TITLE: Different as Day and (K)night 
Logged by Ashton
DATE: 05/05/02 
==============================================================
CHARACTERS: 
Ashton 
Rruka 
Kastanje 
==============================================================

Courtyard -- Jedi Praxeum Coruscant 
This vast courtyard is where much of the daily life of the Jedi can 
be observed. A park-like area near the bridge is often used as a study area, 
and the open areas in that park are teaming with life as students and 
teachers alike take part in sports and athletic activities, honing the body. 
At each corner of the square compound is a tower that is easily 200 stories 
high. Paths criss-cross the entire compound and run the perimeter, from 
tower to tower. At the north end of the compound is a large hill constructed 
of many different types and sizes of boulders. 
In the center of the courtyard is the largest tower, rising another 
100 stories above the other towers in the complex. The double-wide, ornate 
doors to this tower are always open. Unlike the other towers, this one has a 
wide section near the top that removes the tapered look the other towers 
have. Above this bulge is where the Jedi Council Chamber is located. 

Ashton emerges from the residence towers, a backpack over one shoulder. The 
knight is intent on his destination across the courtyard; the Council Tower, 
and does not note Kastanje's entrance right away. Moving at a good clip, 
Ashton continues across the courtyard. 

Kastanje enters the courtyard with little attention drawn to herself. She's 
not wearing the gold uniform, after all. The Major scans the courtyard 
quickly and starts aiming for a pair of acolytes who appear to be talking. 
No lightsabers to worry about distracting them from, at the least. She 
raises her voice a bit, "Excuse me, I'm looking for Tai Jinn..." But, before 
either are even given the opportunity to respond, she catches sight of 
Ashton striding by purposefully. Tanya perks, noting the familiar face, and 
chances reprimanding glances to call over to the knight. "Ashton!" 

Ashton pulls up shortly as his name is called across the courtyard. It'd 
been some time since that had happened. Turning, he sees, and then as he 
opens his senses up, he feels Kastanje nearby. And what a different feeling 
it was. It had been too long since he had felt her presence. Mustering a 
smile, he redirects his course towards the Republic major. "Evening, Kast... 
what brings you to the Praxeum this late in the evening?" 

"Do tell me I'm not interrupting something important?" Kastanje questions 
immediately upon Ashton's diversion. An oddly... relieved smile quirks the 
Major's mouth. "It's been too long since I've had the time to come here. And 
been successful, at least," she admits with a somewhat thwarted decline in 
her voice. "The galaxy seems to be pulling me places without my friends... 
But. Anyway." She shakes her head slightly, and then both eyebrows raise in 
a query. "I was actually looking for Tai. I'd heard some rumors recently, 
and I thought I should come find... someone." Her shoulders lift in the hint 
of a shrug, eyes locked on Ashton. 

Ashton shakes his head in answer to her first query. The knight looks none 
the worse for wear, aside from his facial hair growth and longer hair. But 
his clothing is much the same as anyone remembers seeing him in, other than 
those he's spent the past few months with. At her mention of Tai, he looks 
somewhat surprised for a moment and pauses. "Oh, you didn't know?" His tone 
becomes very compassionate. "I guess I thought you would've heard already... 
Tai was ..." Another pause, "he was ... he was rejoined to the Force. A few 
months back, from what I hear. I only just found out about it myself." 

Kastanje's eyebrows drop, and some of the thin lines across her brow deepen 
to furrows. "No, no not for certain. It's one of those things you just hope 
was exaggerated, mixed up being passed on, like that children's game, you 
know?" She smiles, an amused look that's all the worse for knowing she 
doesn't mean it. "I haven't seen Moira or Tai for months... Or you 
either..." The Major's talking perhaps a bit faster than usual. Not letting 
her emotions catch up with her words. She's a medic, got to be used to this 
sort of thing, right? "I guess that explains why Rruka kept going off on 
tangents... But, by Kashyyyk's trees, this happened a few *months* ago? I 
should've heard sooner, or known, or *been* there!" Kas suddenly clams up, 
recognizing her outburst as futile, and just stands there looking quite 
miserably for the moment. 

Ashton just stands there, almost emotionless in the face of her outburst. 
He'd reach out to console her, but at this juncture, he cannot summon 
tenderness to do so. As evident by the look in his eye. "Actually," he says, 
adjusting his backpack on his shoulder, "I was going to see the Council to 
investigate some things that should give me more information about who was 
responsible." He shrugs, "It's probably futile. I'm sure the Council has 
already launched an investigation, but..." 

