AN: To give fair warning, this was written for someone with very little knowledge about the Star Wars universe as a whole, and is mostly written as a fluff/angst piece. If you're wanting something with lots of technical jargon and focus on the main quest from a struggling Revan's POV with super strict Jedi ideals, this probably isn't the story for you. (I recommend The Grey Lord of the Sith by Atruya.) There are some aspects of this that stray from canon ideas, and there are parts of this I'm pretty proud of. If you take the time to read this, then thank you. Hope you enjoy it!

The twin suns of Tatooine burnt down on the Dune Sea, making the air shimmer and dance as Bastila and Jade trudged over the sand. Sweat was pouring off of them, and Jade grumbled about her armor feeling like an oven. Bastila said nothing, trying to maintain her focus and ignore the heat.

Jade paused and pulled her canteen out, taking a few gulps and wiping her forehead. "Need some water?" she asked, offering the canteen to Bastila.

The brunette shook her head, scanning the dunes for any sign of Anchorhead. They weren't lost; Jade had a datapad with a map on it, but the desert seemed to go on forever. The sandy hills swam before her and Bastila swallowed, mopping her own forehead on her robe's sleeve. "How much farther?"

Jade shrugged and dug in her pack for the datapad. "At least an hour, I bet. I'll be surprised if we don't melt before we make it back."

She made a comment about having one of the droids come and vacuum them up, laughing to herself, but Bastila paid her companion no mind. Off in the shimmering distance, she could almost make out a large shape, and racked her brain for what it could be. Too slowly, she remembered the abandoned sandcrawler and frowned at herself. The heat was making it hard to think, and her mind was foggy.

"Yeah," Jade mused, tossing her datapad back in her bag somewhat disgustedly. "Looks like another hour or two out here. God, I can't wait for a shower."

Bastila nodded her agreement and they continued onward. The Knight tried to meditate as they walked, hoping to distract herself, but her brain was muddled and hazy, and she slipped slightly on the sand.

"Bas?" Jade's voice sounded far off. "You okay?"

Bastila felt hands on her shoulders and tried to shake them off, taking another few steps. Her stomach turned over and she felt somewhat like she was back in the escape pod hurtling toward Taris, the ground beneath her spinning and whirling.

Jade's concerned voice was still echoing in her mind and Bastila tried to focus on relaxing and continuing toward Anchorhead, but even moving her head made her dizzy, and she blinked and found herself on her hands and knees in the sand.

The dune sea slipped out of focus and everything around her went blessedly dark. Part of her knew that there were bound to be Sand People around, and she tried to fight away complete unconsciousness, not wanting Jade to have to deal with the warriors alone. If Jade got hurt, Bastila would never forgive herself.

Bastila was vaguely aware of resting against something sturdy and could feel a creeping sense of fear through their bond. Even in her muddled, semiconscious state, she realized Jade was carrying her and that she was curled against the former Sith's chest. Part of her wanted to protest, but she couldn't quite form words, and slid back into the darkness.

=====:=====

Her limbs felt like dead weight and her head was pounding, and Bastila came to with a groan.

Relief filtered through the bond, and Jade's voice reached her ears seconds later. "Hey there, Princess," the woman murmured gently, appearing beside Bastila and pushing a canteen into her hand. "Glad you're awake."

The Knight tried to make sense of her surroundings and attempted to sit up, but her head spun and Jade eased her back to the floor. It was dark and smelled of stale sweat and smoke, but Jade was there and smiling at her, and the uncertainty in the pit of Bastila's stomach faded.

"Drink up," the former soldier encouraged, gesturing to the canteen in Bastila's hand. "I don't know if it's dehydration or heat exhaustion, but you gotta drink something."

Bastila didn't argue, trying again to sit up and only managing it when Jade's hands steadied her. She lifted the canteen, but her hands were shaking so much that she spilled some of it down her front. The water wasn't cold, but felt cool on her skin. Bastila looked down and noticed she'd been stripped down to only the bare necessities; her boots and robe were lying near her feet, and her tunic had been wadded up as a pillow behind her. She looked up at Jade sharply, both furious and embarrassed, but she could only manage to croak before she started coughing at the dryness of her throat.

"I didn't do anything," Jade assured her gently, lifting her hands in surrender. "I just had to get you cooling off before you cooked yourself." A sincere smile appeared on the woman's face. "You're beautiful, but I wouldn't take advantage of you like that."

Bastila had plenty she wanted to say, but could sense the sincerity of the words and decided to let the teasing slide. Her throat was still dry and she tried again to lift the canteen to her lips, but her hands were still shaking and she nearly dropped the bottle.

"What were you thinking?" Jade chided, her composure slipping slightly as she helped steady the canteen. "Just because Canderous calls you an ice queen doesn't mean you can't get overheated."

The brunette didn't have the strength to retort just yet and settled for allowing her indignation to show on her face and through their bond.

