PROLOGUE
THOUGH DEEPENING TRIALS
By Kathryn Olsen
This is for Thalia, because she taught me that friendship and love supercedes all.
My thanks to my so-to-speak guinea pig, Kyra. Many thanks for all her help in the development of this story. Thanks to Jen for inspiring my characters and providing me with suitable names for them. And, of course, thanks to Ophelia, the author of The First Four Days, for reminding me what the Jedi Order was all about.
"Though deepening trials throng your way, press on, press on."
PROLOGUE
"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven."
~Ecclesiastes
A TIME TO MOURN
The Empire was dead.
In the streets of Coruscant, known to most of the Galaxy as Imperial Center, chaos reigned. Statues toppled, riots broke out, impromptu rallies formed. Those still loyal to the Emperor fluctuated between panic and aggression. Those who had been living in fear of their own disloyalty responded with utter jubilation.
In every plaza, the bootleg broadcast of the second Death Star's destruction was being repeatedly played as both a taunt and a celebration.
High above street level, Anara Sahren simply hung her head, letting relief wash over her. At fifty-eight, she had long despaired of ever seeing this day.
The door behind her opened and she smiled slightly. "You heard?"
Tarin, her twenty-one-year-old son, crossed the room and embraced her from behind. "They declared a day of mourning at work."
"I hear tell of a year of mourning," she countered.
She turned and smiled. "I'm surprised you could get through the crowds."
He shrugged. "It wasn't so bad until I got to this plaza."
She nodded. "Your father will have more difficulty. The newsfeeds say that the Ministry of Defense has the most problems with rioting."
"I heard that as well." He closed the windows and the sound level dampened. "Rana is coming over for dinner and to conspire about the wedding."
Anara nodded. "She called me this morning to make sure it would be all right, so I made reservations at the 23rd Hour." She gestured towards the window. "I remember a time when reservations there weren't necessary. It was the favorite of many of the Jedi, but little-known back then."
"Did you know any?"
"Who?" She blinked. "Jedi, you mean?"
"Yes."
She smiled wistfully. "A few. We're actually where some of them would have lived. The Plaza was built over the rubble of the Jedi Temple. Thirty years ago, you would never have been able to see the Palace from here."
"Why did the Emperor have them hunted down?"
Her face fell. "I've asked myself the same thing for a long time and all I can tell you is that he was afraid."
"Didn't the Senate try to stop him?"
"He convinced them that the Jedi were the greatest threat the Republic had ever known and that if they were not exterminated, they would destroy the Republic."
"That's ridiculous."
She nodded and pushed him gently into a seat. "Stay here and I'll surprise you."
The anunciator chimed and she palmed open the door to admit her future daughter-in-law. Rana embraced her, then crossed to where Tarin was sitting.
"What's going on?"
"We're about to be surprised, allegedly."
She crossed to a panel near the door. She palmed it open, then removed a bundle. Crossing back to his position, she handed it over and sat next to him.
"What's this?"
"Remnants of someone I once knew."
Anara removed the "rope" tying everything together--two strands of braided hair tied to each other. "Padawan braids. When a child was taken as an apprentice, they would begin growing one of these. They used to call them leashes. When the apprentice or Padawan, as they called them, was Knighted, the Master would sever the braid."
He removed the outer layer of cloth and shook it out. "Is this what I think it is?"
She nodded. "A Jedi robe. Not something you see every day, eh?" She took the bundle. "Perhaps I should just go through this and explain everything."
She unfolded the arms of the inner robe, a lighter garment, and shook two cylindrical objects from the sleeves. She handed both to him, then picked up a sheaf of holos and passed them over.
"Who are these people?"
She smiled and pointed to a man in the first picture. "That's your father."
Tarin's head snapped up and Rana turned to stare at him. "Your father was a Jedi?"
Anara shook her head and took a deep breath. "Tarin, that's your father."
He stared at the holo. "I don't understand."
She fingered the material of the first robe. "His name was Yrin Llyr; I met him when I was twenty-three and he was killed in the last phase of the Purges."
Tarin stared at the holo, then moved through the rest of the holos. All of them included the man.
"Who's the man that I call father?"
Ana rubbed her ring finger absently. "He is as much a father to you as any. He raised you, he loved you, but he did not create you."
Tarin sucked in his breath. "You have some explaining to do, I think."
She nodded. "I've been waiting twenty-one years to explain this to you."
She held up the two lightsabers. "The one in my right hand is Yrin Llyr's. The one in my left is mine."
She took the holos and leafed through them. She stopped and removed five. "These are your sisters and brother. They were killed in the Purges as well.
"I was born Ana Majav, the daughter of two Jedi Knights. When your father was killed, he asked me to make sure that you had a normal life. I met the man you call father and he took me in and protected me. It was necessary that I marry him so no one would ask questions. By the time you were born, I did love him. He is every bit your family as I am."
Tarin inhaled. "Tell me the story of my family. I think I have a right to know where I came from."
She took the holos and turned to the first one. "That you do."
46 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ENDOR
Master Sah Khil held his lightsaber in front of him like a beacon, squinting into the relative darkness of the hovel. Not a single light was on. In the darkness, someone was weeping loudly, speaking words he couldn't understand. By the glow of his lightsaber, he could see the outline of a prone body. Taking a deep breath, he dashed into the chamber and swung his saber around, looking for any hint of an attacker. There was none.
He dropped to his knees next to the body and checked for a pulse in vain. He brushed away the dark hair from the woman's face and caught his breath.
"Lisaar, I've found Master Majav."
"Which one?"
"Saria."
His companion, a recently promoted Jedi Knight, stepped cautiously into the room. "Is she all right?"
"Dead," he said quietly. "From the looks of it, she died quickly."
Lisaar shuddered and crossed to the wall. "Where's the girl?"
His question was answered as Lisaar found the lights. Cowering in a corner was a thirteen-year-old girl, clutching an extinguished lightsaber to her chest.
Khil instinctively drew back, horrified. This was not the same girl he'd seen many times at the Temple. This was a horrific shadow of her.
Her sunken eyes were filled with terror, her painfully thin legs drawn protectively to her chest. Her emaciated form was shaking almost convulsively with the force of her sobs.
"Ana Majav?"
She nodded and scooped her auburn hair out of her face with a trembling hand. "Is he still here?"
"No," Khil assured her.
He extinguished his saber and hooked it to his belt. Lisaar followed his lead. The last thing this girl needed was more threats. "I'm Master Khil and this is Lisaar. We were sent here for you. Would you like to go home?"
She shuddered. "I have no home. My mother is dead; my father had me removed from the Order. I have nowhere to go."
"Be that as it may," Khil said, "the Council wants us to bring you back to them. Your fate will be decided then."
He knelt and helped her up. She wavered for a moment on unsteady legs, then collapsed into his arms, unconscious. A quick examination revealed lightsaber burns on her shoulder, abdomen, and legs. A gash ran down the side of her face.
"I think she's had enough for one day," Khil said wryly. "Let's get her out of here."
* * *
Lisaar turned to see Master Khil enter. "She's strapped in."
Khil nodded. "I contacted the Council. They'll want our recommendation when we return to Coruscant."
"So, what is our recommendation, exactly?"
Khil sat down at the table and poured a glass of water. "I like her."
"You decided you like her after thirty seconds of conversation?"
"I spoke with her while you were getting us into hyperspace. And I did a mind probe at her consent."
"Was the Council right to put her on probation?"
Khil sighed. "The Council put her on probation based on the accusations of her Master. Given the fact that that same person just killed his own wife, I'm not sure there's much credibility to anything he said."
