((I was venting my anger. Better than my rants, right?))

"Truer words were never uttered," said the Doctor, entering the room. "We must find this... other Time Lord... and being him to death."
Revan turned to him. "What about Brax? Have you discovered what's wrong with him?"
"Nothing that I can fix," he answered shortly. "His redundant systems will take over shortly. If not... well, you'll have an ugly blue carcass rotting in your med lab. Now let's get going."

Jasra left Crystal’s quarters and headed for the bridge. If she couldn’t get to Brax, then she would just have to get him to her.

“Ah, there you are,” Karda said, catching her up. “Figured you’d get yourself settled rather quickly.”

“I’m not ‘settled,’” Jasra replied flatly. “I’m just heading to the bridge to use the com system.”

“Oh? Missing Master Verga already?”

Jasra stopped in her tracks and gave him a deadpan look. “Why would I miss him? I hardly know him.”

“What do you mean, you ‘hardly know him?’ He’s been your Master for the past five years.”

“I don’t remember that,” she said, starting toward the bridge again. “And I don’t see how you do either.”

Karda stopped her. “I remember,” he said, her arm firmly in his grip, “because it happened. And if you took time to meditate on it, you’d remember, too.”

“How can you ‘remember’ something that didn’t happen to you?” Jasra asked him. “You were with me on the Ebon Hawk. You were there when the Doctor sent us all back. It happened. This ‘new’ time line, its past, it didn’t happen. Not to me.”

“It did,” Karda said to her. “If it didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.”

“Well I’ve got other things on my mind at the moment.”

“Brax?” Karda asked, cocking his eyebrow.

“Yes.”

Karda sighed. “You’re a Jedi now. You don’t need him anymore.”

Jasra began to fume. “And just who are you to tell me what I need and don’t need? You’re not my Master.” She looked him up and down, then snorted. “I’m not even sure if you’re my friend.”

Before she could turn and walk away from him, Karda grabbed her arm. “How can you say that? I’ve only ever tried to help you. And you… you threw any advice I gave you back in my face and went with that… beast.”

“Brax isn’t a beast!” she said hotly. “He’s a Zedai priest! The leader of his people!”

“And you’re a Jedi,” Karda hissed. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, then dragged Jasra to a quiet alcove in the corridor. “You weren’t abandoned this time,” he said quietly. “You were found. You’ve been given a second chance. I thought that’s what you wanted. To be a Jedi Knight. Don’t throw away this opportunity to follow the path of the Light.”

“How can I get this through your head?” Jasra whispered back. “I’m. Not. A. Jedi. I was a Padawan learner—that’s all. I don’t remember being found and trained by Master Verga. How can I be ready for knighthood trials when I don’t remember having half of my training?”

“Your physical body remembers,” said Karda. “Meditate on it. You’ll find you remember more than you think you do.”

“Look, all I want to do is find Brax,” Jasra said. “That’s all. I don’t want to meditate, or remember, or do any Jedi things. Just find Brax.”

Karda gave her a strange look. “This ‘connection’ you have with him. It’s not just a Force bond. You’re obsessed by him,” he observed.

“I’m….” Jasra stopped herself saying that she was in love. “I’m concerned about him. He’s dying.”

“Dying? How do you know he’s dying? More dreams?”

Jasra bit the inside of her lip as she thought how to answer.

“You’ve connected with him through the Force?” Karda surmised.

“Yes,” she answered, thinking that there wasn’t anything to gain from lying about it. “And he needs me. Physically needs me present, or he’ll die. He and the rest of the Ebon Hawk crew are on Naboo. Now, let me go and contact him.”

“I told you, we are not deviating from our course until….”

“Look, I’m not planning on hijacking the bloody ship and going to Naboo! I just want to contact him so he can come to me.”

Karda took a moment to consider. “And the rest of the Ebon Hawk crew are with him? Kira, Atton... Revan.”

“And the Doctor,” Jasra added.

“The Doctor? But I thought….”

“So did I,” Jasra finished for him. “But Brax said he was there. And that he was… different.”

Karda raised an eyebrow at this. “You discussed this with Crystal?”

Jasra nodded. “And she agreed with you that finding Bastila was the more important thing to do. That’s why I wanted to contact Brax and have him meet us here. Please, Karda, let me contact him.”

Karda went over to a com panel on a nearby wall and contacted the Bridge. “Tylor? Contact the Palace at Naboo. See if their security people can locate any of the crew of the Ebon Hawk or anyone who calls himself ‘The Doctor’. If they're there, send them our co-ordinates so they could meet us if they so choose.”

Jasra breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now,” Karda said to her. “There’s something I want you to do for me.”

“What?”