Jade rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a grin from forming at the corner of her mouth. "C'mon," she coaxed as she lifted the canteen again. "Open up."

Bastila managed a few gulps of the water before Jade pulled the canteen away, and while it had helped, Bastila wanted nothing more than to drink as much as she possibly could.

Jade caught the look on Bastila's face and chuckled. "In a minute. I don't want you throwing it right back up and losing even more water." She gave Bastila's shoulder a gentle squeeze and moved to dig through her pack, discarded against the metal wall.

Bastila watched quietly, studying the way the muscles in Jade's shoulders moved and vaguely remembering being held close to the soldier's chest. She realized she was staring and looked away quickly, studying their surroundings again. "Where are we?" she rasped, cringing at the sound of her own voice.

"Remember that Czerka sandcrawler?" Jade didn't have to look around to know that Bastila had nodded. "It was closer than anything, and I just needed to get you somewhere inside. Good thing the Sand People decided it wasn't worth their time." She found what she was looking for and turned back to the brunette, gazing at her for a minute before shaking herself out of her thoughts.

Bastila could have sworn she felt a sense of longing before Jade pushed some wraid jerky into her hands.

"Eat that. You probably need the salt." Jade held out the canteen again, watching as Bastila took a curious nibble of the jerky.

The leathery texture wasn't so bad, but as soon as she started chewing, the sharp, dark taste filled her mouth and Bastila shuddered involuntarily, choking on the jerky. "This is vile," she managed, shooting Jade an incredulous look. "Don't tell me you enjoy this!"

Jade laughed and shook her head. "Canderous bought it and told me to bring it with us. I haven't tried it yet, and judging by your reaction I don't think I will."

They shared a grin, and Bastila dutifully ate some more of the dried meat, doing her best to wash the taste away with another few gulps of water.

The canteen was mostly empty, and Jade took it wordlessly, getting to her feet and moving away into the sandcrawler. She returned a few minutes later with a full canteen and returned it to Bastila's hands. Jade's fingertips brushed against Bastila's and she held the brunette's gaze for a few moments.

The intensity of the stare took Bastila's breath away, and she struggled to find something to say before flashes of Jade's thoughts appeared in her head. Bastila saw herself crumple to the sand and felt the burst of terror that had passed through Jade. She watched as Jade remembered looking down at the brunette's unconscious form cradled in her arms. Faint memories of sprinting across the sand toward the abandoned Czerka vehicle appeared to Bastila, quickly replaced by the frantic flash of Jade wrestling Bastila's boots off and the overwhelming helplessness that had settled on the soldier's shoulders. Just as quickly as they'd come, the visions faded and Bastila found herself staring at an embarrassed Jade.

"Sorry," the soldier mumbled, looking uncomfortable at having let her thoughts slip through their bond. "Glad you're okay." She reached out and cupped the brunette's cheek gently, pulling away when she realized what she was doing. Jade tried for a smile and got to her feet again. "I'm gonna... go see if it's getting anywhere near sunset."

As Jade fled, Bastila could sense surprising torment inside the older woman, and she wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. Without thinking, she reached up and touched her cheek, tracing where Jade's fingers had been. Jedi, she reminded herself, you're both Jedi. It was no secret that Jade didn't completely buy into all of the Jedi's codes and had, on more than one occasion, shamelessly flirted with Bastila. The Knight had been mortified at first, but as she had gotten to know Jade and their bond had grown, Bastila had grown accustomed to the way Jade expressed herself and she'd learned to take it in stride. Though she would never admit it, part of her enjoyed being the object of Jade's affections. Despite her own muddled feelings for the soldier, Bastila knew she couldn't give in to her own emotions; she was supposed to watch over and guide Jade and keep her from returning to her old ways as Revan. That and defeating Malak were the only things that were important. Their silly infatuation was something they both needed to get over.

Bastila drank some more of the water before she moved to get dressed again. She felt recovered enough to make the rest of the journey, and didn't want to wait and see what creatures roamed the dunes at night. Her cheeks felt hot as she pondered how Jade had gotten the robes off of her, but she did her best to ignore those thoughts and recited the Code instead.

Jade returned as Bastila was tugging on her boots, looking calm and back to her normal self. She quirked an eyebrow at Bastila, waiting until Bastila glanced over at her. "Going somewhere?"

"Anchorhead," Bastila replied, quickly growing frustrated with the laces of her boots. Somehow, they'd managed to tangle messily when Jade had pulled them off of her, and her fingers were still not as nimble as they usually were. "We need to get those vaporators."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Jade asked, moving toward the Knight and crouching in front of her. The soldier's hands replaced Bastila's and quickly unknotted the laces before tying them again. She smiled when Bastila thanked her, and got to her feet and extended a hand to the brunette.

Bastila allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, teetering slightly before Jade's hands were resting gently on her shoulders to steady her.

"Bas..."

