had entered.

Navi has posed:
Navi just rolls her eyes at the doctor's reply, forcing down an angry retort. Being on this ship, going to the Outer Rim, is wearing on her mood heavily. "Difficult time is an understatement. I wouldn't wish that degree of psychic shock on anyone. I suspect it's worse than most migraines. Other crew and passengers were clearing out of the area he was in when the resulting disturbance in the Force occurred, so there may be an area of effect to worry about," she says, mostly calmly.

"Master Windu is right about his abilities. I have some training in telepathy, but Cayde is far beyond anyone I've ever witnessed before. It's a little scary sometimes. Which leaves us with another problem; if he can't stay here for the whole voyage, where /can/ he stay?"

Pike Windu has posed:
    "He should be in the Temple...(clears throat),,,is his TP natural or through the Force?"

Navi has posed:
"I don't know, Master. But he doesn't speak; outside of his telepathy, he communicates through sign languages," Navi replies, regarding Cayde and Mal thoughtfully. "Whether that's because his telepathy is natural and he learned signs just out of respect for other beings' privacy, or just because he was born mute, I don't know."

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
It works, and she opens her eyes upon remembering at least yesterday. But Mal doesn't seem to know what kind of regimen she'd need. She'd never had any kind of stability or discipline that she could remember, and doesn't even seem to be cognizant of the fact that a strict regimen would help her. All she knows that the doctor has been trying to introduce regular pattern into her life, and recently, it's been easier to remember things.

The doctor ignores Navi for now. He turns to Windu, and sighs. "Well, obviously his master decided he should leave the Temple, so now we're in the situation that we're in."

He shakes his head. "There's nothing natural about what he can do, Master Windu. But we need to find a compromise. If you think that the only real option is to keep him here, then we'll keep him here, and I'll continue to monitor his condition." He then glances at Cayde. "He seems to be in some kind of trance," He says to Windu. "Any idea how to get his attention without causing him disorientation?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well it wasn't much, but it was a good first step. Now, hopefully she could retain what he'd restored. So he'll check in on it maybe in another few hours. It felt nice, being able to actually help someone like this...

    When Mal opens her eyes, he does as well, and turns to look to Dr. Cassias expectantly as it seems the man was seeking his attention.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu looks at Cayde and closes his eyes. "If his TP is via the Force, what he needs is more training. The Force is a Jedi's ally and obeys commands. Cayde, do you want to stay here with her, for now?"

Navi has posed:
Navi rolls her eyes again, more dramatically. "/This colony initiative/ decided he should leave the Temple, and the Council decided to allow it. The Chancellor's blessings no doubt played a role as well. And with /that/ properly cleared up, I can recommend that you /not/ try to get his attention when he's like that, unless it's a dire emergency. You might accidentally disrupt something important or at least dangerous if it's interrupted."

"I concur, Master," she adds to Pike. "But with all these thoughts pressing in on him if he's outside this chamber, I don't know how feasible training would be anywhere but here."

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The doctor once again ignores Navi. Instead, he glances over at Windu. "Would you be open to helping him every other day? Just so we can try to assimilate him back into his quarters and the regular passenger areas of the ship before the trip ends? If you don't have time for that, that's alright. I understand, and we'll keep him here."

At this point, Master Yutelli turns to the doctor and says to doctor. "I don't mean to interrupt, but there's something I'd like to bring to Cayde and Master Windu's attention regarding the Jedi Temple. Any of you may stay if you like, but these matters only concern the Jedi."

"That's alright," the doctor says, "I was going to put Mal through some memory exercises, so I'll leave you be."

He motions to the Dathomirian girl. "You also don't have to give me an answer now," he says to Pike as he retreats to the bedroom of the quarantine chamber with Mal in tow.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde arches a brow at Dr. Cassias, who seemed to have wanted his attention just now but apparently has changed his mind abruptly. He glances over at Master Yutelli when she mentions something about the Temple, beginning to wonder if maybe she or Master Pike could help him restore Mal's memories.

