Chapter 8

Disclaimer – Apart from story line and a few OCs, Star Wars is obviously, though sadly, not mine. Rights to Lucas, also there are references to a movie named Dinotopia and also to Harry Potter. I cannot quite remember where in the story they are so I'll just add it every chapter. It talks about the code they have for life on Dinotopia, and I blatantly quote Hermione at some point.

"…lie, we're back." Garen says gently shaking Arlie awake, she's confused for a moment before she remembers the day before.

They head straight for the council chamber, many Jedi send sympathetic looks her way knowing that Qui-Gon and she had been close once, but wisely none stop her.

"Knight Aa, Knight Muln, welcome back, we waited for you." Master Gallia says as soon as they walk in the door.

"Masters." They both greet as they bow respectfully, aside from the councillors, Obi-Wan and a young child about 8 or 9 years-old are the only other people in the room. "Waiting for us for what?" Garen asks.

"Anakin officially becoming my Padawan." Obi-Wan answers, Arlie whips round to look at the kid, the kid with her brother's name, wearing slave clothes, blonde hair, blue eyes, right age, holy cow.

"Anakin have a last name?" Arlie asks voice as even and emotionless as it was on the comm earlier. Obi smirks at her as he nods for his almost Padawan to answer.

"My name's Anakin Skywalker Knight Aa." Anakin tells her with a grin that told her his Master had told him exactly who she is, Arlie knows she should feel something but at that moment she couldn't, if she did it would hurt so much and she wouldn't fall apart in front of her brother.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, you and I are going to have a serious discussion about appropriate times to comm someone and update them." She says glaring icily at said Knight.

"I tried, you didn't answer."

"We were a little tied up." Garen tells him getting himself glared at as well.

"My mum glares like that sometimes, not often though." Anakin tells them looking a bit sad at the memory.

"Miss her already?" Garen asks kindly Anakin nods.

"Yeah but it's alright, she said that I'd see her again."

'we will see each other again, I know it.' Arl blinks back sudden tears, still trying desperately not to feel as she looks to her little brother.

"You're Arlie? Mum told me about you, she said you were really brave, so brave that Watto was scared of you and that's why he sold you." Anakin tells her smiling widely, she smiles back hiding the pain she's still too afraid to feel.

"I was a bit worried you wouldn't know about me." Arlie admits, Anakin steps closer and hugs her, she hugs him back.

"Of course I know you, Mum always talks about you coz she loves you and I love you also." He tells her seriously, Arlie hears Garen mutter something but she ignores him unsure about what he said.

"I love you too Ani."

"Great I'm jealous of a nine-year-old." Garen mutters quietly enough that only Obi hears it.

"Isn't she a little young for you?" Obi-Wan asks smirking at his friend.

"Coming from the man in love with his Master that's 35 years his senior." Garen says without thinking, then his eyes widen as he realises what he said, "Shit I am so sorry Obi, I didn't think."

"It's fine Garen." Obi-Wan says but Garen knows it's not.

"Why do you look sad Master Obi-Wan?" Anakin asks when he faces his Master, now being held by Arleia who's looking at him simultaneously like he just hung the stars and kicked her puppy.

"I'm not sad Ani." Obi-Wan tells him with a smile that wasn't quite reassuring.

"You're missing Master Jinn again, aren't you?" Anakin asks trying to sound supportive, Arlie freezes and closes off again immediately before recognizing what she was doing and instead pushing her emotions into the force, she found she could breathe again and gained a supportive smile from Yoda of all people. She put her brother onto the ground smiling at him before walking to her Master.

"Hello Master, it's good to see you again." She tells him as he hugs her.

"It's good to see you too Arlie, you know that was supposed to be a quick mission."

"Yes, well you can ask your idiot of a former padawan about that." She says sending Garen a pointed look.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? It's not like I did it on purpose!"

"I told you, I specifically said do not agree to anything and what do you do? Nod at the first thing a pretty girl says to you."

"That 'pretty girl' was the friggin Queen Arlie! I didn't think she would try and trade us for her daughter! All I did was accept a drink."

"Get's a drink with the queen, then with the princess…"

"DjjdjjdJDJDjD." Garen says putting his hand over her mouth, "Thought we weren't gonna mention that?"

"No, I just wasn't gonna do it out of anger, this isn't out of anger it's amusement."

"I still don't know why you were so angry."

"Because I was missing and that was how you spent the time."

"I knew you'd be back." Arlie just glares at him "Aaaand she's angry again, I swear to gods all I have to do is breathe in your direction lately and your pissed at me. This is what I get for being partnered with a hormonal teenaged girl." Garen says frustratedly.

"Hormonal?! You got me resold into slavery! I have every right to be angry about that!" She yells at him.

"And what's your excuse for before then?!"

"How about your inability to talk to everyone we met without flirting with them? I can count the number of people who didn't ask you out, actively attempt to kiss you or proposition you in other ways on one hand."

"So, your annoyed because I'm so damned charming?"

