Who Made Me This Way?

[Matthew Neil]

Two exits, door and window;garden to the left, possible exit there.

Head count. Three walking around corner, one by fountain: four visible.

The man had paused in the doorway for a few seconds before walking in.

One, two, three, count, one, two, three, count...

He kept walking until he stood a fair way in the Jedi building.

Five counts. Fifteen steps.

The man stood at roughly 6'2" and looked to be in his mid to late twenties. He was physically fit, excessively so, and yet he was dressed in nondescript clothes. He wasn't someone a person would look twice at... Or remember. Because he was already acutely aware of his surroundings, the man didn't look around. A perpetual look of uneasyness painted his features. It was understandable, considering his situation.

Matthew Neil, a name unknown to him, hadn't the faintest idea who he was. That didn't scare him. What he knew how to do, did.

[Zeke]

Zeke turns from where he stands alone, feeling a set of eyes watching him. He watches as a potential recruit takes fifteen carefully measured steps inside. What is this guy? NRSF?

"Hey, can I help you?"

[Matthew Neil]

Before he could answer, a soft tapping on his shoulder made Matthew tense up. Without missing a beat he grabbed the arm and spun around, knife appearing in hand. The weapon positioned itself against the trembling cabbie's neck. The whole maneuver had taken less than five seconds.

In an instant Matt dropped the blade and stood shaking, looking at his hands and then at the cabbie who tossed a piece of paper on the ground and backed away hurriedly, murmering something about him dropping the document on his way in. Neil raised his hands up slightly, open, to show that he didn't want to hurt anyone.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't..."

He walked over to Zeke slowly.

"Do you... Do you know if I've ever been here before?"

[Zeke]

Zeke raises a brow at the man's actions. The move was almost instinct...Zeke definitely thinks he may have some form of military background. But even stranger is the question he asks.

"Can't say I've ever seen you around. Why do you ask?"

[Matthew Neil]

"Uh... I just..."

Neil looked around, jumpily. He didn't want a repeat performance of defending himself against harmless others.

"I just figured.... I know how to do these things.... The knife, that cabbie, I don't know how I did that... I just have to figure out where I'm from, where I learned that. I mean, that's not something you pick up off the street, is it?"

He didn't wait for a reply from Zeke.

"I mean, I walk into a room and... I can tell you you're right handed. What kind of a person walks into a room and can find every exit within fifteen seconds?"

[Zeke]

"Doesn't sound like a Jedi thing to me. I'll bet you used to be military."

Zeke cracks the knuckles on his right hand, unable to believe the man was right.

"Maybe the NRSF? You coulda been Imperial, but you don't give that Imperial impression."

[Matthew Neil]

"I don't know. I.."

He pressed on his temples with clenched hands and looked up, exasperated.

"Jesus, I'd remember something like that wouldn't I? I should remember it."

[Zeke]

Zeke's not entirely sure what to do. He suffered a minor bout of amnesia for four years after his ship Happy Child had been destroyed, but hadn't forgotten anything outside of his age and a few other minor details of himself and his life. It had restored itself slowly over time, accelerated somewhat by the reappearance of his adoptive sister and father.

"I dunno what to tell ya pal. I went through something liket his, but on a more minor scale. My memory returned in time. Maybe yours will too."

[Matthew Neil]

"No, no, that's not good enough!"

The man was confused and desperate. It wasn't every day that you forgot yourself. He closed in on Zeke, getting close so he could speak lowly. Better to let few people know what had happened-- although Matt didn't know why.

"I woke up two hours and seven minutes ago, on a bench. I don't know my name, I don't know my age, what I do for a living... I don't know why or how I'm here on Coruscant. Nothing."

He pointed to his head.

"There is nothing here. BUt I do these things and I don't know why. So please, don't tell me that maybe my memory will come back to me."

He looked at Zeke pleadingly.

"Because maybe I might hurt someone. I don't want to take a chance on maybe's."

[Zeke]

"Heh...I know how that is. I'm no mentalist, so I don't think I'd be of much help to you."