"If I can help, in an official capacity or not, I will." Kastanje offers 
firmly. The woman eyes Ashton oddly for a moment. Has the knight always been 
like this? But it's likely his lack of emotional response that allows her to 
regain her more professional composure promptly. If he's not acting upset 
about it, then blast it, she's not going to start drawing attention to 
herself. "And if you need it," the Major admits ruefully. "I doubt a mere 
person like myself could really offer some expertise beyond the Jedi 
Council." 

Ashton pauses at that last statement. He considers his next words for a few 
moments, and then smiles a bit hesitantly. "The Council is not all knowing, 
nor can they cover everything, Kast. I guess I'll just have to see what 
they've done so far, so I can do something else to help. Maybe some avenue 
they haven't pursued yet. I might need your help for that, depending on what 
it is." He knew he didn't need to offer, but he's always known that Tai held 
a place in Kastanje's heart... as a friend for sure, but it was still there. 

At some other time, Kastanje might have made some joking remark about Jedi, 
or boasting acceptance, or feign of sudden disinterest to counter the 
redundancy of Ashton's request. But it's not there this time. Her brow 
smoothes a bit and she inclines her head to the knight, "Whatever you need 
from me, just ask. I hope you know I want to be there for you, and Moira, 
and Rruka... And Tai as much as I still can... Even if I haven't been 
proving it so much recently. I care about you guys. I'm not a Jedi, they let 
us do that sort of thing." She winks at the knight, and then blinks. "How's 
Moira doing with all of this?" 

Ashton shrugs with some uncertainty. "I don't know really... she seemed 
rather accepting of it, but I didn't probe. She could be worse off than 
she's letting on ... or she might feel responsible. I really don't know much 
except he was struck down on Arkania saving her life." He doesn't mention 
how close that was to Tai Jinn's trial... where she was struck down and /HE/ 
was forced to face it. Of course, that had been an illusion, not the real 
thing. Adjusting his pack again, he shifts it from one shoulder to the 
other. He doesn't need to - it's not that heavy. Perhaps it's his growing 
agitation at not being able to do anything. Or perhaps impatience. Or maybe 
it's just a subconscious adjustment he doesn't realize he is doing. 

Kastanje snorts, "If I can feel responsible for not being there, I'm quite 
sure Moira can feel responsible for being there." The Major blinks, and then 
waves her hand in a denying motion. "Er, it isn't nearly as self-negating as 
I'm sure it sounds. I really should talk to Moira, but I don't even really 
know where she is..." The woman looks thoughtful for a moment, a hint of the 
pain and frustration from being so separated from those she's come to care 
about in her eyes, and then catches Ashton's backpack-shifting out of the 
corner of her vision. Ah, distraction. She raises a hand and points at the 
pack. "Are you just getting back from something?" 

"This?" Ashton shrugs, the pack re-adjusting itself again. "Actually, on my 
way out. As soon as I know where I'm supposed to do... I'm on my way there." 
He quiets though, not wanting to say more until he knows more. Backing up a 
step, he looks around. "Actually, she should be back here. I brought her and 
Rruka home from their mission on Corellia last week. Come to think of it, I 
haven't seen her much, but I do know she's around. I can still sense her... 
I think she's near the monument again." He offers Kastanje a caring smile. 
"She could probably use a visit from a friend. I think that her and Tai used 
to go up there to spend time together." So, the Knight wasn't as out of the 
loop as the former Padawans' had thought him to be. 

"Yeah, they used to go up to Menrai mountain a lot. Sometimes I'd go with 
them, but more often than not, I was busy trying to make sure they had time 
together," Kastanje says with a fond expression. Of course Ashton knew this 
already, but she feels like repeating all the same. Good memories, they are. 
"I suppose I should count myself lucky that I caught you before you left 
again, Ashton... It's been a while." 

Ashton nods sagely, or perhaps even sadly. His training had pulled him away 
from Coruscant for more time than he expected, but the ground he and Taylon 
had covered had been far more than he should've expected in that little 
time. "I know.. but hopefully, this won't take as long and I should be able 
to return to Coruscant with more answers than we had before." And maybe some 
peace once those who had killed his friend were given the same courtesy, he 
thinks to himself. Just as soon as the thought enters his mind, he pushes it 
away, fighting the temptation for revenge. 

Kastanje doesn't have the same issues with revenge apparently, as Ashton's 
comment about 'answers' pushes one thing immediately to mind. "You'll tell 
me what you find out of course?" She asks firmly enough that it borders on a 
demand. "Er, well, assuming it's about Tai that is," the Major backpedals. 
"I don't mean to be asking to know council business. I just don't want to be 
kept out of this one." 

