The Doctor is in.

[Valkren Calderon]

Sergeant Valkren Calderon stepped down from the small transport shuttle. As soon as he did, he stomach roared. He was starving. They had pretty much come straight from Nar Shadaa to Ossus and the Jedi Academy directly after his mission. The only thing he had been able to do was shower, and tend to the two blaster wounds he had on him. The bandages were obvious through his service jacket. There was more padding on his left shoulder, and through his fatigues(pants/BDU's) there was padding on his right leg.

Instead of the usual Republic heavy assault armor, Valkren had traded it out for the service uniform and cap he was wearing now. He attempted to look sharp incase he ran into anyone of higher rank while at the Jedi Academy? Would he? Doubt it..It's not like Gir Quee would show up at the small spaceport instead of his Jedi friend.

Valkren turned to smile at his seemingly attractive new companion, grimacing as the twisting of his body pinched at the nerves around his wounds. "Come on now, I think you'll like this place." He'd turn back and walk out of the bay they had landed in. The spaceport of Ossus was one of the only places he hadn't seen any of the overgrowth. As for the Academy, however, there was always lush green vegetation around it. At least that's what it was like the first and only other time he had visited it. As he led his friend out of the bay, he scanned the somewhat ghost-town like spaceport, looking for his friend.

"Leave it to a Jedi to be late..Perfect."



[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Sha'do"]

 

[Sha'so]

Sha'do did indeed like this place! She was in wide-eyed awe at the splendor of this place. Trees! Lots of them! Oh, she had always wanted to see what a real, natural setting looked like! All she had ever known were the occasional flower beds in public areas on Nar Shadda, and half the time it included holographic flora. So to see so much real, lush greenery was simply amazing to Sha'do. She had an overwhelming urge to go climb a tree. Of course she wouldn't, she had more self control than that, but she wanted to! Mmmmm, and the grass smelled so good! It made her sneeze a bit, but once she got used to all the dust and pollen in the air she started breathing a little easier.

Sha'do was drawn back into the present when Valkren spoke again. She was curious about where he was taking her and who they were to meet. She knew she was going to some Academy place, but not much more than that. She only vaguely knew what Jedi were. She knew they were supposed to be really strong and that it was a big deal that she had defeated one before. She really hoped they didn't hold that against her....

[member="Valkren Calderon"] | [member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot watched the two disembark from the starship. The first figure he knew well enough after a friendly scrap on the Warspite. The second he was not so sure about; he had never seen her species before. He briefly closed his eyes and reached out through the Force to feel the other being's presence. He blinked. It felt odd to him, though he knew not why. I wonder what her background is. He let his hand fall from his dangling lightsaber hilt on his utility belt and began to stride towards the odd couple. He deftly moved past a maintenance team

"Sergeant Calderon, it is good to see you again. Who is your companion here?" said the man, turning his green-eyed gaze on [member="Sha'do"]

 

[Sha'so]

Sha'do could feel something... touching her through the Force, and she didn't like it. She schooled her reaction, but she couldn't stop her tail from puffing up slightly. She turned to look at the person approaching her and Valkren. He looked nice enough, but a sudden shyness had her hiding behind Valkren slightly.

[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Valkren Calderon"]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

"Travot Ravenna..How the hell are you? You work on your form anymore since the Warspite?" The soldier grinned, trying to once again, get a reaction from the Jedi. He always enjoyed finding new ways to tease at the Jedi. Calderon took his hands from his pockets, nodding toward his companion. "This cute thing right here is Sha'do. Picked her up on my last mission on Nar Shadaa.." The Sergeant shifted his icy blue hues toward his former comrade. "We've got a lot to talk about, friend. You think we could sit down somewhere? Get some grub?"

Because Valk' was starving.

[member="Sha'do"] | [member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot briefly eyed [member="Sha'do"] hiding behind the soldier curiously. I guess she's just as wary about me as I am of her...can't blame her on that either...there are many dangerous force-users in this galaxy, and most of us are on the smaller end of that spectrum...mortals among gods, or so it would seem...He made it a point to slowly smile at her to show that he was not interested in hurting her before turning his gaze back to the soldier. Travot ruefully shook his head.

"I wish I had more of an opportunity to train in that form, but my other studies keep me busy," said Travot, leading the pair away from a ship, "It sounds like your meeting has a bit of a story to it. Would you mind giving me the run-down as we walk to my ship? I have a pretty decent autochef...or I could order food from the Temple to be delivered to us, if that would suit your fancies more..."

As a battered tramp freighter, the Plainswalker wasn't exactly the most scenic place to talk, but it was private and secure. A rarity in the communal environment of the Jedi academy. He had discovered that privacy helped make people more open with each other, which could give him a clearer picture of what was going on without having to risk any potential repercussions to [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s already partially shattered military career, or the life of his strange companion. He hoped that it would make [member="Sha'do"] a bit less self-conscious and worried as well. As they approached the ship, Travot tapped a button on his comlink, lowering the ship's ramp to the ground. He began to walk up the ramp, leading the other two onboard.

