Keyword: Onomatophobia

Warning! *Spoilers* for the Imperial Agent storyline... Not a lot of spoilers, but some... You have been warned!

His body ached him as he desperately fought to gain control of his tongue. What was wrong with him? He tried speaking his mind once again, only to have his words jumble, pain erupting through his mind. He grabbed his head in agony before lashing out at the chair that was in front of him in his room.

It was so aggravating! He didn't know what to say, what to do! Why had this happened? He was a loyal servant of the Empire, did as he was told always. He never deterred from the plan. And yet, some Republic SIS agent says one word and uses him as a puppet.

Vector was standing in the doorway, his facial features looking a little worried. "Agent? Your aura..."

He desperately wanted to tell him that something was incredibly wrong, that someone was manipulating him, but as he opened his mouth to say the words, his lips took on a mind of their own. "I'm fine, Vector..."

"You don't seem fine, agent," Vector added, taking a step into the room. "But we must admit that being human is a little beyond us, now that we are Dawn Herald... Bet we thought that attacking a chair without preamble meant something was wrong."

"It's..." He startled, rolling his tongue around in his mouth for a moment before trying a different tactic. "It's complicated..." Good, at least he could say that much. "A little trouble, but I will face it..."

"May we assist in any way?" The Joiner asked, holding out a hand towards him. "We do not like seeing your aura as it is..."

"And what does my aura look like?" Je'lie asked, trying to take his mind off of the horrid events that had just transpired to him.

"Usually full of fire, full of life, intoxicating," Vector explained, a small reminiscent smile coming to his lips.And then it was gone, his lips terse and pulled together, "But now... it's almost... sickly..."

Je'lie allowed himself to sit down on his bed, putting his hands into his hair and grabbing on tightly, "Just... be here for me?" There was silence, and he wondered if the Joiner had left him, but then he felt the bed bend slightly under him, and he quickly looked up, only to see Vector sitting beside him.

"Always, agent," Vector smiled softly once again, placing his hand on the Miralukan's shoulder.

"I feel..." He started, wanting to say used, but what came out next caused him to growl at himself. "Fine..."

"Something has happened," Vector supplied for him, and as much as he wanted to nod his head to acknowledge the fact, his body made his head shake his head in a negative. He wanted to cry, but knew it futile. "Perhaps we should call your Sith friend? Maybe he could..."

"No!" Je'lie cried out, shaking his hands in front of him. And then he calmed slightly, taking in a deep breath, "Leave Desiterus out of this... He'll just... screw things... up..." By this time, his migraine had returned, and he moaned out, rubbing a finger on his temple. "Damned SIS..." He felt pain explode through his body at just those words, and he garbled out before collapsing backwards onto the bed.

"Agent!" Vector cried out, worry evident on his face, even if it couldn't be seen in those soulless black eyes. "Something is deathly wrong..."

"I'm... fine..." he grit out between clenched teeth. No! Not what I wanted to say!

Watcher X, who had constantly been talking to him about how futile it would be to try and fight what was happening to him at this moment in time seemed to laugh at him, and he moaned, draping an arm over his face. "Just... stop..." he finally whimpered, hoping to not activate any more pain.

That was when he felt Vector's hand on his cheek, and he allowed his hand to slip from his face. "Something is wrong," the Joiner said once again, his eyebrows creasing together. "You said a little bit of trouble..."

He nodded gently and slowly, awaiting the pain, but it never came. And he silently thanked whoever was listening that pain hadn't exploded once again through his head.

"And you are incapable of speaking it," Vector whispered. Once again a small nod, and Je'lie felt a small victory at that. But Vector's face made his feeling of victory fade away. "We do not like this, agent..."

"Je'lie," Je'lie whispered, rubbing his face with his gloved hand.

"Agent?"

"My name is Je'lie... Je'lie Muteser," he whispered once again, as if fearing that saying his name would even invoke the pain.

"Why are you telling me..." Vector started, only to quiet down as the agent sat up.

"Just... in case," he stated confidently, leaning forward and allowing his forehead to rest against Vector's chest, no caring if the man was angered at the act. "Thank you, Vector..."

"Why thank us, a... Je'lie?" Vector asked, sounding perplexed.

"For... being here. For being you. For... not leaving. It means the world to me," Je'lie whispered, feeling peaceful for the first time in a few days. It was a shame that the feeling wouldn't last, and soon he would be doing things that he wished he never had to do.

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So I've been playing Je'lie recently (whenever I get the chance with the kids) And I've just started on Taris... But... I couldn't help but completely feel saddened and my heart feeling Very heavy for what happens to my poor Je'lie once joining Hunter and the other SIS agents. If I could, I would totally strangle their necks... and Imperial Intelligence as well... Damn Code Words and their brainwashing tendencies!

If it was possible, I would be neither Republic or Empire at this point in time... They're both corrupt, they're both wrong... They have their goodness each, but they both also have their evil... Yes, the Republic does have evil amongst it!

But enough of that rambling... I thought up the idea for this story after I had started going through this part of the storyline. And I thought, well, Je'lie, the almighty Je'lie... The man that refused to bow to a Sith and paid the consequences constantly for his not listening to his superiors except for Keeper... He wouldn't go down without a fight with this part of the story line.

So I envisioned what would happen when he returned to his ship and away from the SIS, how he would react to not being able to say his mind, to do what he wanted against the people that had caused him that strife, that pain.

Of course, Je'lie has a budding relationship with Vector going on, so that is added in there as well... Vector just seems like the kind of man to worry about his agent... since mine seems to in a sense... at least that's what I feel like when I talk with him... In one of the conversations he wanted to know about Je'lie's past... and that blossomed in here as well with Je'lie telling him his true name, something he never let's anyone know about.