"Of course..." Ashton says agreeably. "I'm hoping Moira can accompany me, 
but again, I still don't know where I'll be going from here, of it'll be 
necessary at all." And of course, there was the matter of whether /HE/ would 
be told anything about what was found out by the others searching for 
answers already. The Knight straightens slightly as a pair of newer students 
pass nearby. New faces. Of course, new faces to someone who had not been 
around for several months didn't necessarily mean they had just arrived. 
"What about things in the army? If necessary, do you think we could get some 
unofficial assistance from them if needed?" 

Kastanje gets an expression that quite clearly states that *something* is 
necessary. Comes from feeling ignorant about the situation perhaps. She 
flashes a sudden grin at Ashton, "I can get you unofficial assistance, even 
if the officers won't put together a little official 'unofficial' help. But, 
I know for a fact Intel has been running missions all over the place, so we 
have some troops mobile already. One of my old Captain friends might even be 
involved. Any thoughts on what you might like?" Feeling of use has perked 
Kas right up. 

Ashton nods at the thought of extra intelligence already in place. Although 
the Jedi very seldom requested assistance from the military, they were not 
above receiving such help. "Arkania," he says slowly. The Knight lifts an 
index finger, as if having an idea. "Arkania was where this went down... 
there's a canyon about 9 clicks north-northwest of the northern edge of 
Trade City. A cave there... I think that's where this all happened." No one 
has told him this of course... it was just something he had 'realized' 
through the Force. "Maybe there's something out there that can point in the 
right direction. Or maybe someone in the Republic Intel branch had a 
listening post out there... or near there." 

"They might, I'll look into it," Kastanje offers immediately, and then lifts 
an eyebrow. "Wasn't anyone else there? You said Tai was saving Moira's life 
at the time, doesn't that imply she was there when, well... When it all went 
down?" As she's waiting for Ashton's response, Kastanje thinks of her trips 
to that planet, trying to place where this cave might be. She frowns. Most 
of her memories of that place were either faceless tundra, or the cities 
themselves. Well, or burning wreckage, but that doesn't help either. 

"Moira might be a good place to start then..." the Knight pauses, this time 
for a real reason. He's been summoned. The Council was ready to hear him. He 
reaches out, touches Kastanje's hand and smiles. "Time to go... Find Moira. 
She should be able to supply /some/ answers. Probably more than I have at 
the moment, since her and I haven't talked yet." With a wink, the Knight 
steps back, turns away, and trots toward the Jedi Council tower. 

END OF SCENE 1 

Rruka comes out of the training tower. His fur is damp with sweat and its 
obvious he's been working out or something. Looking around, he walks over to 
THE tree. The tree he's spent so much time in its branches....the tree that 
Tai would often sit below. He touches the tree and sighs staring at its base 
as if waiting for something to appear. But nothing does and all he can do is 
gently smile. 

Kastanje says, "Good luck with the Council," Kastanje offers at Ashton's 
touch of her hand. With a bit of a smile to the retreating knight, she turns 
away. Luck would have it that she doesn't need to leave yet. "Rruka!" Good, 
she needed someone more to talk to. The Major heads towards the tree, 
catching the Trianii's gentle smile and mirroring it. "Well, the tree is 
still here, but it's somehow not the same... Why didn't you tell me last 
time we spoke?" 

Rruka looks at Kastanje, "A Jedi doesn't dote on stuff like that. He's 
passed on. At least he came back to say goodbye." He just shakes his head a 
bit as he looks at the tree base before regarding Kastanje, "I didn't want 
to upset your cheerful demeanor while you were on Corellia. Obviously you 
were on business and if I had told you, would you not have thought about Tai 
rather then your case? It was not the will of the force that you know just 
then. But I am glad to see you here." The furrball grins, "How have you 
been?" 

Kastanje directs a glare at Rruka for the moment, and then lets it fade. 
"Well, thoughtful of you for not distracting me - I was indeed on business. 
I'm not actually upset at you for not telling me, it just bothers me that I 
only found out after so long. I suppose I've been good. Negotiations on 
Corellia went well, got a good bid on supplies for the medic corps..." Her 
eyes slide to the base of the tree. "He came back to say goodbye?" 

Ashton emerges from the Council tower, but definitely not in the same mood 
he had been when he went inside the tower. Not only is it painfully obvious 
to gathered force users, but in his demeanor as well so obvious by simply 
looking at him; ANGER. The Knight is completely intent on his path now - 
directly toward the Praxeum's landing pad. 