 

[Sha'so]

Sha'do would follow wherever Valkren led, but she was still wary of this new person and the fact that he was a Jedi. Valkren seem at ease around him though, so that gave her some comfort. Still, she didn't know how to react to Travot or his ship. She certainly didn't want to leave all this beautiful greenery, but Valkren was right that food was definitely a necessity, so if this how they were to get food then she wasn't one to complain. But she still kept Valkren between herself and Travot as often as she could...

[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Valkren Calderon"]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren would follow after his friend, speaking as they wen't along. "Well, the quick version? I'm on a search-and-rescue mission for the missing Doctor Ar'man Shaw, short story short..Part of my mission involved gathering information from a Nikto crimelord on Nar Shadaa. While my team and I were there, we rescued Sha'do after we gathered all the information we need. So that's why I'm here, both for food and to ask for your help. Think you can bring my friend here to a Jedi Master or somethin'?"

There was something else Valkren wasn't telling his old comrade, it was eating away at him. He wanted to ask something else, something very important. Ofcourse, the safety of Sha'do meant the world to him at the moment. Yet, he wanted to ask the Jedi for a favor, one that he might not be able to pay back.

Forget it...

[member="Sha'do"] | [member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot gestured for the pair to sit down in the ship's lounge around a circular table as he strolled over to the autochef. He quickly tapped a few buttons to change the machine's settings as he mediated on [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s words. The jedi felt that the man was being honest and heartfelt with him, yet something seemed to be missing, though he couldn't quite place it anywhere. He turned around to make eye contact with his comrade before shifting his gaze to ]member="Sha'do"].

"I certainly can find someone to help guide her," said Travot, "we are at the center of the galaxy as far as the Jedi Order is concerned. It should not be hard to find a mentor for her here, if she desires it."

He stared into the feline's eyes, unaware of her muteness, "What's your name?"

His eyes briefly settled once again on the soldier, "Is everything all right? Maybe I'm just tired, but you seem different than the last time we saw each other...maybe....more tense?"

 

[Sha'so]

Sha'do sat at the table, but that didn't mean she had to like it! And there was a certain defiance in her eyes as Travot turned his attention to her. What was her name?! Valkren had already said her name, and hadn't he noticed she wasn't talking? Her mounting frustration, not just with him but with everything, boiled over and suddenly the autochef was spewing its contents all over Travot. Sha'do snorted with a hint of a laugh. Good, he needed to pay attention to what he was doing...

[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Valkren Calderon"]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren would reach across the table, flicking the autochef off to prevent it from projecting more food out. He'd lean back against the lounge chair, almost sinking into the material. He'd breath a sigh of relief.

"Everything..Is alright. For now atleast. How soon exactly do you think you could get [member="Sha'do"] here a master, my friend?" The commando would ask before removing the service cap from his head, revealing his dirtied hair. Even though he was out of the field, it didn't mean that he had the time to clean up. The man lifted both of his hands up, first running them through his hair, then down his face. This was followed by a rather unattractive yawn. He was a soldier, he could stow the feelings he had at the moment easily. Why didn't he just do it then?

Did he really need the help that bad?

[member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot blushed as the autochef began to discharge its meals. He was all too thankful that [member="Valkren Calderon"] stopped it from spewing out any more foodstuffs. His green eyes briefly fell on the machine. It's been through a lot, just like the rest of the ship. But at least it still makes good food...The aroma of marinaded bantha strips, sliced and herbed tubers, and sauteed greens rose from the trays and sauntered into his nostrils. After passing a plate outto the soldier and to [member="Sha'do"], he began to snack off of his own plate. Despite the food's enarmoring taste, he found his mind still creeping back to the soldier's earlier comment. He'll tell me if he needs to, I shouldn't pry...He tried to push the thoughts away and focused on the matter at hand.

"As soon as we're done eating, I can take you both over to the Academy, and we can get Sha'do settled in," said the padawan, "there should at least be guest housing available right away, but if we're lucky, they might even have permanent quarters available for her. Once that's established, we can start looking for a master for her. It's sort of like looking for a spouse; not the sort of thing I'd immediately jump into without getting to know the person a little bit first, if we can help it."

 

[Sha'so]

Sha'do's nose was working overtime, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of this 'feast'. It wasn't like it was a real feast, but it was more food than her Master had ever put in front of her before. Then her expression wilted with a soft whine when she remembered she couldn't eat it. Oh, but it smelled so good! She pushed her plate away, then rested her chin in the palm of her hand, sighing as she listened to Travot and nodding in acceptance of his offer. It all sounded perfectly reasonable to her, so she had no problems with seeing how this worked out.