“Come with me to the med bay,” he said, leading her down the corridor. “I want to run some tests on you.”

“Tests?”

“Tests. I suspect that your ‘obsession’ with Brax might be more than just a ‘Force’ bond.”

Brax had told the others not to disturb him, and so he woke up after having some horrible pains and lay on the floor in a pile. He frowned and pushed up slowly. The ship didn't sound right, they had landed in his unconcious time. He frowned and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He closed his eyes and focused, calming his body.

"We will see Jasra soon." He whispered to himself, a soft humm eminating from his lips, humming a song of his youth to calm his nerves. A song from his training, used to focus the mind.

The Zedai, much like the Jedi found young force adepts and trained them from as early an age as possible. But, unlike the Jedi, they were also encourged to mate with other force senstive Zedai, in hopes of having children that could also become Zedai. Brax was one such child, he had been trained since his first memories to know the force, to control and harness it. His childhood nursery rhymes, the songs his mother sang him to sleep with, his toys. Everything, had been designed to train and focus his mind into being what he was today.

But all of it was coming crashing down upon him, he couldn't focus, even his humming only kept him in control enough to 'seem' in control. He could still feel his hearts pumping a bit to fast, the faint slickness from his temperature being too high. He could feel several of his organs failing slowly, back up organs were working to take their place ... but the rate of detereration was making him ill. He sighed and slipped out of the room, looking around.

“Right,” Karda said to the medic as Jasra laid down on her back on the medical table. “I’d like you to run a chemical analysis on her blood. To see if there is anything…unusual.”

“Well, she doesn’t have to lay down to do that,” the medic said, picking up a hand held analyser and moving towards Jasra’s arm. “It’ll just take a sec…”

Karda stopped him. “I need you to do this while she’s meditating.”

“Meditating?” Jasra sat up. “I told you, I don’t want to….”

“I’d like you to see if you can re-establish contact with Brax,” Karda said to her obvious surprise. “And when you’ve made contact with him,” Karda turned to the medic, “that’s when I want you to run the analysis.”

The medic nodded. “Fine,” he said, with a skeptical undertone. “Just tell me when.”

Jasra let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know if I can do this with you two staring at me,” she said.

“Just relax and try,” Karda said, and he sat down in a chair a few feet away from her. He motioned for the medic to take the seat next to him. “I promise, we won’t interfere.”

Reluctantly, Jasra laid back down, then closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on Brax. What seemed like minutes passed, until finally, she felt herself drift further and further away, until she thought she could almost feel him…

”Brax?” she called out from her mind. “Where are you? You’re in pain. I can feel it. Where are you? How can I help you if I can’t find you? Brax….?”

"Jasra?" He wasn't mediting or unconious, he blinked a few times and then closed his eyes, sensing some... medical labratory. "Naboo ... " Had she not heard him the last time? "Where are you? I'll come to you ... I have my ship with me, the others are leaving the ship, looking for some other .. .time lord or something."

Jasra heard Brax answer her and immediately relaxed, comforted by his presence even though it was only faintly felt through the Force. “So, you are still on Naboo. Good. We've sent a message to the Palace to find you. I’m on a Republic ship,” she told him. “The Dreadless. In the Austrak sector. I don’t know the exact co-ordinates, the Palace on Naboo will. But even so, I found a hyperspace link that leads directly from Naboo… “

~~~~~
Karda was observing the medical monitors near Jasra. “There,” he said to the medic, pointing to a slight change in her blood pressure and heart rate. “Begin your sampling now.”

With a slight roll of his eyes, obviously indicating a lack of understanding of Jedi, the medic complied and he drew a sample of her blood. As the analysis came over the screen, the medic raised an eyebrow. “Now, that’s interesting,” he commented.

“What?”

“A marked increase in her serotonin and adrenal….” The medic looked at another monitor, then gave Karda a strange look. “She’s not a former spice addict, is she?”

“No,” Karda answered curtly. “Why do you ask?”

The medic shrugged. “I’ve seen hormone readings go off the chart like that before in addicts. They’re off it for a while, and then, when they get a little bit, they appear to relax, but in reality their hormone levels are going haywire. It makes them crave it even more. Nasty stuff.”

“Are there other substances that could give off the same sort of readings?”

The medic thought a moment. “Well, some species give of pheromones that act in a similar manner. Falleen, for instance. Served on a ship with one on board once, and some of the human crew had bad reactions when the Falleen disembarked. Increased agitation, sleeplessness, inability to focus on their jobs….”

“So, if Jasra had been exposed to a similar pheromone, you’re saying she could be going through some sort of withdrawl?”

“It’s possible,” said the medic. “Though it’s hard to explain how she’s able to elicit the production of serotonin by just ‘meditating.’”

Karda didn’t answer him. He knew how. She was ‘communing’ with Brax, and that little bit of contact was enough to elicit a response. “And what about the pheromone producer? If they were exposed to the pheromone, but then it was suddenly withdrawn, what effect would that have on them?”

“I really couldn’t say without examining them,” said the medic. “Although, if the circumstances for producing the pheromome couldn’t be replicated, I imagine that it could have severe consequences.”

“Death?”

“Possibly. With additional hormones running through the body, and no pheromome to counter-balance them, I suppose it could eventually result in death.”

“Is it possible to simulate the pheromome so we could ‘wean’ her off of it? Offset the effects?”

“It’s possible. But, again, I would have to know the specific species in question.”

Karda paused for a moment, then frowned. “Ever hear of an Omwati?”

The medic snorted. “Can’t say that I have. But if you come across one, let me know and I’ll give it a try.”
~~~~~

