Recruitment Day

Recruitment Day
Date of Scene:	15 December 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	Heydan and Annelia are recruited to the Tenoo Initiative.
Cast of Characters:	159, Heydan Seegil, Navi, Cayde Alexis, Annelia Belask

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Athena (159) has posed:
It's afternoon in Coruscant, and the Heydan will have found himself summoned to the Republic Executive building regarding a ... work matter. The message is directly from Black himself:

|My dear, newest recruit,

The Republic has conscripted the CSF for their new initiative to the Outer Rim. Unfortunately, as was made known to me recently by Kurrnak himself, there are some ... concerns surrounding it that our benevolent Chief feels would be better handled by the UCSF. Please attend the debriefing at the Republic Executive building - room number 2014. I won't be there, but I trust you'll represent me well.

You won't be alone, either - I've assembled a team of three agents, including yourself, to go on this... expedition. Once you arrive, they'll tell you everything you'll need to know about this upcoming assignment.

Cheers, Black.|

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil was a little excited when he received the communication. His apartment is on the Outer Rim and his excursion to Coruscant was only ever meant to be temporary after all. It then occurred they probably wouldn't have time to drop by his place nor does he really want anyone else here to know where it is. Shrugging these thoughts off he did as instructed and made his way to the Republic Executive building where he entered room 2014.

Athena (159) has posed:
When Heydan arrives, he'll find the hallway its in empty and the door to the room itself locked.

However, it may occur to him that given he's working for the UCSF, things had to be a bit more discreet and he may need to show proof that he is who he's claiming to be. Naturally, his badge should do the trick, and he'll notice there's a card reader attached to the doorframe.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil badges into the room smirking at his own absentmindedness and then opens the door.

Athena (159) has posed:
Upon entry, he'll find two agents there who may seem vaguely familiar - a short, muscular blond human male, and a tall, lanky Nautolan woman with mottled dark green and aquamarine head tresses. They don't seem very happy to see him.

"Seegil, right?" the blond human says a bit tartly.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil simply nods in response then scans the room for a seat ignoring their clear disgruntled demeanor. 'What ever could they be angry with him for?', he thought to himself dismissively.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Mondrian," the blonde male says, then, glancing over at the Nautolan woman, says, "And this is Veena."

There's a pregnant pause, then the blond human comes to stand directly in front of Heydan, his gaze direct and piercing. "Alright, listen up, -rookie-. Working for Black is no jogan fruitcake walk. All of us got into the positions we're in because we're good at making hard, morally grey decisions in the heat of the moment. We do what we do not because we're the good guys, but because we're on the right side and need to look out for the majority, not the single sob story. Got -it-?"

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil in a silent and almost if not outright comical way pulls out the glitterstem joint he purchased on his last mission. Although he doesn't partake in this particular drug he has been having ample fun rizzing people with it. Patting down his jacket and then pants pockets for a light he comes up empty handed. His gaze comes up to meet Mondrian's. He gives them a kooky smirk then decides the smoke isn't worth it. Shrugs and returns the joint to his pocket. "Okay.", is all he manages.

Athena (159) has posed:
"How the kriff did you get that past security?" Veena asks, her brows furrowing. She folds her arms, but it seems she doesn't expect an answer.

Mondrian scowls, then gestures for Seegil to sit. "Not sure what Black told you, but so far we have limited intel. Which is standard for how we work. The Republic wanted a couple members of the CSF to join as added security and as permanent additions to the new colony, since there will definitely be a need for a constabulary even before the colony can be considered fully fledged."

"But after attending several meetings and seeing the full roster of colonists, Kurrnak had some suspicions that this venture might end up being a lot rockier than the Chancellor thinks it will be. Catch my drift?"

He pauses. "You heard of Xera Graf?"

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil winks at Veena and pulls the joint back out. Flicking the joint over at Veena to catch he takes a casual seat. "Want it? Have it.", he coolly says with a smirk. Listening to the details he nods until they get to the name Xera Graf. Shaking his head he responds, "No, I cannot say that I do. Why not fill me in and just where is this colony anyway?"

Athena (159) has posed:
Veena seems skeptical at first, but takes it after a moment and sucks in a long drag.

Mondrian scoffs. "Where have you been living all this time, under a rock?" He rolls his eyes. "Anyway, the colony is supposed to be on Tenoo. It's already got a colony there, the Republic is going to found a second one on the other side of the planet, and the idea the Chancellor's got is that it should be fully self sustaining - no interplanetary trade except for profiteering. There's several other objectives, but the basic prelim seminars the Republic is requiring everyone to attend will cover them and those aren't our concern."

