The Kushiban's Trail

[Knight Staedtler]

It was a normal day. The winds were as lively as ever as they raced across Vortex's surface, and an eerie distant whistling could be heard as they whipped through the Cathedral. It was clear and bright out and, despite the hearty blustering, pleasantly warm. Such weather made it positively inconcievable to remain indoors, a conclusion many of the resident Jedi had come to. Though not an enormous population, they were enough to create a peaceful scene as they ambled and sparred in the welcoming afternoon.

It was a normal day.

A few miles east of the Jedi safehaven, sheltered in a curve of cliff, sat two inhabitants. They were facing each other, one figure large and the other considerably smaller, in perfect mimic. After a busy morning, a brief repose had been in order and so Wyl Staedtler and his Padawan, Ever Talbot, had packed off for some secluded meditation.

Wyl took a slow, deep breath. It had taken years of persistance on his Master's part for the man to find peace in meditation. Where once he'd used any excuse to avoid it (including telling Daria he'd been possessed by a dark spirit that would kill him if he tried), the Knight now sought out opportunities to still the racing, scattered thoughts that gathered in his mind. It was a calming act.

A stifled giggle drew his attention to the girl across from him. At twelve, Ever had yet to discover the same sense of appreciation. Wyl could sense her restlessness, and he shifted position ever so slightly.

"Ever." The man almost smiled as she froze, a sheepish feeling evident through their bond. Wyl kept his eyes shut and his face betrayed nothing. He couldn't really blame her; she'd been sequestered for the last hour. "You're not concentrating, young one."

[Ever Talbot]

"I'm sorry."

There was another giggle, then the girl "shhed" someone. Wyl squinted one eye open, just in time to see Ever start to skip away. She wasn't normally this disobedient, but she had just seen the cutest little thing EVER! It was kinda of fluffy, and white, and oh so adorable! Her giggles could be heard as she raced after the little creature, out of her Masters' sight.

[Knight Staedtler]

Oh for...

Wyl was quick to get to his feet, shaking his head in a mixture of exasperation and surprised amusement. Being distracted was one thing, but tearing off wildly was different ground altogether. The man broke into a brisk jog in the direction that his apprentice had scattered, the cheery sound of her laughter leading him on.

She'd not got far and it was a matter of minutes before he caught up to the girl. He managed to hook a finger in the the collar of her shirt, effectively jerking her to a halt. Wyl looked down at the runaway scamp with raised eyebrows, disaproval evident in the crease-lines of his forehead.

"You're hardly going to benefit from our lessons if you can't listen, Padawan." The Jedi took a breath, intending to continue, but was stopped as a subtle movement alerted his eye to the presence of something white and fluffy. Crouching down, his face a study in bewilderment, Wyl looked intently into the long grass. There was something living there, he could sense it, but it was impossible to pinpoint. Slippery, somehow.

Reaching forward, Wyl parted the grass with one hand. Nestled in the sweet-smelling growth was a small white creature. It had long, floppy ears and a tail to match them, and in place of paws were little white-furred hands. It studied Master and Padawan with big black eyes curiously, tilting it's head to the side. The creature's coat appeared to be rather soft, and the little thing was sitting with such a distinguished air about it that Wyl wouldn't have been surprised if it started talking.

"Blast, what the devil is it?" He exclaimed, his mouth open in wonder. Wyl had spent twenty years on Vortex and never before had seen the species. The Knight glanced at Ever, now crouched beside him. "Have you ever seen it before?"

[Ever Talbot]

"Eeeek!" She nearly tumbled back as Wyl pulled on her shirt. He was about to go into what would probably be a lonnnnnnnnnnnng lecture, when he noticed the little creature too.

Ever was crouched down low, a huge grin on her face. "No, but it's really cute! Can we keep it? Please, Master Wyl?"

By now the girl was holding out bits of greenery for the animal, making little kissy noises to try and coax it closer.

[Knight Staedtler]

Wyl made a 'tch' noise and batted Ever's hands away from the little being. Disregarding the girl's injurious glare, he shook his head. "Don't touch it, we don't know anything about it."

"It's cute!" Ever retorted, in a tone that bespoke her knowledge of everything in the universe. Wyl pointedly ignored her.

There was something about the fuzzy creature that he didn't like. Despite it's adorable appearance and calm aura, it had a sort of ominous feel to it. The Jedi would have sworn he could discern latent Force potential emanating from the tiny animal, if not for the fact that he still couldn't quite get a sense off it. It's abiguity made Wyl uneasy.

Ever offered the leaves again and Wyl lightly grabbed her wrist, stopping it's forward motion. "Padawan." He used his best 'Master' voice. "Do not. It might be dangerous."

[Ever Talbot]

"But....it has floppy ears," for emphasis, she twitched both ears and smiled as sweetly as humanly possibly. "Just like me! It can't be dangerous, look at it! It's adorable!"

She pulled her wrist forward, with his hand still on it, and the little animal moved forward. It plucked a leaf from her hand, sending the girl into another fit of giggles as it sat back and started munching. "See? See? It eats plants!"

[Knight Staedtler]

"It probably eats children who don't listen, too." Wyl muttered, releasing his hold on Ever's wrist. He eased back, watching his apprentice and the creature intently, ready to spring into action if anything should happen.

There was just something not right.

The Jedi rubbed a broad hand across his face, disquieted. With careful hestiance, Wyl nudged Ever. "Let me try."

She handed him a branch laden with leaves, a cheerily hopeful grin on her youthful face. The girl had no doubt already named the alien and begun envisioning it's place in their quarters.

Wyl slowly crept forward, leaves extended in offering, until his was mere few inches away from the white creature. The man stared at it; it stared back. They remained that way, just holding one another's gaze, until it seemed as though a foreboding air had set around them. Wyl flinched first, jerking the leaves away.

In a flash the creature was bounding away.

Wyl jerked to his feet, an unexplainable urge to follow seizing him. "Come on!" He yelled over his shoulder to Ever as he burst through the thick grass.

[Ever Talbot]

"Awww! Come back, Declan!"

If they <i>could</i> take the animal home, that's what she would name it. If it was a boy; she didn't think of a girls name. Her brow furrowed slightly as she tried to keep pace with Wyl, the grass crunching under her sandaled feet.

"Declan, wait! Master Wyl won't hurt you!"

[Knight Staedtler]

The damnable little thing--Declan, apparently--was startlingly fast. It's small size made it difficult to track visually, and the fact that he could only grab snatches of it's whereabouts through the Force meant that they were virtually running blind.

Wyl leapt over a matted clump of grass, powering on as a flash of white tail dissapeared just ahead. He could feel Ever behind him, doing her best to keep pace. There was no time to pause and wait for the girl. With a burst of reknewed speed, Wyl charged forward in pursuit.

He was so caught up in reaching out for some indication of the little life form, that he very nearly forgot to be aware of the terrain around them.

The ground in this particular area was soggy with absorbed water, and the soil gave beneath feet very easily. Wyl skid to a halt, feet grinding deep into the spongy earth mere inches from a perfectly round pit. The hole was quite large, at least six feet in circumferance, and so deep that he couldn't see the bottom. All round the edge was tender grass shoots, as if someone had just planted seed to grow into camoflauge.

Footsteps came within hearing distance and Wyl turned in time to see Ever barrelling towards him. "Padawan, stop!" He yelled, raising his hands.

She did, but did so by crashing into him. Wyl tumbled backwards, Ever in tow, into the pit. The Jedi had just enough presence of mind to call upon the Force and slow Ever's fall before he landed with a hard crash at the bottom of the cavity.

Wyl looked up blurrily to the bright-edged lip of the cavern to see Declan staring down at them, before he passed out entirely.

[Ever Talbot]

She shrieked, closing her eyes tightly and putting her arms in front of her to absorb the impact from the fall. She could feel Wyl slowing her descent, with the Force, before they both landed with a groan. Ever kept her eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Master Wyl lay motionless underneath her tiny form; he was breathing, and she could feel him through their link in the force.

Several long, horrible moments passed, before Wyl stirred and opened his eyes. Ever was sitting beside him now, knees drawn up to her chin and tears streaking her face.

[Knight Staedtler]

"Uhng..." Wyl's eyes slivered open, then scrunched shut. The base of his skull was pounding where he'd hit it, but a cursory check revealed nothing else of great injury.

A sniffling to his left made Wyl roll over and sit up, slowly. The sudden change in elevation made his head spin, and for a moment he thought he'd have to lie down again. It passed, however, and Wyl turned his attention to the child beside him.

Ever stared at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. He reached out and clasped her dirt-stained knee, patting it gently. "Are you alright?"

[Ever Talbot]

She nodded a little too hard, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Uh-huh. Are you?"

Ever wished she was older, wiser. More of a Jedi Healer, and less of a little useless padawan. If Wyl was injured, she wouldn't know what to do. He seemed fine, but untill she heard it from his lips, she'd remain worried.

While he was passed out, she had taken a quick look around the hole. Roots from long dead trees stuck out of the walls at odd angles, up too high for her to reach at 4' 9" tall. They might not even be able to support their weight. Declan was nowhere to be seen - which secretly disappointed the girl - and the sky was starting to darken. She supposed they could call out with the Force for help, but who knew how long it would take for the other Jedi to find them?