Navi has posed:
"Take care, Mal," Navi says softly, offering the Dathomirian girl a fingertip wave as she exits with the doctor. Once they have left, she adds, "I think I should stay, Masters. I've spent more time around Cayde while on assignment than anyone besides his Master. I might be able to provide some insight. If the doctor wants to throw away an asset like that just because it's wrapped up in a Navi-shaped package, it's his own fault."

"But Cayde's safety and potential happiness seem to be unusually important to him. I don't know why," she adds. "He tried to get me to promise to look after Cayde. When I told him what he was really asking of me, or anyone else, he tried to guilt me hard over it. If he'd known me, he'd've realized I've been doing that all along, and have no plans of stopping. Cayde needs every ally he can get."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu wait until the doctot is gone. "A Jedi could stay here indefinitely, as long as the Force is with him."

    "Yes, Master?"

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
"I suppose you could do that if you like," Master Yutelli says, "but are you sure you want to? Both Cayde and Mal seem to be doing alright under the doctor's care. Perhaps they keep him very busy, but at least Cayde seems to be improving."

Then she turns to Windu and Cayde. "I did some research in the archives at the Temple before leaving Tenoo, and my findings have led me to believe that there may actually be a vergence on Tenoo. And there is a possibility that there is an ancient Jedi temple already there, built upon the vergence..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde's eyes widen at this revelation. A...vergence. He'd only learned about them in his studies at the Temple, and had never imagined he might get a chance to encounter one himself. The prospect was exciting, but also somewhat frightening.

    He hesitates, trying to find the words. [...what does it mean] he signs, a bit uncertainly.

Navi has posed:
"Can you tell me what a vergence is, Master? The term is familiar to me, but I don't remember what exactly it means," Navi says softly, blushing slightly at her ignorance. "And I don't want to start off with the wrong idea."

Also, my bad feeling about this trip just got worse..."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu nods thoughtfully as he turns this over in his mind. "Bacta...cloning...a vergence,,,what is going on here?"

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Oona laughs softly at Cayde's expression, tousling his hair. "Why, its good news! It means we may only need to restore what was already built there. However, it also means there might be extra protection around it."

"A vergence is a place where the Force is very strong."

She laughs at Pike's reaction. "Now lets not get ahead of ourselves..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde pouts slightly and brushes Oona's hand away when she messes with his hair, peeved at what he has perceived as childish treatment. She knows he isn't a baby any more...right?

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu shakes his head. "The first lesson Master Flintlock taught me as a Padawan: 'whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt.' Until I'm certain that nothing is going on with all this, I'll assume that something is going on."

Navi has posed:
"I'm with Master Windu," Navi adds, nodding her thanks to Master Yutelli. "The vergence may be a mixed blessing, but I suspect it will be the least of our troubles, at least initially. Peeka and her brothers mentioned overhearing conversations about there being masked pirates on Tenoo. Maybe that's just a rumor, but I've encountered these pirates three times in the last five years. The first time, they killed my Master. If they /are/ on Tenoo, we're in for /real/ trouble."

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Oona smiles at Pike. "Well, I suppose you are right, but no need to rush to conclusions just yet. Yes, there are happenings that we do not yet understand, but the Force will guide us." She turns to Navi. "Yes... the fact that there's a vergence there is a good sign. From vergences spring abundant life, and harmony. The first thing the Council would like for us to do when we get there is to scout out that area, and uncover the old Jedi Temple."

"Do not worry, Navi. We have the Force, and the Force is one with us. It will show us what to do if we run into trouble. And of course, we have Annelia with us. I'm sure a few pirates won't frighten her."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde smooths his hair back down again, after Oona had tousled it. Otherwise, he just listens as the others converse. He is quite certain that Seegil's 'colleagues' are here for a reason other than the officially documented one, but he isn't sure what exactly, so yes there is definitely something else afoot. However he doesn't really know how to articulate that to anyone in a coherent manner so he keeps it to himself.

Pike Windu has posed:
    "Of course, Master," Pike agrees. "The Force will guide us to answers."