"What is our concern is that Xera has a reputation for being unscrupulous when push comes to shove. And Kurrnak let us know that around the time this colonization effort was getting advertised, the recruitment for colonists was going badly. The numbers for the roster averaged in the low hundreds. And then all of sudden, as of a few weeks ago, it shot up to over twenty five hundred."

"He didn't think anything of it at first, but of course, the CSF had to run all the background checks. Some of them checked out. Others.. others had files that looked like they'd been patched. By someone."

"Anyway, that's what we gotta deal with. Oh, yeah, and I forgot to tell you. Black wanted some guy with more professional connections in the Outer Rim investigative crime space." He checks his chronometer. "He's supposed to be here right now, but I guess he's late.."

Meanwhile, downstairs, a small group of individuals have started to gather in the lobby of the executive building. Navi, Cayde, and several others would have been expected to be there.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil nods taking in everything he was just told but smirks at being told they have an Outer Rim expert coming in. "Ha, you know I am from the Outer Rim right?", then nonchalantly he adds, "If they're planning something this big and patching files then I can bet that the Hutts have a tail in it somehow. I don't suppose this expert has dealt with them?"

Navi has posed:
Navi looks less than thrilled to be in this lobby here and now. "If we get called to unexpected meetings on Tenoo as often as we get called to them now, I may decide to walk to the other colony and get an early lift home," she grumbles. "Yes, I know it's on the other side of the planet. No, I don't care."

Beat. "Who the frell am I talking to, anyway? Now this mess has got me talking to myself, too? Ugh..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Speaking of people with incomplete documentation...

    Cayde is still in the process of working on the long list of forms Dr. Cassias had given him to fill out to 'complete' his records. It's been going slowly because he doesn't remember a lot of the things they're asking about.

    But, anyway he's here. When Navi complains of talking to herself, he pats her on the shoulder, trying to pass along the idea that she totally isn't talking to herself...right?

Athena (159) has posed:
Veena frowns. "Yes, we're not nerf herders, you know," she growls. "But we didn't get to pick our team, and Black didn't actually, either. Because this is strictly Republic business, involves the Chancellor, and doesn't just concern our branch of the CSF, Kurrnak put pressure on him to hire someone... a little more professional with a cleaner reputation." She rolls her eyes. "Apparently, he's supposed to be one of those brilliant do gooder detectives with eidetic memory. Whatever. Anyway, we have to work with him so don't murder him on day one, 'kay?"

Mondrian then leans towards Heydan, scowling. "You've got two priorities here: One, figure out what's the deal with Xera and this phony roster that seems to have multiplied overnight. Second, no one -- and I mean -no one- -- can know why we're going along on this expedition. If anyone asks, you gotta make some shit up about being part of the future constabulary that both the Jedi and the regular civvies are gonna eat up. Got it?"

Navi and Cayde may notice some familiar faces among the group of people gathering in the lobby - the doctor and his secretary, the pink skinned Mikkian girl. And then just arriving in a luxury speeder is Xera Graf, followed by a Nubian atmospheric vehicle with the San Tekka insignia emblazoned on its hull.

But the sound of running footsteps might distract the two of them - the Zeltron private investigator Navi and Cayde had recently seen on Jedha has just come in through the rotating doors, looking harried. But what was he doing here, wasn't he supposed to just be one of the colonists?

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil simply says, "Got it.", after having heard all the details he is going to need. Despite attempting to give off a cool appearance his mind is racing. 'Why was the Chancellor personally involved? Wouldn't something of this magnitude be delegated to a special committee? And these two "tough guys" are not fooling me. They were in over their heads. I mean I am too but that isn't the point.', he thinks to himself.

Navi has posed:
"Looks like the gang's all here. Or most of it," Navi observes sardonically. She gives Cayde a faint, grateful smile at the touch to her shoulder, but anything else she might have said or done is lost at the sound of running footsteps, and her instantaneous glance in that direction.

She waves to her friend from Jedha, watching him curiously. "He's sure in a hurry," she observes softly.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Honorary titles... quite the respected thing in the Republic.

    But those that know Ann probably know it's most of why she dragged her feet getting here.

    Still, in due time she comes bustling through the door in that particular flavour of hurry of those who will likely be leaving as fast or faster when able.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    When Navi smiles at him, Cayde smiles faintly back at her. Not just a polite or professional sort of smile, but a real, genuine one--something of a rarity with him. He withdraws his his hand slowly from her shoulder, letting is slide down her back a bit.