Lisaar snorted. "Unless, of course, there's something she's not telling us."
"If there is, I can't detect it."
"One of the Dark Arts is mind-cloaking."
"Nevertheless, I'm willing to take a chance on her. I think there's more to her than we're giving her credit for."
"Every time we mentioned Raver, she nearly had a panic attack. What did he do to her?"
"I'm pretty sure that the wounds from the battle are just the latest. I know that Raver had a temper and, if the bruises and cuts are any indication, he often took it out on her."
"How horrible to have to fear your own father."
"I didn't notice it planetside, but he blinded her."
Lisaar looked up sharply. "You're kidding."
Khil shook his head solemnly. "It isn't permanent. Nothing a few days at the Healer's won't fix; he just weakened the muscles that focus light, so she's unable to see. She says it was one of the punishments.
"I think the physical abuse was just the beginning. She has some deep emotional scarring. In these sorts of relationships, everything is punished. Did you see how malnourished she is?"
Lisaar nodded solemnly. "The Council made a grave error in allowing her, forcing her to leave with him."
"I agree."
Khil picked up a stylus and tapped it against the table. "I'm going to recommend that she be reevaluated and placed with a new Master. Any objections?"
"I suppose not," Lisaar said. "I just wish I had your confidence."
* * *
Ana awoke in familiar surroundings. The Jedi Temple's healing center was well known to any normal child in the Order. Her tattered robes had been removed and she was in a simple white linen shift.
The two men who had rescued her were standing near the foot of the bed, speaking quietly.
She recognized the elder as one of the Jedi Masters in the Temple. She had often seen him in the practica arenas, drilling saber skils into his victims by consistent brutal practice regimens. The broad smile on his narrow face and the softness in his grey eyes didn't fit with his aggressive reputation, but his stature was appropriately intimidating. He was at least a half-foot taller than her, with broad shoulders and sculpted muscles.
The younger one was barely taller than she, but as strong a presence as his partner. He carried his trim frame confidently, as though he were a giant of a man.
As she blinked to focus her vision, the one called Lisaar looked over.
"Ah, you're finally awake. The Council will be pleased."
She sat up slowly, not wanting to strain herself. "The Council wants to see me?"
"You and I, specifically," Khil corrected. "I'll go find Healer Tanar so she can release you."
Ana examined her body, but found no trace of the lightsaber burns other than light scarring. "How long have I been here?"
"Five weeks," Lisaar said. "They had to put you on a nutrient feed to bring you out of the danger zone."
Khil returned with a willowy human who completed a perfunctory examination of her and declared her suitable for release.
Lisaar returned with a package. "Your robes were unsalvageable, so you were issued new ones." He handed her the bundle and turned. "We'll leave you to get showered and dressed; the Council will be seeing you in thirty minutes."
Ana pushed to her feet and crossed to the refresher. She only took the time to wash her hair and cleanse her skin, relying on habit rather than luxury. She stepped out under the drying vents and wrapped a towel around her shivering form. She finally turned to the package
on the counter. Inside was a white undertunic and beige slacks, with a light brown tunic and a knee-length dark-brown Jedi robe. A narrow belt and dark brown leather boots that reached her knees completed the package. She dressed, then braided her hair across her head.
Khil was waiting outside the room. He held out her mother's lightsaber and she hesitated. "Take it," he said gently. "You may need it someday."
She gripped it and hooked it to her belt. He looked her over approvingly. "Shall we be going, then?"
She nodded and followed him to the Council wing. They were told to sit in the foyer and took seats. Khil must have sensed her nervousness because he glanced over and rested a hand on her arm.
"Don't worry about it. What happened was not your fault."
She let out her breath, unaware that she'd been holding it. "My Master nearly brought me over to the Dark Side, my mother's dead, and I used a lightsaber in violation of about twelve different Temple regulations. What part of this is not my fault?"
"Your Master was your father," he countered. "Not only did he betray your trust by convincing you to follow him, he betrayed you by trying to take you away from the protection of the Light Side. Your mother is dead because of that betrayal, not because of you."
"But she came there looking for me."
He sighed. "She came there under direct orders from the Council to find Master Raver Majav. Her orders had nothing to do with you." He squeezed her forearm. "You're going to have to trust me on this."
Her mouth twitched into a hint of a smile. "I have trouble trusting myself, much less complete strangers."
He nodded and folded his arms across his chest. "I should warn you. If the Council reinstates you into the Order, I've asked for you to be my Padawan."
She caught her breath, then let it out in a soft hiss. "Why?"
"I've been watching you for a long time. You're a creative thinker, a studious fighter, and a steady character. I think that you will become a great Jedi Knight someday and I would be honored to lead you towards that goal."
She rubbed the hollow of her throat absently. "I had no idea," she said quietly.
"You always have people watching you. Mostly the Council. For Master assignments, mission assignments; when the time comes, they'll be partnering you with another Knight based on what they've seen." He smiled slightly. "It's only natural that Jedi Masters should watch you on a regular basis."
"They're ready for you now," the clerk called.
Ana stood and smoothed her hair back. "Do I look all right?"
He smiled slightly. "You look fine."
Khil caught her arm just before the entrance. "Let me do the talking unless you're questioned directly."
"Yes, sir."
The Council chamber contained the twelve councillors' chairs set in a circle around a speaker's circle. The viewports went all around except for where the doors separating the antechamber from the Council room lay. Three durasteel and crystal beams were the only visible structural supports that kept the decorative ceiling aloft.
The view of the cityscape as well as the other spires and towers of the Jedi Temple was stunning, but to focus on that rather than the matters at hand was pointless.
They entered the speaker's circle and bowed in unison.
Ana stood at ease, her hands limp at her sides. She was attempting to look as noncombatant as possible. She could remember being frightened of the Council members as a child because of their focused, stern expressions. Age had not yet altered that impression.
Master Yoda, the most senior member of the Council at eight hundred and fifty-three, fixed a gaze on her and a smile came to his wrinkled green lips. "Glad we are to see you safe, Padawan Majav. Worried we were."
Ana dipped her head respectfully to Master Yoda and glanced at Khil. He sent her a reassuring vibe, then straightened. "We found Ana Majav in a recluse on Raltiir. It would appear that when Master Saria Majav confronted Raver Majav, there was a struggle. Saria was killed
in the process and Ana, Raver's Padawan learner, took up arms in self-defense against her Master. She was wounded several times and Raver fled to an unknown destination. We found her one day later, still unmoved from the spot, terrified to leave. She was taken to the Healers here on Coruscant and treated for her injuries."
Mace Windu steepled his fingers and pressed them against his lips. "Is that all?"
"Yes, Master," Khil replied.
"Ana, perhaps you could explain what happened between your last appearance before the Council and the time you were retrieved by Lisaar and Master Khil."
Ana took a deep breath. "As you know, I put in an appeal to the Council, claiming that I had been disciplined unfairly on false charges. I felt that my training had been compromised and that continuing my training under Master Majav would be dangerous. After the Council put me on probationary training leave, Master Majav took me to Raltiir, where he continued my training in the Dark Arts.
"I resisted his efforts as best I could, but every time I defied the darkness, he would beat me." She pulled up her sleeves to show bruises and lacerations.
"At one point, I tried to escape and he nearly killed me. It was then that he blinded me. About nine days later, my mother arrived and tried to reason with him. He responded by attacking her. The duel went on for nearly four hours, both with lightsabers and Force storms. My father drove his lightsaber through her throat.