"I'm fine. We should go." Bastila shrugged Jade's hands away, ignoring the stinging sensation her tone left in the other woman's mind.

Jade looked like she wanted to say something, but she held her tongue and studied the shorter woman for a moment. "Don't overwork yourself, Princess," she said finally, the note of pleading in her voice ringing clear in the empty room. The soldier looked mildly uncomfortable at the silence and forced a grin. "It's just a long way to Anchorhead if I have to carry you again. Not that I mind having a beautiful woman in my arms."

Bastila huffed and turned away so Jade wouldn't see her cheeks flush. "Must you turn everything into an opportunity to needle me?"

"It's not my fault that you're so cute when you're flustered," Jade retorted, laughing when Bastila shot her an indignant look. "Fine, c'mon."

A few minutes later, they were back out on the sand, trudging toward Anchorhead. Jade was less talkative than usual, and Bastila noticed that the air wasn't quite as warm as it had been. She looked over and saw concentration on Jade's face and decided not to interrupt her. A moment passed before Bastila realized Jade was cooling the air with the Force, and she wasn't sure whether to be angry or touched.

"Jade."

The soldier shook herself out of her trance and looked up at Bastila innocently. "What's up?"

Bastila settled for being scolding. "There is no excuse for using the Force for such trivial matters. It is not a toy to be used at a whim."

Jade frowned. "You're not trivial," she mumbled, looking appropriately chastised.

The air around Bastila warmed again and she nodded. "Better. Do try not to resort to treating the Force as a plaything in the future." She got out her canteen and took a drink, giving Jade a pointed look to prove that she could take care of herself.

The soldier pursed her lips and looked away. "Yes ma'am."

The coolness of the tone cut through Bastila and she felt like she'd been kicked. She began mentally reciting the Code, not caring that the words trickled through their bond.

Jade huffed but remained quiet and as they continued on, Bastila tried once again to meditate and preserve her strength, only to find herself distracted by the memories of her own collapse she'd seen through their bond. She tried to clear her mind, focusing on anything but Jade, gazing off into the distance and watching as Anchorhead's far off silhouette came into view through the shimmering air.

Her mother was somewhere inside those walls, probably still in the cantina telling stories about her late husband not being able to provide for her every whim. Bastila grit her teeth and did her best to fend off the swell of emotion rising in her chest. She couldn't think about her mother without wanting to scream, and thinking about her father caused an unfathomable ache in her chest. Neither were conducive to their mission, but she couldn't quite let go of the thoughts.

"You're frustrated," Jade observed after a few minutes.

Bastila didn't say anything, not wanting to admit that her emotions were about to get the better of her.

Jade hesitated for a few minutes, easing her way down a steep slope before glancing at Bastila. If she was still put off by Bastila's scolding, the soldier didn't show it. "... Do you want to talk about it?"

"About my mother?" Bastila scoffed, but hesitated for a moment, the gentle tone of Jade's voice lowering her defenses. "I... I'm unsure. Whenever I start to think about her, I get so... furious." She closed her eyes and sighed. "For as long as I can remember, she was greedy and selfish, always dragging Father away on dangerous hunts... And now Father is dead." Bastila did her best to swallow past the lump that rose in her throat and shook her head. "I can't even begin to describe how much that hurts."

Jade made a soft noise of sympathy and seemed to grapple for something to say.

Bastila opened her eyes and tried to smile at her companion, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I... let's just keep moving."

Jade nodded wordlessly and they continued on toward Anchorhead. Still, the soldier couldn't stay quiet for very long and gave Bastila a curious look a few minutes later. "What was he like?"

Bastila paused to take a drink, giving Jade a cautious look. "Who? Father?" The soldier nodded and Bastila hesitated, allowing her memories to float to the surface of her mind. "He was... kind. Very brave. I remember him being strong, but I was so young when I last saw him. He used to swing me up onto his shoulders and parade around through the house." Bastila chuckled softly. "Father spoiled me, I suppose, but I loved him."

There was a warm smile on Jade's face and she wiped the sweat off her face. "I'm sure he's proud of you, Bas."

The Knight's smile faltered. The man was dead; how could he be proud of her?

Jade saw the change in Bastila's eyes and backpedaled slightly. "No, I didn't-sorry. It's just... I know he's proud of you."

"He's dead," Bastila reminded the soldier numbly, her gaze dropping to the ground.

"There is no death, only the Force," Jade replied, patting Bastila's shoulder before waving her onward.

Bastila could hardly believe her ears; Jade had actually been listening to her all those times Bastila found herself playing the role of Master. The hope and wisdom in the words stuck in her mind as she followed after the former Sith, and part of the ache in her chest eased. She closed her eyes and reached out to the Force, letting it energize her. For a moment, she could almost feel the warmth of her father's smile. Bastila exhaled slowly and opened her eyes, feeling the corners of her mouth turn up in a smile as she followed her companion back to the settlement.