    As Vons, the Zeltron man they'd seen on Jedha earlier comes hurrying along, as well as Anne, he quickly pulls his hand away from Navi's back. Huh...he remembers some officers giving the private detective dirty looks earlier, so maybe he has some business with them. They'd certainly have a use for someone like that.

Athena (159) has posed:
Veena and Mondrian scrutinize Seegil. "Listen, this isn't going to be a playground. Black always means hard business, emphasis on -hard-. So be prepared to buck up. This might not be your first assignment, but it's going to be tough, and I hope you're prepared." They stand, and open the door to the conference room. "Looks like our -contractor- got stuck on public transit," Mondrian scoffs. "Hope he doesn't miss boarding the Legacy II." The two of them then laugh, and exit into the hallway. "See ya, -Seegil-. Don't fall asleep at the prelim seminar," Mondrian sneers. "Heard the Chancellor himself was going." Then they make a beeline for the lift. Looks like they planned on playing hooky for the seminar...

Vons notices Navi, despite his hurry, and looks rather dismayed to see her here, for some reason. He hesitates for a few seconds, looking like he wants to stop to greet her, but is hardpressed for time.

Xera Graf steps out of her vehicle onto the premises. She smiles at Navi and touches the young Sephi on the shoulder. "I see you decided to come," she says. "Excellent..." Then she sweeps past her.

Just then, another speeder rolls in slowly behind the San Tekka vehicle. The symbol of Order is apparent on its hull, and three members of the Council step out of it - Yarael, Yaddle, and another Togruta Jedi master.

"Anne!" Yarael says. "Ah-h-h. I know, I know. Politicking isn't our favorite, either. But sometimes necessary. Walk with me, yes?" He nods at Cayde and Navi in greeting as well.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil knows that his best option is to make himself unassumingly ignorant of everything that is about to go down. With this in mind he quickly drags his chair towards the corner behind the door and pretends to be asleep. No one will expect the guy sleeping in the corner to be a real threat and the Jedi who are coming. 'Oh, man, I do love to rizz 'em.', he thinks to himself trying to hide his excitement.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Have you seen me talk to people?" questions Ann over her shoulder, smirking wryly. "It's a wonder Cayde and I aren't in a prison yet, let alone diplomacy."

    She shrugs, nodding to the padawan as she turns to the masters, arms crossing absently.

    "So what exactly did you want us for? Messages were a little vague and you aren't the sort to have -just- a ceremony in mind."

Navi has posed:
Navi glances up at Xera Graf as her shoulder is touched. "I hope your people received my request for suitable clothing for this venture. I've only got two and a half robes left to my name, and I doubt they're appropriate for where we're going anyway."

Only after the tall woman has swept on her way does she murmur, "Maybe it's better she doesn't know that I'm here because I'm worried for some people going on this trip. I have a bad feeling about this whole venture. The kind that just won't go away."

The arrival of the trio of Jedi Masters doesn't help her confidence any, and for a long moment she's grateful to be merely working with the Order rather than formally part of it. "If you insist, Master. But I don't mind telling you I have a bad feeling about this whole endeavour."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde bows respectfully before the three councilmembers when they arrive and greet him. He starts to follow them as they begin to walk along with Ann.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Yes," Yarael says a little too quickly, "and both of you are an -acquired taste- when it comes to social settings, but we all have our strengths and weaknesses." He chuckles. "Mm. Indeed. Well, it's a bit too much to try to explain over text or holo transmission. And I'd like for us to have a discussion about it, despite the Chancellor being rather... convinced that you'll say yes, regardless."

Yaddle smiles warmly at Anne. "Don't worry, Anne, this time there aren't any ceremonies to had... just some responsibility the Chancellor has a vested interest in having you shoulder. And while the Chancellor doesn't always have the best foresight when it comes to these matters, I believe you might be a good fit."

"Yes..." Poof muses. "As you may or may not already know, the Order has a distinct interest in building a temple on Tenoo. And naturally, the Republic has interest in this as well. It is, after all, the Outer Rim, and the new colony will need protection. And leadership." He pauses for effect. "And given all the success with previous missions you've had recently here on Coruscant, well, we were hoping you might like... to go along. And if you feel so inclined, to accept the title of Marshal of the new colony, that's yet to be named."

Xera doesn't respond to Navi. She's too busy talking some reporters who are fawning over her and interrogating her like tonight's their last night.

"And why would you say that?" A newcomer, a tall and handsome young man who's just exited the San Tekka vehicle, suddenly interrupts Navi.

Navi has posed:
"The Chancellor seemed convinced that /all of us/ would say yes, regardless," Navi observes, remembering the surprise meeting she and Cayde had had sprung on them mere hours before they were supposed join said meeting. "And extremely disappointed that we didn't agree on the spot. He even asked Xera Graf to persuade us to ccme along. She seemed more interested in us coming along than he did, and that's saying something."