Ever stiffled a whimper, resisting the urge to hold onto Wyl and burst into tears. "I was worried."

[Knight Staedtler]

He nodded. "Yes, I'm sure you were. But I'm alright, and even if I weren't you wouldn't be alone. There's always the Force." The worry on Ever's face visibly lessened.

Wyl got his feet, holding a hand out to give Ever a lift up, and surveyed their surroundings. The hole was quite deep, he estimated twenty feet, and the dirt walls were extraordinarily smooth.

Odd, Wyl thought as he pressed a hand to the cool earth. It was as if someone had spent much painstaking time sculpting this hold.

Grabbing hold of a thick root, Wyl gently tested it's strength by easing himself onto it. The man hung for a few moments, his weight supported by the growth. "I think we may be able to climb out, Padawan. Look here," he kicked a toe at the wall, creating a divot. "It's soft enough to create footholds. Let's give it a try."

Wyl hoisted himself up again, digging his feet into the wall, and began to scale carefully to the top. It was, thankfully, an easy process albeit a slow one. Every few feet Wyl paused to wait for Ever, who seemed to be less trusting of the roots.

Nevertheless the two made it to the top. It was with relief that Wyl hoisted his Padawan up the last few feet. The two sat in a heap at the edge of the pit, dirt smearing their faces. He grinned at the girl, reaching out to smear more mud across her cheek. "Well, we've survived a rather peculiar adventure. Something to tell the others when we get back, at least."

A rustling in the bushes made Wyl pause; was it Declan? Nudging Ever and motioning silence with a finger to his lips, Wyl dodged into tangle of brambles from which the hole was clearly visible.

[Ever Talbot]

They climbed for what seemed to the young girl like forever, collasping in a heap at the top of the hole. With a slightly annoyed look, she wiped the smudge of mud Wyl had wiped on her face on her sleeve. Which only made her face DIRTIER!

She was about to say something, when the bushes began to rustle. She followed on his heels as he hid behind some prickly bushes nearby. She really wanted to SAY something, to call out to whatever was there (which would, A. Scare whatever it was away, or B. if it was friendly, hopefully bring it closer), but held her tongue, watching the area surrounding the pit quietly.

[Knight Staedtler]

If it were Declan, he was going to throttle the life out of the little beast.

Oh. Wyl glanced down at Ever, remembering her devout attatchment to anything of the small and fuzzy variety. Perhaps a more diplomatic solution would be called for.

Before he could decide on a humane way of catching the fluffball, one that would still afford him a sense of satisfaction, the rustling grew louder. Wyl stilled, eyeing the clearing intently.

The figure that burst into the clearing couldn't have surprised him more if it had been Obi-Wan Kenobi himself.

"Frell me." Wyl breathed, going pale.

[Wyl Staedtler]

"Hi-ya!"

Wyl Staedtler bounded out of a heavy weave of grass and bush, a large stick in his small hand. The boy spun around, brandishing his weapon fearsomely, and quickly battered the patch into a mass of broken stalks and branches. The stick spun about in his hand delicately, while the boy hummed lowly under his breath.

Satisfied that his opponent had been sufficiently put to rest, Wyl pressed the invisible button on his stick. With a manufactured hiss, the "lightsabre" was disengaged.

It was getting dark and if he didn't want to earn additional meditation time(it was the worst), he ought to start back. With a sigh, Wyl cast aside his stick and turned in the opposite direction to start back home.

And then he saw the hole.

"Whoa! Cool!" Wyl yelped, running over and dropping to his belly to look over the edge. The boy's eyes widened in awe and he scrambled about the ground to find a stone to toss over the edge.

Vaugely aware of a sound nearby (probably the wind) Wyl concentrated on finding other things to throw into the pit, wondering briefly if the roots growing down the side would hold his weight so he could climb down.

[Ever Talbot]

Ever let out a louder than she should've let out gasp. Master Wyl SWORE! He NEVER EVER EVER swore! He had punished her when she swore, <i>once</i> -- at least she had a good reason, she'd stubbed her toe. He was just swearing, well, she guessed to swear. Grown-ups were very weird, she decided, her attention returning to the clearing.

A little boy had come into view, playing with a stick in that way only boys' play with sticks. His shout had made her jump, just a little, and now he was laying on his stomach, looking into the hole. Ever gave Wyl a look that said "He's going to fall in!", before marching out from the bushes.

Small, three-digit hands settled on her hips, and she put on her best Jedi tone of voice. "Hey, you better be careful! You're gonna fall in there and not be able to get out!"

[Knight Staedtler]

"Padawan, no--" Wyl hissed as Ever marched out, reaching out to grab her and missing. He watched with a pained expression as the tiny girl put her hands on her hips, an authorative stance, and began warning... him.

No, it couldn't be him.

The boy turned around, startled. With a sense of disbelief, the Knight stared at his eight-year-old self.

It wasn't possible.

Wyl stared at the scene unfolding, feeling as though the planet had tilted even further on it's axis than normal. Well, there was nothing for it now. With a lurch, he unfolded himself out of their poor hiding place and crossed to stand by his apprentice.

For a moment he almost reached out a hand to steady himself, as he met the boy's eyes--his eyes--and offered an unsure nod.

[Wyl Staedtler]

With a surprised yelp, Wyl jerked to his feet and backed away from the strange girl. He'd never seen her before in his life and the last time a stranger had come to Vortex, someone had gotten stabbed and practically died.

Picking up his stick from where he'd cast it down, Wyl glared at the girl. "You aren't the boss of me! Who are you anyway?" He swung the stick to point at her. "What're you doin' here?"

Just then a rather tall man crashed out of the bush. Wyl stumbled backwards a few steps, mouth open and eyes on the new stranger (who looked familiar, somehow). A kid was one thing, an adult quite the opposite. The boy raised his stick above his head, aiming to strike.

"DON'T MOVE!"

[Ever Talbot]

"Leave my master alone!"

Ever snatched the stick from the boys' hands (it was nice to be taller than someone for a change!) and snapped it in half. She'd never felt more mad at anyone than she did right then.

"He's a Jedi, he won't hurt you! He's a good guy!" Ever huffed, and looked the boy over again. "Are you a new padawan or something? You should really be back home, it's getting dark out. Whoever your master is, I bet they're worried about you!"

[Knight Staedtler]

Things were escalating and he hadn't even had a chance to stop his mind reeling. The boy- and Wyl had to distance him like that, for sanity's sake - was stiff with alarm. Granted, Ever's yelling wasn't helping things, although it did seem to shift the boy's fear to indignant offense.

Wyl briskly grabbed the two halves of stick from his apprentice, before she started throwing them. They clattered together as they were tossed aside, drawing little Wyl's eyes over to them. One could practically see him trying to figure out how to retrieve them to use as weaponry.

"Padawan, please." Wyl pressed a thumb and forefinger against his eyes, hard. If this wasn't a dream, then there had to be a reason why it was happening. Perhaps it was some sort of intense vision with physical manifestations?

That was the stupidest thing he'd ever thought. Wyl shook his head and drew a calming breath; He couldn't very well let Ever continue to reem him. It would only magnify the weird-factor if his padawan began to tussle with himself-twenty-years-ago. Wyl knelt down slowly, so he was level with the child.

"Hello there. Don't be afraid, Ever here is telling the truth. We're Jedi," He pushed back his long coat, setting his lightsabre into sight. "See?"

The boy took a tiny step forward, to get a better look. Wyl smiled warmly but didn't move; he'd let the child set the boundaries. By some small miracle, Ever had seemed to get over her prior affront and was following his lead. "Sorry we frightened you, we thought you might be an animal."

"There's nothin' this close in." little Wyl said loftily. His shoulders had dropped somewhat, and Wyl could feel the little boy prodding at them with the Force. He sent a wave of reassurance to the child, confirming their well-being.

"That's a relief, isn't it Ever?" Wyl stood up, not thinking, and his sudden movement caused the boy to dart backwards. The Knight took a step forward, his mouth twisting apologetically. "No, no, it's alright Wyl--"

When the boy froze, he realized his mistake.

[Wyl Staedtler]

"How d'you know my name?" Heart thumping, Wyl backed away from the two strangers. The first thought that came to mind was that the two were friends of Daria or Serena's and were visiting; only, if they were visiting, why were they skulking about the outskirts of the enclave?

Truth hit him with plummeting force; they'd come. The people from Coruscant who'd killed his mother had somehow tracked them all the way to Vortex!

He didn't wait to hear an answer. Terrified, Wyl pushed out with the Force as he darted past the malicious pair. It was doubtful it did anything - his control was minimal, at best - but the familiar connection provided comfort.

"MASTER! MASTER SERENA! RHI-" The boy's screaming was cut short as a hand clamped down across his mouth. A weight about his waist sent Wyl tumbling into a heap on the ground, limbs tangled with another's. Screeching, the sound muffled by palm, Wyl bit down as hard as he could on the extremity.

[Ever Talbot]

Ever let out the LOUDEST swear she had said in her whole entire life when the kid - Master Wyl had called him Wyl?! Wha?!?! - bit down on her palm. She could feel teeth break through the skin, blood flow from the wounds and down her hand. She pulled it away and started hitting the boy all over. Master Wyl quickly dragged the pair apart, each of them swinging wildly at each other.