“…and intersects near to where we will be,” Jasra said to Brax. “Forget about the others. They don’t matter. Just come and find me. I miss you, Brax. Terribly. Please, come and find me.”

.

The soldier led them into the shade of the palace, where Rose removed her bulky sweater, panting.
"There are too many hills on this planet," she muttered.
The soldier turned to her as if to speak, but was cut off by another soldier coming up to him. "Sir," he said. "There's an incoming message from the Dreadless," he said. "They're looking for the Ebon Hawk."
"The Ebon Hawk? Why would she be here?"
"I don't know, sir. The pilot also mentioned a man calling himself 'the Doctor', and asked if he had been seen - apparantly, he usually pops up when their's trouble."
Rose smirked. "He does seem to have a knack for finding it," she giggled.
Her companion smiled. "As it so happens, I know where you can find this 'Doctor' fellow."
The soldier turned to him. "Well?" he asked impatiently, after a short silence.
He reached out a hand and shook the soldier's. "Hello!" he said happily. "I'm the Doctor."

"Everything's been taken care of." Atton said, leaning against the hull of the Hawk as the Exile descended the loading ramp. "The ship's registered and the docking fee's paid. We're good to go."
"Thanks." Kira said, smiling as she took a deep breath of the clean, fresh air of Naboo.

Tylor entered the med bay (if he's still there. If he's not I'm entering the room he is in now) "Mr.Karda. We've recived a reply Naboo. They have the "Doctor" in friendly custody and are awaiting our arrival. I've allready set a corse, since that was a location for the search for the jedi. We'll be arrivng there in less than half an hour."

"No, don't divert our course to Naboo just yet," Karda replied to Tylor. "We need to investigate Bastila's ship the Almanac and the surrounding area first. Just give the Palace Security on Naboo our co-ordinates. I'm sure the Doctor is resourceful enough to rendezvous with us if he so desires.

"Just let me know when we arrive at the Almanac. When we do, assemble a boarding party of marines. You'll be in charge of securing the ship. Her drives have been disabled by the Republic's scouts, but she's been adrift for a few days now, and may have 'uninvited' guests by now. Salvagers, pirates, who knows. While you secure the vessel, myself, Ms. Gray, and Padawan Lantill will join you onboard and look for any clues that may have been missed by the Republic the first time around."

He looked at the medic, and then at Jasra, who was beginning to come out of her meditative state.

"As soon as Padawan Lantill is through here, we'll join you on the bridge," he said to Tylor. "Understood?"

"Understood. Well we'll be at the Almanac in 15 minutes. As soon as I get this ship on corse, I'll gather a group of marines in the armoury." Marhshall then left the medbay and headed to the bridge to change the ships corse.

"I'm on my way Jasra." He said, blinking a few times ... the connection felt so weird, but it was calming. Very calming. He slipped out of the room, and down the ramp. Stopping to look where Kira, and Revan were also disembarking. "I have to go, I've found Jasra. We'll contact you once I've rendvoused with her, she's not that far from here."

He nodded and his ship decloaked, it was hovering int he air next ot the hawk. Having rode it's own hyperspace trail to naboo. He lept and landed int hte cockpit, and the ship disapeared again.

“You alright?” Karda said, looking down at Jasra as she came out of her meditative state.

“He’s coming,” she said calmly. "Brax. He's coming to me."

“And how do you feel?” Karda asked.

“Good.” Jasra grinned. “I feel… good. Perhaps meditation has its merits after all.”

Karda exchanged looks with the medic.

Jasra frowned. “What?”

“I think the reason may be more chemical in nature,” said Karda. “But we’ll find out more about that when your Omwati friend arrives.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, frowning.

“Pheromones,” said the medic. “We think you may have an addiction to one you’ve been exposed to.”