Zeke concentrates for a moment, trying to think of a Knight or Master who would be best suited to help a problem like Matthew's. While he's thinking, he decides to try and talk down the man's fears, make him relax a little.

"What's your name, pal?"

[Matthew Neil]

"I don't know, that's the point! I have no idea!"

He crossed his arms over his chest, anxiously.

[Zeke]

"Not even your own name?"

Zeke scratches his head, then grins as an idea occurs to him.

"Let's see if she's around here..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Unaware of the situation that was going on in the other room, Navaria was finalizing some important paperwork with some of the academy staff. It was tedious and didn't require a lot of concentration ... She was sorting out some disks when the Jedi Knight looked up. A feeling of need was strong. When she delved deeper into the Force, desperation was also felt. Navaria wasn's sure when it happened but she found herself looking towards the door that led to the main area where new recruits were welcomed.

She made sure to let the receptionist know she would be right back to finish up and headed in that direction. The door opened with a push ofthe button and Navaria stepped through, hood veiling her face still as she searched the room for the source of these strong emotions ...

[Zeke]

Zeke looks about himself, still seeking someone...when he spots Nav.

"Nav."

He turns to get Matthew's attention, raising a brow at the recruit.

"Chill pal, it's just Nav. She can help."

The man is extremely tense, and seems to have spotted her first. He isn't moving, his jaw is clenched tight and he seems to be considering; should he make an escape or an attack?

"Go talk to her. Tell her what your problem is. And loosen up!"

The Knight gives an encouraging smile.

"Go for it!"

[Matthew Neil]

Loosen up.

Matt frowned.

"I can't."

He took a few slow, measured steps towards the woman, the man had caled her Nav, but stopped halfway. He wasn't exactly sure how to go about this. How do you introduce yourself if you don't know who that self is? He decided to get right to the point.

"Have you ever seen me before?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

The question wasn't really a normal way of introducing oneself but Navaria could sense that Matthew's mind was clouded with questions. All of which he couldn't answer.

"I am sorry. I do not know who you are, nor have I ever seen you before. But, my name is Navaria Tarkin ..."

Cautiously, the Jedi stepped forward, not wanting to put Matthew on the defensive.

"How long has your memory been ... eluding you?"

[Matthew Neil]

Unconciously, Matthew put one foot behind him, as a steadyier if the need to bolt or fight arose. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

"Since this afternoon. Two hours, twenty-three minutes exactly... That's not important, why would that be important? Why would I have to know the exact time of everything? And my head..."

He closed his blue orbs in anguish and ran his hands up his face.

"My head hurts so bad. And I just, I don't know... I'm trying to think and I can't..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

She consciously reached out to put a hand on his shoulder but Navaria retreated back to a formal stance. The way he was jittery, waiting for an excuse to bolt, she didn't want a simple gesture to be misinterpreted as something else. It was going to be a chore to gain his trust in the first place and the Jedi needed to handle this delicately.

Navaria looked at him sympathetically.

"Well, first, I think we should find a more private area to talk. You can sit down and get something to drink. It will also be quieter that way."

The Jedi waited, watching Matthew carefully for any sudden changes in his emotions. If he wanted to go with her, that was going to be his choice. Navaria wasn't going to force anything on this young man.

[Matthew Neil]

Matthew nodded slowly.

"All right. But... Not for long. I can't stay for too long. I just..."


He took a breath and nodded again, jaw taught.

"All right."

[Navaria Tarkin]

She led him into the other room, directly behind the registration desk, noting his hesitation. The office was small, but since it was used for one on one interviews, it need not be cluttered. There was no desk inside however, just a table so that both parties could sit down and talk together without having a staple of authority acting as a barrier between them. There were no windows in this room but the walls were pleasantly decorated with pictures of different common areas of the Temple.

Navaria sat down, facing the doorway, and poured them each a glass of water from the tray provided.

"Please have a seat and tell me why for someone that has no memory, you have this need to leave right away. I know that there is no direct answer to that question but if you can tell me what you are feeling .... that could be helpful."