"She threw her lightsaber to me as he turned to attack me. I drove him off until I didn't catch a feint and he burned my shoulder. The more times you're burned, the more you're likely to get burned again. Luckily for me, he decided he'd had enough and left me to die. I
did what I could to heal myself, but I couldn't concentrate much and I was in shock. The next day, Master Khil and Knight Lisaar showed up. The next thing I knew, I was here."
Windu nodded. "We asked Master Khil for his recommendation when we received word that you'd been recovered. He recommended that you be placed with another Master. Would you like another chance at Knighthood?"
Ana glanced at Master Khil once more. "Yes, Master."
"You will be granted an extension in order to reevaluate you and properly partner you with a Master."
"Master Windu," Khil interjected. "After careful consideration, I would like to take Ana Majav as my Padawan learner."
There was a ripple of surprise and Master Yoda turned to look at her. "Agree with this, do you, Ana?"
"Yes, Master."
"For now, approve we do. In six weeks, come before us again you will for evaluation. May the Force be with you."
Ana bowed and left the room. Once outside, she leaned against the wall and sighed in relief. Khil rested a hand on her shoulder, then pulled her under a protective arm.
"May I ask what happened to your Padawan braid?"
"Master Majav cut it off as soon as we reached Raltiir."
Lisaar was waiting outside the Council wing. "Well?"
"Lisaar, this is my new Padawan, Ana Majav."
Lisaar smiled cautiously. "Congratulations. When will the Anithai be?"
Ana winced. The Anithai, the formal bonding of the Master and Padawan was a blood ritual that had always frightened her, but was intrinsic to the Jedi lifestyle.
"We'll be moving back into her old quarters tonight."
He stepped to the side to let a Knight pass. "Which reminds me, we have a few things to do before then."
"Such as?"
"Getting transferred to new quarters, fixing the Padawan braid situation, and I have to go to Civilian Records and Information to get you legally transferred into my guardianship."
He turned to Lisaar. "I need to be gone for several hours; could you evaluate her skills?"
"Of course."
"South Tower arena, Sixth Hour."
He checked his chrono, then turned to Ana. "It's almost midday; where in the city do you like to eat?"
"The 23rd Hour."
Lisaar laughed. "You picked a winner." At Ana's look of confusion, he pulled a straight face. "Master Khil has been patronizing the 23rd Hour since it opened 25 years ago. He's been there through two Padawans, three partners, and one wife."
"At any rate," Khil said sternly, narrowing his eyes at Lisaar, "shall we be going?"
* * *
"Born on Alderaan, obviously raised at the Temple." Ana picked at her dessert. "I was taken as a Padawan at the age of eleven."
"When did the...alternate training begin?"
Ana winced. "About seven months ago. I didn't realize what it was for at least a month. Two months later, we went to Raltiir." Khil glanced at Lisaar, caught his partner's somber nod.
"Given four months under intensive Dark Arts training, your reliance on traditional Jedi technique is amazing. Lisaar says that you show little effects of the alternate method."
He turned to Lisaar. "How are her dueling skills?"
"Extraordinarily good, for her age. She's been trained in the butterfly method."
Khil smiled wistfully. "Tarsan's favorite."
"His wife was the Order's best butterfly saberman."
Ana sat back. "I was under the impression that it was a recent method."
Khil laughed. "We're not *that* old, Ana. It was developed ten years ago; Tarsan was one of the first to adopt it. Your father was another of the early ones. I assume that's where you learned it."
She grimaced. "Right. He started that about a year and a half ago. For a while, he wouldn't even let me practice in the traditional method, just so I could become comfortable with the other."
"A common practice for any bad habit," Lisaar teased. "I'll warn you, though. Khil doesn't know the meaning of malingering. I don't think I've ever seen him take a sick day for anything short of a skull fracture."
"True enough. But Lisaar couldn't quite get used to my style and faked illness once or twice, if I'm not mistaken."
Lisaar rolled his eyes. "My advice to you, Majav, is to never assume that just because weak-minded fools can be affected by Jedi mind tricks that he can."
"A glowing recommendation," Khil said with a wry smile. "My advice to you is that if you don't trust yourself as you trust the Force and you trust me, you will never be able to put it into proper practice."
She nodded solemnly. "I'm sure that will make sense when I'm older."
"As most things will."
* * *
Ana sat outside the Council chambers, trying valiantly not to fidget. Khil had been arguing with the Council over their new mission for nearly an hour. She couldn't hear what was being said, but the emotions that were being broadcasted were a bit acrimonious.
An aide exited through a side door and she strained to hear anything. "Not ready is she."
"I think it's best that she come with me. She needs to face him, for her own sake as well as his."
"You saw what happened to Saria," Master Windu countered. "We can't risk that. You must face Raver Majav alone."
"Do you want her to be orphaned again?"
"Better orphaned than murdered," Ki-adi-mundi countered.
The door shut. The aide crossed to the reception area and handed over a datapad.
"It's going to be a long day. I don't think either side is going to yield."
"Master Khil is being imprudent. Taking a twelve-year-old child against someone like that is absolutely ridiculous."
"Maybe it's for the best. Facing her worst adversary will be excellent training."
"If it doesn't kill her."
The main doors hissed open and Khil exited, a grim smile on his face. "Come, Padawan."
Ana stood and followed him out. "Well?"
Khil looked back at her. "You're coming with me."
Ana caught up with him. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow night." He stepped onto a balcony and turned to face her. "Ana, I have complete faith in you and your abilities. Otherwise I would not have taken you as my Padawan. But this is going to be an extraordinarily difficult mission and I won't have you coming if you don't feel that you should. So, what do you think?"
She frowned deeply. "I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do, but I feel it's what I need to do." She looked up. "Is that wrong?"
"Not at all. The Force has many ambiguities, which are unclear to us. It is not our place to doubt it, but to trust in it."
* * *
Ana slid her satchel under her assigned bunk, then wiped her palms on her slacks and stood. "All set back here."
Khil appeared in the doorway. "We just made the jump to lightspeed. It'll be another seventeen hours to Raltiir. Four in meditation, seven in sleeping, two in lightsaber practice,
and three for whatever you want."
Ana narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "That adds up to sixteen."
He smiled slightly. "Of course." He produced a small package from inside his robes. "Did you remember it's your birthday today?"
She laughed. "As a matter of fact, I did not. I've kind of lost track of the months."
He shook his head. "A pity. In any case, I found this in the Alderaani sector of Coruscant."
She took the package and opened it. Inside was a delicate silver chain with an Alderaanian opal pendant.
She swallowed. "I don't deserve this."
Khil took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. "Most good things in life we don't entirely deserve, but we have to take them in stride. Besides," he said, "you agreed to be my Padawan. It's time I started returning the favor."
* * *
"Mimban."
Khil turned. "Are you sure?"
Ana nodded. "It's the strongest impression I'm getting."
He frowned. "I think you're right."
She stood and followed him out to the landspeeder. It had grown dark while they were inside and a storm had sprung up.
"Spaceport, docking bay 79."
They climbed in and settled in. Ana yawned. "Thirteen hours of meditation and we'll be there in less time."
Khil nodded. "We got what we needed. The rest doesn't really matter."
"Why do you think he's at Mimban?"
"If you were a renegade Jedi Master being pursued, you'd probably go to ground." He smiled. "Mimban has the advantage of having a network of caves that are perfect for taking that phrase literally."
She frowned. "I hadn't thought of that."
He rested a hand on her shoulder. "The Force does follow logic, you know."
"Really," she said with a small smile. "I never would have guessed."
"Only occasionally." He wrapped a blanket around her shivering form. "Are you all right?"