She glances up at the sudden interruption. "And just who might you be?" she asks the San Tekka gent who had done the interrupting. "No offense, but I prefer not to be interrupted out of the blue."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "... 'Marshal' can mean a few things, Master," Ann points out frankly, frowning as she mulls over the statement. "Feudal cavalry lord, prisoner keeper, hell the republic ground forces are headed by field marshals. But I get the impression that you mean it like being the admin in charge of law enforcement. Not sure how well I administrate, Master..." she trails off, looking over to Cayde as he falls into step alongside, offering him a welcoming sort of nod.

    "And I'm forced to wonder- whether this is some late turn into getting Cayde off Coruscant. Which would put a foul taste on this."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods subtly back toward Anne, reciprocating the greeting. Marshal...right. The Chancellor had said as much earlier. He'd intended to ask Master about that, but hadn't quite yet figured out how to bring it up or explain it properly. Though it is likely she might have caught glimpses of something alluding to that in some of his recent projections.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Well, the Chancellor is a politician," Poof addresses Navi's comment directly. "who has a penchant for playing favorites, and it seems that you, Anne, Cayde, and Pike have earned his blessing. But I didn't say that. Oops. Anyway. Of course, he wanted to maneuver you into a position where it would be difficult to say no. Now, about the Graf's motives about having you along -- that's something you'll have to look into a bit more deeply yourself. She is trying to be honest, at the very least. I think."

"Taryn San Tekka," the young man says, bowing politely. "I'm sorry. Mind you, I share your concerns. I wouldn't trust any Graf farther than I can throw..."

Yaddle nods when Anne points out that Marshal could mean several things. "Protector," she quickly adds. "This role will require less diplomacy, and more peacekeeping of the non politicking kind," she continues, "though it may require some. You'll either grow into the small amount needed, or the Force will provide someone to help fill in that gap." She smiles. "I know you may have qualms about it, and concerns about Cayde. But believe me when we say that we thought the matter over thoroughly. Some of the Council thought it would be better to keep Cayde here, where it's easier to keep tabs on him. But in the end, we decided the true test of a Jedi is in the hard places, where the need for protecting those who cannot protect themselves is more than blatant." She pauses. "You also don't have to say yes. I know it's what the Chancellor wants, but the Council still has full control over whether you are sent to the Outer Rim or not. And we will leave that in your hands."

Navi has posed:
"I had a similar thought at the time, Ann. I couldn't help wondering if our involvememt with this program wasn't a way to get rid of people that some in our government may consider inconvenient meddlers and troublemakers," Navi elaborates, nodding to Ann. "I doubt very much that the Council would go along with such a scheme. But if it were wrapped in a respectable enough package, would they learn its true nature in time to intervene?"

She looks at Taryn San Tekka. "Navi," is all she says by way of introduction. "And since any endeavour in which I and my companions are drawn into something at the last minute and given a heavy buttering-up by government officials and rich sponsors tends to end in disaster, I was thinking this was likely to go the same way. And for what it may be worth, I'm wary of both the Grafs and the San Tekkas. They've both got their hands in this pie."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann runs a hand through the loose strands of her hair absently as she chews on the masters' explanation. A sigh escapes her as she looks over at Cayde a moment.


"And this would be what? Two jedi and- I assume you intend Navi to come along too, given she's here. And what- republic liaisons, locals, mix of both? What is the Order's reputation on this planet? There are many questions to consider."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As everyone is discussing matters, Cayde's mind begins to wander a bit, weaving in and out of the sea of presences in the area. Vons seems to be nervous about having told Navi something he shouldn't have. The Grafs and San Tekkas don't like each other, but that's just par for the course.

    But he quickly snaps out of it when Anne looks over at him.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I should very much hope not," Poof says, "If that was the case, the Order would certainly not lend a hand in the endeavor and would try very hard to keep the initiative from happening at all." There's a pause, and he glances over in Xera's direction. "But there is always the possibility, and I would hope that those who can and want to protect would learn its true nature in time. And naturally, in that situation, the Jedi must do what they can to protect the innocents who did sign up in clear conscience to be a part of the initiative." His gaze swivels back to Anne.

