TITLE: Secrets

FANDOM: Star Wars Universe

SUMMARY: Pre-SW TPM time-frame. Kaai Dajani (T'narr's former master) discovers the secret that T'narr and his apprentice, Jaythen have been keeping from him. (Jaythen is 8). Kaai POV. This story will make more sense if you've read my other stories with these characters.

NOTE: Found this old story had never been posted when I was originally writing stories for these characters a number of years ago. Figured I'd post it now.

I watched his eyes flutter open and then the immediate struggle to find focus. Those same eyes followed me as I moved closer to the bed. Their deep gray color coated with a weary redness. My former apprentice as he was, wearily shuffled his tongue around in his mouth as he tried to combat the sticky-dry feeling so he could speak.

I can say that I still haven't the slightest hint as to how Jaythen and I found him. If luck did indeed exist, we must have been riding its wake. The mission we'd been on, while simple on the surface, had gotten more complex as the days went on. And when T'narr had been taken by the royal guard for questioning, he'd vanished. Hours later, he seemed gone without a trace.

A day later, when the boy and I were released from our bolted and Force-proofed quarters, we'd tracked T'narr. Jaythen was as focused an eight year old as I'd ever seen, often times sinking into what I could only describe as a semi-trance like state. And not long after we began our search – mere hours – we'd found T'narr. The padawan had led me through a maze of tunnels below the city to an area obviously reserved for riddance. My former apprentice had essentially been tossed into the garbage.

He was bruised, battered and bloody, but alive and stable.

We found our way out and off the planet with some cloaking assistance from the Force, but I was still completely mystified as to how we'd found T'narr in that baffling maze of sewers. Jaythen had been honed in on him like a scent beast. But how?

A Force bond would have been the obvious answer, but even the strongest bond I've seen didn't have that degree of pinpoint accuracy.

T'narr made a sound. The bed was uncomfortable and too small for his large frame, but it was all the transport ship had to offer. The ship was running passenger-full and despite our standing as Jedi Ambassadors, the pilot could offer us no more than a small billet with two tiny rooms and a wash basin.

I held T'narr's gaze as he sucked on piece of ice I'd scooped into his mouth. Never has ice been such a blessing. It wet his throat and allowed him to speak raggedly as his eyes searched the room, looking for what wasn't there.

Finally he managed, "Jaythen?"

"Safe."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. The leaders started rambling on about the number three and unfortunate three and then you were taken away. I mean, I knew numbers were a cause of unease for them, but they tossed you in the underground sewers! Like a piece of garbage! A bit extreme I would like to think."

I paused as I felt myself getting riled, though it didn't too long for me to shake it off and find my center. Once settled, I allowed that first issue to drop and addressed the next. "I'll tell you though, how we found you, no idea. Jaythen was like a boy possessed. He focused and wrapped us through a labyrinth like I've never seen. We should have not found you so easily. I told you there was something about that boy."

"Special."

"Very. You won't tell me, I'm sure. But I won't be kept in the dark for much longer. Whatever you are hiding…I know you better than anyone, T'narr. Every time our conversation ventures in that one particular direction, you change the subject. You show immediate discomfort. I understand the need to keep secrets. Force knows I have my own, but you know can trust me…with anything. When you are well, we'll talk. I mean it. Right now though I'm talking too much and it isn't the time for a lecture, so don't look at me like that. I want you to sleep. Jaythen is fine. He's curled up in the chair on the other side of the wall there."

"Kaai."

I berated myself for getting worked up, but seeing harm come to my family was always troubling. I set my hand over his bruised palm to offer him quiet comfort.

"Here, Padawan."

A slimmer of a smile at the use of his former title and his gray eyes closed in much needed sleep.

When I finally ventured into the other room, Jaythen was staring up at me with those shining green eyes of his. He didn't even have to ask the question before I answered.

"He's okay. Asked about you, of course. The trip home is another day of traveling, but there's nothing too serious that requires anything more than a lot of rest."

I pulled my long, lanky frame down into the chair next to Jaythen's. That was the extent of the room - two chairs and a wash basin on this side of the wall. Cramped, but we'd make do.

"You okay?"

"Just worried about Master T'narr. He always takes good care of me. I'm not used to taking care of him."

"You'll do a fine job, Jaythen. And I suspect he'll be in the hospital for a few days once we arrive home, so he'll get plenty of healer care as well."

"I'm glad we found him so quickly."

"As am I. You did an excellent job there boy, finding him like that. How'd you know where to look?"

I tread carefully. I didn't want to completely intrude into the area where I'd been warded off before, but after what had just happened, I felt I had a right for a little more explanation. And if T'narr was too stubborn to offer it, perhaps his apprentice would. Jaythen however, wasn't giving anything away easily. He saw my angle and watched me in silence for the next few minutes. The anxiety flowed around him, easily enough to pick up within the Force. And eventually began to feel something else - a push into my mind, one that started out soft and became more demanding as I refused to allow it access.

During this same time, Jaythen about stared into my soul until I realized it was him pushing at my mind. I dropped my shields. He flooded in. And there it was. The secret T'narr had been keeping was no longer a secret. The boy had driven directly into my head and spoke as clear as if he was mouthing the words aloud.