Navi has posed:
"I envy your confidence, Master. I don't doubt the Force. I do doubt that it will be a /few/ pirates... it will be dozens, at the very least. How many of these colonists can fight, or have the means to do so?" Navi asks softly. "That answer may become important."

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
"Indeed," Oona says with a smile, "The Force will guide us, whether there's just a few, or several hundred. And we will scale that mountain if it comes," she replies with an enviable amount of calm.

"Now, that's all for now. I'll go find Annelia and let her know what we've discussed today." She glances over at Cayde. "This will be an experience like no other," she says to the young padawan, "getting to visit a vergence is a rare and wonderful privilege!" Then she bows and turns to leave the quarantine chambers.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu bows to his departing senior colleague. "May the Force be with you."

    "Cayde, do you want my help mastering the Force? Do you want to stay here with the girl? It's your decision."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I can help her...and you can help me] Cayde answers. If Soren didn't think it was good for him to stay here the entire trip, then perhaps he was right. But he did want to help Mal, and he seemed to be making some progress. [But I can go back]

Navi has posed:
"I hope so, Master. May the Force be with you," Navi says quietly to Master Yutelli as she moves to leave. "You want to stay, at least part of the trip?" she asks Cayde, watching his signs. "Are you making progress with helping Mal, then?"

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Just as they start discussing what should be done, the doctor and Mal return to from the bedroom.

Mal looks tired, but her eyes light up when she sees that they have visitors.

"We love having company!" she says, "Don't we, Cayde?" She giggles and suddenly sidehugs him tightly.

The doctor turns to Pike. "Well? Was a decision made?"

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu, taking his cue from Navi, nods. "Both? Very well. The doctor here suggested that I train you every other day. Report to my cabin every other morning for a training session."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods vaguely. [Sometimes] he replies to Navi's questions.

    [Yes Master] he signs to Pike. He just hopes Anne doesn't take that as a slight on the fulfillment of her own responsibilities...especially once she finds out it was Soren who suggested it. She definitely doesn't like the doctor very much...and he'd much rather that not be exacerbated or stay the case for that matter. Navi and Pike might notice a bit of apprehension from him.

Navi has posed:
Navi stifles a chuckle as Mal hugs Cayde. "Clearly she's taken to your company," she observes, just a bit impishly, to Cayde. "Good luck, and may the Force be with you. In a way, you may be able to help each other," she suggests gently. The doctor's question is met with another roll of her eyes, and she says nothing to him, letting Pike handle the issue.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The doctor seems satisfied, and pleased with how Pike had interacted and treated Cayde.

"Great," he says, "I'll discharge him every other day for a few hours and then you either return here to try to work with Mal, or I'll have her escorted to your cabin," he says to Pike. "Thank you so much," he says, "I think this will be important and helpful for both of them."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike smiles and nods. "And now you must excuse me. I need to be alone with my thoughts. May the Force be with all of you."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    In spite of how satisfied Soren looks, Cayde actually seems somewhat uncomfortable. Well...that wasn't exactly what he'd meant, but he supposed it would have to do. He purses his lips and nods compliantly.

Navi has posed:
"Take care, Master. May the Force be with you," Navi says softly as Pike turns to leave. She looks to Cayde and, to a lesser extent, Mal. "Shall I stay awhile?" she asks the Padawan gently, giving him a quick one-armed hug. "I missed you yesterday, and I'll explain that whole mess if you like. Circumstances beyond my control."

Mal gets a hug just like the one she'd given Cayde. "Hey, Mal. Feeling any better?" she asks gently.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
"I'll see you both tomorrow," the doctor says to Cayde and Mal. "Let me know if you need anything else." And then he makes his exit.

Mal smiles at Navi. "I wasn't ever feeling bad," she says, toying with Cayde's padawan braid. "So why do you ask?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    At first, Cayde brushes Mal's hand affectionately as she toys with his hair, but then he gently pushes it away.

    [If you want] he says to Navi's offer to stay awhile.