"Master Wyl!!!! He's gonna get us into trouble, and we didn't even do anything!"

[Knight Staedtler]

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALP!"

"Shutup, or I'll bite you back! Shh!"

It was like holding two hissing felinxes from each other. Wyl kept clear of the flailing limbs, aware that children could pack quite a blow when incensed. Giving them each a shake didn't seem to do anything and so the Knight threw his own voice over theirs, loudly.

"Enough!" He barked, jerking his shin out of the way as the boy kicked a foot out. It startled a few seconds of silence out of the two before young Wyl began yelling again.

"HAAAAmmmphh-" With a grim frown, Wyl clamped a hand over the boy's mouth, careful to keep a firm hold on his jaw so that he didn't end up with knawed digits like his apprentice. "Ever, come on."

They jogged quickly back to their 'home base', Wyl tucked under Wyl's arm. The Knight was fairly sure they'd been out of earshot of the enclave, and with the high winds he doubted the boy had been heard. Still, anxiety was practically dripping off the child and it wouldn't take much longer for someone to investigate.

"Let me see your hand," Keeping the boy contained against his side, Wyl knelt and held out his free hand for Ever's. It wasn't terrible, which was a blessing because healing had never been his strength. Concentrating (a feat, under the circumstances), Wyl alleviated the minor wound and then gave his apprentice a wink, patting her arm appreciatively. "Thank you for stopping him... although it might do to work on your diplomacy.

"Now, Wyl," Wyl, hand still clamped over his mouth, brought the boy front and centre. He stood rididly, eyes large and frightened. Looking at the child's pinched face, Wyl nearly winced. How the devil was he supposed to explain this when he didn't understand it himself?

Ever had been his apprentice for nearly six years and the man still found himself grasping at straws more often than not. Honesty, however, seemed always to serve as the better policy, as opposed to sugarcoating, when it came to the youngster.

And, come to think of it, it was what he'd been used to as a child.

"I know your name because," The Knight looked straight at the boy, his calm eyes holding the child's identicle terrified ones, "It's my name too. I'm Wyl Staedtler, and this is my apprentice Ever Talbot."

[Wyl Staedtler]

It didn't make any sense.

His eyebrows furrowed, uncertainty resting on the bridge of his nose. He was Wyl Staedtler, not this weird guy with the big nose. He would never associate with a girl as stupid as this Ever chick, that was proof enough.

Except...

Except this stranger, whoever he was, had something about him that was indescribably intimate. It wasn't just his appearance (for a moment Oa's face flashed through his mind), it was something else. A sort of worn-in feeling around his edges.

"If I let you go, you've got to promise me you won't yell." The man was saying. "Alright?"

A moment's hesitation, and then he jerked his head in affirmation. Free of any restraint, Wyl rubbed at his face which itched from the manhandling. His eyes skittered between the two strangers, narrowing slightly upon Ever, and then stopping on the man.

"Have you..." The boy licked his lips. "Have you ever been to Coruscant?"

[Ever Talbot]

She rolled her eyes at the mention of her diplomatic skills; not all Jedis had to be great diplomats. She rested her hands on her hips, trying to keep her eyes from bulging out of her head when her master said....that this little brat had the same name as he did?! Was he some illegitmate child Master Wyl had left behind after some whirlwind forbidden romance? Or an evil clone created to inflitrate the Jedi? The girls mind raced with the far-fetched plots she'd seen in a sudsy holovids -- none of this made any sense! She held her tongue, not really knowing what to say anyway.

[Knight Staedtler]

The man nodded, keeping careful study of the boy's face. He could see a tenuous thread of belief beginning to take hold. "I lived there, when I was a boy."

"Why did you - "

"Because my mother was killed." A sharp intake of breath was the only sound little Wyl made before his face folded into determined intent. There was an interrogation ahead, by the looks of things. Wyl made sure never to look away.

"Who else was there?" The boy fired, little arms crossing over his thin chest. Wyl nodded easily, lobbing back an answer.

"A man called Dasquian Belargic. There was another, too, but I never learned his name."

"What's your favourite food?"

"Kalla greens with fire sauce. But when I was your age? Pizza."

"What's your mom's name?" Realizing this was too easy, the boy blurted, "And what was her favourite band?"

"Oa Umi'u, and it was 'The Crash'. She named me after the lead singer, Wyl Leber and used to sing Skylane Soliloquy at night."

"..." This elaboration was information the boy had obviously not expected him to know. Wyl watched as he tried to think of something to say, feeling Ever's confused silence growing louder beside them. With nothing coming to mind, the child suddenly jerked up his right pant leg. Quick as a flash Wyl copied, rolling until his knee was bared.

They stared at each other's scars, the same jagged 'v' that looped over the thin skin of the patella. Wyl let loose a shaky breath, suddenly just as awed as his young self. "Hoverboarding accident, seven stitches."

[Wyl Staedtler]

Holy. Womp Rat.

This was for real.

Wyl was vaguely aware that his mouth now hung open, as he stared at Ever and the man. At himself. Only old. Really, really, really old. Older than Daria, even.

"So... you," A small index finger pointed at the man's chest, "Are... me?" The digit came to rest on his own collarbone. It was hard to imagine that this guy, with the spare grey hair and somber face, was him. Maybe it was like that book he'd read a long time ago, where the children went through the back of a closet and ended up in a far away land. This was a just a different place, was all.

"So she's my padawan," Wyl jerked a thumb at Ever with the distaste only a boy could muster towards a girl, "And we're the same person only you're old?"

For some reason the man's face twisted a bit at that, but he nodded. "It would seem so."

Wyl's eyebrows rose and the boy let that sink in. Then his lips turned upwards in a sly grin. "Wizard."

[Ever Talbot]

She muffled a snicker with her hand as "little" Wyl called her Master old. He <i>was</i> pretty old, compared to the younger version that stood in front of them. She stuck her tongue out when he jerked his thumb at her - would she get in trouble for teasing her, well, Master, but not her Master? It was all very confusing. Especially the "Wizard" comment.

Ever tugged on big Wyls' sleeve. "Can we go home now? This is way too weird..."

[Knight Staedtler]

"Yes, it is." Wyl agreed with Ever, finding the entire situation far less enthralling than his younger self seemed to. Eight-year-old Wyl was now gazing intently at his face, turning his head this way and that for different views. It must have been fascinating for the child, to be presented with age so personally. The freakishness was apparently quite easy to accept.

Ever was approaching the entire thing with the same confused hesitance as he was. Her suggestion about home was a welcome one. In fact, home had never seemed so appealing.

But they were home. A different time frame, granted, but it was home nonetheless. There were no clear steps to devise a way back - forward? - to where they came from. Wyl was almost positive that Declan was far more involved than they'd given him credit for.

Maybe we ought to hurl ourselves into that pit again, the man thought with a mental sneer. "We'll go home as soon as it's possible, Padawan," Wyl paused, "Which isn't now."

And actually, it wasn't entirely dissapointing.

Little Wyl pumped his fist in victory. "Alright! You can come back with me! There's tons of space and, um, you already know everybody, right? This is so cool! Can I see my lightsabre?"

The boy bounded closer, pulling a face at Ever. His hands stretched out eagerly, practically vibrating with excitement. Wyl shook his head; the last thing he wanted to give this kid was a weapon. "No, Wyl, and I don't think we'd better come back with you either."

[Wyl Staedtler]

Wyl's face fell, and not because of the lightsabre. "How come? It's not because of her is it?"

He jerked his chin at Ever with a scowl; girls were weird sometimes, and generally tried to muck things up. Why he'd ever picked her for an apprentice was certainly unclear.

"No, it's not because of Ever." The man was saying. "I'm not sure everyone would react as well as you to our arrival, Wyl."

What the heck was he talking about? Of course they would, they knew him! It was him. The boy shrugged. "Then I'll go first an' tell 'em. That way they aren't surprised and don't have to worry about getting attacked."

[Ever Talbot]

"What?!"

Her arms immediately folded over her chest, brow furrowing and a seriously angry pout formed on her lips. Like any of this was <i>HER</i> fault?!

"Do you reallllly think everyone is going to be fine with people from the FUTURE just magically appearing out of nowhere? They probably aren't going to just be happy with us staying there - they're going to want to know about all the stuff we have back home, and that might wreck...stuff! And things!"

[Wyl Staedtler]

"Oi! You can't yell at me!" Wyl hollered indignantly at Ever. Propping his thin arms on his hips, the boy assumed what he thought was a rather intimidating pose. He wasn't sure if he had any real authority, not yet at least, but he certainly wasn't going to let some uppity girl lecture him just because she was a few years older and from the future.

"If you're so smart, you figure out how to get back to where you got here from!" he growled. A hand waved expressively. "Maybe we can help, did you ever think of that?!"

With a snort Wyl shook his head. "Besides, I gotta go back and my master will know something's wrong! She always knows!"

[Knight Staedtler]

Wyl stepped bodily between the two before things came to fisticuffs. "Let's settle down, shouting's not going to fix anything." A sigh escaped the Jedi's mouth and he bent down, rubbing a broad hand across his jaw. "Ever's right, Wyl."