Jasra glared at Karda. “The bond is deeper than that, and you know it.”

“Perhaps,” Karda said. “Suppose we’ll find out when he gets here. In the meantime, we have work to do. We’ll be arriving at the Almanac soon, and Tylor will be sending a boarding party aboard. And we’re going with him. Crystal, too.” He turned and headed for the door. “I’ll meet you and Crystal on the bridge in ten minutes.”

Jasra sat up and stared at the closing door. Then she turned to the medic. “Pheromones?” She shook her head with disbelief, slid down off the table, and headed for Crystal’s room.

She tapped on Crystal’s door. “Crystal? We’re wanted on the bridge in ten minutes,” she called through the door.

Instead of any sort of verbal response, Jasra heard several thumps, crashes, and yells coming from Crystal's room. This went on for several seconds before Crystal came sliding along the ground through the still closed door. She slid across the hallway, stopping herself by putting her hands against the opposite wall. Getting up quickly, she walked back to Jasra.

"Well..." she said, straightening her clothing and her hair, both of which seemed to have evolved minds of their own. "That was... interesting." Shaking her head and clearing her throat, she looked at Jasra. "So I didn't catch that... where were we wanted?"

With a dubious look on her face, Jasra looked Crystal up and down. "You, me, bridge, ten minutes," she saidslowly. Her eyes flicked between the closed door and the dishevled Crystal. "Erm...what just happened here? You alright?"

Crystal's eyes flicked to the door and then she nodded. "I'm fine. Just..." She laughed softly and shook her head. "I'm definitely a different person than the one you got to know. More powerful." She laughed again. "And let's just say some of the new powers aren't as easy to control..." Sighing, she headed for her door and again passed through it. As if on a delayed reaction, the door opened behind her, allowing Jasra to enter.

The room was a mess. Half the lighting was damaged, the bed was a mess, clothes were scattered throughout the room, and the computer console Crystal had used before to look at hyperspace routes was sparking out one side and the screen was flickering.

Jasra looked around the room. "Nice," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "Love what you've done to the place. I had no idea you were into the chaos-grunge look," she added, grinning.

She jumped slightly, as a shower of sparks erupted from what used to be the computer terminal. "You know, I vote we don't tell Karda about this," she stated. "You?"

"Watch it," Crystal teased. "I can throw you against a wall harder than you could Force push me." She glanced out the window for a moment before turning back to Jasra.

"As for telling Karda..." Crystal began, stopping to look around the room. "I completely agree."

Without warning, she appeared to slip through the floor to her waist. Wincing slightly, she pushed on the floor with her arms, lifting herself out of a hole the size of her waist. Once she stood again, she turned to Jasra. "Not sure exactly what happened, but that kinda hurt..."

"I'd better watch it?" Jasra shook her head, and tried to keep a straight face. "You'd better be careful. You don't want to go sliding all the way through the hull. Although, not having to open locked doors might be handy when we get to the Almanac. Karda said we're boarding with Tylor's team. That's why he wants us on the bridge. And we'd better get going or he'll be sending someone down to fetch us."

She turned toward the door, standing in the threshold to keep it open for Crystal out of courtesy. "Oh, and Brax is coming here to meet us, by the way. Maybe he can help you control your new 'gifts'. You should talk to him when he gets here."

She and Crystal headed up to the bridge.

Karda was waiting for them, and gave Jasra and Crystal a look that said they were very nearly late.

"We're just approaching the Almanac," he said to them, pointing out the window of the bridge to a small Republic transport ship in the distance. "As soon as we dock, Tylor's team of marines will secure the vessel. There could be salvagers or pirates aboard her by now. Our job is to look for clues--personal logs, nav charts, anything that might have been missed to let us know where to start searching for Bastila."

Jasra nodded. "Understood," she said to Karda. Then she looked at Tylor. "Erm...there is another ship that will be arriving here soon. It won't be like anything you've ever seen before, but if it's been piloted by someone named Brax, it's friendly. Please instruct the crew not to fire at it, okay?"

Just an FYI that I've edited my post a bit and am waiting for someone else to post something.

"How do I know he's not an emeny? Is he a menber of your jedi order?" Tylor asked looking at Brax

(sorry for the short post)

((OOC: Brax isn't there yet, Steven. Jasra's just warning Tylor about him before he shows up.))

"Brax, a Jedi? Erm...not exactly." Jasra quickly glanced at Karda uncomfortably, then turned back to Tylor. "He's a... erm... well, he's a Force user, but he's not a Jedi."

Karda snorted. "I'll say," he muttered.