Navi has posed:
Navi snorts softly after the door closes behind Dr. Cassias. "I suppose the strain of pretending I don't exist wore him out," she murmurs irritably.

"I want," she replies to Cayde, smiling. "I don't want you to get lonely in here. I'm hoping you'll be able to come out before we make planetfall, but I don't think this is just a matter of needing more training. But I'll help you however I can."

"That's good to know," she replies to Mal, her smile lingering. "I'm glad you're feeling well. Has Cayde been nice to you?"

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Mal pouts. "Don't be mean to the doctor," she says, "He's doing his best, and actually, it's helping me. And it's helping Cayde too." She giggles and gives Cayde a coquettish look when he brushes her hand affectionately. Then she kisses his cheek suddenly.

"Cayde has been very nice to me," she says, smiling wistfully.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde sighs when Navi speaks ill of Soren. Well, he wasn't exactly the easier person to like. But... [He means well] he adds, nodding when Mal mentions that the man's hard work has paid off.

    And then Mal suddenly kisses him on the cheek. His face immediately flushes red as a ripe meiloorun. As always, his pasty complexion makes it even more obvious...

Navi has posed:
"When a man tells me to my face that I don't care enough about Cayde to help protect him, something I do almost every day, just because I told him just how much protecting that involves, I don't tend to like him very much," Navi replies to the pair. "But just for you two, I'll try to give him another 'nother chance." She looks away, then hastily turns back, lifting a stern finger toward the ceiling, like a plasma-fire and brimstone holo-evangelist preaching a sermon. "But /only/ because it's you two asking." The corners of her mouth keep quirking upward against her stern scowl, however, and a moment later she gives up and giggles softly.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
"You don't have to like him," Mal says, frowning suddenly. "Just be polite to him, that's all. Also, I think you don't understand him," she says. "He's a hard person to understand."

When Cayde's face turns the color of a ripe meiloorun, Mal giggles and pokes his cheek. "You're so cute," she tells the young padawan. Then she gets up, pouting a little. "The doctor gave me some homework to do that he says will help me," she says. "So I have to go do it."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Thank you] he signs when Navi finally relents to giving Soren another chance. [...you are Navigation] he signs, smirking suddenly.

    Cayde's face reddens even more (if that's even possible) when Mal tells him he's cute, although he also looks even more peeved. Isn't he a bit too old to be cute? At least, he hopes so...

    He rolls his eyes, pointing to himself and signing [Seventeen]

    Somehow though, it just makes him look even more childish.

Navi has posed:
"That's true enough. I still don't understand why you're so important to him, Cayde" Navi says, to both of them. "Cry-in-your-caf important. The kind of important reserved for family, the very best friends, and loved ones. That's a question that needs answering, sooner or later."

She smirks faintly as Cayde signs his age. "You're never too old to be cute, Cayde," she says impishly. "Or maybe I'm thinking of adorable. Or both."

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Mal stops in the doorway of the bedroom. "You'll never find out, unless you start being nicer to him." She pauses. "Or read his mind without his permission. But I think he'll really not like you if you do that."

Then she heads into the bedroom, and closes the door.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches her go, looking somewhat sheepish. Right...about that reading his mind without his permission thing...

    He nods vaguely at Navi's remarks about Soren's relationship to him. The thing is, he knows the reason himself, but he isn't sure if he should share with her.

    There is a slight pout at her arguments about cuteness. Oh, he definitely disagrees about that. 'Adorable'? Even worse. Of course, the pouting just makes him look even more childish than the eye rolling just now. But at least his face isn't as red any more now that Mal has retired to her homework.

Navi has posed:
"I'll think about that. Thanks, Mal. Good luck with your homework, too," Navi calls softly after Mal, watching her leave.

"Don't pout at me, Cayde. You were practically shouting it," Navi chides Cayde gently, smirking faintly. Is she blushing? Just barely? Maybe... maybe a flush of shame?

"Besides, there's lots of worse things to be than cute, or adorable. Much, much worse. You can take that to the Galactic Bank."