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Chapter 7

"I think you're jealous."

"That's ridiculous."

"And why is that?"

"Did you ever consider that maybe, just for a second, I might have been worried?"

At that comment, Miranda's mouth snapped shut.

Deakin considered this encouragement enough to continue, and he spoke in a collected and calm manner. "You can't just…run off like that, and then not answer your comlink; I had no idea if something had happened to you; you scared me."

Miranda's face, which had moments ago been tightened from the heat of their argument, softened. "You don't have to worry about me," she said gently. "I can take care of myself."

"We'll see about that." The two apprentices swiveled around, surprised to find Tysin in front of them. "Cale's on his way back; it seems none of us had any success," she said. To Deakin, it sounded as if she was just stating a fact. But to Miranda, who was very much in tune with her master's feelings, she sounded aloof and doubtful.

The group waited silently for Cale to return to the outer circle, the place they had designated for their rendezvous point. The sun was almost completely set, and what little light was left cast long, twisted shadows through the whole courtyard. After a few minutes Cale arrived, looking frustrated and worn-out.

"I have found a room that we can rest in for the night," he began as he approached the group. "I feel that it would be a great waste of time – as well as quite dangerous – for us to walk back to Port Matale at this hour to seek shelter."

Miranda could sense Tysin's irritation increasing, and her body seemed unnaturally tense. Afraid that her patience was worn thin, Mira spoke up before her master had a chance to. "Yes, please, I'm so tired."

Cale, not wanting to exhaust the young woman any further, replied immediately. "Come, come," he motioned to them all, leading them down a corridor. "It's right over here."

Miranda grinned as he led the way; this was just the reaction she had been hoping for. She was stopped short, however, as Tysin glided quickly in front of her. Miranda skidded to a halt, a questioning look on her face.

"Tell me what you found in the cave." This was not a question, and her tone coupled with the hardened look on her face demanded an answer.

Miranda was about to tell her the truth, and reveal everything that had happened but, like before, something indefinable came over her. "I told you," Miranda replied, "nothing."

Tysin crossed her arms and scowled. "Tell me."

An incredulous look came over Miranda's face, but she couldn't tell if it was from her master not believing her lie, or that she was simply lying. "There was nothing but fungus and a Mynock that tried to kill me," Miranda insisted. "That's it."

Tysin relented, but the look on her face said she still doubted. Grabbing her apprentice by the shoulder, she leaned in close. "There's something wrong about this place," she whispered. "If you feel anything out of the ordinary, you have to tell me – don't let it take a hold."

Miranda nodded fervently and Tysin, slightly more encouraged, led her into their safehouse for the evening. Trailing behind her, Miranda tried to make out what was going on inside of herself. It wasn't as if something had taken over her; no, she still had control. She hadn't been forced to lie – it was more like she had been persuaded to.

Her thoughts instantly raced back to the cave, then to the Holocron. It seemed odd that it had been left there, in a cave. And the robes. If that man – Jecov Svarrid – if he died in that cave, why were his robes folded? And the lightsaber. There was no explaining that; it definitely didn't belong. The whole situation seemed too convenient.

She determined that later that night, once the others were asleep, she'd go back and search through the Holocron again and try to get some answers.

Miranda walked down the corridor, trying to find her way back to the cave. She stopped, realizing that this place was unknown to her as she scanned the dark area. The only light in the entire place was coming from her glowstick, which brightened little more than her immediate surroundings. How had she gotten lost?

As she walked forward, she gradually started to feel death nearby, the stench of it overwhelming. She sniffed a faint trace of smoke, and the combination of smells made her suddenly dizzy.

She desperately tried to remember the way back to the cave, and as she walked she stumbled over a rock. A closer examination revealed that it wasn't a rock at all – it was a body. A corpse, in fact. She leaned in for a closer look, but could make out nothing more than a man's features, middle-aged and dressed in civilian clothes. She tried to extend her sense, but something was shielding her. That wasn't right. She could sense something dark, for sure, and whatever or whoever it was, it was getting closer.

She reached down to her lightsaber hilt and gripped it, the cool metal soothing her. With increased confidence she pressed forward, but soon began to sense the faint beat of another unfamiliar presence. Again she reached out with the Force, but she was shielded – and much stronger this time. She immediately began searching around for a wall to pin herself against - so that she could at least have some protection behind her, and not to mention a sense of direction – but she found none. The room seemed to be very large; she definitely had not been in here before. Abruptly, the familiar click-hiss of a lightsaber coming to life sounded behind her. Whirling around, she met the glow of a red lightsaber cutting down through the air towards her head, only to be parried by her own silver blade.

In the split second that followed, Miranda stole a quick glance at her attacker. He, or she, was covered head-to-toe in a dark, hooded robe, and the only feature she could make out was a set of malicious gray eyes glaring out at her.

Miranda jumped backwards, trying to gain a feel for her surroundings. She waited, gripping her lightsaber with both hands, while using the Force to try and read her opponent. Oddly, she didn't sense any movement that her attacker was going to make – could her precognition be failing her?

"Miranda."

Miranda awoke with a start from her dream. She hastily scanned the room around her, heart pounding and her creased brow damp with sweat. Momentarily realizing that it was just a dream, she breathed a sigh of relief and laid back down on her survival cot. Beside her, Tysin shifted silently in her cot, and she could hear Cale breathing loudly across the room. Just a dream, she reminded herself.

She sat up, knowing that sleep would be impossible now. As quietly as she could, she rolled sleepily out of her cot and shivered – it was cold. She dug mechanically in her survival pack for her robe, but remembered moments later that she had given up traditional jedi garb long ago. She chided herself silently for her foolishness and, making sure that she had her lightsaber, silently left the room.