The lad looked positively mutinous at that, while Ever gloated over Wyl's shoulder. It was growing ever darker and the boy would be missed if things didn't come to a solution. Wyl paused, mulling it over. "What if - you can't simply say that you've found two Jedi in the brush, who just happen to be from a different time period, one of which is you. Nobody'd believe you."

The boy didn't say anything, just glowered. Bloody hell, had he really been this stubborn as a child?

"But you're right, Daria will know that something's happened. Tell her," Wyl's eyes scanned the small area and came to rest on the black outline of their previous pen. "Tell her that you nearly fell in a hole and it gave you a fright."

It wasn't really a lie, just an omision of sorts, for the greater good. It struck him that what he always told his own apprentice not to do, was exactly what he was advising his youthful self to do. Although, at this point, Wyl wasn't really sure quaffling with details was important.

The man searched out little Wyl's face, eyeing the bold defiance in his frown. "It'll buy you - us - some time, son."

[Wyl Staedtler]

"No. I won't do it." Wyl, bristling at the condescending term, shook his head and kicked at the dirt. "She will believe me. Maybe you lie, but I don't. Daria knows that."

A particularly fierce blast of wind nearly knocked Wyl over, and it disrupted his attention enough for him to get a sense of the time. It was already too dim to make out his own hands clearly, and in a few moments would be impossible. The boy shook his head again for good measure. "Don't worry. Everything'll be okay. I'll be back."

And with that he raced from the two, disapearing in the direction of the Enclave before they could stop him.

[Ever Talbot]

Ever had watched the entire conversation quietly, arms folded over her stomach. Now, as she watched the mini version of her master scamper off, she rubbed her arms with her hands. It was getting real dark out, and the wind that was whipping passed them had a cold chill to it. She was starting to wish that she had worn robes to meditate in, instead of a thin shirt, pants and sandals.

She moved closer to grown-up Wyl, tugging gently on his sleeve. "Uhh, Master Wyl...are we going to sleep out here? I'm cold."

[Knight Staedtler]

"... Hmm? I'm sorry, Ever, I wasn't paying attention." Wyl tore his eyeline away from the direction of the Enclave and took in his shivering apprentice. She looked so dejected that he couldn't help but smile pityingly down at the girl.

Shrugging out of his coat, the tall man draped it around his ward's small shoulders. Ever swam in the material, arms and legs completely hidden in it's excess, but at least she would be warm.

How much being comfortable would help them once they were found out was debatable. As soon as young Wyl announced their arrival, the dren would hit the fan.

With a set look the Knight led his apprentice to a cluster of twiggy bushes, which they hunkered behind. Ever promptly tucked herself under his arm and Wyl idly tucked the edges of the cloak about her. "I'm not sure exactly what's happened, Padawan, but things might get a bit more confusing before they clear. We'll just have to keep level heads. And Ever," The man waited until she looked up at him. "We musn't say anything about home. You were right about it having nasty consequences."

[Wyl Staedtler]

As he ran, feet making soft pounding noises on the soil, young Wyl couldn't stop a grin from pulling at his lips. However odd and nonsensical it was, this had been, by far, the most fun afternoon passed on Vortex. Oh there was the little problem of explaining it, to be sure, but he had the feeling that the others wouldn't try excessively hard to understand the how. It seemed like one of those things that gave grownups headaches, if they muddled too deeply.

By now Wyl had learned to be aware of little nigglings in the Force, and the boy couldn't help but reach out and poke a bit. An odd twinge, almost like a tickle, sat on the edge of his consciousness. It was a bit like knowing that his master was nearby, only more subtle and personally detectable. A warm feeling bloomed brightly in his chest, recognizing the familiar-yet-different Force signature.

The Enclave was in sight now and, thankfully, Wyl couldn't spot any searching forms. At least there wouldn't be an immediate interrogation. Slowing to a walk, his face sweaty with exertion, the boy turned things over in his mind. Whatever the adult Wyl had said, he knew that fibbing to Daria was out of the question. She'd catch on straightaway and he didn't want to risk anyone getting alarmed; the least desirable scenario involved people up-in-arms.

What he needed was a third party, to help him figure how to break the news. Luckily, there was just such help available. With a hum, Wyl adjusted his gait in the direction of possible accomplices.

[Ever Talbot]

She nodded, snuggling in tighter underneath her masters' arm. This was just like those scary holovids she'd had to sneak to watch with a few of the other young padawans; if the time travelers altered the past, the future would be a mess. She was pretty sure seeing Master Wyls' younger self had already done horrible, horrible things in the future, and a faint worry line formed in between the girls' eyebrows. Ever nudged him gently with a tucked in elbow.

"Master, if we've just met you, do you think that might change, uh, you in our time? Like...change who you take as your padawan, or something."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan's legs hung out of the maintenance tube. The Alliance technicians had left for other assignments, leaving the Jedi to themselves. They had strung together a barebone facility, but Morgan wanted something a little more robust and reliable. He was currently welding in another power conduit in case the originals proved troublesome again. They were not properly assembled. While it made for easy, quick disassembly, they had already flickered the lighting more than once.

Mostly satisfied with his work, he extracted himself from the tube. Morgan flipped the welder's mask open and wiped his brow as Wyl approached.

"Hey Wyl."

[Knight Staedtler]

She nodded, snuggling in tighter underneath her masters' arm. This was just like those scary holovids she'd had to sneak to watch with a few of the other young padawans; if the time travelers altered the past, the future would be a mess. She was pretty sure seeing Master Wyls' younger self had already done horrible, horrible things in the future, and a faint worry line formed in between the girls' eyebrows. Ever nudged him gently with a tucked in elbow.

"Master, if we've just met you, do you think that might change, uh, you in our time? Like...change who you take as your padawan, or something."

Something between reassurance and thoughtfulness crossed over the man's worn face. There were no definate answers to be given, but for some reason he felt strongly that there wasn't any real harm to be had in all of this; a vague sensation of being slightly removed, not entirely here. Caution had to be exercised but that was usually the case in any delicate situation - and now was certainly delicate.

Still, his heart twisted at Ever's words. The girl had been in his primary care for so long now that it was impossible to imagine anything otherwise. Wyl had grown rather attatched to her particular brand of mischief and (though he'd never admit it) would have felt lopsided without it. Such was the way with children, he supposed; they could exasperate you to no end, but they dug their little paws into your heart all the same.

"Raging rancors couldn't stop us from being a pair, little one. That's just about the only thing I know for sure right now." Wyl said solemnly, giving Ever an affectionate squeeze. A wicked smile played upon his lips and he shook his head in mock calamity. "I'll never be rid of you."

[Wyl Staedtler]

Morgan's legs hung out of the maintenance tube. The Alliance technicians had left for other assignments, leaving the Jedi to themselves. They had strung together a barebone facility, but Morgan wanted something a little more robust and reliable. He was currently welding in another power conduit in case the originals proved troublesome again. They were not properly assembled. While it made for easy, quick disassembly, they had already flickered the lighting more than once.

Mostly satisfied with his work, he extracted himself from the tube. Morgan flipped the welder's mask open and wiped his brow as Wyl approached.

"Hey Wyl."

"Hi, guess what?!" With a small cloud of dust preceding him, Wyl skid to a halt at Morgan's feet. A wild grin was cast upwards at the man's sweating face, and it was clear that it had taken some effort for the child not to tackle the tall fellow in his excitement.

Not only was Morgan able to pilot a speeder like guys in holovids, he was good at tinkering. The tools in his hand were evidence to that fact. Also, he was the only other boy in their little group. More importantly, however, was the fact that Morgan was cool.

Perfect.

Bouncing on his toes, little Wyl cast a look over his shoulders to make sure that no one was listening. He took a breath, held it for suspense, and then in a voice threatening gleeful laughter said, "Something amazing has happened."

[Ever Talbot]

Her cheeks blushed pink when he squeezed her, and she rolled her eyes at his last comment.

"Good. You'd miss me too much and be too sad if I wasn't around, you know."

There was an attachment there, more than that of a teacher-student, and both of them knew it. She had just been, well, worried, that things would somehow change. She knew eventually they would; she would become a Knight herself and have her own little padawans to take care of. Ever hadn't really thought much about it untill now, and the girl pushed it to the back of her mind as she snuggled closer to him, her eyes closing tight.

"I hope tomorrow we can sleep in our own beds, instead of outside."

[Morgan Evanar]

Wyl was more excited than a kid on his birthday, bouncing up and down like a womp rat. He was a good kid, amazing considering all he had been through. Daria had filled him in a little, filling in some the gaps of Wyl's on version of the story.

Good, if prone to bouts of unwanted curiosity. Fortunately Rhianna had gently Force pushed the door back closed, saving them from explaining things.

Still sitting, he finished removing the welder's mask and set it next to the tools. He wiped his face with the bottom of the already stained t-shirt he was wearing.

"Oh? What's that?" Morgan asked, genuinely curious.

[Wyl Staedtler]

"It's a secret. The kind of secret that you can't tell because it's so cool! I have to show you." Wyl rubbed his hands together, thrilled with the knowledge that Wyl and Ever were tucked away at that very moment.

Expectantly the boy glanced about for Rhianna, who was usually easy to find if you found Morgan first. They were pretty good friends, the boy knew, probably because they were both padawans of Master Serena. It was like being in the same class at school.