She nodded shakily. "I never wanted to see that place again. So much hatred and malicious intent. It was like being smothered."
He winced. "I'm sorry I subjected you to that, but I needed your help."
She sighed. "I know."
"There will be a lot of things on this mission that you won't feel comfortable doing, but you are the only one I trust with them." He pulled the ends of the blanket together and smiled slightly. "Think you can do it?"
She smiled wryly. "Of course. I'm a Jedi. Can't doesn't come with the vocabulary."
* * *
"Stay behind me. Do not speak. Do not ignite your lightsaber unless attacked. Rely on your senses for direction."
Ana nodded solemnly. "Yes, Master."
Khil rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. It will turn out fine."
"I wish I had your confidence."
Ana fell back a few paces, then followed him into the caves. Ana stretched out with the Force, allowing it to carry her movements quickly and silently. She forced herself to calm her mind and focus on her surroundings.
Even with that, the hiss of the igniting lightsaber caught her off-guard. She staggered back a step.
"So, you've come to be finished."
Khil interposed himself between her and her father. "The only thing to be finished here is your foolishness."
"I doubt that," he said, flicking his lightsaber towards her tauntingly. "She's too weak to finish anything."
"We'll see."
Ana kept her hands at her sides, but straightened confidently. "You've failed. I may be too weak for many things, but I am too strong to give in."
Her father swung in a diagonal cut. Khil's saber intercepted it. Ana stepped back, giving them more room. Khil changed the direction of his inward sweep and angled his blade to the left and into a loop, throwing her father off-balance. He stumbled to the right, just past Khil, then drove forward into range of her.
Before Khil could move, he attacked. Ana brought her saber up, igniting it just before the attack would have run her through. She leaned into the attack, firmly grounding herself in case he caught her off-guard.
Khil's blade moved in between them. She heard her opponent swear violently. "Get back," Khil snapped.
His brief inattention cost him ground. Her father drove his elbow straight into Khil's nose, sending him falling back into the shadows.
In that moment, her father shut off his blade and his outstretched hand erupted in lightning.
Ana, despite her stance, flew back into the cave wall and knew no more.
* * *
Khil heard her shriek and the crack as her head hit solid rock, but didn't dare distract himself.
He used Majav's momentary vulnerability to intensify the attack. Majav parried easily and quickly, mixing martial arts training with traditional sabership.
Khil shifted to a tight two-handed grip and dropped to one knee, angling from below to drive the lightsaber from Majav's hand.
The other's saber extinguished as soon as it left his hand. Khil held his own lightsaber in a low guard position. "You don't have to do this, Raver. There are alternatives."
"The only alternative is fallibility, weakness. I refuse to return to that."
"I have orders to bring you back or kill you. Either way, I'm not to leave here unless your threat has been neutralized."
"Then you will not leave here alive."
The lightsaber flew to his hand and Khil parried the sudden thrust. He swept his leg through where Majav's ankles should be, but found only air as his opponent attempted to run him through from above.
Khil rolled into a crouched position and snapped his blade diagonal to his body. Majav, not anticipating the move, fell directly onto the blade at chest level.
Khil shut off his lightsaber, breathing deeply to calm himself as he watched the last life force of Raver Majav drain away.
Sudden panic set in and he turned to see his Padawan crumpled against the wall. He dropped to his knees and pressed his fingers to her neck. Her pulse was weak, but it was there.
Sighing in relief, he brought out his commlink and thumbed it on. "Khil to Savren."
"Where in the Force *are* you?"
"About a hundred kilometers to the southeast of the landing site, in the caves. I'll be out if you can't run a trace, but I need you to contact the Temple Healers."
"Do you require medical assistance?"
"I have a broken nose, but my Padawan is in a bad way. She was hit with Force lightning and has some severe burns. The attack threw her directly into the cave wall. I think she may have a skull fracture or at least a severe head injury and I need instructions on what to do."
"Copy that." There was a pause. "I've got a connection trace on your position. We'll be at the mouth of the caves in twelve minutes."
"I'll be there."
"Stand by for instructions."
There was a long pause, then the copilot came on. "Sir, they say to keep her flat and have us strap her to one of the medevac stretchers with her head immobilized. For now, put her into a healing trance and stop the bleeding."
"Thank you. I will be outside."
Eleven minutes later, he led the navigator into the caves and loaded her onto the stretcher as gently as possible. The navigator began the trek back to the surface, then turned.
"Sir, aren't you coming?"
"In a minute, Lieutenant. Get her strapped in and I'll be out shortly."
"Yes, sir."
Khil turned back and picked up Raver's lightsaber. He dropped into a meditative pose for a few minutes, then saluted Raver and turned to head back to Coruscant.
* * *
Lisaar sighed heavily. "I knew I shouldn't have told her that you wouldn't allow a sick day for anything short of a skull fracture."
Khil snorted. "I hardly think she intended it."
Lisaar smiled. "I know. When will she be awake?"
"Since our newfound allies, the Thyferrans, made it possible for her to get dunked in bacta as soon as she got onboard, shortly."
Lisaar shook his head. "Amazing."
Khil nodded. "I hear you got a new partner."
"Lanje Thian."
"I've heard of her. She's a good warrior."
"I've only known her six days."
"Touché," Khil conceded. He tilted his chin. "I assume the irate young woman storming towards us is she?"
The petite, flaxen-haired woman stopped in front of Lisaar, her delicate jaw set firmly, and bowed sharply to Khil.
"Master Khil, an honor to meet you."
He bowed. "Likewise."
She shoved an index finger into Lisaar's breastbone. "This has got to stop."
Khil folded his arms, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "What's he done now?"
"Pranks," she spat. "Two days running."
Khil laughed. "Get used to them. Until Lisaar here grows up, we'll never be rid of that particular scourge."
She threw up her hands. "So I have to put up with him until Tatooine freezes over."
Lisaar grinned. "Basically."
She turned a glare on him. "What degenerate Sithspawn trained you?"
Lisaar rested a hand on Khil's shoulder. "Him, actually."
She pursed her lips. "I'll try not to hold that against you, Master."
"Glad to hear that."
She stepped back. "I'll be in the South Tower training arena. Be there in twenty minutes or I'll have to come after you."
She stalked off and Lisaar grimaced. "Ladies and gentleman, Lanje Thian."
Khil turned to him with a grin. "You like her."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Painfully so."
His commlink sounded. He retrieved it and thumbed it on. "Khil."
"Tanar here. Ana Majav has regained consciousness and is asking for you."
"Thank you. I'll be there shortly."
He turned off the commlink and smiled at Lisaar. "Try not to drive her out of the Order, will you?"
"Yes, Master."
He turned on his heel and headed back to the medcenter. Tanar gestured him into the room. "She's tired, so I can only allow a few minutes."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Ana stirred as he entered and offered a weak smile. "Well," she whispered. "I wasn't expecting this."
"How are you feeling?"
"Fried," she retorted. "Is he dead?"
"Yes."
She grimaced. "I know I shouldn't be glad for that, but I can't help it. He can't do any more damage."
Khil nodded and sat next to her. "I talked to the Council yesterday, for the six-week evaluation, and we're official."
She nodded wearily. "Thank the Force."
"We don't have any missions any time soon, so when you're released tomorrow, I'm focusing strictly on the non-physical side of the Force."
She smiled. "Wimp."
"For that, you're spending tomorrow in meditation."
She sighed. "Not much of a threat."
"Nevertheless, it stands." He stood. "For now, I'll let you get your rest."
He turned to go and reached the door before her voice stopped him.
"Master?"
He turned. "Yes?"