"No, I'm annoyed because you can't keep it in your pants long enough to be professional."

"OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH!" Micah yells over them. "Are you two going to be able to keep working together?" He asks once they are quiet, they gaze at him in confusion.

"Of course we are." Arlie says at the same time Garen says "Why wouldn't we?"

"I'm so done, you deal with this, they're your kids too." Micah says to Mace in complete exasperation.

"Oh, we've adopted them as children now?" He asks, Micah rolls his eyes.

"I think we did that that night 4 years ago." Micah replies thinking of the impromptu 18th birthday make-up celebration.

"See if I knew that would happen I may have done nothing." Mace replies with a smile.

"Hey!" Arlie calls while Garen laughs at her.

"Do they do this a lot?" Anakin asks with a huge grin on his face.

"Way too often, can we get back to officiating this please?" Obi-Wan calls.

"Sure thing Obi, Garen stop being an idiot and stand against the wall." Arlie tells him strongly, Garen looks to Obi-Wan in dismay at the wording choice while Obi-Wan just smiles at him mockingly.

"I think our dear Garen may have a bit of a problem." Micah says mirth dancing in his eyes as he whispers to Mace, Mace looks at him confused, Micah rolls his eyes at him. "Not just oblivious with your own love life then."

"What are you talking about Mic?" Micah sighs and goes to retake his seat leaving a very confused head of the order behind.

A few hours later there's a welcome party for Anakin in Mace's quarters because no one wanted to have this in the quarters Obi-Wan had shared with Qui-Gon.

"Why is it always my quarters that get over run?" Mace asks.

"Because Arlie asked and you have serious issues with saying no to her." Garen answers as Anakin opens the door when Tahl and Bant arrive. Anakin didn't want to have kids his age invited because they would ask questions about Tatooine he didn't want to answer, so he asked his sister and Master to invite their friends.

"Is he coming?" Obi-Wan asks Arlie in a corner of the room so that no one else would hear.

"I still don't see why you didn't ask."

"Because he likes you better."

"He's your grandmaster."

"And he never liked me as much as Xanatos." Arlie glares at him.

"What is it with you guys, Xan used to say the same thing about Master Qui-Gon and Master Feemor. When will you learn that the only ones comparing you to your Master's former Padawans is yourself?"

"Who's Xanatos?" Anakin asks having overheard them, unfortunately he spoke quite loudly and so all occupants of the room looked over. Luckily the rooms occupants only consisted of Micah, Mace, Garen, Tahl, Bant, Reeft, Bellan, and Terza.

"He was Master Qui-Gon's Padawan before I was." Obi-Wan explains slowly.

"Sounded like you guys were friends, does that mean you and Master Jinn were friends?" He asks Arlie not picking up on the sombre atmosphere his questions were creating.

"We…knew each other for a long time." She tells her brother not wanting to discourage him asking questions.

"Where's Xanatos now? Has someone told him about Master Jinn?" He asks in concern, that brought a small smile to Arlie's face. The entire room froze at his question, Arlie looked to Obi-Wan, both had no idea what to say.

"He died protecting us all from something dark and twisted." Garen says after a few moments in which no one spoke.

"Oh, sorry." Anakin says finally noticing the looks on people faces, Arlie walked forward and knelt in front of him.

"Never apologise for asking questions little brother. Not even when other people think you should stop."

"Well then I have one more question."

"What's that?" Arlie asks bracing herself in case it was about Qui-Gon or Xan.

"Were you really raised by pirates?" The entire room starts laughing while Arlie's face twitches.

"Where did you even hear that?" She asks incredulously while Garen has actually fallen to the ground and has tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard.

"From him, he was telling some initiates." Obi-Wan says pointing to the idiot rolling on the ground.

"DAMMIT GAREN IT WAS YOU ALL ALONG!"

"Only ha, took you, haha, five, hehehee. F-five years." He says laughing, Mace is laughing just as hard now which prompts more laughter from the others.

"No Ani, I was not raised by pirates. I just have an asshole of a best friend, which is a word you will never say." She says poking his nose as she points to him.

"I grew up on Tatooine Arlie."

"Fair point."

"I still can't believe my big sister's a Jedi Knight." Anakin says with a proud grin, Arlie snickers.

"Youngest in recorded history too." A man says from the doorway where the door was left open. "Do you people ever shut this door?" Arlie moves to greet him immediately.

"Never really see the point. Master Dooku, it is good to see you again." She says as she bows.

"And you Padawan Skywalker, though I hear it is Knight Aa now." He says bowing back to her. She grins at his pleased tone of voice.

"Hello Grand-Master." Obi-Wan says bowing.

"Pada, no, Knight Kenobi. It is delightful to see you again. I hear you have a Padawan as well, most irregular but I suppose there is little about the situation that isn't. Congratulations on both the Padawan and your Knighting." Obi-Wan gestures for Anakin to come over.

"Padawan, this is Master Dooku, he was my Master's Master." Obi-Wan says his voice wavering very slightly.