"But he's not a Sith, either," Jasra said quickly. "Contrary to certain other people's opinions," she added, glaring at Karda. "He's a friend. Well, my friend." Jasra felt herself blushing, and she turned slightly away from Tylor. "Just let your crew know not to shoot at him and to notify me when he arrives."

"Not that it will matter if you notify her," Karda commented to Tylor. "She'll know the second Brax arrives," Karda said icily. "Won't you?"

Jasra's jaw set at Karda's remark. "Brax's ship's called Ssss, Tylor. Just instruct your crew not to fire upon it."

((I ment Karda))

"Okay. Your the bosses." Tylor then walked over to his consel, press a butten and spoke into the microphone "Attention Gunners. We are expecting an ally ship to be heading in our location. Please wait for conferation from the bridge before opening fire apon any ships heading in the location."

Tylor then stepped back and turned to the jedi "Okay, now what?"

"Whenever you're ready, take your security team and board the Almanac," Karda said to Tylor. "If you find anyone aboard, I'd like them alive, if possible, just in case they may know something about the disappearance of the crew. But, why am I telling you this?" He grinned. "Captain Ford said that you were handpicked for this mission. I'm sure you know what to do. While you're securing the ship, my team will head to the Almanac's bridge and start looking for any clues on Bastila's whereabouts."

After a quick interrogation, Rose and her companion were taken to the communications terminal on the third level, where the soldier opened a channel to the Dreadless.
"She's all yours," he said, stepping back so that the Doctor could speak.
"Thank you," said the DOctor, nodding. "This is the Doctor. I wish to speak with Karda Jal-Ordo or Jasra Lantill. Or Crystal Grey, if she happens to be there."

"Mr.Tylor!" said the comm officer. Tylor walked over to him and the office informed Tylor of the call.

"This is the Doctor. I wish to speak with Karda Jal-Ordo or Jasra Lantill. Or Crystal Grey, if she happens to be there."

"All three are here." Tylor replied and told the comm officer to put the loud speaker. Tylor then threw Karda the microphone and said "It's for you. Some guy calling himself the Doctor."

Karda and Jasra both raised eyebrows, then exchanged looks with each other and Crystal. “That doesn’t sound like our ‘Doctor,’” Jasra said. “At least, not how I remember he sounded.”

“Maybe… maybe he ‘changed’ again,” said Karda. “Regeneration, I believe he called it. He did that after Brax….” Karda paused, and his expression became a bit smug. “After Brax fatally stabbed him on the Ebon Hawk. Or didn’t you know that?”

Jasra frowned. “No. I didn’t know that. But he must have had a good reason,” she added in Brax’s defense. "He wouldn't kill without a good reason."

"Denial and self-justfication. See? You're obsessed with him," Karda whispered to her in her ear, then he snorted with disdain, and went to the microphone. “Doctor? This is Jedi Knight Karda Jal-Ordo,” he said into it. “I would say it’s nice to hear your voice again, but….” He sighed. “Anyway, we heard that we might find you on Naboo. We could really use your help in the matter of a missing Jedi. Would you, erm, care to assist us?”

Jasra rolled her eyes. “’Would you care to assist us?’ What kind of lame request is that?! Just tell him that you suspect something is messed up in time and that he needs to fix it!” she hissed, just loud enough for the microphone to pick up her voice in the background.

Karda stared at her. “There is no passion, there is serenity," he quoted to her. "Meaning patience, Padawan. Remember, I’m in charge here, not you.” He cleared his throat and spoke into the mic again. “Doctor? What do you say? Are you able to render assistance in the matter? The Jedi Order would be most appreciative if you could.”

"It's seems you have very little trust in our marines, Jedi. And who are these people? First you got someone with a ship called the Ssss, and now some Doctor and some Rose. Anyone else joining?"

"There may be a few other Jedi joining us," Jasra volunteered to Tylor. "We need all the help we... can...." She slowed as she noticed Karda's stern look. "...get." She gave Karda a hopeful grin. "Right?"

Karda didn't reply to her. Instead, he turned to Tylor. "Tylor, I have every confidence in your marines when it comes to defence," he said. "In fact, I would speculate that they probably have more experience than a lot of us when it comes to routing out salvagers or pirates. But what could use is some extra pairs of eyes when it comes to looking for clues, and a few more brains in deciphering anything we find. The Doctor has some...unique expertise in deciphering hidden clues, and we could use his help. Brax, on the other hand," he said, looking at Jasra, "is only been called here to help Padawan Lantill with... a minor 'medical' problem. And once that is solved, he'll be on his way."

"He will not," Jasra muttered.

"He's only coming because of you," Karda said to her. "Once we've fixed your 'problem', then I'm sure he'll be on his way. He'll have no desire to help find a missing Jedi."