"Thank you."
THOUGH DEEPENING TRIALS
By Kathryn Olsen
This is for Thalia, because she taught me that friendship and love supercedes all.
My thanks to my so-to-speak guinea pig, Kyra. Many thanks for all her help in the development of this story. Thanks to Jen for inspiring my characters and providing me with suitable names for them. And, of course, thanks to Ophelia, the author of The First Four Days, for reminding me what the Jedi Order was all about.
"Though deepening trials throng your way, press on, press on."
PROLOGUE
"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven."
~Ecclesiastes
A TIME TO MOURN
The Empire was dead.
In the streets of Coruscant, known to most of the Galaxy as Imperial Center, chaos reigned. Statues toppled, riots broke out, impromptu rallies formed. Those still loyal to the Emperor fluctuated between panic and aggression. Those who had been living in fear of their own disloyalty responded with utter jubilation.
In every plaza, the bootleg broadcast of the second Death Star's destruction was being repeatedly played as both a taunt and a celebration.
High above street level, Anara Sahren simply hung her head, letting relief wash over her. At fifty-eight, she had long despaired of ever seeing this day.
The door behind her opened and she smiled slightly. "You heard?"
Tarin, her twenty-one-year-old son, crossed the room and embraced her from behind. "They declared a day of mourning at work."
"I hear tell of a year of mourning," she countered.
She turned and smiled. "I'm surprised you could get through the crowds."
He shrugged. "It wasn't so bad until I got to this plaza."
She nodded. "Your father will have more difficulty. The newsfeeds say that the Ministry of Defense has the most problems with rioting."
"I heard that as well." He closed the windows and the sound level dampened. "Rana is coming over for dinner and to conspire about the wedding."
Anara nodded. "She called me this morning to make sure it would be all right, so I made reservations at the 23rd Hour." She gestured towards the window. "I remember a time when reservations there weren't necessary. It was the favorite of many of the Jedi, but little-known back then."
"Did you know any?"
"Who?" She blinked. "Jedi, you mean?"
"Yes."
She smiled wistfully. "A few. We're actually where some of them would have lived. The Plaza was built over the rubble of the Jedi Temple. Thirty years ago, you would never have been able to see the Palace from here."
"Why did the Emperor have them hunted down?"
Her face fell. "I've asked myself the same thing for a long time and all I can tell you is that he was afraid."
"Didn't the Senate try to stop him?"
"He convinced them that the Jedi were the greatest threat the Republic had ever known and that if they were not exterminated, they would destroy the Republic."
"That's ridiculous."
She nodded and pushed him gently into a seat. "Stay here and I'll surprise you."
The anunciator chimed and she palmed open the door to admit her future daughter-in-law. Rana embraced her, then crossed to where Tarin was sitting.
"What's going on?"
"We're about to be surprised, allegedly."
She crossed to a panel near the door. She palmed it open, then removed a bundle. Crossing back to his position, she handed it over and sat next to him.
"What's this?"
"Remnants of someone I once knew."
Anara removed the "rope" tying everything together--two strands of braided hair tied to each other. "Padawan braids. When a child was taken as an apprentice, they would begin growing one of these. They used to call them leashes. When the apprentice or Padawan, as they called them, was Knighted, the Master would sever the braid."
He removed the outer layer of cloth and shook it out. "Is this what I think it is?"
She nodded. "A Jedi robe. Not something you see every day, eh?" She took the bundle. "Perhaps I should just go through this and explain everything."
She unfolded the arms of the inner robe, a lighter garment, and shook two cylindrical objects from the sleeves. She handed both to him, then picked up a sheaf of holos and passed them over.
"Who are these people?"
She smiled and pointed to a man in the first picture. "That's your father."
Tarin's head snapped up and Rana turned to stare at him. "Your father was a Jedi?"
Anara shook her head and took a deep breath. "Tarin, that's your father."
He stared at the holo. "I don't understand."
She fingered the material of the first robe. "His name was Yrin Llyr; I met him when I was twenty-three and he was killed in the last phase of the Purges."
Tarin stared at the holo, then moved through the rest of the holos. All of them included the man.
"Who's the man that I call father?"
Ana rubbed her ring finger absently. "He is as much a father to you as any. He raised you, he loved you, but he did not create you."
Tarin sucked in his breath. "You have some explaining to do, I think."
She nodded. "I've been waiting twenty-one years to explain this to you."
She held up the two lightsabers. "The one in my right hand is Yrin Llyr's. The one in my left is mine."
She took the holos and leafed through them. She stopped and removed five. "These are your sisters and brother. They were killed in the Purges as well.
"I was born Ana Majav, the daughter of two Jedi Knights. When your father was killed, he asked me to make sure that you had a normal life. I met the man you call father and he took me in and protected me. It was necessary that I marry him so no one would ask questions. By the time you were born, I did love him. He is every bit your family as I am."
Tarin inhaled. "Tell me the story of my family. I think I have a right to know where I came from."
She took the holos and turned to the first one. "That you do."
46 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ENDOR
Master Sah Khil held his lightsaber in front of him like a beacon, squinting into the relative darkness of the hovel. Not a single light was on. In the darkness, someone was weeping loudly, speaking words he couldn't understand. By the glow of his lightsaber, he could see the outline of a prone body. Taking a deep breath, he dashed into the chamber and swung his saber around, looking for any hint of an attacker. There was none.
He dropped to his knees next to the body and checked for a pulse in vain. He brushed away the dark hair from the woman's face and caught his breath.
"Lisaar, I've found Master Majav."
"Which one?"
"Saria."
His companion, a recently promoted Jedi Knight, stepped cautiously into the room. "Is she all right?"
"Dead," he said quietly. "From the looks of it, she died quickly."
Lisaar shuddered and crossed to the wall. "Where's the girl?"
His question was answered as Lisaar found the lights. Cowering in a corner was a thirteen-year-old girl, clutching an extinguished lightsaber to her chest.
Khil instinctively drew back, horrified. This was not the same girl he'd seen many times at the Temple. This was a horrific shadow of her.
Her sunken eyes were filled with terror, her painfully thin legs drawn protectively to her chest. Her emaciated form was shaking almost convulsively with the force of her sobs.
"Ana Majav?"
She nodded and scooped her auburn hair out of her face with a trembling hand. "Is he still here?"
"No," Khil assured her.
He extinguished his saber and hooked it to his belt. Lisaar followed his lead. The last thing this girl needed was more threats. "I'm Master Khil and this is Lisaar. We were sent here for you. Would you like to go home?"
She shuddered. "I have no home. My mother is dead; my father had me removed from the Order. I have nowhere to go."
"Be that as it may," Khil said, "the Council wants us to bring you back to them. Your fate will be decided then."
He knelt and helped her up. She wavered for a moment on unsteady legs, then collapsed into his arms, unconscious. A quick examination revealed lightsaber burns on her shoulder, abdomen, and legs. A gash ran down the side of her face.
"I think she's had enough for one day," Khil said wryly. "Let's get her out of here."
* * *
Lisaar turned to see Master Khil enter. "She's strapped in."
Khil nodded. "I contacted the Council. They'll want our recommendation when we return to Coruscant."
"So, what is our recommendation, exactly?"
Khil sat down at the table and poured a glass of water. "I like her."
"You decided you like her after thirty seconds of conversation?"
"I spoke with her while you were getting us into hyperspace. And I did a mind probe at her consent."
"Was the Council right to put her on probation?"
Khil sighed. "The Council put her on probation based on the accusations of her Master. Given the fact that that same person just killed his own wife, I'm not sure there's much credibility to anything he said."
