Logged by Kastanje
Date: 05/06/02
Title: Visions
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Participants: 
Rruka 
Kastanje 
Bianca (Tai Jinn's Ghost)
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(Scene takes place the evening in the same day Kas and Rruka 
spoke about going after Ashton)
Summary: Kastanje returns to the Praxeum to check if Rruka 
has made any progress on their plans, and finds that the 
padawan has been having some disturbing visions. Kas has some 
first-hand experience just how upsetting Jedi visions can be 
sometimes when Tai Jinn's ghost appears to advise Rruka.
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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.

Kastanje seems to be making up for her long absence from the 
Praxeum with yet another appearance. Although, considering what 
has happened since she first returned, it isn't really that 
illogical. The Major is again out of uniform, and immediately 
begins scanning the courtyard upon her arrival, looking for 
someone.

Rruka is sitting by himself at the tree again. However this time 
he's not practicing or meditating. He's just staring ahead with a 
constant twitching of his tail tip. Now and then the feline's ears 
flatten before whiskers bristle. He's probably got a few of his 
friends wondering about him.

"Rruka?" Kastanje inquires, catching sight of the Trianii quite 
promptly. The courtyard isn't that busy at this hour after all. 
"You look positively high strung... How are things going?"

Rruka blinks his eyes a bit before sighing, "I didn't sleep 
well....at all. I don't know how Tai stayed sane....." He starts 
to laugh, "Well no one ever said he actually was....." He then 
half moans, half whines as he puts his hands to his eyes, 
protesting the lack of sleep and apparent insistence on rational 
thought. After rubbing his eyes he bolts to his feet, "I'm not 
high strung....."

Kastanje sighs softly, "I don't think Tai ever did that well 
without sleep either, Rruka." Her mouth curls in a bit of a smile 
that fades again. "Alright, I'm going to make a few inferences 
here, and lets see if I can get an explanation past the lack of 
sleep." She levels a firm gaze on Rruka, "Do try to calm down a 
bit? Now, you claim you didn't sleep well. You mentioned Tai. He 
usually didn't sleep well from all those visions and dreams and 
whatnot. Am I on the right track?"

Rruka blinks at Kastanje a few times, "I can't tell if that's just 
the detective in you or if there's a Jedi there that's usually 
hidden so blindingly under that armor..."

Kastanje wrinkles her nose in a mixture of real and forced 
amusement. "Well, thank you, to the first part of that at least. 
No Rruka, those of us blind to the force use something called 
'logic' to explain things for us. You might try it some time." 
Yes, retaliation for the armor comment. "Now, I'm probably not 
very much help with interpreting that sort of thing, but I do 
seem to remember you Jedi get those visions whether you're awake 
or asleep. So you might as well sleep, yes? Or spend the time 
usefully and talk to your master or Moira so we can be after 
Ashton," she adds with a conspiratorial wink.

"That..." a voice states, echoing in the small region of the two. 
"Might not be the wisest course of action to take."

Rruka sighs, "I had the visions both while I was awake and when 
I was sleeping.....both....both were VERY unsettling. I'll be 
happy for some time WITHOUT any visions.....maybe if I don't 
meditate or sleep for a while my mind will calm enough for me 
NOT to have any......" Well scratch that. That voice.....he isn't 
sure whether to smile or frown. "Tai?"

Kastanje initially looks taken aback by the words nearby. The 
Major, assuming they've been caught by some higher-up in the Jedi 
Order and she's gotten Rruka in trouble, starts looking about for 
whomever spoke, brow furrowed as she concentrates on an excuse. 
Just trying to put the padawan's mind at ease, yeah, that's it. 
But then Rruka says that name, and Kas just plain turns pale. 
"What?" She says, eyes snapping back to Rruka.

The fact that the dreams and visions have affected Tai, and the 
fact that he's not truly dead causes him to telepathically reveal 
himself to Rruka. The presence of such a concentration of force 
however allows Kas to see it as well, although a bit hazier, 
as the blue highlighted man slips out from behind a tree. "Your 
visions are a guide Rruka... a clue to what you must do."

Rruka frowns, "But either way Ashton dies....is there any way 
to save him? I know not all visions are literal...and that the 
future isn't certain....but I worry for him Tai."

"Kashyyyk's trees... Rruka?" Kastanje is unsettled to say the 
least, the padawan's name escaping her as almost a pleading 
request for explanation. Rruka is talking to the ghost like they 
showed up to offer advice every day, but up until now, Kastanje's 
world did not involve visions, or portents, or dreams, and 
certainly not ghosts. Not in the same way Jedi seem to experience 
them. And Kas has no clue now why that should have changed. She 
closes her mouth, not wanting to interrupt, and sits down hard on 
the ground. The Major's eyes are locked on the hazy blue figure 
that looks so much like Tai, and she keeps blinking for some 
reason.

Tai's ghost sighs quietly as it actually walks towards Kas while 
talking to Rruka. "Rruka... not everything is linear in visions. 
The constant in your dreams was that you tried to talk Ashton out 
of his deeds. You try to be cute, to be witty. The only solution 
that will work is to stop him. Do not talk, do not debate. Simply 
stop him." Tai continuous looking at Kas, looking sad at her... 
whispering to himself but everyone can hear. "Kas... why... why 
can't I tell you how I feel? You can't even see me or hear me 
but I can feel you. We're so connected for some reason and I miss 
you so..." Of course, Tai doesn't realize anyone can hear him.