"He will stay if I stay," Jasra said. She reached out telepathically to Karda. "Our bond is deeper than you think."

"There may be a few other Jedi that may help us on this mission," Karda said to Tylor. "But rest assured, they will not interfere with your marines. I have every confidence in you, and your troops, to secure the Almanac." He looked out the window. It looked like they were getting close. "Are we close enough to dock with it now?"

The Doctor looked back at the soldier for a moment, then turned back to the comm. "Send me your exact co-ordinates, and I'll arrive as soon as I can."

Hearing the Doctor's response, Karda nodded. "I'm sending them to you now, Doctor," he said into the mic. Karda turned to their pilot. "Tylor? Please send the Doctor our exact co-ordinates. And I mean exact. The Doctor travels by rather...unconventional means. Any errors could be... well..."

"Bad," Jasra finished for him. Karda cleared his throat, clearly a sign that Jasra had again overstepped her boundaries. She bit her lip, then sidled over next to Crystal, putting her in between Karda and herself.

"And send a rough layout of the ship to the Doctor, too," Karda said to Tylor. "I know it's a strange request, but, believe me, it will be for the best." Karda didn't want the Doctor's TARDIS materialising in a bulkhead or someone's private quarters if he could help it.

Receiving the coordinates, the Doctor commited them to memory, and deactivated the comm panel. He turned to the soldier. "Well, so sorry, but we must be off."
"Wait a min-"
A screeching sound filled the air, and the TARDIS materialised beside the Doctor, he and Rose stepped inside, and the soldier raised his blaster.
"Get back here!" he said. The screeching sound began again, and he opened fire at the blue box. The shots bounced off harmlessly, and the TARDIS dissapeared into nothingness.

"It's hard to get our exact cordinants while we're moving. Put that'll screen on that consel over there should tell you. It's best to waiting untill we docked. But I should really get going now. My help isn't really needed in the bridge anywasy."


((IS there anything special you guys want me to bump into while my guy's on the Almanac))

((Steven, I've PM'd you about your question. Have fun with it!))

"Right," Karda said to Tylor. "Just let us know when you've secured the Almanac enough for us to board it." He nodded to Tylor, as the pilot left the bridge to assemble his team of Marines.

Karda turned to Jasra. "In the meantime, perhaps you should man the sensors, Jasra. Keep a lookout for any approaching ships. Or the Doctor's TARDIS," he added.

Jasra raised an eyebrow, surprised that Karda was allowing her to keep an eye out for Brax until it was time for them to board the Almanac. "Will do," she said, moving to the sensor station. "And, thanks," she added softly.

Karda merely nodded. "Crystal? I'd appreciate it if you would stay close to us when we investigate the Almanac. I know you can take care of yourself, but the Council did appoint you as an 'advisor', not a front-line officer. That means, no 'heroics' and going out on your own, if you please."

Jasra stifled a laugh, knowing full well that if Crystal wanted to do something on her own, no amount of words from Karda was going to stop her.

The Doctor leaned against the navigation console as the TARDIS shook slightly.
"Doctor, I've got a... light."
"What?" he asked, confused.
"A blinking red light. Right in front of me."
Moving towards the console she stood at, he glanced at the controls quickly.
"The temporal shielding is down. Not much of a problem, considering we're not leaving this time frame. I'll have to fix it before we leave - don't want to jump back to find that we don't exist, now do we?"
Pulling a lever on the next console, the TARDIS began to shake more, abruptly coming to a halt as the engines died down.
Mmoving to the door, he held it open for her, then stepped through it himself. Smiling at the dumbstruck look on the faces of the solderis, he rubbed his hands together excitedly and beamed at them. "Hello there," he said happily, addressing the whole of the bridge.

Karda raised an eyebrow. Jasra tried to suppress a giggle. The Doctor's blue police box TARDIS was smack in the middle of the bridge.

"Nice parking job," Jasra said cheerfully to the Doctor. And under her breath she said to Karda, "Guess the co-ordinates you sent were accurate. At least he didn't land in the refresher. Or on your foot."

Karda gave her a reproachful look, then turned to the unfamiliar man standing in front of the large blue box. "Doctor?" he said, holding out his hand with some trepidation. "I'm Karda Jal-Ordo. You're...different than I remember."

"He's cuter than I remember," said Jasra, trying desperately to supress the grin on her face. In fact, he looked a lot younger than she would have imagined he would have looked. Strange, but at the same time, refreshing. "Erm... you do remember us, don't you?" she asked the Doctor.