"Okay so, come on," Wyl said, tugging impatiently at Morgan's trousers, "First we have to get Rhianna, and then I'll show you both. It's great!"

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan scratched his head.
"Well, Rhianna was meditating last I checked, but I think she might be exploring the cave network now." He said.

"But this is so much cooler than that!" Wyl exclaimed as he seemingly dragged Morgan toward the rest of underground structure. The westward one had proven to be mostly collapsed, but the eastward one was expansive and had been barely explored.

They headed to the store room that occupied the small crawlspace that was the entrance to the rest of the eastward cave system. Morgan's shoulders barely fit through. Wyl followed easily.

"Rhianna!" Morgan's voice boomed and echoed. He blinked twice in the darkness, and could suddenly see much better.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna hadn't gotten very far in her explorations. She had not been intent on wandering too deep, she was just satisfying her curiosity. She kept to the main vein of the cave, not straying into any of the lesser tunnels. She had a light strapped to her forearm to guide her way. She blew a strand of her hair out of her face, greatful that it wasn't hot in the cave. This one, in fact felt cooler than the rest of the structure, it smelled earthy and old.

She heard her name rumble past her, echoing off the walls around her. It seemed to be coming from everywhere, but she knew that it was only the effect of the cave. She smiled knowing it was Morgan. He didn't sound distressed but she turned and made her way back to the entrance to the eastern caverns, from the storeroom.

"Coming!", she called.

She quickly made her way back, spotting Morgan and Wyl. "Hello there, Wyl! What has you looking like you've been granted three wishes?"

[Wyl Staedtler]

"Hi, it's a surprise but we found you so now we can go! Oh good, you have a light, it's pretty dark outside." And with that Wyl turned around, bumping into Morgan in his haste, and scurried back the way they'd come. His small voice echoed back at the two, enthusiastic and expectant. "Come on you guys!"

Wyl was outside well before Morgan and Rhianna, and he hopped from foot to foot impatiently as he waited for their appearance. What could possibly be taking so long?

After what felt like centuries (but was more likely minutes) they emerged and he raced at them, blinking sharply as the light on Rhianna's arm flashed across his eyes. Wyl seized a hand from both of them and began pulling forward in leaps and bounds.

The trio waded through waist-high (chest-high in his case) grass, turned grey-black in the evening's wash. Rhianna's light illuminated the path ahead of them, leaving brief shades of yellow on the blackened terrain. Abruptly Wyl stopped, spinning around to face Morgan and Rhianna. The boy's hands went up in halting, and his face grew very serious.

"Before we go farther, you have to promise not to go crazy." Adults were unquestionably more prone to bouts of crazy. "They aren't dangerous or anything."

Wyl spit liberally on his palm and held it out. "Swear."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan looked a Rhianna briefly, who looked very confused. This was unexpected. He shrugged.

“Swear.” he said. Unless it's something actually dangerous. he amended to himself, mentally. Morgan spit lightly on his palm and offered his hand to Wyl, who shook it.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna didn't consider herself to be in the habbit of going craiceáilte, crazy, but she did have to wonder what kind of wild beast Wyl had made into a pet. She recalled the time in her childhood that she had befriended a rather large faolchú, which was something like a wolf, but bigger and a plague upon her people. It had seemed perfectly nice to Rhianna, but she had been in great danger according to her brother, who later popped her in the back of the head and sent her to bed with the other children.

She exchanged a look with Morgan, but didn't hesitate to spit on her palm and hold it out to Wyl. "Swear.."

She had no idea, why the spit was so important but she could tell by the earnest look on the little boy's face that it was very important to him. So she complied. They needed to make sure he was ok, after all..

[Wyl Staedtler]

Satisfied, Wyl wiped his palm down the length of his pants and pushed through a last clump of wide-bladed grass. The clearing about the massive hole was quite empty. Puzzled, the boy pounced over to the edge of the pit and peered down; it was too dark to see, but no one yelped when he kicked a cloud of dirt and rocks down.

"They were right here!" He cried expressively, arms stretching outward to indicate the seemingly empty area. His forehead began to crease in a mixture of disappointment and worry; they'd gone and left, that's what they'd done! Or else been kidnapped.

A slight rustle and what possibly was a groan of dismay being suppressed caused Wyl to straighten. He flapped his hands in a manner which asked for complete silence, and strained to listen. Voice dropping to a whisper, the boy grinned at Morgan and Rhianna. "They are here!

"Hey! I'm back! C'mon out!"

[Knight Staedtler]

Force save him from children who couldn't bloody listen!

It took a great deal of effort for Wyl not to groan aloud at the sight of Wyl. The boy had returned (hours before he was expected), and he'd brought a welcome party with him. With the hour as late as it was, and some sort of light shining in their direction, Wyl could hardly see just who it was. The Knight subtely called on the Force, probing gently at the two figures--

Oh hell.

Of course it should have been an easy guess, whom young Wyl would go to in avoiding Daria. He'd idolized Morgan and Rhianna at that age.

Nudging Ever, Wyl slowly unfolded himself from their meager wind-gaurd and immediately raised his hands in a show of amiability. He glanced, squinting against the beam of lamp, into two familiar - hesitant - faces. They were much younger than he'd remembered.

What a mindfrell.

"Wyl, I told you not to say anything!" He chided, an irritable scowl crossing his face. The boy looked mutinous.

"You said not to tell Daria! I didn't!" Little arms crossed over little chest; older Wyl assumed the same pose at the exact same moment. "It's just Morgan and Rhianna!"

[Ever Talbot]

Ever yawned, rubbing her eyes across the sleeve of Master Wyls' robe that was still wrapped around her. Her ears fluttered (like they usually did whenever she woke up) and she tucked herself behind her masters' side. The Force came in, a bit fuzzily; the two people with younger Wyl were very very familar.

Morgan and Rhianna Evanar, or Go-go and Auntie respectively to Ever, were two of their closest friends. It just seemed right that they should be the ones to help them find their way back home. With a half-asleep smile, she waved from behind older Wyl, holding onto his hand.

"Hi Go-go and Auntie Rhianna."

[Morgan Evanar]

“What.” Morgan blurted. It was not a question, but a statement of how little everything made sense. Every question his mind asked was internally met with the same answer: What.

Who was this guy? Why was he irritated at Wyl? Why was Wyl irritated at him? Why shouldn't Daria know? Who was the floppy eared girl, and why did she call Rhianna Auntie? Who was Go-go? Was he Go-go? Where did they come from?

Unsure of what was going on, Morgan pulled Wyl and Rhianna behind him. He rested his hand on his blaster and popped the snap so he could draw it. The weapon was ready if he needed it.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna froze. For a minute she felt caught in the spell of one of the Little People of Dhomanda A'lainn. Nothing made sense. She opened her mouth to speak, but it popped shut when she couldn't think what to say. She supposed she looked somewhat like a fish. Her eyes wandered over the pair of coimhthíoch, strangers, before her. The young female had called her Auntie, familiar..even affectionately like she should know who she was. It was the male that caused her the most confusion. She could swear that she knew him. There was something familiar in his scowl and stance, it reminded her so much of..someone. Whoever he was, he was not going to yell at Wyl. Her blues eyes narrowed as Morgan pulled her and Wyl safely behind him..

"Wyl.. I think you better explain..", she whispered..

[Wyl Staedtler]

Wyl nodded, somewhat alarmed at the sudden turn things had taken. The boy ducked out and away from Morgan and Rhianna, coming to stand in the middle of the face-off. His small face glanced back and forth between the two pairs.

"Well," The child began slowly. "It's like this: see, um," This was actually a little more difficult to explain clearly than he'd originally imagined. He scrunched up his face, noting that the adults hadn't once stopped staring at each other. Ever looked at him and shrugged, just as unable to explain the sudden tension as he was.

"Okay so," Wyl started again. The older Wyl raised his eyebrows.

"Just come out with it!" The Knight urged. Remembering that he was annoyed with himself, young Wyl spun about red-faced. He pointed an accusing index finger at the Jedi.

"Why don't you, then!? She meant you too!"

[Knight Staedtler]

Biting on the urge to snap back, Wyl took a deep breath and held it to a count of ten. Then twenty. When he opened his eyes, Morgan and Rhianna were still staring in wary expectance. With a protective tug, Wyl drew Ever to his side.

Let's steer clear of familiar names, Padawan. They don't know us here. The faintest look downward to confirm that she'd heard him, and Wyl returned to the other adults. His small, young form had taken a few steps back and was now glaring at him from his chosen side, between Morgan and Rhianna.

"Well," The man began slowly. "It's like this: see,"

Ever pinched him and the Knight stopped. Better take his own advice on this one and deal with it's effects as they came.

"This," Wyl motioned to the girl at his side, "Is Ever Talbot, my apprentice. And my name... is Wyl."

[Wyl Staedtler]

Triumphant, and having forgotten any ill-will, Wyl nodded. "But that's not the best part!"

He paused for effect and then grinned. "His name," Wyl's tongue poked out between his teeth in glee. "Is Wyl Staedtler."

[Ever Talbot]

She didn't really know what to say as Wyl basically spilled the beans on who Master Wyl was. It was pretty unbelievable -- nothing like this had ever happened in any of her favorite holovids. But all this arguing wasn't going to help anything. Ever wanted to pinch BOTH Wyls. She tucked herself underneath her masters' arm, feeling pretty unsure of everything that was happening. Keeping her mouth closed was probably the best thing to do right now.