"Oh, no. You and Cayde won't be the only Jedi going. Pike was chosen to be a part of the medical committee, though he's yet to accept. Then there's Oona Yutelli, a Jedi Master who was once a Seeker, who has volunteered to go along. She's very strong in the Force, and will support you in your endeavors." Yaddle glances around at the group of people gathered in the lobby. "Yes," she says, "The people here will be your ... neighbors, teammates, co-workers. Everyone here has been given some kind of leadership responsibility in the colony plant." She pauses. "The people of Tenoo are excited about the prospect of Jedi presence on Tenoo -- after all, a Pathfinder team founded Kublop Springs. I'm sure most of them will be happy to see that several Jedi have returned to help Tenoo prosper," Yaddle says.

Taryn's expression sours. "It's not the San Tekkas you have to be concerned about," Taryn says. "Our family has nothing to hide, you can do all your research. We haven't had a public scandal in years."

Navi has posed:
"I'm supposed to be assisting Master Windu... his role is among the medical leadership in the colony. I'm only hoping they don't expect me to be a doctor, 'cause I'm doing pretty well to know which end of the syringe goes in the patient's arm. Assuming it's not supposed to go into their behind instead," Navi observes. "It's probably a good thing I'm going along on this to help look after friends who have decided to go along, too, or I would've already turned it down. I have no idea who I'll actually be working under if Master Windu declines the 'honor'."

"Maybe, maybe not. The fact of the matter is, I don't know either family all that well, and while I'd like nothing better than to believe you're /both/ doing all of this from the goodness of your hearts and for the sake of the Republic, I'd be a fool to think there's not more on this table for both of you," she adds to Taryn. "It's already been made clear that this colony is a money-making venture, at least as much as it's anything else. This whole thing is my mind working on this, especially when I feel like too many questions don't have answers. It's not intended to be personal."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann could not be more blatant about flatly ignoring the families in this conversation if she said it out loud. Rather, what she actually says is something along the lines of: "Excuse me a moment, Masters."

    With that she guides Cayde off to a quiet corner, getting some distance to speak quietly. "Alright, forget families and politicians and all that. Burn those bridges when we come to them, eh? How do you feel about spending some time on the frontier?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I think...it would be good] Cayde answers, although he seems kind of anxious about it. She will get the notion that he knows it's probably good for him, necessary even, to go somewhere other than Coruscant at some point if he ever wants to be knighted. He'd spent...well, a -lot- of his life on the same planet.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Fine, fair enough," Taryn says, "But you should know. I can guarantee you that one of the primary reasons why Xera is on this expedition is to spy on -me-. To learn about internal San Tekka matters, and figure out how to get ahead of us in hyperspace prospecting. The Grafs are desperate, Navi. It's been years since that luxury liner of theirs supposedly crashed accidentally into an asteroid and killed thousands, but their reputation is still reeling and they'll stop at nothing to repair it and get back on top." He frowns. "I suppose, but I hope you realize that the credits to be harvested from this venture are a long term, medium risk investment. Think of it like equity. If the colony does well, and all of the goals for the initiative are met, then there's much to be reaped credit and reputation wise. But if it doesn't.." he shrugs. "Well I'm sure I don't have to state the obvious."

He glances over at Dr. Cassias and his pink skinned secretary talking to a couple of Arkanian biologists in the corner of the lobby with a shrug. "If Master Windu doesn't accept, your supervisor will be Dr. Cassias. I believe he's a good man, despite the fact that he was only recently exonerated for falsifying a toxicology report. He's taking it all in stride, despite this expedition being required and unpaid for him."

Speaking of which, when Anne starts asking Cayde about whether he'd want to go to the frontier or not, the doctor glances briefly at the young padawan, his gaze distracted and anxious...

Navi has posed:
"I'll bear your suspicions in mind," Navi replies to Taryn, nodding. "Colonies are always a long-term investment. I don't know what equity is, but I don't have to be an economist to understand that it costs crazy-sounding amounts of money to move so many tons of sentients and machinery to a world in the middle of nowhere, to say nothing of buying the machinery and paying the colonists, or that it's going to be years for the colony to make that money back. Assuming they're successful. If they're not, the investors lose their investment."

"I want this colony to succeed. I want everyone to be happy and safe there. I just have this sinking feeling that's not going to happen. Not without a lot of help," she continues. Looking at Dr. Cassias, she can't keep back a faint shudder. "I will try not to hold Dr. Cassias's misdeeds against him, especially if I wind up working under him instead of Master Windu. But those misdeeds caused mountains of trouble. I may have forgiven him, but I certainly haven't forgotten." The look in her eyes as she watches the doctor, however, suggests that she'd want nothing to do with working with him.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I mean, I do too," Taryn says. "And I'm going to make -sure- it doesn't all go to hell. We can't have the Grafs ruining everything again," he says. "I don't care what it takes." He's then distracted by a stray reporter who'd become bored of trying to interrogate Xera, and is pulled away.

