No place like home (open)

[Hayes Muirso]

The transparent door slid aside, allowing Hayes to step in from the rain. During the short walk from the Recruitment center to the living cloisters the weather had changed for the worst, and left the newly admitted Padawan drenched. Fortunately he had a change of clothes in his holdall -- although he didn't intend to stay in the compound for long before travelling back to his old Coruscant view apartment to pick up the rest of his belongings.

With a key card in his hand, he wandered out of the lobby area and into a long hallway, one of many that stretched out before him. At regular intervals in the walls there were doors, each with a small number plaque on it and each with its own key pad for access. According to the small ID card he was holding, he had been assigned room #231. For some time now his stomach had been grumbling, telling him to get lunch; he’d do that once he dropped his bag off.

If he ever found the room he was looking for, that is. So far his luck -- which was notoriously bad to begin with -- hadn't served him well, leaving him to wander the hallways until he reached the room by accident.

[Ka' el Darcverse]

The young padawan Ka' el wandered the halls of the Jedi Living Quarters here on Coruscant. He knew his way around the temple quite well. He had been with the Jedi when they had been located here, then he left with them for Yavin IV. Now they had returned once again, it seemed that the Force was intent on keeping things balanced when it came to where the GJO was located.

He turned the corner of one of the corridors in the north wing, his room, # 245 was behind him. He was hungry and figured he might go down to Yog's for a bite. As he did he felt a familiar presence, one he hadn't came into contact with sense he was just a boy.

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"Now class take out your text books, today we are going to study the fall of the Old Republic," A tall man, with thin features, wire frame glasses and a five o'clock shadow spoke. His voice was a pleasing baritone that used proper inflection to stress key points. There was a calming nature about Mr. Muirso, that kept all the young students in his Political History class still and attentive. "Now who can tell me the name of the last Chancellor of the Old Republic?" A young boy with a round cherub face raised his hand, his light brown hair was cropped close to his head and spiked upwards and there was a small braid the fell just behind his right ear. "Yes Ka' el," Mr. Muirso acknowledged the young boy with the raised hand and motioned for him to stand. "Senator Palpatine from Naboo, who also became Emperor Palpatine was the last chancellor of the old republic," The young boy, with a tenor voice recited, his cheeks beaming with pride. Mr. Muirso nodded and motioned for him to sit; "Very good Ka' el, now can anybody tell me..."

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It was Mr. Muirso! When Ka' el had been younger and the Temple was still located on Coruscant, the Masters of the Order saw to it that young Ka' el was not just educated in the ways of the Force, but given a proper education as well. Mr. Muirso had been his Political History teacher and his favorite teacher on top of that.

Ka' el's face erupted in a large smile, then he gently pulled his hood over his head and approached the seemingly lost man.

"Good afternoon Mr. Muirso, you seem lost can I help you?" Ka' el's voice had changed much since the last time his old teacher had seen or heard from him and his looks had changed too. His hair had gotten darker and he had grown a few feet.

[Hayes Muirso]

Someone already knew his name -- that was worrying. Turning around, Hayes saw a hooded figure. It must have been one of the Padawan's that had been lurking about in the recruitment center when he joined.

"I'm meant to be putting my stuff into room 231, but I can't for the life of me seem to find it."

Holding out the key card to the robed figure, Hayes shrugged his shoulders lightly. Now he'd see just how helpful the Jedi really were.

[Ka' el Darcverse]

Ka' el called the key card to his hand via the Force, looked at it for a brief moment under his hood and then handed it back.

"We need to go down the hall, turn right then 3 doors down," He responded non-chalantly. Moving towards ome of the heavier bags Mr. Muirso had been carrying, Ka' el leaned over and gripped one in each hand.

"Let me help you," Ka' el grunted and then began walking fowards; "Just follow me."

[Hayes Muirso]

For a lanky looking fellow, this boy certainly managed to carry his book bags easily. With his rucksack still over his shoulder, Hayes followed behind, removing his glasses -- which he only needed for reading -- as he walked along. If he had been a Force user already, he would have sensed something familiar about his guide, but being as untouched in the lightside as he was, he remained blissfully unaware of just who it was that was helping him.

"Thanks a lot for helping, by the way."

[Ka' el Darcverse]

"You're welcome, sir." Ka' el continued down the hall until he reached room #231. He stepped aside and motioned with his head for Mr. Muirso to open the door.

"Here we are sir, after you." Ka' el said with little enthusiasm. He sat the bags down for a moment and removed his hood from his cloak. His closely cropped, dirty-blonde hair glimmered for a moment in the light. He smiled calmly, the same disarming smile he had had since he was a boy. His dimples sinking in, impeccably white teeth gleaming.

[Hayes Muirso]

With the key-card Hayes was able to open the door, and as he stepped over the threshold he felt inclined to glance back at the figure who had helped him. Frowning somewhat, he puzzled over thoughts in his mind that told him he recognized the face from somewhere. For a moment he hesitated, then asked.

"Do I know you from somewhere? I have this odd feeling we’ve met before."

[Ka' el Darcverse]

"What's wrong jedi? Cat got your tongue, come on use your mind tricks to get you precious book back!" Taunted a red-headed boy that was quite a bit larger than the young Ka' el. "Please just give me back my book, I need it to study..." Pleaded Ka' el as the bullies little buddies gathered around. "If you want it your going to have to take it from me!" Shouted the bully back as he shoved Ka' el down. "I don't want to fight you..." Ka' el exsaperatedly sighed. "It looks like your going to have to, if you want your book back," As the boy finished he through a punch at Ka' el's face. The young jedi learner was too quick however as he ducked the blow with a quick left side-step and put a foot behind the other boys leg. With the Force behind him, he pushed with all his might bowling the red-head over. "Hey what's going on here!" It was an adult voice, belonging to Mr. Muirso. The bullies scattered and Ka' el was left standing there by himself as Mr. Muirso approached. "Ka' el do you want to explain what happened?"

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Ka' el smiled as he remembered how Mr. Muirso didn't punish him, but told him that he shouldn't have resorted to violence when he was much stronger than the other boy.

"My name is Ka' el Darcverse, Mr. Muirso. It's been a long time sir..." The boy smiled as he revealed his little secret to the man standing before him.

[Hayes Muirso]

“Ka’el?!”

Hayes eyes widened, and he slowly pulled his glasses off to get a good look at the boy – no, man – before him. If this was the young lad he’d taught so many years ago, he certainly had changed since then; but something did tell him that he was in fact telling the truth.

“My word, you certainly have grown! … You really did achieve your dream of becoming a Jedi then? That’s great!”

[Ka' el Darcverse]

"Well partially sir, I am a Padawan Learner now, such as yourself it seems. And yes a few years and puberty seem to do wonders for your height and body size," Ka' el said laughing. As he did so he used the Force to move the bags telekinetically into the room.

"So what brings you to the order Mr. Muirso?"