She did take a moment to look over the other Morgan and Rhianna. They didn't have wrinkles or gray hairs or anything, unlike the couple she knew. Rhianna was still pretty - even if she was making a bit of a fishy face - and Morgan was dirty like he'd been tinkering with something. Just like the Morgan back home. Maybe they really WERE Go-go and Auntie, just different. If they were their fellow Jedi, then they'd be safe here. Or she hoped they would be...

[Morgan Evanar]

Wyl found himself carefully yanked backward by Morgan's large hand. Morgan was uncertain if this was some sort of trick or not. Serena had warned them that powerful Force users could be capable illusionists, and while the both of them were more resistant, they were still vulnerable. This was too strange, though. Why do something that would immediately raise suspicions? And who was Ever? Sure, Morgan had been exposed to most of the intelligent species that the galaxy offered and seen others like her, but she seemed concrete and... thorough for a mental construction.

“I'm going to need more proof than that.” he said, his voice troubled. Wyl Two (Too?) looked very much like Wyl would likely look like when he had grown up. It was more than a little eerie.

[Rhianna]

"Well," .... "It's like this: see,"

Rhianna's eyebrows shot up a notch. It was an elder echo of a childs similar statement, said exactly the same way. The elder Wyl seemed as flabbergasted as the younger one had been, when forced to put an explanation into spoken word. Somethings could just be felt.. Morgan didn't seemed swayed, but she was begining to seriously consider the possibility.

[Knight Staedtler]

The man nodded in understanding. Had he been in the same position, Wyl would have exercised the exact skepticism that was registered on their faces. The problem was, how did he prove that he (both he's) and Ever were, in fact, telling the truth? Songs and scars would hardly serve as concrete evidence for an adult.

How old was he anyway? Wyl studied his boy-self, taking in the cut of hair and the fact that he was still wearing clothes typical of Core kids; they couldn't have been on Vortex for too long at this point then.

"Here," For a start, the Knight removed his lightsabre and lobbed it in Evanar's direction. He barely managed to mask a smile as the weapon was deftly held out of reach of small, curious fingers. It was an enormously odd experience to watch the interaction between the three now, when it was new and building, with the knowledge of later years firmly established in his mind.

"We - You've been here for how long now, a month?" Wyl crossed and uncrossed his arms, unsure of what to do with his hands. "Still busy getting the caves transformed then, toying with what the Alliance set up. Ah..."

For a moment he contemplated reeling off what he knew about them, but that seemed to be a bit overwhelming and the last thing any of them needed was more complication. "Listen, I'm just as confused as you are. This is all bizzare, and that's putting politely because of young ears."

He spread his hands, letting one rest on Ever's shoulder. "What can I do to convince you I'm him?" Wyl nodded at Wyl.

[Wyl Staedtler]

"You are me. He is." Wyl said plainly, eying the lightsabre with envious orbs. He shrugged and settled comfortably in-between Morgan and Rhianna, crossing his eyes at Ever briefly. Dumb girl.

"Show them your knee!" The boy pulled his own pant leg up again. The only difference between the scars was that where his was pink, big Wyl's was sort of silver. "'S'got it, on the same knee, in the same place, and he got it in the same way. Plus he knows a lot."

He knew about my mom. He didn't say it; the boy never spoke about it. Instead, Wyl nodded in encouragement.. "Ask him, just ask him stuff that only we know. I didn't even tell him anythin'."

He was satisfied to see Rhianna's eyebrows had risen and her face assumed a very familiar expression. It was the kind of expression that meant someone was really close to giving in, and you were about to get that candy or permission to stay up five extra minutes past bedtime. It was always a welcome look.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan sighed, and slipped the saber into his thigh pocket. This was entirely impossible.

"What happened when we first met, and did it invovle relics of the Clone Wars?" It was a good question. Only 5 people knew what happened, and three of them were here.

[Ever Talbot]

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the cross-eyed Wyl. Stupid boy.

Ever looked up at her master as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She knew he was Wyl, why couldn't the others sense it? Maybe they were still padawans, and didn't know how. She didn't know what to do -- she especially didn't know what happened when Go-go first met her Master. Not the details, anyway.

[Knight Staedtler]

"Yes, it did." He'd not thought on it for years but it was scarcely something the Jedi would ever forget. It was suprising to find that now, in hindsight, there was faint humour in the event; at the time it had been terrifying.

"It was on Arkania. Daria and I were meeting with Serena and Rhianna in the ruins of the Jedi Praxeum, and suddenly found ourselves being shot at. The next thing we knew you were barrelling toward us in a speeder; nearly ran us over." Wyl spared a brief grin, and little Wyl did the same at the sight of it.

The man continued. "Commander droids, old and patched, but still battle-able. They pursued, we fled.

"Rhianna," Máthair, and it pained him not to say it. "You used the Force to shove a droid off the hood of the speeder. Serena got out to fight them, giving us time to gain distance. Daria and I returned to our speeder, and we followed you."

Ever was digging at his pocket and it took a moment for Wyl to realize what she was doing. He held his hand out in thanks and the girl proudly dropped the foraged object into his palm. It was a jagged piece of grey stone, a sparkly vein running down it's middle and shining even under the night sky. Wyl held it up.

"Hey! That's mine!" the boy cried out, slightly indignant. It was a rock he'd taken from the ruins on Arkania, one he kept in his pocket because it was something to play with when he was bored.

Wyl nodded. "Yes. It is."

[Rhianna]

The events of the last few minutes kept replaying through her mind over and over and the only conclusion she could come to was that it was all true. She could not think of a logical explanation for any of it, but neither could she think of how it could be.. staged. Not with the accuracy that these two people had, and not with what her heart was telling her. She opted to try a little test of her own.

Rhianna whispered to Morgan to keep an eye on elder Wyl and his apprentice. She took little Wyl by the hand, leading him away despite his protest and much grumbling about retrieving his rock. When they were safely out of sight and earshot, she stopped and crouched down to eye level with little Wyl.

"First.. I believe you.." She smiled and gave him a quick hug.

"I am going to speak to you words in my language. I know you won't understand them now, but I'll teach you what it means later. Just remember okay?"

At his solemn little nod, Rhianna spoke softly..

"Déanta na fírinne... Okay, let's go back."

Hand in hand the pair returned to find the other three as they had left them. Rhianna smiled at elder Wyl and folded her arms over her chest.

"Please could you tell me where we just went and what was said? If you can remember.."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan held his breath for a moment, and let it out in a gust.

“This is impossible. Everything makes precisely as much sense as the Emperor dancing a jig with flowers on his robe.” He threw his hands up.

“Physics says this is impossible, but this is one helluva mass hallucination if they're right.” He said, with an air of defeat. “Bugger all.”

“So, old and hardened Wyl, tell me which stocks to pick.”

[Ever Talbot]

She couldn't help grinning as she handed Wyl the stone...but the others <i> still</i> didn't believe them! Didn't they watch holos?! Anything could happen in them, why couldn't anything happen to a bunch of Jedi? Ever bit her lower lip in thought. It <i>couldn't</i> be impossible if it was actually happening - Physics must be wrong on this one, whoever that is.

She wrapped her arms around her masters' leg, burying her face into it "Can we pleeeeeeeeeeease go home now? I don't like it here."

[Knight Staedtler]

Wyl rubbed the small of Ever's back soothingly, letting out a troubled sigh. She was rather stoic, in the face of outright danger, but Ever had little patience for nonsensical occurances and this was certainly nonsense of the first order. "We'll be going home just as soon as we can, Padawan."

He'd hoped that Morgan or Rhianna would have had a better idea of how to do so than he. They were older, more experienced... or at least they had been. Were. Would be.

By the Core, he was older than they were. It was enough to make him feel a bit dizzy.

"Please could you tell me where we just went and what was said? If you can remember.." Rhianna and little Wyl had returned, the boy still scowling over his treasured rock. Wyl, still woozy, looked puzzled and pointed over their shoulders, in the direction they'd come from.

"You went over there... er, I'm not sure what you--" In the middle of his confusion Wyl suddenly felt a hazy sort of cloud develop in his mind. He frowned, shaking his head as if to dispell it, and realized with a somewhat sedate understanding that he was remembering. Remembering something that hadn't actually happened (because he certainly had no recollection of meeting his seniored self as a boy), at least not in his and Ever's time. A look of awe on his features, Wyl met Rhianna's gaze.

"Déanta na fírinne," He remarked, still idly rubbing Ever's back. "We are, incidentally. Telling the truth."

“This is impossible. Everything makes precisely as much sense as the Emperor dancing a jig with flowers on his robe.” Morgan voiced the same disbelief that they were all battling. Wyl nodded in mute sympathy as the man - the man he'd learned how to be a man from, for star's sake - spoke. Finally, with a surrendering air, he finished. "So, old and hardened Wyl, tell me which stocks to pick."

A slight smile was won at the familiar humour; well, at least they were believed now. It was a small victory but it made things a tad less uncomfortable. Wyl shrugged and adjusted his cloak across Ever's shoulder's, hitching it up so the bottom half wasn't entirely in the dirt. "Nothing doing, Evanar. So I take it that you two haven't the dam--er, faintest idea of what we do next?"

