Finishing her morning run through the thick forests of Dathomir, Tenel Ka stood outside of her house and stretched her muscles. Upon entering, she checked her chrono for the date. Four days until she returned to the Skywalker Jedi Academy, to see her friends, Jaina, Jacen, and Lowbacca, and resumed her Jedi training. As much as she loved her mother's homeworld, Tenel Ka was anxious to return to Yavin IV. And as excited as she was to return, she also felt a touch of apprehensiveness she could do nothing to make disappear. The memories of her accident were still fresh in her head, and while her new lightsaber would be flawless upon its completion, Tenel Ka was concerned with the manner in which she would be treated by her peers.

"Never be ashamed of what you are. Or who you are." Those had been the words of her father two weeks ago, back on Hapes. He may not have been right about everything, but he was right about that. Tenel Ka pondered this as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom, then shook her head as she viewed the floor. Or, more precisely, where she assumed the floor had at least once been. Clothes and shoes had been strewn about, and a teenaged girl sat atop Tenel Ka's unmade spare bed. "Galler…" she began.

The girl, Tenel Ka's cousin, looked up at her. "All right, I'll clean up."

"Today, please?"

"Whatever." She returned her attention back to the stringed instrument in her hands.

Only a couple of years ago, she and Tenel Ka were frequently mistaken for twins, possessing the same hair and body shape. Now though, Galler's hair was darker than night and streaked of red, but not her natural red. Her body was very thin but not muscular, as was Tenel Ka's, and decorated with elaborate piercings. The eyes were the same, though. Slate grey- like neither parent. Whenever Tenel Ka and her parents visited Dathomir, Galler found excuses to stay with them, often for the duration of their trip. Galler's mother, Teneniel's youngest sister, had virtually abandoned her at a young age, and her father, who made it his sole purpose in life to support Galler had passed away two years ago, leaving his only daughter to seek refuge elsewhere; if not with Tenel Ka's family, then with other families in the clan.

"Someone called," Galler remembered suddenly.

"Who?"

"I dunno. Some girl."

"You did not ask for a message?"

"No. She'll probably call back, if it was important," Galler stipulated.

Tenel Ka sighed. "You frustrate me."

Galler looked to her cousin with a huge goofball grin plastered across her face, as was her custom. "I know. It's my job, or something. Aunt Teneniel told me so."

"I'll have to write a book about you someday."

"Don't waste your time," Galler said casually. "Just name a kid after me or something."

Tenel Ka was about to reply when the comm. downstairs rang. She left to answer it, and found Jaina on the other line.

"Greetings, my friend," Tenel Ka offered. "How are things at the academy?"

"Boring!" Jaina exclaimed. "It's not the same without you!"

"It is only four more days," Tenel Ka reminded her.

"But that's like forever!" She dramatized. "Anyways, I called because I have to ask you something. Last week…"

"Master Skywalker's wife returned from her travels," Tenel Ka offered.

"Right. And apparently, she found out about other academies that train Jedi Knights."

"Interesting," Tenel Ka commented, eager to see where Jaina was going with this.

"Well, you know how we spar against each other for practice and stuff? Well Aunt Mara thought it would be cool to start a team that spars against the other academies' teams. She said she would be willing to coach us if we could get a team together. So, um, we were wondering if you would be interested?"

"How many students will Master Jade Skywalker teach?"

"Well, there are 14 weight classes, and a junior varsity and varsity, plus extras, so… 30 or 35?" Jaina estimated.

"And how many are currently interested?"

"Eh," Jaina thought, "Sixty or seventy."

"So there will be sixty or seventy students competing for 30 spots?"

"Okay, so there will be tryouts and everything. But it still sounds like a lot of fun. And you know you'll make the team."

"Why would I know that? I have the same opportunity that everyone else has."

Jaina scoffed. "Whatever. Tryouts start in a week. Do you think you want to?"

"I'll think about it," Tenel Ka told her. After conversing for awhile longer, she cut the link and went to work on her new lightsaber.

So, what do you think? Please R&R. Thanks!