Tabrett's hand drifted up to the scar on her left cheek, fingers barely grazing it before she shuddered and dropped her hand to her side. Shaking her head, she realized that what she had just encountered had not been a simple memory. Judging by the look on Kezrin's face, he had seen the same thing that she had. Our last meeting, she thought ruefully, running her hands through her short hair in an effort to dispel the nervous energy that seemed to be flowing from her in spades. Though she had a strong connection with the Force, visions were not one of her gifts, and she only received them very rarely. Whatever this was, it wasn't coming from her.

She glared at Kezrin accusingly. "Whatever it is that you are trying to pull, it will do little to sway my opinion, Kezrin. Stop wasting your energy." She felt the last tendrils of the vision loosen their hold on her mind as Kezrin raised his hands in surrender. "That wasn't me, Tabby," he said, his confusion evident. Tabrett scoffed and shook her head again, turning on her heel and shuffling away from the clearing. Being around Kezrin again was clouding her thoughts, and she needed all of her mental facilities to decide what should be done with the child. As she continued walking away, she heard Kezrin exclaim behind her:

"What the hell is your problem, Tabrett? You really think I would sink that low? It's pretty obvious that I'm just as surprised as you are. I know you're angry with me. Evidently we still have some things to talk about—where do you think you're going?"

At this, Tabrett felt something inside her snap. Drawing upon inner reserves of energy, she spun and directed a column of energy at Kezrin, knocking him back against a nearby tree and pinning him. Channeling all of her hurt and confusion into the action, she felt the power behind her fingertips double and heard Kezrin give a surprised yelp. Her voice augmented by the strength of her emotions, she shrieked at Kezrin: "My problem? MY PROBLEM, KEZRIN? You LEFT me here. I came back a year later after BARELY surviving my trials, expecting to find my mentor and my only friend in this Force-forsaken Order and you never showed. That is my problem, Kezrin. YOU. I risked my life for you all those years ago and you disappeared in my hour of need." Her anger faltered, and Tabrett felt the power in her grip loosen. Kezrin slid down the trunk of the tree to the ground, though he was still unable to move forward. "What, precisely, was so important that you felt the need to leave so abruptly?" she inquired, her expression bearing no sympathy.

"You," he managed, struggling to take a proper breath after Tabrett's momentary assault. Briefly confused, Tabrett dropped her hold on Kezrin. He stumbled forward to one knee before catching himself and looking up at Tabrett. Her expression was still deadly serious, but much of the anger had fled her countenance, leaving her somewhat less frightening. Kezrin coughed once before standing, straightening his disheveled robes. Tabrett stepped back warily, her expression guarded. Kezrin chose his next words wisely:

"I watched my brother forsake the Order to save my life and ferry me away from the reach of the Council, just as I watched you risk your future membership in the Order just to see me escape safely. Though I wanted to assume that you had done it out of a sense of responsibility, our last meeting affirmed my suspicion that something else was influencing your actions." Kezrin paused, considering Tabrett's suddenly vulnerable expression. "Though compassion for others is mandatory, the Jedi Order frowns upon attachments of any kind, and for a good reason. I knew that if I continued to allow you to lean on me for support, my opinions would begin to matter more than those of your proper mentors. I was in no state to adopt a follower, no matter how many times she was willing to look past my failings. Though I was, and am, eternally grateful for your actions in saving my life, I knew that I was beginning to get too attached to you as well. That didn't sit well with me—I knew if I let it continue, it would send us both down an extremely difficult path. A path that I could not see the end to. So, I did what I thought was best: I left. I knew that you were strong enough to manage on your own—you didn't need my assurance or help anymore, you simply desired it. Even though it hurt, I did it so that you could learn to rely on your own strength rather than mine." Kezrin's gaze never wavered, focusing intently on Tabrett's shifting expressions as she stepped towards him.

Even so, the slap came as a surprise.

Tabrett's expression remained neutral as she stepped back and closed her fingers in a fist over her stinging palm. Kezrin's eyes watered as he shook his head, rubbing his jaw. Tabrett's jaw worked up and down, as though she had something to say but was struggling to find the right words. Finally she settled on a question: "Why did you save Arianthe?"

The corner of Kezrin's mouth quirked up slightly before he answered. "For the same reason that you invited her into your camp. Surely you sensed that she is here for a reason. She is destined for great things—her presence here is no coincidence." Tabrett pursed her lips before finally offering a terse nod. "Agreed," she said slowly, measuring her words, "though I am still unsure as to why she ended up here, of all places. Tython is hardly a place for non-Force sensitives." Kezrin turned and faced in the direction of the temple. "This is merely a stopover," he said, brow furrowed and eyes closed in deep thought. "This is merely the starting point for her journey—one that will take her to the far reaches of the galaxy. Her fate is entwined with that of the entire Republic and of the Jedi Order. Her destiny is far bigger than the Council seems to realize. We would do well to keep a close eye on her."

"We?" Tabrett nearly barked, her eyebrows shooting halfway up to her hairline. Kezrin fixed her with a look before continuing. "If her flight through the forest this morning is anything to go by, this girl has spirit and energy in spades. To say that she'll not be joining the other young ones in their mediation exercises would be an understatement." He turned to face her fully. "I understand that you are still angry with me—I deserve your wrath. However, it will be a challenge to keep Arianthe in line with the Council breathing down your neck. You will not be able to watch her all of the time. Will you accept my help?"

Tabrett considered Kezrin's request for a moment before answering. "You're getting far too sensible in your old age," she said simply.

Kezrin smiled.

AN: Hello, all! We're coming to a close, here- just one chapter left. From here I'll be continuing with an introduction to Tabrett as a padawan, when she meets Kezrin and their friendship begins. Then, I'll move to Arianthe's story. I'll taking a road trip over spring break, so the last chapter may be a little late, but I will try to keep things on schedule! Once again, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed and encouraged!