Speaking of the doctor, he's coming over to Navi now, motioning for her to come away with him outside.

Navi has posed:
"Pity the Grafs aren't the only thing we have to worry about," Navi murmurs after Taryn is pulled away by a reporter. Dr. Cassius's gesture to her to follow him is enough to gether to come outside, but not without trepidation.

"What is it, Doctor?" she asks, once they are outside and away from the worst of the crowd. "Forgive me if I'm not in a good mood, but I've barely gotten home from a mission in some of the nastiest parts of Coruscant. Getting pulled into this meeting almost at the last minute isn't helping."

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor's gaze is distracted and nervous, and at first, he barely seems to register what she's saying.

Then he regains his composure and says. "Ah, sorry to hear that. Sanzo has a hell of a time putting things together in a timely fashion, the Chancellor can be rather spontaneous at times."

"I have--" he stops mid sentence for a moment, as if rethinking whether he wants to say what he's going to say. "I have a personal favor to ask of you. And Master Windu, if he accepts his position on the medical committee."

Navi has posed:
"Is that why this whole thing feels so mashed-together? For what it may be worth, I feel like I'm doing the Chancellor, the San Tekkas, the Grafs, and the Jedi a favor by going on this trip, plus the people I want to see are kept safe, so what's one more favor?" Navi asks, shrugging almost helplessly. "And Master Windu isn't likely to refuse if the Force calls on him to take that position. He lives to serve."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Well, if there's -one- thing in this galaxy Annelia knows all about, it's belligerently throwing yourself against your own anxiousness.

    Which is probably why after a moment's looking over Cayde with his response, she simply nods to him and turns on her heel, moving to rejoin the Masters.

    "We'll go. No promises how cleanly it goes. I assume we'll have transportation available to hop into in a pinch?"

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor looks around furtively, as if to make sure that no one else is around and listening.

"I need you--" he pauses again, as if gathering his thoughts again. "I need you to look after Cayde."

"I don't trust Anne." There's an uncomfortable pause.

"And I'm aware you don't really trust me, either, but believe me when I say that if you care about Cayde, you'll do this for me."

Yarael and Yaddle turn to Anne when she rejoins them. "Oh, well, that was fast--"

But before either of them can further comment on Anne's fast decisionmaking, the Chancellor and his aide, Sanzo Laa, appear. "Ah-h-h! Annelia! I knew you would make it to the debriefing. And I hope to hear that you were planning to join the initiative...?"

Navi has posed:
"Why not? Ann has done more for him than anyone," Navi asks. "But since I seem to be watching out for him most of the time anyway, it's not even slightly out of my way. I'll do the best I can, given how prone he is to wandering off. That's as much guarantee as I can give you."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches as Anne goes to tell the Council of their affirmation. He gulps, wondering if he is going to regret this later. Probably. But hopefully -eventually- he won't regret it any more. When the Chancellor arrives, he again bows politely in greeting. [Chancellor] he signs.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    There's that small pause from Ann as she composes herself at the tones of a politician's voice.

    "We're planning to go, yes. Just discussing the state of things out there. I'm given to understand there is quite a bit of... vested interest in this effort." She quirks an eyebrow with the implicit question, head tilting a little.

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor brows suddenly crash together in a severe display of anger and frustration. But as soon as the expression comes, it goes. "No, you don't understand. That's not good enough," he says quietly and firmly. "You cannot let him wander off. At all. This is the Outer Rim, and he's never even been offworld."

"Cayde!" The Chancellor says, moving to pat the young Jedi on the shoulder. "It's wonderful to see you again. And I'm so glad to hear that you're going to Tenoo with the others! I think you'll have a lovely time." He grins broadly at Anne. "Ah-h-h! I knew you'd agreed to go. Excellent. This is all carrying out just as it should. And yes, there is. Can you believe it? The Grafs have managed to recruit over twenty five hundred colonists..." He then checks his chronometer. "Oh, dear. The preliminary seminars will be starting in half an hour. I've got to go and help prepare, but I'll see you all there, yes? Yes... great...!" And he hurries off.

Yaddle's mouth presses into a thin line, and she clears her throat. "Ah, well... we're glad too, but Cayde's medical records will have to clear first. We're working with Dr Cassias to fill in the gaps." She turns to Cayde. "How are the forms coming along?"