Rruka nods at Kastanje and begins to respond, "Yes....see Jedi....." And the 
padawan trails off and turns to look at the walking Ashton. He furrows furry 
brows, arching the eye whiskers a bit. "Ummm, hold on Kastanje..." The 
padawan turns slightly to look more directly at Ashton, hesitant to actually 
intrude on the Knight's thoughts. Whiskers twitch a bit more. 

Kastanje is being an attentive audience, but with Rruka not continuing his 
explanation... Well, she can be curious as well. She turns, following the 
feline's gaze, and catches sight of Ashton again. "That was quick," she 
notes, blinking. Is it just her, or is the knight looking rather upset about 
something. "And he was so impassive," the Major comments to herself. 

Ashton doesn't slow down or even seem to notice the padawan or the medical 
doctor, so intent on his course that he is. So suddenly is this turnabout of 
his demeanor, no one seems prepared to say or do anything to slow the Knight 
down. Until one stands directly in his path. The one Knight who could've 
been a Master by now, but had chosen instead to follow the Force's direction 
to care for the young Jedi students in the Residence Tower: Tirol'dyn. "Get 
out of the way, Tirol." The words are uttered but anyone intent on listening 
with enhanced hearing would hear the words. His friend merely shakes his 
head and withdraws something no one has ever seen the Knight with before - 
his lightsaber. 

Rruka frowns, "Oh no....." He can hear the interchange rather well with 
those large tufted ears. He turns to Kastanje. "Stay back and move away if 
anything happens. Preferably out of the Praxeum okay? I'm going to see if I 
can help." He approaches now but keeps himself between the pair of knights 
and Kastanje. He doesn't speak though. If they want him to know what's going 
on they'll tell him or shoo him away. 

Kastanje starts to look rather alarmed. "Rruka, Ashton is upset and 
what's-his-name pulled out a lightsaber." Yes, stating the obvious. "What in 
Coruscant's infinite layers is going on? And no, I'm not leaving. I'll stay 
out of the way, of course, but something is up." 

The lightsaber remains shut down, but Tirol'dyn holds it ready as the two 
stand off. Ashton shakes his head, a small speck of himself returning. 
"Tirol... you know I won't fight you. Not that way." He takes a step 
forward. "But even you have to see how wrong this is. We are being cut down 
by the Sith and the council sits on its hands, seeking the Force when the 
path is so clear. Evil is evil. It must be destroyed for the good to 
survive." 

Ashton thumbs back towards the tower. "If they won't seek out those who 
killed Tai Jinn and the team to Alzoc III, then I will deliver justice for 
the Republic and the Jedi Order." As if to emphasize this, he takes another 
step forward. His hand barely moves, and so quick is the movement, Tirol'dyn 
doesn't catch it. Nor, as a scholar, is he ready for it. His lightsaber is 
pulled from his grasp to be thrown nearly 200 meters to the north, landing 
in the brush. Ashton continues his advance on the ramp leading to the 
landing pad. 

Rruka frowns and well, he breaks into a run to intercept Ashton before he 
can reach the pad. Being a of a hunter race, he's made for moving quick and 
he calls out to Ashton, "Please Ashton, don't leave. Please listen to me a 
moment.....please....for Tai's sake." He frowns, furrowing his brow. "Ashton 
my friend....violence is NOT the solution. I know I am only a padawan...but 
I was THERE for Tai...as much as I could be. We need you Ashton. I don't 
wish to have another friend depart this world. I too don't think its fair 
that we could not have saved him. Though Tai chose his fate. Tai SHOULD have 
returned to the shuttle with me but he went back out DESPITE me warning him. 
I think Tai knew his fate. He went through much and in the end....he was 
freed. Do you want me ta follow you? Do you? Probably not but if you leave I 
will. You are my friend, my mentor, my family. Moira needs you as much as 
I....as much as many of us Jedi do. Please, let us work together for a 
solution. I have had some ideas... thoughts which I have thought of doing. 
Please let me talk to you about them. Perhaps you can pick out some areas 
which need work. Don't be angry. If anyone should be angry, it's me....and 
at one point I WAS angry. Angry that I could not heal, was not GOOD enough 
to be able to heal myself. Angry that I wasn't there to save Tai. I blamed 
myself for his death. I fought to return Moira's jewel and got badly hurt. 
Perhaps if I had NOT gone off on my own, Tai might still be here. Perhaps we 
would all have died. Tai followed his destiny....and I believe I followed 
mine. But please don't leave...." 

Rruka frowns and looks down, "perhaps it is your destiny to go...but I don't 
want you too....not yet. Please. I have contacts in the Sith...Phanton told 
me to not talk to them....but perhaps now it is time. Maybe I can get you 
information you can use BEFORE you leave? Please wait...." 