Because he, for one, sure as hell didn't.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Filing away 'bugger all' for later use, Wyl waited until it was clear that Morgan and Rhianna believed who the old Wyl was -- although they looked sort of sick about it. Which made no sense because it was eight kinds of awesome.

"Whatta'ya mean, you don't know what t'do next?" The boy cried, rolling his eyes. "You come live with us! It'll be great! You can use my bed tonight!"

He pointed at Ever and very generously said, "Even she can come."

With the tension eased, Wyl started getting excited all over. What if Wyl let him use his lightsabre? And then showed him how to make one? And then both of them could fight together and it would be awesome, and they'd be like best friends and that would be more awesome...

"Right?" He nudged Rhianna, and then Morgan. "Right? They can come, right? Oh this is so cool."

[Rhianna]

Rhianna smiled down at little Wyl, ruffling his hair but not directly answering his question.. She really didn't know what to say. He was so excited about having his older self to pounce upon with questions about the future.. On the other hand, she was also not in the habit of making him feel unimportant so she sad the first thing that came to her mind.

"They can't stay Wyl, they aren't supposed to be here. We have to help them get home, understand?"

It was a dangerous thing indeed, Rhianna felt it. So many things could be altered by interfering with time. They did need to find a way to return Wyl and Ever to their own time, but Rhianna didn't have a clue how to go about it. She glanced at Morgan. He was by far the smartest person she knew. If her could get over his shock, he would be able to help them.

"How did you get here?" She asked elder Wyl.. Puzzlement still on her face, but also fondness and acceptance showing in her blue eyes..

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan fell silent in thought.
“No, besides telling as few people as possible. I need to figure out what happened before I even contemplate how to solve this.” He said to the elder.

“Wyl... listen.” He said and crouched down to address current Wyl. “What happened here shouldn't be possible at all, so we have to be really careful. Like me suddenly being a womp rat impossible. Do you understand?”

[Wyl Staedtler]

Nobody else seemed to see the potential for brilliance here. Not even Ever, who should have because she was around his age and unfettered with life experience. All she could do was moan and groan about getting back home; which was stupid since she was home.

Wyl's narrow shoulders jerked up into an uneven shrug, his little features molding into an unconvinced expression. The boy flattened his hair from Rhianna's ruffling; he liked it when she did that, but it always left him looking rather like a dazed hedgehog.

What they were saying sort of maybe made a little bit of sense. It was possible that messing around with him-from-later-on might not be a good idea. It was a massive shame, because already he had started planning what would have been the greatest sleepover the galaxy had ever seen, but Wyl was willing to concede the point - for now.

"I gue-ess." Wyl replied to Morgan, a wide grin spreading across his face at the idea of the tall man transforming into a rodent. He was tempted to point out that this obviously wasn't all that impossible, since it was happening; but Wyl was pretty agreeable most of the time.

Besides, it wasn't like they could stay out here all night. They'd have to go back to the Enclave eventually, and then they'd have to explain where they'd been.

[Knight Staedtler]

He found himself having to tear his eyes away from the scene; it was hard to concentrate on the present, with his past unfolding before him. His calloused hands hugged Ever closer to him, a sudden sense of nostalgia pressing in from all sides.

Wyl answered Rhianna haltingly, not really sure how to approach a question that didn't have a definite answer. "We sort of... fell.

"Ever and I didn't even realize that things were off, not until little Wyl there showed up." Details began to return in sharp clarity. He started to regale the tale, beginning with their morning meditation and ending with their fall into the hole. He felt a sense of relief at being able to share the conundrum with the other Jedi, like he often did when he was home.

Again the man was struck by the calmness that the little animal had possessed. "The creature - "

"Declan." Ever corrected.

"Declan... it was like it wanted us to follow. There was a compulsion to it, almost as if we didn't have any other choice." Now that he said it, Wyl realized it was true. There had been no logical reason to pursue the little being, no matter how curious it was. Yet they'd plunged onward with a hungry intensity, and now the man realized that their intent had been subtely encouraged.

"I'm certain that Declan... instrumented this. But I'm not sure why. Or how, really."

[Rhianna]

Rhianna looked disturbed. Her trademark cheeky grin was gone, marred by concern. Everything seemed surreal to her. It would have made a wonderful tale to tell to the children of her tribe around a fire at night.. They would have fallen asleep dreaming of magical creatures and future selves..

"Wyl.. Where is this Declan, now?"

[Serena Laran]

Serena slowly opened her eyes in the Meditation Chamber, stretching and working out a kink from her neck. She'd been in deep meditation for several hours, but the Force was quiet to her today. There were no visions, though even if there had been one it would have only predicted one possible future.

In fact, she hadn't managed to find a vision from the Force in months - since before they came to Vortex. Beyond vaguely uneasy feelings, or a sense of peace, the Force had been silent to her. Had she gone astray by leaving exile?

Not that it was worth thinking about too much now. What was done was done.

Serena got to her feet and left the chamber, closing the door behind her. The meditation room was one of the deepest rooms, on the bottom floor of the rabbit warren of a complex and furthest into the cave system. After several turns and a climb up a ladder (no turbolifts had been installed as they were too costly and used too much power), Serena entered the LQ.

She paused. It was too quiet. Rhianna had mentioned something about wanting to explore the cave system, adding to their maps of it with her own scans, but Morgan should have been in his room. The Jedi Knight rapped on his door, but there was no answer.

Speaking of vaguely uneasy feelings, there was one now. Serena frowned ever so slightly, and worked her way up another level, heading for the hangar bay that opened up to the outside. Perhaps Morgan was fiddling with the Y-Wing that Lianna had brought with her.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan's jaw clenched shut and his lips pursed together.

"Supposing this isn't some bizarre mass hallucination... well, I think that Declan's motivation is for something to happen that will irrevocably change things in its favor. Whatever that may be." He paused, looking up to the sky. The light cloud cover was clearing fast, and the grassy plain was going to drop in temperature in a hurry, and far enough to be dangerous. Morgan sighed.

"We're going to need to get you two inside somewhere. It's going to be very cold in an hour."

[Daria Nytherciria]

Elsewhere, Daria sat in meditation. Though her eyes were open, they did not see the room around her. Instead, the currents of the Force shifted and swirled in her minds eye. Like elegant threads of smoke, weaving ever-changing patterns, they curled before her. She felt the tide-like drift and pull of the energy, here and there the current swelling. She had not known what she was looking for, but had nonetheless felt compelled to concentrate as such. A sudden kink in the pattern confirmed her suspicions. The Jedi Knight blinked away her vision and got to her feet, leaving her subterranean quarters in search of her apprentice...

[Ever Talbot]

He found himself having to tear his eyes away from the scene; it was hard to concentrate on the present, with his past unfolding before him. His calloused hands hugged Ever closer to him, a sudden sense of nostalgia pressing in from all sides.

Wyl answered Rhianna haltingly, not really sure how to approach a question that didn't have a definite answer. "We sort of... fell.

"Ever and I didn't even realize that things were off, not until little Wyl there showed up." Details began to return in sharp clarity. He started to regale the tale, beginning with their morning meditation and ending with their fall into the hole. He felt a sense of relief at being able to share the conundrum with the other Jedi, like he often did when he was home.

Again the man was struck by the calmness that the little animal had possessed. "The creature - "

"Declan." Ever corrected.

"Declan... it was like it wanted us to follow. There was a compulsion to it, almost as if we didn't have any other choice." Now that he said it, Wyl realized it was true. There had been no logical reason to pursue the little being, no matter how curious it was. Yet they'd plunged onward with a hungry intensity, and now the man realized that their intent had been subtely encouraged.

"I'm certain that Declan... instrumented this. But I'm not sure why. Or how, really."


Ever nodded, snuggling in closer to Wyls' side.

"Aun-- I mean, Rhianna. We don't know where Declan went," A look of disappointment came across the girls' face. "When we fell in the hole, he left and we haven't seen him since."

At Morgans' mention of going indoors, she gave her master a concerned look. Going inside would be nice - she didn't want to have sleep in a prickly bush in the freezing cold - but they wouldn't be able to hide from Daria or any of the other Jedi who may be here.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Wyl, on the other hand, had the complete opposite reaction. Eyes widening, the child pumped his fist and hissed a victorious yessss under his breath. They were going to come back with them! They were going to stay! Oh how sweet the taste of vidication.

"You can hideout in the caves! They're huge and we don't even know where they all go except Rhianna was explorin' some today and hey! Rhianna you can find a secret spot for them to hide, right? Right? Like a underground lair--" Wyl sucked in a deep breath and let it all go the next second. He bounced up and down, grinning toothily at Wyl and Ever.

"Oh! You probably already know a good spot, 'cause you live here already, ahaha. So you find a hidden fort and I'll bring you food and then in the morning we can go look for Declan! It'll be like a hunt!" Ignoring the horrified look on Ever's face, Wyl rubbed his palms together gleefully. The boy was practically creating a hum in the air with the effort of containing his exuberance.

"We can make a furry hat out of him!" It did get pretty cold at night, and a warm cap would be a gift for the ears.