Navi has posed:
Navi doesn't miss that instant anger, or its departure. "Doctor, I'm not even a Jedi! If his own Master can't keep him from wandering off by himself, what kind of chance do you think /I/ have?" she asks, throwing up her hands. "We're not even going to be working in the same areas of the colonial administration. How can I be there at all times to make sure he stays put when I'm chained to a medical desk? You're not asking for a protector... you're asking for a guardian angel!"

She shakes her head. "I'll do everything I possibly can. But I'm not a miracle worker," she repeats. "And why is he so important to you?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde just nods in response to the Chancellor's encouraging words, even though he doesn't fully believe it will be a lovely time at least not the -entire- time. He expects it will be hard, especially at first. But the life of a Jedi was never meant to be an easy or comfortable one.

    [Working on it] he signs to Yaddle when she asks about the forms. He'll do his best, but there is much that he simply doesn't remember.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Of course they have," Ann answers, juuuuust barely suppressing rolling her eyes at the semi-dodge of her implied question.

    "Good luck with the seminars," she offers finally, looking back to the Masters with a quirked eyebrow. She tilts her head at the retreating chancellor.

    "Odds, you figure, that our presence with our history is to keep those Graf representatives on their toes? That aside, we have the majority of Cayde's records in the temple. The odds he has some slumbering pathogen the healers never noticed are... astronomical. I understand watching for genetic factors but I think at a certain point, if you want Cayde to have this chance, we'll have to accept there's *some* chance of a gap in our knowledge. Unless you intend him to be stuck on Coruscant well into adulthood...?"

Athena (159) has posed:
"So why aren't you?" the doctor says, suddenly turning the question on its head. "You're nearly always with them, you carry a saber, and have similar integrity, so what's holding you back? Trauma? Guilt? Insecurity? Regardless, it's clear to me that you're willing to either ignore or suppress those feelings enough when it comes to allying yourself with them to save lives. Masterful denial of your emotions is one of their tenets, even, so don't you think you're all but a Jedi already, just not in title?"

"I should hope so," Yaddle says, "though, what I hope more is that the Grafs, despite their somewhat tarnished reputation, mean well." She nods. "Well, that's good." she says when Cayde says he's working on it. "Unfortunately, you're right, and no, we have no plan to keep Cayde here for that long. Not only do we believe that would be rather detrimental to his overall health once he does, inevitably, have to leave Coruscant for one reason or another, but also for his journey towards the rank of Master. The galaxy is a big place, and the best way to learn about being a Jedi is to experience it. The Force will provide, I'm sure. And the medical staff are all quite experienced - hopefully you'll have Pike as well. However, if you and Cayde come across any blanks in the form that you can't figure out how to fill out, let me know. I can have one of the archivists dig around in our database for you. But if there's some things that none of us can figure out how to fill out, I'm sure Dr. Cassias will forgive us. It's not in our control, after all -- Cayde was all but an orphan at the time we found him." She smiles politely, and then bows. "Master Yarael and I will be heading up to the preliminary seminar now. We'll see you and Cayde there soon." She and Poof then turn and start heading for the lift, just as a majority of the group starts to do so, as well.

Navi has posed:
"Believe it or not, I've considered that many, many times. And the answer is that I don't agree with everything they do," Navi replies, almost sharply. "I work with them because they're the best we've got, individually and as a whole. But that doesn't mean I'm going to put myself at their mercy again."

"And you didn't answer my question. Why is the Padawan who caused you and many people you know so much trouble so important to you?" she asks. "Does it have something to do with the young lady who looks so much like him?"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann pauses, looking after the masters as they leave, then down to Cayde for a moment, before finally simply tilting her head towards a quieter area for the moment with the simple suggestion; "Figure we should go ahead and just call the archivists now?" she suggests with a wry smile.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches as Yarael and Yaddle take their leave. So it has officially been decided. The idea is scary, but...he agrees with Ann that staying on Coruscant basically all his life isn't going to give him the experience he needs to advance to the rank of Knight. And hopefully, one day...Master.

    His attention drifts over to the conversation Navi and Soren are having. Not that he's trying to eavesdrop, but there are...a storm of emotions. Most of them the doctor's. It's kind of hard to ignore...

    Ah, they're talking about him. Of course.

    To Ann's question, he shrugs initially but then nods. It was true, he was basically an orphan. So the records aren't very clear. Not many humans remember being three or four. Or at least not much about it when it comes to details. [Nothing to hurt by trying] he signs.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Well, you're a citizen of the Republic, do you agree with what the Chancellor does 100% of the time? And do your Jedi friends know that you feel like you're settling when you work with them, and find yourself saying that you'd never want to put yourself at their mercy again?" He once again avoids Navi's question. "I don't want to discuss this anymore," he finally says, flatly. "I guess if anything happens to Cayde, it'll just have to be on your own conscience for not having your friend's best interests at heart." He then turns around and starts heading back into the Republic Executive Building, heading for the lift just like everyone else.

