Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Wars characters, except for my OC character and the other made up people within the story. I am making no money from this.

Chapter One:

All the Jedi currently on Coruscant as well as official government members came to pay their respects to Nabil Lestin, a Twi'lek Jedi Master. He had died on Ryloth and was brought back to his planet by the Padawan he left behind. She had been with him at the time but he would not hear her.

Eliza Linth watched through narrowed eyes as her Master's body burned. She knew he was now one with the Force but it did not give her much comfort. At this very moment she could not take her eyes off him. He was her first Master and she was now sure he would be her last. She would have been up for the trials in a few years. Which Master would take her on now?

She sighed inaudibly. She never even really knew why they had gone back to his home planet in the first place. It had been a mistake. When the flames eventually died down and vanished, Eliza looked away, not wanting to see what remained.

She was one of the first people to leave the room and she went outside. It was late afternoon and the sky was turning dark. Eliza returned to the Temple and went to the mediation room. She knew the Council would want to speak with her but right now, all she wanted now was to be alone. She entered the small room and sat down on a small seat.

She crossed her legs and closed her eyes. She gasped and opened them again quickly. Flashes of her Master's death were right in front of her, in the darkness of her mind. She relaxed her pose and sighed. She looked down into her lap and wondered if this feeling would ever leave.

Eliza instantly felt her emotions bubble over and she buried her face within her hands and sobbed quietly. He hadn't been dead long and she already missed him greatly. Master Yoda had always told them not to miss them, not to mourn them, but wasn't it a normal thing to do? How can you easily detached yourself from someone you've been with for years?

The Jedi Council sat high up in the Jedi Temple both wondering and discussing what should be done with their now Masterless Padawan. At the moment the room was quiet and it seemed as though no one wanted to speak first. Members of the Council glanced at each other, each of them wondering if what they decided here would be the right thing to do.

'She should be brought before us,' said Mace Windu, starting them off. 'We'll need her to tell us what happened on Ryloth.'

Other Council members nodded in agreement. 'She should not be allowed to leave the Temple until we know for sure that she is fine,' added Eeth Koth.

He glanced at the floor in sadness. He cared for all Jedi but other Zabrak's had a special place with him. It was hard to him to see other Jedi of the same species suffer in such a way and he could sense it from her, deeply.

'We may also have to find another Master for her,' said Mace.

Obi-Wan Kenobi cleared his throat gently. 'I think we should wait until we speak with her,' he said softly. 'Maybe leave it for tomorrow night. I'm sure she's already feeling despondent enough as it is and I'm sure she'll remember everything still.'

'Very well,' said Mace slowly. 'We shall speak with her tomorrow.'

The next evening as Eliza sat in the mediation room she tried to relax once again but the same thing continued to happen. All she could see when she closed her eyes was her Master dying before her eyes, his screams of horror and the helpless feeling she felt as she just watched.

The door to the room opened and Eliza's eyes shot to the door. She stood as Obi-Wan approached her. He nodded his head to her. 'Master Kenobi,' she greeted him politely.

'Evening, Padawan,' he replied back. 'The Council want to see you.'

Eliza nodded and she followed Obi-Wan to the Council chambers. She knew that she still had to fill them in on all the details. She was slightly concerned about what would happen to her after she told them the details though. Would they blame her for what happened?

She walked into the room and stood in the centre and she watched as Obi-Wan took his seat on the Council. She looked directly at Yoda and she bowed slowly. 'Hello, young Padawan,' he said slowly. 'Like to tell us what happened to Master Lestin?'

Eliza nodded slowly and licked her dry lips before speaking. 'We went to his home planet of Ryloth. I do not know if we had a mission there, he wouldn't answer the questions I had. He said there was something he had to do there but he would not say anything else. When we arrived there I followed him wherever he went without question.

'We eventually arrived in his home village and he told me to wait for him. I knew I had to listen to him so I did as I was told and I waited at the entrance to the small village. The longer he was gone the more I felt as though something were wrong. I felt as though there was a trap or ... I couldn't really put my finger on it but I had a bad feeling.

'I disobeyed his orders and I entered the village. I went to find him and I asked around for help so I could find him quicker. I eventually found him. He was speaking to a local merchant. I don't know what they were talking about; I was too far away to hear anything. Once the conversation ended he saw me. He walked straight over to me and gave me an earful about no respecting his wishes and not listening to his orders. I said nothing to him.

'I began walking back to the entrance of the village. I will admit that I felt belittled and embarrassed. I was a little angry that he had spoken to me in such a way with people around who could clearly hear him. My dreading feeling came back quickly and I turned back but I wasn't quick enough.