"Of course, of course," said the Doctor, shaking Karda's hand. "Though I don't know why - I shouldn't have. But no matter. This is my companion, Rose Tyler. Rose, this is Karda, a Jedi Knight. I have tod you about the Jedi, have I not?"
"Not exactly," said Rose.
"Ah... well then, there'll be time for that later. Right now, we need to get down to business."

“Right,” said Karda. “What we need your help on is finding a missing Jedi. Bastila Shan. She was travelling aboard that ship,” he pointed to the Almanac through the bridge’s window. “The Almanac, along with some prospective padawans. And they’ve just disappeared without a…”

“Wait just a minute,” Jasra interrupted. “That’s not the reason why I wanted the Doctor to come here.”

Karda gave Jasra a look of surprise. “That’s our mission, Jasra. To find out what happened to Bastila and the inititates. The Doctor has additional resources that may help us find them.”

“So? That’s your mission,” she said. “Not his. What about our little ‘time’ problem. Things aren’t exactly like they were before….” She paused, and looked at the Doctor. “You sent us back...wrong. Things happened that didn’t happen before. History has changed.” She looked down at her Jedi clothing. “A lot.” Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed Rose. "And what happened to your companions Nyssa and Tegan?" Jasra asked. "Did you change their history, too, and replace them with...Blondie?"

Ssss came out of hyperspace smoothly, still cloacked her surveyed the area, two ships. One looking rather dead, the other attached and likely boarding it. He frowned though something wasn't right, and then he saw what. A third ship, it was hiding and only his angle revealed it, attached tot he hull of the dead ship.

Jasra, there's another ship on the one you guys are boarding, stuck up on the underside of the hull, and using minor cloacking tech to apear to just be part of the hull. He smiled, feeling her so close. And you feel really good, can you get me clearance to dock? or board if they don't have fighter bays ... something I want to see you.

He came in closer, weapons readying if they needed him to take care of the other ship.

(And just so everybody is clear, nobody but Jasra knows brax has arrived, the ship DOES NOT sense him.)

Jasra started to say something else, but suddenly, hearing Brax's voice run smoothly through her thoughts, she paused. Then, slowly, a smile crossed her lips. Brax. The very thought of him made her breath quicken with anticipation.

“Forgive, Jasra’s abruptness, Doctor,” Karda apologised to both Rose and the Doctor. “She hasn’t quite been herself…. Wait. Let me rephrase that. She’s been exactly herself. Her old self, if you know what I mean. Not what she is supposed to be in this time. Crystal and I seem to remember events that happened in the past, but she doesn’t. Whether that’s intentional or not, I’m not entirely sure.”

While Karda spoke to the Doctor, Jasra turned away from them, seemingly to examine the scanning console. Her back turned to them, she lightly closed her eyes to strengthen her connection with Brax.

”Brax...it’s good to feel you so close, too. Forget the other ship for now. We have Marines boarding. Let them take care of it. Right now, the only thing important to me is seeing you. Healing you.”

Her connection with Brax now strong enough for her to multitask without destroying it, she opened her eyes. A few taps on the console and she was able to bypass security and bring up the hanger controls. ”I’m opening up the port hanger bay doors,” she told him through their link. “You can bring the ‘Ssss’ in there. Keep it cloaked for now though. There are some aboard who don’t anticipate your arrival in the same way I do.”

"Jasra? Is something wrong?” Karda’s suspicious tone caught her attention. “Is there something out there?" he asked, peering over her shoulder at the scanners then looking out through the window.

Jasra glanced down at the console. "The scanners haven’t detected anything," she said, knowing full well that if she lied, Karda would know it. And if Karda suspected that Brax had arrived, she knew he would do his best to prevent her from seeing him. And she wasn't about to let that happen. “Why do you ask?”

"Because I can sense that your pulse is quickening," Karda observed. "And, you’re looking a bit…flushed.”

"Must just be my non-Jedi feelings getting the better of me again," she replied. "You know how undisciplined I am. The anticipation of a boarding mission is just a bit more than I can handle. Perhaps, I’m in need of some ‘guided meditation’ before we board,” she suggested, although with a hint of sarcasm.

”Brax?” she said through her telepathic connection. “I’m going to board the ship with Karda, Crystal, and quite possibly, The Doctor and his new blonde friend in a few minutes time. Can you slip through the ‘Dreadless’ undetected and meet me on the ‘Almanac’? It’s the only sure way I’ll be able to see you without interference from the others."

Karda stared at her for a moment, then said, "I don’t think that’s necessary. Just try to set aside those thoughts and keep your focus on the task at hand.” He turned to the Doctor. “When we get back from the Almanac, Doctor, perhaps you can help me in the med lab to determine a method of reducing the effect of pheromones on a person who is overtly sensitive to them."