[Matthew Neil]

No windows. Just the one door. One exit...

He pumped his hands into fists a few times to try and loosen up but it did little good. Keeping an eye on the door, Matthew sat down oppostie Navaria, keeping his hands on his knees.

"Uh. I don't know... I just, I feel like someone's coming. Someone could come and I can't... No one can know where I am, it's dangerous, it could hurt other people. I just... Someone might come, see me."

He rubbed the back of his neck, unaware that his knee was bouncing rapidly, a sign of nervous tension.

"Uh... I'm uh, sorry, I know it's not much help..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

His nervousness shined through his body language before he overtly bounced his knee. She'd never seen anyone look over a room so thoroughly for a means to escape since Pierce Tondry.

When he finally began to speak, some things were beginning to make sense. True he had no memory, but his instincts remembered. That was why Matthew knew someone was coming to get him even though he had no idea why. More then likely his amnesia was done on purpose ... Perhaps he knew something or is something of great importance. Her thought strayed back to first meeting him and, without needing to think for a second, knew the exact time since he woke up with no memory.

Of course that was only conjecture. She could be completely off base in this situation.

"You are safe here and need not worry about putting us at risk. The Jedi Order is constantly at risk when we help beings."

Maybe that would help in calming Matthew down.

"Now, for what you said... it is not much but a place to start. I believe you in that you told me all you know and that you are in danger. Now ... the only viable option that I can see in which I can help you is the help you regain your memories.

I am unsure though how that would affect you. From what you told me so far, there is a good possibility that someone had intentionally messed with your mind, which is why you feel that someone is coming to get you. Do be aware that is only a feeling I get, I could be wrong. But ... if I am, trying to regain those memories could be considerably painful to you and might not even work, depending on how you lost your memories."

She stopped there and took a deep breath, trying to gauge him.

[Matthew Neil]

It was hard to even think of believing. Why would anyone want him to lose his memory? Then again, he didn't know just who "him" was.

He took a brief moment to think over the situation and then nodded.

"I'm not worried about pain, I can deal with that. But if we're going to do this it can't be here, in this room, they know I'm here. I need to meet you somewhere, somewhere away from this location. Is that feasible?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

She nodded in agreement, without any hesitation. Navaria had to do things his way in order to gain any trust. Plus, she didn't want him in any danger ...

"Of course."

The Jedi waited for him to fill her in on the details.

[Matthew Neil]

He gave a nod and then lifted up a finger, motioning her to stay here. He got up and walked to the door, opening it with a sudden jerk and pressing himself against the wall before peering around the corner. Satisfied that there was no one of danger outside he went over to the desk and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil. Matthew returned to the room, closing the door. He put the paper on the table and then began to speak. Loudly.

"I'm going to leave Coruscant. I'll catch a freighter transport or something and make my way to Bespin. I have a feeling I'll find answers there. Thank you for trying to help. I understand."

He nodded to Navaria and slid the sheet of paper over to her before leaving the room quickly. He was out the door of the recruitment centre in a flash. On the paper were three simple lines.

Jedi Bar. 1300, tomorrow.
Back table, far right corner.
Come alone

OOC: I'll make a thread ASAP, or else you can go ahead and do it :)

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria played along.

"I am sorry to hear that you will not take my advice and let me help you. But, if you feel that your answers lie in Bespin ... then May the Force be with you ...."

She looked sad as the door was wide open, to complete the ruse. Once it clicked shut, she relaxed her features and opened up the piece of paper.

1300 tomorrow at the Bar it was. She stood and walked outside towards the front desk.

"Anything I can help ya with Jedi Tarkin?"

The secretary asked.

"No nothing. Just wanted to use the incinerator for some paperwork."

The incinerator was a small device that was roughly the size of a regular monitor. It heated up the air between the two panels hot enough to destroy clutter some paper. Fortunately, it had a fail safe to not harm any living tissue.

Navaria placed Matthew's folded note between the panels and watched it vaporize.

OOC~ Sure thing. start it up whenever and link me up :)