Prelude to a Frost

[Borgking]

Nodding, Joran set one hand down on the cold stone wall and used it as leverage to leap up and land on the inside, his boots again making a loud tap as they struck the tile. "I wonder why they're asking us to come to the audience chamber...they usually don't gather everyone together except for big ceremonies..."

"Well," Jeth began thoughtfully, "Maybe a new Master has been placed on the Council?"

"I dunno, maybe," the Kel'dor said as he shrugged. The pair quickly reached the main audience chamber, located only a short walk from their previous location. The chamber was a long, open, tall room with an elevated 'stage' at the front end with tall windows that overlooked the central courtyard of the Enclave.

The room was brimming with the Padawans from the Enclave, and at the front of the chamber stood the members of the Dantooine Council. Each Enclave had its own small Council, who coordinated their Enclave and subsequently reported to the Grand Council on Coruscant. A few of the older Knights were present as well.

"This looks serious," Joran commented. "It looks like something might've happened..."

[Nero Maxim]

Jeth shrugged and looked around them at some of the faces. Most of whom he recognized. Unlike Joran, most of them had been on Dantooine since being taken in by the Order as a child, like himself. Still, there were a few who were either new or were older students who had been taken by a master long ago.

"You're a pretty perceptive guy." Jeth mused, mostly to himself as he spotted Maya and the others from their group off to the side of the room. She didn't seem to notice him, or was ignoring him.

"I suppose if it's bad enough for a backwater Enclave to have a meeting of this magnitude, then maybe... But I haven't heard anything on the Holonet... What do you think it could be?"

[Borgking]

Joran looked at Jeth and then up at the front, where the Masters were talking quietly. He only recognized one of them: Master Korith Nel, the tall, muscular Human who had asked Vontu to return to Dantooine with him, who was also the head of the Science Department. The others only looked vaguely familiar. "It looks like they are getting ready to speak..."

One of the Masters held his hand up, a silent gesture asking for everyone to be silent. The room very quickly fell to silence. "Everyone, thank you for your prompt arrival. We have a few small announcements that we wished you all to be present to hear," he said, his loud, powerful voice piercing the silence.

Master Nel took a step forward. "First off, we would like to announce the addition of a new staff member: Master Je'yi'za Tril," he said, gesturing to a purple-skinned Twi'lek standing just to his immediate right. "She will be taking over the medical department."

Joran noticed that with that, everyone in the audience suddenly looked visibly concerned. "What's wrong?" he asked Jeth quietly.

"Master Yolpa was in charge of medical," he explained, "But he left a few days ago for the Outer Rim."

The first Master who had spoken noticed the obvious change in the crowd's demeanor. "It is with grave sadness that we must inform you that Master Yolpa was killed in an accident while on his trip to the Outer Rim," he explained, "We will be holding a service later tonight. Master Tril will be assuming his duties as well as his spot on the Council."

Joran frowned, taken aback by the odd announcements. This was not at all what he had expected.

[Nero Maxim]

It wasn't hard to pick up on the overwhelming feeling of sadness in the room, even if you weren't a Jedi. Master Volpa had been close to many of the Padawans at the Enclave. He'd been the one to patch up everyone's knicks and bruises and had been a very nice person.

Jeth hadn't been very close to him, although he had met him on occasion. He never had any classes with him, but he'd been to the medbay enough times.

"Master Volpa was the one who told me where I came from when I was just a kid." He added before crossing his arms. Beside him, a younger girl was starting to weep, only to be comforted by her friends.

"He was very popular with the students here, and a very respected Jedi Master among the Order, I heard..." Jeth said as he scratched his chin. "I never knew him very well though, I just remember him telling me to stop trying to jump over the South wall. I thought he thought I wasn't ready or something so I never listened, but when I did manage to make it over, I found out that there was a thorn patch on the other side. When I went to him, he only laughed and told me 'I told you so'."

He looked around at the others. "I'm sure most of the people here have some sort of similar story."

He glanced back to Joran before clapping the skinny Kel'Dor's shoulder.

"What a welcome to Dantooine, huh?"

[Borgking]

Joran simply nodded, still staring up at the Masters, with a deep frown set on his face. The whole situation was very odd...a Master, who sits on the Council and is beloved by everyone, is killed on a mysterious mission, and his death receives nothing more than a passing glance?

"All classes taught by Master Yolpa will be cancelled for the rest of this semester, and will resume next semester under Master Tril," Master Nel continued. "If you have any other questions, feel free to come speak with us. Everyone is dismissed," he concluded.

People quickly began to disperse, hurrying off to discuss this strange new development. Joran and Jeth remained, though, both standing there in slight disbelief. "So...what now?" Joran asked, glancing at Jeth. "Do we just preten-"

"Joran, I would like to speak with you in private," A voice spoke in Vontu's mind.

He immediately recognized the voice as that of Master Nel, who, upon looking back towards the front, was staring directly at the tall Kel'dor.

[Nero Maxim]

Jeth turned as Joran began to ask him something, only for the Kel'dor to suddenly go silent mid-sentence on him to go into a strange sort of trance.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Jeth looked back at Joran, only to notice the direction he was looking at. Turning his head again, he spotted Master Nel and pieced two and two together.

"Ah. It always creeps me out when they do that." He commented dryly. "Then again, usually it's because I'm in trouble for something. That might be why..."

"Important Jedi business?" He asked his new friend rhetorically - usually if a Jedi Master was telepathically talking to you, it meant serious business - before glancing around. He was almost like a prairie dog in the way his head swiveled around all the time.

"Catch up to me later, I'll go see if Maya and the others are okay. I'll introduce you properly." He said before turning and walking off towards the other side of the room where his friends stood.

[Borgking]

Joran nodded, glancing back at Jeth. "Thanks...I'll talk to you later," he said before Jeth turned and walked away.

The room had emptied out fairly quickly; most of the Padawans were gone, and the largest group that remained was a small clump surrounding the newly appointed Master Tril. He quickly approached Master Nel, the muscular Zabrak still standing at the front 'stage' with his arms clasped firmly behind his back. "You wished to see me, Master?" Joran said after a bow.

"Yes, Joran," Nel replied. He finally uncrossed his arms and jumped down from the stage gracefully, not losing a step and quickly beginning to walk towards the exit. "If you would come with me, I would be most appreciative," he said.

Vontu simply nodded, unsure what their destination was or what was in store.