Jasra let out a soft dismissive snort. “I told you, Karda, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

“We’ll discuss that when we get back,” Karda said abruptly. “Doctor, we’re just waiting on the word from our pilot Tylor and his marines that it’s alright to board the Almanac to investigate and look for clues to the crew’s sudden and mysterious disappearance. You and Rose can come along if you like. With a squad of marines, two and,” he glanced quickly at Crystal, “a half Jedi, I think you’ll be safe enough.”

There was the sound of the Dreadless docking with the Almanac.
In airlock, a group of marines, along with Tylor, were waiting for the green light and the airlock door to open. When the green light appeared the airlock doors slided up.

The marines pointed their guns out in front of them and left the Dreadless and entered the Almanac, two at a time. After all marines in the group had entered, Tylor spoke into his comlink "Group A has successfully entered the Almanac. First room clear, no lights and no tests have been take but i think Life support systems are on."

"How can you be so sure? We're all wearing state of the art republic combat suits that keep us alive when there no life support systems on.." Stated one of the marines.

"Simple. There's a wamp rat in the vent" replied Tylor pointed to vent, there was a chunk of it missing. Though the missing peace a hairy and filth rat could be seen. Tylor walked over to it and smashed the vent -along with the rat- with the end of his gun. He shone his gun's flashlight down the vent and spoked into the com "We're going to need someone small to fit through the air vent. If my memory serves me correct this one leads to a room on the same level as the bridge."

"Alright, I think we'll tag along, then," he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Tell me," he said, suddenly serious. "How much do you remember of the other time line? How clear are those memories?"

After Tylors group had cleared the room and the wall way, they split up. One group went up the hallway, the other group went down the hallway. Tylor went with the group going up. It wasn't really longer, just a few steps, turn a corner and there was the door.

"It's locked, and damaged. I dought we'll be able to hack this thing open." Reported one of the marines.

"It's the same this side" said one of the marines from the othergroup via com-link.

"I think the ventilation system is the only way we can get around the ship. Tylore, if you took off the marine suit, I reckon you'd be able to fit through." pointed out a marine.

"Okay. Give me a hand getting out of this suit. I'm glad I decided to wear my clothes on under this."

Karda gave the Doctor a curious look. "You know, it's strange. At first, I could remember everything quite clearly in the other time line, and events in this one seemed to be almost like... like remembering the events in a story someone told me. But now, it's gradually becoming the other way around." He paused. "Is that 'normal', Doctor? I mean, you're the expert on time related anomalies. Is that how it's supposed to be?"

"Get word back to us right away if and when you find the Ebon Hawk or the foreigner."
"Of course, sir."
"Dreadless out."

Kira looked up, her eyes moving from Revan to Atton as the message finished. She turned to the soldier next to them.
"That's all there is?"
"That's it, ma'am."
With a quick salute, the soldier turned and returned to his post, leaving them alone.
"So he's looking for the other Timelord..." Kira murmured. Given the descriptions Karda had told the security captain, she had deduced that it could be no one else.
"He's also looking for us..." Atton added. "It sounded pretty urgent. Maybe something's wrong?"

"I remember it all," Crystal interrupted quietly. "From the time Togo hired me fresh off Dantooine to the time the timeline was restored. All of it." She frowned. "And yet I also remember what happened in this timeline. My argument with Karda that caused me to go to Coruscant and become a..." She trailed off abruptly as if she hadn't meant to be talking in the first place. Shaking her head slowly, she sighed.

"But it's sorta like Karda was describing," she went on. "The memories were so clear at first. But they're fading slightly... not so much as his seem to be. But I'm not the Crystal Gray that ran from the Enclave after stealing a Jedi ship. I'm like her... but not quite like her." She sighed.

"Why does time have to be so twisted?" she complained. "I-I mean... I don't mean to say I regret what's happened... I-I-I just..." Frowning, she put a hand to her head. "It's just so... confusing."

"The memories of the former timeline will eventually fade into a state similar to that of a vivid dream. Parts will no longer make sense, and certain memories will disappear altogether: names such as Thanatos, Nyssa, Tegan...
"For some reason, there are still ripples in the timeline. Perhaps the damage is more extensive than I first anticipated..."

~~~

"I say we forget about Naboo," said Revan. "Let's find Karda. He may need our help."

"Our friend the Doctor won't be too happy about it..." Atton murmured.

"well, we'll worry about him later," said Revan, pulling up the navigation chart. "If he wants to stay here on Naboo, he can stay on his own. He doesn't need us to protect him."

"Got the codes?" Kira asked, and when Revan nodded, she turned with a small smile. "Then off we go."
Karda, Jasra, and Crystal...the gang is back in town.