Ashton stops dead in his tracks as the padawan comes up behind him. Stepping 
onto the top of the ramp, his intended destination no more than 10 meters 
from him, he stops ... and turns around abruptly as the Trianni padawan ends 
his spiel. He peers at the padawan for only a moment, knowing that several 
other Knights are probably en route even now. What he was doing ... what he 
had done and said in the Council Chambers ... made him a danger in the 
Council's eyes. I'm doing this ... for Tai's sake, padawan," he says evenly. 
He starts to turn around and head for his ship ... and then stops, but 
doesn't turn back around. 

"Rruka ... you are following the right path. Don't follow me." And abruptly, 
the 
compassion is gone again, Ashton's demeanor darkening once again. Keying in 
a code to a small slave-rig, one of the smaller freighters begins powering 
up as he heads toward it. 

Kastanje stays out of the way... Though in this case that just happens to 
mean she's not fast enough to catch up before. She hears to Rruka's words, 
regarding the Knight with a suddenly worried look. "Ashton... Charging off 
angry is /my/ job," she jokes, unable to really help herself. Amusement as a 
coping mechanism? And then the knight keeps going into the ship. The Major 
calls after fruitlessly, worried and frustrated: "Hey, don't forget I said I 
would help! I don't want you in trouble too..." She trails off. Not good. 

Rruka's eyes brim with tears, "Please Ashton......" He tries to think of 
what he should say. Don't go? Come back? Stay here? Its obvious something is 
up if another knight tried thought of bringing their lightsaber into play. 
He looks down at the ground knowing there's nothing he can do.....again. 
Three knights all seeming to pass through his life in a short time. How many 
more? He looks at Ashton again doing a strange gesture with his hands which 
is a Trianii gesture of respect and good luck, "Be careful and come back 
when you are ready and when you can. I will ALWAYS be here for you to call 
on.....Always...." He doesn't say things in so many words with the knights 
coming but hopefully Ashton realizes that he will be sorely missed. 

Ashton reaches the ship and throws his bag inside the ramp, hearing the 
Padawan's words through his enhanced hearing. He turns slightly, looks the 
Trianni over for a moment, and the darts inside. The ship's boarding ramp 
closes as three Knights pound up the incline at Jedi-Speed. But they're too 
slow. The freighter lifts off before they can reach it ... and Ashton is 
gone. 

Rruka senses, "Ashton looks back and mentally shakes his head at you. Doubt, 
anger and even bitterness is evident in his thoughts for the briefest moment 
before he turns his attention away." 

Rruka's shoulders slump slightly and he just stands and watches as yet 
another friend disappears. He stares until he can't pick out the ship and 
then turns to return to Kastanje. The Trianii padawan is terribly silent. 
Looking at Kastanje, he tries to smile before having to look away again, "To 
each their own path......" 

"Rruka..." Kastanje says, voice soft and concerned despite the clamor of 
Knights and the quieting sounds of ship engines. "Can we do anything about 
Ashton? Or I at least? That didn't seem good..." No kidding. "I mean, he 
said the council might consider him a danger. What on earth did they say in 
there? And I thought I caught something about Sith when Ashton ran into 
what's-his-name..." 

The three Knights pull up short as the freighter lifts off. One shakes his 
head - a Battlemaster knight wielding two amber lightsabers, ignited for a 
moment, but shut down now. He pauses as he passes near the doctor and the 
Trianni. "He should've been stopped. He has disobeyed the Council and his 
planned actions will cause many deaths... unnecessary deaths." He chances a 
glance at the Trianni, but holds his tongue. He turns to Kastanje and nods 
respectfully. "He did... he's seeking revenge for Tai Jinn's death. He 
intends to hunt down and kill the Sith who killed him. His recent 
unsanctioned training has brought him to the edge - and now, he's crossed 
over. At least.. partially." And that's all he will say. The Knight walks 
past them and heads down the ramp. 

Rruka looks at the knights and apologizes, "I was not in the position to 
make the choice to stop him or let him go. And I had not been told by anyone 
to stop his procession onto the ship." Nice obscure Jedi answers. "I left it 
to the Jedi present to decide what should happen...and Ashton was able to 
leave." He thinks for a moment, "Is there any way I can be of some aid in 
the situation?" 

"What sort of Jedi training would make Ashton act like that?" Kastanje 
questions the Jedi around her. "That," and she points in the direction of 
the landing pad, "Didn't look much like Jedi behavior..." She eyes Rruka a 
moment. "That reasoning's why the recruits at the Tower think Jedi are 
useless more often than not. 

 -- Scene closes as Kastanje and Rruka walk away with worried looks being 
cast back to the landing pad --