[member="Valkren Calderon"] | [member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren reached down, taking a bite of the nearest piece of food he could get it. "Sounds like a plan to me, friend." His mouth was full as he attempted to talk. "Got any whiskey, Jedi?" He knew it was a stupid question, as he personally figured the Jedi were not permitted to drink. With time he was able to swallow the mass of food that was in his gullet, looking over to his companion soon after.

"Why don't you eat, Sha'do?" He asked, still oblivious to the reason why she was mute.

[member="Sha'do"] | [member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Sha'so]

Sha'do growled softly and reached over to shut Valkren's jaw so he would stop showing off half-chewed food. Then she sighed at his question. It was inevitable that someone would ask, she just found that she didn't want tell them. It was personal and embarrassing... But it would explain so much and the truth would have to come out eventually. She opened her mouth wide enough for both men to see that Sha'do had no tongue.

Well, she had a small bit of tongue at the back of her mouth, just enough that she could still swallow liquids and her own saliva without choking, but not enough to move food around her mouth, meaning she either had to make a big display of eating by using her fingers to help move things around, or her food needed to be pureed so she could skip chewing and simply drink her meals. This also explained why she never spoke; her Master had cut her tongue out for speaking out, so she had never made any attempts to learn how to speak without her tongue. For that matter, she didn't even know if it was possible...

Once she was certain they both got a good look, she closed her mouth and hung her head, partially in shame but mostly from embarrassment. She wrung her hands in her lap. This was so humiliating...

[member="Valkren Calderon"] | [member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot nodded at [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s question and reached down into a built-in cabinet to withdraw a smoky-glass bottle to hand to the soldier, "One of my last passengers left this bottle of Dodbri whiskey here. He had a single shot and decided it wasn't for him. I don't imagine it's the finest-tasting alcohol out there in the galaxy, but it'll get the job done. You're welcome to keep it...I don't drink a whole lot these days...reminds me a bit too much of my life before the Order."

The jedi slowly began to chew on a piece of the meat, but [member="Sha'do"]'s actions quickly caught his eye. Almost immediately he felt a flood of regret and pity well up in him. The large man grimaced and blushed.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't know," apologized the padawan, setting down his plate, "here, let me grab something that might help..."

Travot quickly walked over to a duraplast crate and pulled out a datapad and handed over to the feline-like alien, "You can write down what you're thinking and show it to us. What do you think?"

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren took the bottle in both of his hands, smiling and nodding to himself. He spoke out, still having a mouth-full of food. "Appreciate it fri-" His jaw would soon be closed by his Cathar companion. He'd struggle to swallow the rest of the food down, before looking over to Sha'do with a smile. The smile would change quickly to a frown as she opened her own mouth. His face was flush with color as he looked back toward his food.

"Sorry about that, Sha'do.." The Sergeant felt rather bad after that scene. He should've known. Instead of milling about in grief over the situation he had just put his companion through, he'd reach for one of the stubby glasses across from him, popping the top of the bottle as he did so. He'd tip the neck of the bottle toward the open mouth of his glass, transferring the contents from one container to the other.

He'd pick up the glass, setting the bottle down with his other hand. The commando would tip the glass back against his lips until he felt the cold sensation of the alcohol against his lips.

[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Sha'do"]

 

[Sha'so]

Sha'do grabbed the datapad and very angrily wrote out, 'I hate pity', then slid it back over to Travot. Then she grabbed Valkren's glass from his hand and slammed it back onto the table. She knew she shouldn't let her temper get away from her like this, but she was just so frustrated. She really did hate pity and she hated that her new friend was trying to drown himself in booze. She rose from the table and walked away before she could do something considerably more destructive. She considered wandering around outside, but she didn't want to get lost, so that meant she was stuck here until either Valkren or Travot decided to take her elsewhere.

[member="Valkren Calderon"] | [member="Travot Ravenna"]

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot glanced at [member="Valkren Calderon"], "We should probably go after her before something happens...but while we have a moment of privacy, is there anything I should know about her...just in case, well...you know..."

He pulled up his cup of tea and imbibed several teaspoons of the liquid.It went without saying that most people were dangerous when aroused. While he didn't know [member="Sha'do"] well, it seemed to him that they had managed to touch a raw nerve. He only hoped that he wouldn't actually have to fight her. It might not be bad to try and call in a healer or a meditator that might be able to help her...in this day and age, cloning organs for replacements isn't out of our reach...and combined with the Force...anything is possible...

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren watched as she stormed off, a hint of sadness in his eyes as he turned back to the glass she had slammed down. He'd pick it back up and knock the rest of the whiskey back like it was nothing. He'd grimace from the harsh taste as he'd let the glass fall back into place. The Sergeant shook his head several times, eventually speaking after the taste was gone from his mouth.

"Besides her being force sensitive? She was a slave to a crime-lord..There's no telling what has happened to her." He'd push himself up, looking in her direction. "Alright then..Let's go get her."

[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Sha'do"]