Rruka nods as tai speaks, not mentioning that he just heard Tai 
pour his heart out. He does try to re-center Tai with a simple 
question, "Should I tell Moira?" He then thinks a moment, "I 
speak because confrontation is not very realistic at times. But 
if I must stop Ashton....I will do it. I only hope it will not 
take a battle in order for me to succeed. Should I inform the 
council....they might not approve."

Kastanje has no idea why she's seeing and hearing this, and 
apparently Tai's ghost doesn't realize it. But whatever cruel 
twist of the rules is making this all possible almost completely 
undoes the woman's coping mechanisms. Even a medic can't be jaded 
enough to death that words like that from a friend wouldn't touch 
her. Tears start streaming down Kastanje's face, though some part 
of her can't quite believe this is actually happening. "Oh Tai... 
I'm sorry... I should've been there for you. I always said I would 
be, but when it actually mattered, I wasn't... I miss you. I didn't 
even know until yesterday... I didn't *want* to know. I'm so 
sorry..." The Major's words are hardly more than a whisper herself, 
and she finally just pulls her knees up to her chest and buries her 
face in them like a little kid.

Tai glances a moment at Rruka. "It is your decision to make... it 
is your time young one. You must choose a path at this moment. But 
know each path has consequences. You could go to the council, to 
tell them and beg them to take action, or you can take action 
yourself." Absentmindedly, Tai touches his stomach where he was 
impaled, falling to his knees before Kas and almost crying himself. 
"Why is she crying Rruka?" Tai asks to the Jedi. "She shouldn't' 
be crying. Don't let her cry..." Trying to touch the woman, but 
failing due to just being an image, he speaks softly still not 
knowing she can hear him. "You are my closest friend Kas, I'm 
always with you, we're always together... I don't know why we 
were forced apart.... or why I couldn't' see it before but... we're 
together." It seems as if other words are there, hanging silently.

Rruka drops any concern about him and moves closer to Kastanje to 
hug her to him while he addresses Tai, "She heard you Tai....your 
force presence is strong enough....." He sighs, "I'll do my best 
to take care of her Tai. I wish to meditate longer....but I don't 
wish to see those images. But you are right about me not acting, 
I should have stopped you from going....or perhaps I should NOT 
have gone to get the gem back. I could have helped you. I don't 
want another knight to go because of me.....2 is enough." He thinks 
a moment, "I don't think the council is the way....I will ask Moira. 
I would ask Phanton....but he is more stern. He might not let me go. 
But I greatly don't wish to upset the council."

"Fluff-headed Jedi," Kastanje laughs suddenly through her crying, 
lifting her face again and trying to wipe at the tears that keep 
coming. She seems on the brink of elaborating, but: "Oh Tai..." 
is all she says again, words failing her at the sight and sound 
of hazy knight. Kas turns into Rruka's hug and simply buries her 
face in his side. Fuzz therapy. The poor woman really isn't used 
to this sort of thing.

Tai's form begins to waver a bit. "Do what you must, and do it as 
a Jedi Rruka..." For a moment, Tai leans over and apparently 
whispers into Kas's ear before he vanishes completely.

Rruka frowns as again tai is gone. So much so suddenly. What 
happened to the confused little Rruka walking down a ramp of a 
shuttle from Ossus. The one who met up with two aspiring padawan. 
That youngster is gone. But the replacement is scarcely steadier 
on his feet as when he was younger. He buries his face in Kastanje's 
hair and shakes a little, "I'm sorry Kastanje.....Are you okay?"

Kastanje's head kind of rotates against Rruka's side, what would 
be shaking her head 'no' in a more normal posture. After a few 
minutes, she realizes that might not be entirely understandable 
to the Trianii, and releases her clutch for comfort on the padawan 
a bit. "No, no not really," she says, voice catching in her throat 
irregularly. "I take back everything I might have said making light 
of those visions you all deal with... Jedi are amazing to handle 
something like that as well as you did..." Her breath lets out in 
a slow sigh. "I couldn't even keep my head on straight."

A word seems to echo throughout the entire Praxeum, "Love.........." 
Even some of the other Padawan and Knights glance up at it, a few 
smiling. Although dead, Tai's presence is hardly forgotten by others.

Rruka smiles, "Perceptions are a bit different but sometimes feelings 
are similar. I stared at Tai the first time he showed up. At least 
Tai's a bit more open about his feelings now...." The smile turns 
somewhat sad. "I wish he realized how much I miss him...."

Kastanje shuts her eyes at the hint of the word in the Praxeum, a 
pained expression on her face. What was she supposed to do with that 
information *now*? Why tell her now? Kastanje forces some humor into 
her voice; "Well, I'd say something consoling like 'I'm sure Tai 
realizes how much we all miss him', but considering how dense he was 
to show up like that and not realize I was hearing everything he 
said..." Her voice catches again. Pause. Breathe. In and out. Kas 
manages to put a few microns of airspace between her and Rruka. 
"Well then, he's almost proved himself fluff-headed enough to miss 
how much you cared."

Rruka smiles a little as she moves away a little, "Sorry....the 
fur's probably warm. Hope you aren't allergic to it since you now 
have white and black hairs on your clothing." He straightens his 
clothing a little, "I....I think that perhaps I should rest. At 
least the night. I could not rush out very well right now"

Kastanje wrinkles her nose at Rruka to claim amusement, "If I was 
allergic, I still would have accepted the hug. Thank you, Rruka. 
But no worries, my attire will survive the encounter, and I'm not 
allergic." She pantomimes brushing a whole bushel of hairs off 
herself, and then offers a soft smile. "Get some sleep Rruka... I 
think I could use some myself. Find someone to talk to, and we'll 
go stop Ashton."

***End Log***