'Master Lestin walked over to a small hut, I don't know why, and when he went to open the door it ... it exploded. The door had been rigged with a bomb and he was blasted off his feet by the explosion. I called out but nothing was heard. Villagers screamed and ran for cover but I didn't. I ran straight over to Master Lestin but he was already dead.

'The hut turned into a inferno and I eventually calmed some of the villagers down and got some of them to help me put out of the fire. When it was finished some of them helped me move Master Lestin to somewhere more private and I thanked them greatly for their help and they thanked me in return for calming them down and seeing what must be done.

'I then contacted the Jedi to tell them what happened and they arrived quickly. The rest I'm sure you know,' finished Eliza quietly.

The Jedi Masters looked around at each other, all of them still unsure but they knew something had to be said. 'Young Padawan,' said Mace slowly. 'We may need time to find another Master for you and that's only if we can find one.'

'Until then, stay within the temple, you should,' said Yoda firmly.

Eliza nodded and bowed to them. She knew the meeting was over. She left the Council chambers and decided to clear her head but since mediation wasn't working she thought a walk may do the same thing. She walked around the Jedi Temple, watching as other Jedi, Padawan's and Younglings walked past her.

Sometimes Eliza envied the Jedi who never lost a Master, ones that kept the same Master throughout their training. They were lucky not to go through that. She knew all Jedi must sense loss in some way but losing your Master was the most difficult thing she had yet done. It wasn't the fact that he was gone but it was more the way he had died. That's not the way a Jedi Master should meet his end.

When Eliza reached the top level of the temple she walked out onto a balcony. There were a couple of Jedi there but she ignored looking their way. She walked to the edge and looked out over the sky of Coruscant. Lately Eliza had wondered if this cold, glowing city was having a bad effect her on. Maybe her own sudden coldness was being born from this city.

After a while Eliza felt a presence beside her. She glanced over and she sighed inwardly. Beside her was Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. Eliza had seen her around many times but they had never really spoken before. Eliza glanced into her blue eyes but quickly looked away and back out upon the city. She wasn't interested in talking to anyone but she knew something was coming.

'You seem troubled,' she said softly, watching her.

'I feel fine,' replied Eliza, uninterested in the conversation and she seemed more than willing to express it, no matter what the other person thought.

'I'm sure your Master knew how you felt,' she said softly. 'And I'm sure he knows how you're feeling now. I know he would not want you to be feeling this way. Death is a natural path that all people take and for some that journey must come sooner.'

'Did you know him?' she asked, still avoiding her eye.

'No, not really,' Luminara replied.

'Really?' asked Eliza, feeling slightly incredulous. 'How could you not know him? He was Jedi and a Master no less.'

Luminara smiled gently and faced Eliza. She placed her hands together in front of her and she waited until Eliza faced her back. 'Young Padawan, I do not know all Jedi and as I said, I had heard of him but I do not even know all of the Master's personally. Yes, I have spoken to him but I know nothing of value to tell you. Besides, I'm sure you knew him better than I did.'

She turned and began to walk away but she then stopped and faced Eliza again. She had more to say and at first she was unsure about saying it.

'Padawan,' she said softly. 'I was not told to speak to you by anyone. I can feel your uncertainty and fear is born from that and the anger you show and feel is coming from not wanting to show your fear. I do not wish for you to travel down this path. I know losing a Master can be hard, losing a Padawan is equally so but do not let it consume you. It will not do you any good. I hope you heed my words.'

Eliza was left feeling slightly bitter as she watched Luminara walk away and disappear from her sight. She turned back to her view and sighed lightly. She didn't know what to do or how to feel. She was confused and she was scared but would that really lead her down a dark path?

She shook her head and left the balcony once it started to turn cold. She returned to her room and went into the bathroom. It had been a long two days but it felt as though it had been stretched to a week. She leaned over the pure white basin in the bathroom and eventually looked up at herself in the mirror.

All she saw was her own reflection. She could tell she was tired and it was beginning to show on her face. She stood up straight and took her short, dark brown hair out from its hold and she ran her finger through it. It was still soft but she quickly tied it back up. She didn't like having it out even though it was short.

She then took a step back and examined her face. The softness of her face was still present despite the delicate and bright purple tattoos of her face. She reached to the top of her head and gently felt her horns. She knew all Zabraks had tattoos but she had never seen someone with bright ones like her.

Eliza quickly stopped and sighed at her reflection for a little longer. She left the bathroom and walked into the bedroom. Without changing she lay down on the bed and was asleep before she realised it.