Navi has posed:
"Or maybe I trust /individuals/ over /institutions/, Doctor," Navi retorts. "Every one of the Jedi I work with is someone I know I can trust, and who trusts me. I can't say that for the Order as a whole, even if they do mean well. And if this is the way you're going to be before we've even left, then I hope we're assigned to opposite sides of the medical building once we're there."

She shakes her head as the doctor walks away. "You've got a funny idea of responsibility for Cayde's safety, given you were so chummy with a political stooge who tried to have him /assassinated/. You didn't learn a damned thing in Republic custody, did you?" she murmurs, before moving to head for the turbolift.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde sighs deeply, at the...stressful argument. Why was Soren suddenly being so grumpy about everything? He reaches out into the doctor's mind, attempting to soothe his anxiety and calm his anger...

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor doesn't spare Navi a response, or even backwards glance.

He goes to re-enter the Republic Executive Building, and by this time, everyone in the lobby has cleared out and gone up the lift to attend preliminary seminar. Even the droid secretary isn't behind the desk anymore.

When the doctor reaches the doors, he stops in his tracks, sensing Cayde's presence in his mind. He turns to face the young padawan, staring into the lobby that's entirely empty except for one person - Cayde.

Suddenly, a tsunami of emotions rolls off of the doctor, inevitably flooding any force user in the vicinity with the smallest inkling of mind powers in a tidal wave of grief, regret, guilt, and deepest longing. Tears flood the doctor's eyes, and he approaches the young padawan. "I wish we could be close," he whispers shakily. He pauses, wiping his eyes, then reaches out and places a hand on Cayde's shoulder. "Look... when we get to Tenoo, I need you to be careful. The Outer Rim isn't exactly friendly to outsiders, so don't go anywhere far off alone, alright? Promise me, please?"

Navi has posed:
Navi, just reaching for the buttons to open the door, isn't nearly ready for the flood of emotions from the doctor, pouring into and through her via her telepathic senses. She falls to her knees, weeping almost hysterically from the overload. Not for the first time, a little voice in the back of her mind tells her she was a fool among fools for ever learning telepathy.

She looks through the transparisteel door, watching the blurry doctor with his blurry hand on Cayde's blurry shoulder. Tear-filled eyes aren't good at picking out details. But the double-edged sword that is telepathy at least gives her a burst of insight into just what she experienced mere seconds ago.

'The doctor must be related to Cayde... who else but family would care about him so much, after all they've put each other through?'

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns with the effort of pushing the swell of emotions back, even as they threaten to overwhelm him. But he manages to keep it under control as he looks back to the doctor and nods. <I will do the best>

    He...tries to convince Soren that he really means this, even though he actually doesn't fully mean it. Truthfully, he can't make any promises. If duty called, duty called. The Jedi were meant to put themselves on the line for others' sake. Especially those who couldn't defend themselves.

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor is once again filled with sadness when Cayde tells him that he can only do his best.

Resentment, as well, that the Order had made him this way. Cayde will sense his deep longing to embrace the young padawan tightly, and never let him go.

But instead, he turns away and heads for the lift, forlorn.

Navi has posed:
'Maybe now you can understand why I can't go back to the Order, Doc,' Navi thinks through her fog of emotions. Hers and his. Sometimes the depths of feeling men conceal amazes her, and this is one of those times. Even though she knows it's impossible, she can't help crying out inside her mind in frustration and grief that everyone can't somehow be happy in this galaxy.

She drags herself to her feet, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of one hand, and tries to force herself to open the door and go to the turbolift. How can a walk across a lobby feel like a twenty-Standard-Miles hike?

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Even as Soren starts to leave, Cayde quickly catches up to him and embraces the doctor briefly.

    [Thank you] he signs, after letting him go. Then he hurries back over to Navi to make sure she's all right.

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor seems taken aback when Cayde embraces him, but he hugs the young padawan back tearfully before going into the lift.

As the doors close, he turns, watching Cayde wistfully as hurries back to Navi's side.

Navi has posed:
"I'm... I'm okay. Or I will be in... in a bit," Navi whispers as Cayde approaches her. "His feelings... I wasn't ready for them," is the best she can do by way of explanation.

"He must be family to you, Cayde. Why else would he care for you so deeply?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I know] Cayde signs, nodding to her. The statement was supposed to be applied to both comments she'd made, although it is a bit vague. He opens the door to the lift for her, and waits for her to head into it first.