[Knight Staedtler]

Wyl smiled softly down at Ever, giving an affectionate tug on one of her ears. It was a small blessing from the Force that she was managing to maintain a subdued air; boy-Wyl nattering about like he had a rocket strapped to his rear was more than enough to concentrate over.

The Jedi nodded at Morgan. He'd camped out in Vortex nights before and they weren't welcoming. "I hate to leave things unresolved, especially with such unbridled enthusiasm abound," Wyl said delicately, looking at himself as he launched into what was, presumably, a happy dance. "But there aren't any onther clear options at this juncture. I expect that Declan won't be found until he wants to be."

Ever seemed relieved at this proclaimation, her shoulders relaxing under his hands. He could that she was not yet won over, though the prospect of returning to something that resembled home was enticing. Wyl offered her the most reassuring look he could, sending her soothing vibes through the Force.

A distantly familiar feeling of being sought nudged at him, and for a moment Wyl blinked in confusion. He closed his eyes for a moment, searching the eddies of the Force for the investigation's source. A sigh preceded his eyes opening. "They've noticed something's amiss. If we're going to buy any more time, we must leave now."

[Daria Nytherciria]

A familiar frown came to Daria's features. She was confused. Locating Wyl was no great task in itself, but on this particular day she was finding it somehow... taxing. She paused, inside one of the underground tunnels, and tried to focus on where she had felt him. With the arrival of a greater number of people to the enclave, there were certainly more distractions to be found – but when it came to Wyl, Daria was rarely wrong. She could feel him, she knew that much, but he seemed... apart, somehow. It was if he was in two places at once. The feeling was unlike anything she had ever sensed before. When she began walking once more, her paced quickened.</pre>

[Wyl Staedtler]

Wyl was so consumed in his excitement that he didn't hear the proclamation of impending discovery. Indeed, he probably would have kept on jittering about if his older self hadn't suddenly called his name sharply. Spinning to a halt, Wyl looked up expectantly. "What?"

A look of tired patience pinched Old Wyl's eyebrows together. Grown-Ups often wore that look, the boy found.

"Daria is coming, Wyl, so you've got to head her off, give us a bit to sort this out. Distract her," Before he could protest, he beat himself to the punch, "Without lying. Okay?"

What Wyl wanted to do was stay with Wyl and Morgan and Rhianna and Ever. However, he was willing to do his part if it meant the newly arrived Jedi could stay longer. With a quick nod, Wyl turned around and began running back towards the Enclave.

It was dark by now but the boy's feet had memorized the path. As he drew closer, he became more aware of Daria's presence, a fuzzy feeling at the edges of his consciousness.

Bursting out of the field, Wyl saw the darkened shape that was his master, and zoomed over to her. Panting, he slowed and cast a very innocent face flushed cheeks spreading in a wide grin. "Hi (pant) Daria. I... was (puff, puff) exploring."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan's gaze lingered in Wyl's direction as the young boy disappeared into the cave that had become the Jedi's home. Apparently Wyl the Elder was more adept with the Force than Morgan was, but really, he was in his twenties so he should be more skilled. It was difficult to tell how old a Jedi actually was.

“Okay. I know a cave that keeps an even temperature about five hundred meters from here. It's not too far, but you'll be close enough should anything happen...” Morgan shrugged. This whole thing shouldn't be happening anyway, and he couldn't really get over it. “You two shouldn't have any trouble, though. Just watch your heads.” He said, and motioned for them to follow. He realized that, although warmer in the jacket, Ever still wasn't properly comfortable and Wyl did look a bit chilled.

“Hopefully Wyl will run good interference and I can sneak out a few emergency blankets in an hour.”

[Serena Laran]

The hangar, such as it was, was empty except for the few ships that had come along with the Jedi. Serena trailed a hand along the hull of Serenity as she walked, and cast about with the Force, trying to get a better sense of where her padawans had gotten themselves off to.

Tracking people with the Force wasn't an exact science, and was almost impossible unless you had more than a passing familiarity with your subject. But she was able to make a few deductions based on what she already had discovered. Morgan and Rhianna were no longer in the base, which meant they were outside. Serena lengthened her strides and left the hangar, taking the shortest route available to the fresh air of the surface.

There was more than one way in and out of the base, of course, and she passed no one on her way out. Stepping outside she looked around for a moment before hiking up her skirts and wading out into the razor grass to walk the circumference of the base.

[Knight Staedtler]

Wyl smiled thinly as he and Ever trailed alongside Morgan. "We'll see; I seem to recall being a terrifically bad liar at his age."

The direction they were headed was familiar, in a distant way. There were well-worn paths in later years, paths that he and Ever walked upon without a second thought. Wyl had forgotten how wild the area surrounding the Enclave had been in his boyhood. Steadying his tired padawan with a hand, Wyl carefully followed Morgan, meticulously noting his steps - the last thing he wanted was to stumble into another pit, should he and Ever have to make a scramble in the evening.

Presently they reached the cave, and uopn entering it, Wyl grinned. He felt Ever's interest perk, even before she giggled. "Master," she tugged on his arm.

"Yes, I know." Wyl said. They had used this very cave earlier that morning for their sparring lesson. It was odd to see it now, with no floor and jagged walls. At Morgan's raised eyebrow, Wyl smiled. "We'll be quite comfortable."

Ever set to exploring the cave's perimeter, obviously taken by it's rough state. With a tired exhalation, Wyl sat on a boulder. His thoughts were too furried and jumbled to disect, so he pushed them aside.

"Thank you," His gaze flicked away from Ever and came to rest on Morgan. Wyl hesitated. "For... well, not shooting us, I suppose."

[Ever Talbot]

"Ooooo"

Ever had wandered off, taking all the oddly shaped rocks, nooks and crannies of the cave. It was very different from the exact same cave they'd been in this morning, all lumpy and bumpy. She was certain there were all sorts of creepy crawlies lurking in the dark, just waiting to crawl all over her! She shivered, then skipped back to where Wyl and Morgan were talking.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Bursting out of the field, Wyl saw the darkened shape that was his master, and zoomed over to her. Panting, he slowed and cast a very innocent face flushed cheeks spreading in a wide grin. "Hi (pant) Daria. I... was (puff, puff) exploring."

The frown that had darkened Daria's features was still faintly present.

"Exploring," she restated. Wyl was excited about something, she could feel it.

"And did you find anything of note?"

[Wyl Staedtler]

"Yup. A hole." Wyl spread his arms out to either side. "It was like, this big! I threw some rocks into it. And a stick."

The boy nodded, mouth frozen in a slightly terrifying grin. "But don't worry, Morgan and Rhianna are taking care of it so that no one else falls in."

[Knight Staedtler]

A firm hand on his Padawan's shoulder, Wyl guided the both of them further into the cave. There was a smattering of largish stones set a ways back; it was far enough that someone entering wouldn't see them right away, but still gave them a good view of the entrance. Ever spread out his cloak (which, in the short time she'd had it, had managed to get coated with dirt) and sat down, fatigue written on her petite features.

Wyl made sure she was settled before returning to Morgan. The Jedi was suddenly impossibly weary, and he shook his head at the older--er, no, younger--man. "There's nothing to be done tonight but wait it out, I suppose. If that infernal creature doesn't make an appearance by morning, I'll go look for it. If you can get away, we can divide the search."

There were so many things he wanted to say. If this was the real Morgan, and not some elaborate fantasy or trap, he owed the man for a lot more than just a place to hide. It hardly seemed the time, however.

"I'll understand if you're hesitant," Wyl's eyes drifted to Morgan's pocket, taking on a sparkle very reminiscient of a certain small boy. "But I'd like my sabre back, if I could."

[Morgan Evanar]

"Yeah." Morgan pulled the saber free of his pocket, and studied it again. It was a simple metal cylinder with an activator button and a twist-lock, and he guess a focus adjustment ring on the bottom. He didn't really know how to use a lightsaber anyway. The most he had done was cut the disoriented Finor free of his ship.

If Old Wyl was going to do something, he probably would have done it by now, nor would he have turned over the saber. Morgan offered the saber up, balanced in his open hand.

"Hey. Do things work out for the Alliance in the end?"

[Serena Laran]

"Rhianna!" Serena called, catching a glimpse of the flame-haired padawan. "How were the caves?" As the girl turned towards her, the Jedi Knight felt a flash of emotion coming from her.

Guilt, perhaps? Serena smiled, and walked closer.

[Knight Staedtler]

Wyl hesitated slightly as he retrieved his saber, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. He wasn't really sure what rules to follow in this game. Would information given here have a bearing on the future--his and Ever's present--or was it a moot point?

"Ah," He smiled at Morgan, the same guileful grin that was often plastered on his younger-self's face. "Things are... never dull, but I wouldn't worry."

A pause, as his mind wandered to Rhianna. "About a lot of things, actually."

Ever was fidgeting on their makeshift bed, obviously tired but unwilling to sleep while he was talking. Wyl was fully aware that he would not be retiring but he wasn't going to keep the young one awake. Morgan seemed to understand--Wyl recalled countless nights when he'd snuck into the man's quarters and crashed on the floor, too old to admit he'd had a bad dream but too scared to stay in his own room.

The Jedi clipped his weapon back onto his belt and rubbed the back of his neck. "We're all right here, for a few hours. It might be best if you went back for now--who knows what I've said to Daria."