Lisaar snorted. "Unless, of course, there's something she's not telling us."
"If there is, I can't detect it."
"One of the Dark Arts is mind-cloaking."
"Nevertheless, I'm willing to take a chance on her. I think there's more to her than we're giving her credit for."
"Every time we mentioned Raver, she nearly had a panic attack. What did he do to her?"
"I'm pretty sure that the wounds from the battle are just the latest. I know that Raver had a temper and, if the bruises and cuts are any indication, he often took it out on her."
"How horrible to have to fear your own father."
"I didn't notice it planetside, but he blinded her."
Lisaar looked up sharply. "You're kidding."
Khil shook his head solemnly. "It isn't permanent. Nothing a few days at the Healer's won't fix; he just weakened the muscles that focus light, so she's unable to see. She says it was one of the punishments.
"I think the physical abuse was just the beginning. She has some deep emotional scarring. In these sorts of relationships, everything is punished. Did you see how malnourished she is?"
Lisaar nodded solemnly. "The Council made a grave error in allowing her, forcing her to leave with him."
"I agree."
Khil picked up a stylus and tapped it against the table. "I'm going to recommend that she be reevaluated and placed with a new Master. Any objections?"
"I suppose not," Lisaar said. "I just wish I had your confidence."
* * *
Ana awoke in familiar surroundings. The Jedi Temple's healing center was well known to any normal child in the Order. Her tattered robes had been removed and she was in a simple white linen shift.
The two men who had rescued her were standing near the foot of the bed, speaking quietly.
She recognized the elder as one of the Jedi Masters in the Temple. She had often seen him in the practica arenas, drilling saber skils into his victims by consistent brutal practice regimens. The broad smile on his narrow face and the softness in his grey eyes didn't fit with his aggressive reputation, but his stature was appropriately intimidating. He was at least a half-foot taller than her, with broad shoulders and sculpted muscles.
The younger one was barely taller than she, but as strong a presence as his partner. He carried his trim frame confidently, as though he were a giant of a man.
As she blinked to focus her vision, the one called Lisaar looked over.
"Ah, you're finally awake. The Council will be pleased."
She sat up slowly, not wanting to strain herself. "The Council wants to see me?"
"You and I, specifically," Khil corrected. "I'll go find Healer Tanar so she can release you."
Ana examined her body, but found no trace of the lightsaber burns other than light scarring. "How long have I been here?"
"Five weeks," Lisaar said. "They had to put you on a nutrient feed to bring you out of the danger zone."
Khil returned with a willowy human who completed a perfunctory examination of her and declared her suitable for release.
Lisaar returned with a package. "Your robes were unsalvageable, so you were issued new ones." He handed her the bundle and turned. "We'll leave you to get showered and dressed; the Council will be seeing you in thirty minutes."
Ana pushed to her feet and crossed to the refresher. She only took the time to wash her hair and cleanse her skin, relying on habit rather than luxury. She stepped out under the drying vents and wrapped a towel around her shivering form. She finally turned to the package
on the counter. Inside was a white undertunic and beige slacks, with a light brown tunic and a knee-length dark-brown Jedi robe. A narrow belt and dark brown leather boots that reached her knees completed the package. She dressed, then braided her hair across her head.
Khil was waiting outside the room. He held out her mother's lightsaber and she hesitated. "Take it," he said gently. "You may need it someday."
She gripped it and hooked it to her belt. He looked her over approvingly. "Shall we be going, then?"
She nodded and followed him to the Council wing. They were told to sit in the foyer and took seats. Khil must have sensed her nervousness because he glanced over and rested a hand on her arm.
"Don't worry about it. What happened was not your fault."
She let out her breath, unaware that she'd been holding it. "My Master nearly brought me over to the Dark Side, my mother's dead, and I used a lightsaber in violation of about twelve different Temple regulations. What part of this is not my fault?"
"Your Master was your father," he countered. "Not only did he betray your trust by convincing you to follow him, he betrayed you by trying to take you away from the protection of the Light Side. Your mother is dead because of that betrayal, not because of you."
"But she came there looking for me."
He sighed. "She came there under direct orders from the Council to find Master Raver Majav. Her orders had nothing to do with you." He squeezed her forearm. "You're going to have to trust me on this."
Her mouth twitched into a hint of a smile. "I have trouble trusting myself, much less complete strangers."
He nodded and folded his arms across his chest. "I should warn you. If the Council reinstates you into the Order, I've asked for you to be my Padawan."
She caught her breath, then let it out in a soft hiss. "Why?"
"I've been watching you for a long time. You're a creative thinker, a studious fighter, and a steady character. I think that you will become a great Jedi Knight someday and I would be honored to lead you towards that goal."
She rubbed the hollow of her throat absently. "I had no idea," she said quietly.
"You always have people watching you. Mostly the Council. For Master assignments, mission assignments; when the time comes, they'll be partnering you with another Knight based on what they've seen." He smiled slightly. "It's only natural that Jedi Masters should watch you on a regular basis."
"They're ready for you now," the clerk called.
Ana stood and smoothed her hair back. "Do I look all right?"
He smiled slightly. "You look fine."
Khil caught her arm just before the entrance. "Let me do the talking unless you're questioned directly."
"Yes, sir."
The Council chamber contained the twelve councillors' chairs set in a circle around a speaker's circle. The viewports went all around except for where the doors separating the antechamber from the Council room lay. Three durasteel and crystal beams were the only visible structural supports that kept the decorative ceiling aloft.
The view of the cityscape as well as the other spires and towers of the Jedi Temple was stunning, but to focus on that rather than the matters at hand was pointless.
They entered the speaker's circle and bowed in unison.
Ana stood at ease, her hands limp at her sides. She was attempting to look as noncombatant as possible. She could remember being frightened of the Council members as a child because of their focused, stern expressions. Age had not yet altered that impression.
Master Yoda, the most senior member of the Council at eight hundred and fifty-three, fixed a gaze on her and a smile came to his wrinkled green lips. "Glad we are to see you safe, Padawan Majav. Worried we were."
Ana dipped her head respectfully to Master Yoda and glanced at Khil. He sent her a reassuring vibe, then straightened. "We found Ana Majav in a recluse on Raltiir. It would appear that when Master Saria Majav confronted Raver Majav, there was a struggle. Saria was killed
in the process and Ana, Raver's Padawan learner, took up arms in self-defense against her Master. She was wounded several times and Raver fled to an unknown destination. We found her one day later, still unmoved from the spot, terrified to leave. She was taken to the Healers here on Coruscant and treated for her injuries."
Mace Windu steepled his fingers and pressed them against his lips. "Is that all?"
"Yes, Master," Khil replied.
"Ana, perhaps you could explain what happened between your last appearance before the Council and the time you were retrieved by Lisaar and Master Khil."
Ana took a deep breath. "As you know, I put in an appeal to the Council, claiming that I had been disciplined unfairly on false charges. I felt that my training had been compromised and that continuing my training under Master Majav would be dangerous. After the Council put me on probationary training leave, Master Majav took me to Raltiir, where he continued my training in the Dark Arts.
"I resisted his efforts as best I could, but every time I defied the darkness, he would beat me." She pulled up her sleeves to show bruises and lacerations.
"At one point, I tried to escape and he nearly killed me. It was then that he blinded me. About nine days later, my mother arrived and tried to reason with him. He responded by attacking her. The duel went on for nearly four hours, both with lightsabers and Force storms. My father drove his lightsaber through her throat.