**This is what I can do, Master Kaai. You can hear me in your head, can't you?**

I nodded.

**Most can't speak back, but I can hear what they think. Master T'narr can speak back to me though. He says this is a gift I have and if others find out about it, it can be a danger to me.**

I nodded again, stunned by the admittance, and spoke aloud. "It can be, Jaythen. It can be a true danger. I uh...admit, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I knew you both had a secret, but this? This is…remarkable."

"He'll be upset that I told you."

"No, not upset. Not my padawan. Concerned, yes, but not upset. Who else knows of your ability?"

"Healer Terran. Maybe Master Yoda, but we're not sure. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Don't be foolish, boy, of course not! I'd never betray the trust of family."

His eyes smiled at the acceptance of him as family and he did finally break his locked gaze with me. I could almost physically see the lifting of a weight from his shoulders. Certainly, the secret of his 'gift' had been wearing on him.

"You could have told me, Jaythen. I mean sooner than this. But I understand your uncertainty and fear about the issue."

"Master T'narr wanted to wait. He never said why."

"Just him being careful." I sat back, wondering more about this power. "So you can dig into anyone's mind?"

He shrugged and chewed his lip for a spot, still nervous about divulging more than he already had.

"I'm not sure. Force-sensitive people, I think so. But non-Force sensitive, I get flashes of things, but it doesn't make a lot of sense. Master T'narr suspects this power will get stronger as I get stronger within the Force."

"Probably true. Listen, if you don't want him to know that I know, it's okay. I won't say a word."

"I should tell him."

When he started to get up from the chair, I set him back down with an easy hand to his shoulder. "Let him sleep, Jaythen."

"I won't wake him. I'll tell him when he wakes up. I want to sit with him though."

"I guess it'll help keep him settled, but Jaythen, about this ability you have…"

Another push to my mind. The boy was in my thoughts almost immediately.

**I can get in quickly if it's unexpected, but I would never abuse what I have. I promise, Master Kaai. I'm not even sure I like what I can do. It scares me.**

"I don't think that's all that bad a feeling to have, Jaythen. Something like this should create a little fear and fear isn't always a bad thing."

Taking a deep breath, he wrestled down his feelings and emotions. Not surprising, even if he hadn't mentioned the fear issue, I would have known it was there. More than most, Jaythen showed his emotions clearly on his face and in his body language. He was honesty in its purest form. And it wasn't only fear that he had about this ability, but a general discomfort. Being a private person in nature, I strongly suspected Jaythen didn't much care for possessing an ability where he could shovel out the thoughts and emotions of others. I'm one hundred percent certain too that given the choice and capability, he'd give up the power in a second.

I, on the other hand, felt none of the same discomfort that the boy felt. I was confident that this power was in the right place. There could be no better person to house something like this. Few cared more about the well being of others than did this small dark-haired eight year old child. There was no possible way that Jaythen Talari would ever willingly use this ability for wrong.

This power – ability – gift – whatever you want to call it, could be in no better hands anywhere in the galaxy.

I took my hand from his shoulder and he looked toward me again.

"Go on and sit with him. The pain probably won't let him sleep long anyway. You should be there when he wakes."

"He's already awake, Master Kaai, and I told him."

The boy works surprisingly quickly with that power.

"I should have guessed that's why you were staring off into the distance like that a moment ago. Are we okay?"

"Yes. He's glad you know, but he still thinks you're a stubborn old man. At least that's what it sounded like inside his head. It seemed a little muffled though."

"Ah, even in an injured stupor, he's still the T'narr I know and love. Go sit with him, boy. He'll sleep if he doesn't have to worry about you."

I watched him scurry out of the chair and into the other room. Only a few feet of distance separated us, so I could hear him talking to T'narr and encouraging him to sleep, all the while reassuring him that his secret was still safe. That he was glad I knew about it. That he knew with all his heart that I would protect that secret with my life if I had to.

An inward smile steadied my face as I realized how right he was. I would protect that secret as I would protect both T'narr and Jaythen with my life if that moment ever came. And it was an astoundingly good feeling to know that my life was so profoundly affecting to others. It also felt good to have another life to wonder and worry about.

For years, I had only T'narr. And when he was knighted and ventured into missions of his own, I lost some of that. With Jaythen entering his life and then mine, it's re-energized our master-apprentice bond that was so prevailing when T'narr was younger. Not that we ever lost our close friendship over the solo years, but Jaythen has brought my former apprentice back to me on a more personal level, and this newly disclosed secret will no doubt strengthen things between us even further.

I only hope it's a secret that Jaythen can deal with as the power intensifies and the pressure to not be discovered increases.

I got up and wandered the few steps around the wall to stand at the foot of the small bed. T'narr's gray eyes, open again, found mine and lingered there. In his unspoken way, he was thanking me for accepting and understanding. Blinking slowly at him, I shifted my eyes to the form of Jaythen, sitting bedside. Jaythen had his eyes closed, his face peaceful. Turning back to T'narr, his eyes too were closed. His face, etched with pain, but peaceful nevertheless.

I could see them connecting - communicating. For a brief second, I could have sworn that I had felt it too.

And now with their secret revealed and secure, and the two of them safe with each other, I retreated from the room and back to my chair to ride out the rest of the journey home.

The End.