"She threw her lightsaber to me as he turned to attack me. I drove him off until I didn't catch a feint and he burned my shoulder. The more times you're burned, the more you're likely to get burned again. Luckily for me, he decided he'd had enough and left me to die. I
did what I could to heal myself, but I couldn't concentrate much and I was in shock. The next day, Master Khil and Knight Lisaar showed up. The next thing I knew, I was here."
Windu nodded. "We asked Master Khil for his recommendation when we received word that you'd been recovered. He recommended that you be placed with another Master. Would you like another chance at Knighthood?"
Ana glanced at Master Khil once more. "Yes, Master."
"You will be granted an extension in order to reevaluate you and properly partner you with a Master."
"Master Windu," Khil interjected. "After careful consideration, I would like to take Ana Majav as my Padawan learner."
There was a ripple of surprise and Master Yoda turned to look at her. "Agree with this, do you, Ana?"
"Yes, Master."
"For now, approve we do. In six weeks, come before us again you will for evaluation. May the Force be with you."
Ana bowed and left the room. Once outside, she leaned against the wall and sighed in relief. Khil rested a hand on her shoulder, then pulled her under a protective arm.
"May I ask what happened to your Padawan braid?"
"Master Majav cut it off as soon as we reached Raltiir."
Lisaar was waiting outside the Council wing. "Well?"
"Lisaar, this is my new Padawan, Ana Majav."
Lisaar smiled cautiously. "Congratulations. When will the Anithai be?"
Ana winced. The Anithai, the formal bonding of the Master and Padawan was a blood ritual that had always frightened her, but was intrinsic to the Jedi lifestyle.
"We'll be moving back into her old quarters tonight."
He stepped to the side to let a Knight pass. "Which reminds me, we have a few things to do before then."
"Such as?"
"Getting transferred to new quarters, fixing the Padawan braid situation, and I have to go to Civilian Records and Information to get you legally transferred into my guardianship."
He turned to Lisaar. "I need to be gone for several hours; could you evaluate her skills?"
"Of course."
"South Tower arena, Sixth Hour."
He checked his chrono, then turned to Ana. "It's almost midday; where in the city do you like to eat?"
"The 23rd Hour."
Lisaar laughed. "You picked a winner." At Ana's look of confusion, he pulled a straight face. "Master Khil has been patronizing the 23rd Hour since it opened 25 years ago. He's been there through two Padawans, three partners, and one wife."
"At any rate," Khil said sternly, narrowing his eyes at Lisaar, "shall we be going?"
* * *
"Born on Alderaan, obviously raised at the Temple." Ana picked at her dessert. "I was taken as a Padawan at the age of eleven."
"When did the...alternate training begin?"
Ana winced. "About seven months ago. I didn't realize what it was for at least a month. Two months later, we went to Raltiir." Khil glanced at Lisaar, caught his partner's somber nod.
"Given four months under intensive Dark Arts training, your reliance on traditional Jedi technique is amazing. Lisaar says that you show little effects of the alternate method."
He turned to Lisaar. "How are her dueling skills?"
"Extraordinarily good, for her age. She's been trained in the butterfly method."
Khil smiled wistfully. "Tarsan's favorite."
"His wife was the Order's best butterfly saberman."
Ana sat back. "I was under the impression that it was a recent method."
Khil laughed. "We're not *that* old, Ana. It was developed ten years ago; Tarsan was one of the first to adopt it. Your father was another of the early ones. I assume that's where you learned it."
She grimaced. "Right. He started that about a year and a half ago. For a while, he wouldn't even let me practice in the traditional method, just so I could become comfortable with the other."
"A common practice for any bad habit," Lisaar teased. "I'll warn you, though. Khil doesn't know the meaning of malingering. I don't think I've ever seen him take a sick day for anything short of a skull fracture."
"True enough. But Lisaar couldn't quite get used to my style and faked illness once or twice, if I'm not mistaken."
Lisaar rolled his eyes. "My advice to you, Majav, is to never assume that just because weak-minded fools can be affected by Jedi mind tricks that he can."
"A glowing recommendation," Khil said with a wry smile. "My advice to you is that if you don't trust yourself as you trust the Force and you trust me, you will never be able to put it into proper practice."
She nodded solemnly. "I'm sure that will make sense when I'm older."
"As most things will."
* * *
Ana sat outside the Council chambers, trying valiantly not to fidget. Khil had been arguing with the Council over their new mission for nearly an hour. She couldn't hear what was being said, but the emotions that were being broadcasted were a bit acrimonious.
An aide exited through a side door and she strained to hear anything. "Not ready is she."
"I think it's best that she come with me. She needs to face him, for her own sake as well as his."
"You saw what happened to Saria," Master Windu countered. "We can't risk that. You must face Raver Majav alone."
"Do you want her to be orphaned again?"
"Better orphaned than murdered," Ki-adi-mundi countered.
The door shut. The aide crossed to the reception area and handed over a datapad.
"It's going to be a long day. I don't think either side is going to yield."
"Master Khil is being imprudent. Taking a twelve-year-old child against someone like that is absolutely ridiculous."
"Maybe it's for the best. Facing her worst adversary will be excellent training."
"If it doesn't kill her."
The main doors hissed open and Khil exited, a grim smile on his face. "Come, Padawan."
Ana stood and followed him out. "Well?"
Khil looked back at her. "You're coming with me."
Ana caught up with him. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow night." He stepped onto a balcony and turned to face her. "Ana, I have complete faith in you and your abilities. Otherwise I would not have taken you as my Padawan. But this is going to be an extraordinarily difficult mission and I won't have you coming if you don't feel that you should. So, what do you think?"
She frowned deeply. "I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do, but I feel it's what I need to do." She looked up. "Is that wrong?"
"Not at all. The Force has many ambiguities, which are unclear to us. It is not our place to doubt it, but to trust in it."
* * *
Ana slid her satchel under her assigned bunk, then wiped her palms on her slacks and stood. "All set back here."
Khil appeared in the doorway. "We just made the jump to lightspeed. It'll be another seventeen hours to Raltiir. Four in meditation, seven in sleeping, two in lightsaber practice,
and three for whatever you want."
Ana narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "That adds up to sixteen."
He smiled slightly. "Of course." He produced a small package from inside his robes. "Did you remember it's your birthday today?"
She laughed. "As a matter of fact, I did not. I've kind of lost track of the months."
He shook his head. "A pity. In any case, I found this in the Alderaani sector of Coruscant."
She took the package and opened it. Inside was a delicate silver chain with an Alderaanian opal pendant.
She swallowed. "I don't deserve this."
Khil took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. "Most good things in life we don't entirely deserve, but we have to take them in stride. Besides," he said, "you agreed to be my Padawan. It's time I started returning the favor."
* * *
"Mimban."
Khil turned. "Are you sure?"
Ana nodded. "It's the strongest impression I'm getting."
He frowned. "I think you're right."
She stood and followed him out to the landspeeder. It had grown dark while they were inside and a storm had sprung up.
"Spaceport, docking bay 79."
They climbed in and settled in. Ana yawned. "Thirteen hours of meditation and we'll be there in less time."
Khil nodded. "We got what we needed. The rest doesn't really matter."
"Why do you think he's at Mimban?"
"If you were a renegade Jedi Master being pursued, you'd probably go to ground." He smiled. "Mimban has the advantage of having a network of caves that are perfect for taking that phrase literally."
She frowned. "I hadn't thought of that."
He rested a hand on her shoulder. "The Force does follow logic, you know."
"Really," she said with a small smile. "I never would have guessed."
"Only occasionally." He wrapped a blanket around her shivering form. "Are you all right?"
She nodded shakily. "I never wanted to see that place again. So much hatred and malicious intent. It was like being smothered."
He winced. "I'm sorry I subjected you to that, but I needed your help."
She sighed. "I know."
"There will be a lot of things on this mission that you won't feel comfortable doing, but you are the only one I trust with them." He pulled the ends of the blanket together and smiled slightly. "Think you can do it?"
She smiled wryly. "Of course. I'm a Jedi. Can't doesn't come with the vocabulary."
* * *
"Stay behind me. Do not speak. Do not ignite your lightsaber unless attacked. Rely on your senses for direction."
Ana nodded solemnly. "Yes, Master."
Khil rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. It will turn out fine."
"I wish I had your confidence."
Ana fell back a few paces, then followed him into the caves. Ana stretched out with the Force, allowing it to carry her movements quickly and silently. She forced herself to calm her mind and focus on her surroundings.
Even with that, the hiss of the igniting lightsaber caught her off-guard. She staggered back a step.
"So, you've come to be finished."
Khil interposed himself between her and her father. "The only thing to be finished here is your foolishness."
"I doubt that," he said, flicking his lightsaber towards her tauntingly. "She's too weak to finish anything."
"We'll see."
Ana kept her hands at her sides, but straightened confidently. "You've failed. I may be too weak for many things, but I am too strong to give in."
Her father swung in a diagonal cut. Khil's saber intercepted it. Ana stepped back, giving them more room. Khil changed the direction of his inward sweep and angled his blade to the left and into a loop, throwing her father off-balance. He stumbled to the right, just past Khil, then drove forward into range of her.
Before Khil could move, he attacked. Ana brought her saber up, igniting it just before the attack would have run her through. She leaned into the attack, firmly grounding herself in case he caught her off-guard.
Khil's blade moved in between them. She heard her opponent swear violently. "Get back," Khil snapped.
His brief inattention cost him ground. Her father drove his elbow straight into Khil's nose, sending him falling back into the shadows.
In that moment, her father shut off his blade and his outstretched hand erupted in lightning.
Ana, despite her stance, flew back into the cave wall and knew no more.
* * *
Khil heard her shriek and the crack as her head hit solid rock, but didn't dare distract himself.
He used Majav's momentary vulnerability to intensify the attack. Majav parried easily and quickly, mixing martial arts training with traditional sabership.
Khil shifted to a tight two-handed grip and dropped to one knee, angling from below to drive the lightsaber from Majav's hand.
The other's saber extinguished as soon as it left his hand. Khil held his own lightsaber in a low guard position. "You don't have to do this, Raver. There are alternatives."
"The only alternative is fallibility, weakness. I refuse to return to that."
"I have orders to bring you back or kill you. Either way, I'm not to leave here unless your threat has been neutralized."
"Then you will not leave here alive."
The lightsaber flew to his hand and Khil parried the sudden thrust. He swept his leg through where Majav's ankles should be, but found only air as his opponent attempted to run him through from above.
Khil rolled into a crouched position and snapped his blade diagonal to his body. Majav, not anticipating the move, fell directly onto the blade at chest level.
Khil shut off his lightsaber, breathing deeply to calm himself as he watched the last life force of Raver Majav drain away.
Sudden panic set in and he turned to see his Padawan crumpled against the wall. He dropped to his knees and pressed his fingers to her neck. Her pulse was weak, but it was there.
Sighing in relief, he brought out his commlink and thumbed it on. "Khil to Savren."
"Where in the Force *are* you?"
"About a hundred kilometers to the southeast of the landing site, in the caves. I'll be out if you can't run a trace, but I need you to contact the Temple Healers."
"Do you require medical assistance?"
"I have a broken nose, but my Padawan is in a bad way. She was hit with Force lightning and has some severe burns. The attack threw her directly into the cave wall. I think she may have a skull fracture or at least a severe head injury and I need instructions on what to do."
"Copy that." There was a pause. "I've got a connection trace on your position. We'll be at the mouth of the caves in twelve minutes."
"I'll be there."
"Stand by for instructions."
There was a long pause, then the copilot came on. "Sir, they say to keep her flat and have us strap her to one of the medevac stretchers with her head immobilized. For now, put her into a healing trance and stop the bleeding."
"Thank you. I will be outside."
Eleven minutes later, he led the navigator into the caves and loaded her onto the stretcher as gently as possible. The navigator began the trek back to the surface, then turned.
"Sir, aren't you coming?"
"In a minute, Lieutenant. Get her strapped in and I'll be out shortly."
"Yes, sir."
Khil turned back and picked up Raver's lightsaber. He dropped into a meditative pose for a few minutes, then saluted Raver and turned to head back to Coruscant.
* * *
Lisaar sighed heavily. "I knew I shouldn't have told her that you wouldn't allow a sick day for anything short of a skull fracture."
Khil snorted. "I hardly think she intended it."
Lisaar smiled. "I know. When will she be awake?"
"Since our newfound allies, the Thyferrans, made it possible for her to get dunked in bacta as soon as she got onboard, shortly."
Lisaar shook his head. "Amazing."
Khil nodded. "I hear you got a new partner."
"Lanje Thian."
"I've heard of her. She's a good warrior."
"I've only known her six days."
"Touché," Khil conceded. He tilted his chin. "I assume the irate young woman storming towards us is she?"
The petite, flaxen-haired woman stopped in front of Lisaar, her delicate jaw set firmly, and bowed sharply to Khil.
"Master Khil, an honor to meet you."
He bowed. "Likewise."
She shoved an index finger into Lisaar's breastbone. "This has got to stop."
Khil folded his arms, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "What's he done now?"
"Pranks," she spat. "Two days running."
Khil laughed. "Get used to them. Until Lisaar here grows up, we'll never be rid of that particular scourge."
She threw up her hands. "So I have to put up with him until Tatooine freezes over."
Lisaar grinned. "Basically."
She turned a glare on him. "What degenerate Sithspawn trained you?"
Lisaar rested a hand on Khil's shoulder. "Him, actually."
She pursed her lips. "I'll try not to hold that against you, Master."
"Glad to hear that."
She stepped back. "I'll be in the South Tower training arena. Be there in twenty minutes or I'll have to come after you."
She stalked off and Lisaar grimaced. "Ladies and gentleman, Lanje Thian."
Khil turned to him with a grin. "You like her."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Painfully so."
His commlink sounded. He retrieved it and thumbed it on. "Khil."
"Tanar here. Ana Majav has regained consciousness and is asking for you."
"Thank you. I'll be there shortly."
He turned off the commlink and smiled at Lisaar. "Try not to drive her out of the Order, will you?"
"Yes, Master."
He turned on his heel and headed back to the medcenter. Tanar gestured him into the room. "She's tired, so I can only allow a few minutes."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Ana stirred as he entered and offered a weak smile. "Well," she whispered. "I wasn't expecting this."
"How are you feeling?"
"Fried," she retorted. "Is he dead?"
"Yes."
She grimaced. "I know I shouldn't be glad for that, but I can't help it. He can't do any more damage."
Khil nodded and sat next to her. "I talked to the Council yesterday, for the six-week evaluation, and we're official."
She nodded wearily. "Thank the Force."
"We don't have any missions any time soon, so when you're released tomorrow, I'm focusing strictly on the non-physical side of the Force."
She smiled. "Wimp."
"For that, you're spending tomorrow in meditation."
She sighed. "Not much of a threat."
"Nevertheless, it stands." He stood. "For now, I'll let you get your rest."
He turned to go and reached the door before her voice stopped him.
"Master?"
He turned. "Yes?"
"Thank you."