"I'm so sorry." Ani says while bowing. "It is an honour to meet you though."

"Thank you child, I'm glad to see you have your sister's manners." Dooku tells him with a smile.

"The same sister that just called her best friend an a-s-s hole before telling me to never do the same?" Anakin questions, Dooku looks over at Arlie who looks sheepish but gestures to Garen who has picked himself up off the ground now but is very red in the face and drying tears from his cheeks.

"Yes well, sometimes the situation calls for it."

They all had a great night together though conversation was originally quite a bit stilted with Dooku around, Arlie managed to smooth it all out a bit by joking around with him and encouraging others to do the same. He wasn't stuffy as they all thought, just a bit more old fashioned than they were used to.

A face, a face she can't quite see, it's there, it's coming and it's angry.

Dark, and cold, why is it always so cold? She just wants to go home.

'You knew this would happen!' Obi yells 'You did nothing! Again!'

Black armour, mechanical breathing, how can someone feel like death?

'I'm trying to save you dammit!' Dooku yells, 'I'd rather die than join you!' she yells back.

'I loved you." Garen says as he holds her, his lightsaber through her chest, she can't breathe.

That face is haunting her, hunting her, it is her. 'You should never have come back!' She yells.

"…Awan! Arlie please answer me!" Mace is calling to her quietly, looking quite worried.

"Winni?" She asks groggily before shaking herself out of it, "Sorry, yes Master?"

"You spaced out for a few minutes there, you okay?" He asks.

"Yeah just daydreaming." He didn't look that convinced.

"I'm gonna take Ani back, we've got a big day tomorrow." Obi-Wan announces much to the dismay of his Padawan.

"Let us knows if you need anything." Arlie tells him, he nods. Anakin hugs her and Garen good bye before hurrying after his Master.

"Awww I got a hug! He's way nicer than the older version." Garen says when they had gone earning himself a hit to the back of the head from Mace.

"Well Skyskipper you were right, your brother did end up here." Micah says with a smile as she throws a pillow at him.

"Master these two are mean, can we exchange them? I like Master Tahl and Bant or Bellan and Healer Terza better." Arlie says laughing along with the others.

"I'd better be off as well, my father's lawyer requested a meeting with me tomorrow afternoon so I have to leave early." Dooku says as he stands surprising everyone except Arlie by mentioning something other than work.

"Well that can't be good, you haven't spoken to the man in over a decade." Arlie says confused and a little worried.

"Yes, that's exactly what I said to Yoda after I got the call."

"Well, hopefully it will not be so long before we see each other again this time." Arlie says as she bows to him. Everyone says farewell to him before he turns back to Arlie and surprises her by hugging her.

"Keep your brother away from the Chancellor, do not trust him under any circumstances." He says into her shoulder, her breath catches slightly but she recovers instantly. Then he leaves.

"You make weird friends." Garen says when Arlie re-joins them, she takes a seat next to him on the floor.

"I know, sometimes I still can't believe I haven't ditched you yet." He hits her, she deserves it.

"Well now that the kid's gone, not that I don't love your kid brother Arlie, how's about we get the drinks out?" Micah suggests, Garen and Mace agree but the others look at him like he's crazy, the other two as well when they don't protest. It takes Arlie a second, then she gets it and isn't sure if she wants to laugh or yell.

"Obviously I will be drinking a non-alcoholic beverage but yeah sounds fun." Arlie says not subtly.

"Yes, well obviously Arls." Mace says catching on to her train of thought without even using the training bond that they had not yet dissolved.

"Arlieeeeee." Micah begin before she laughs and nods.

"No! How many times do I have to tell you two it's…" Mace begins only for Garen, Micah and Arlie to join in, "Frivolous use of the force."

"How many times do I have to tell you to bite me?" Arlie replies as she makes the drinks and glasses appear on the coffee table.

"Good to know you guys are like this at home too and not just in council meetings." Bant says as she laughs.

"It's a wonder we get anything done."

Two weeks later…

Arlie wakes to her comm chiming annoyingly, she hasn't moved out of her Master's Padawan room and isn't planning to anytime soon.

"Hello." She answers sleepily.

"Hi is this Arl Aa?" A voice asks.

"Depends who's asking." She responds as she checks the clo-no-chrono for the time. "And also, why you're asking at 2nd hour."

"I'm a bartender at Xth club, there is a man here, said his name's Maze, that I can't allow to leave on his own in good conscience, he said to call this number."

"I'll be there in ten minutes." Arlie replies before opening the pair-bond she and Garen have built.

"Hey, wake up I need a pilot."

"Why do you need a pilot this early in the morning and since when am I your taxi service?"

"Since I asked and can't fly in good circumstances let alone running on no sleep. Look Mace needs me, he's at some club and can't get back on his own."

"See you in the hanger bay in five."

Arlie puts some casual clothes on and runs down to the hanger, she was further away than Garen so she isn't surprised he got there first, she was more surprised than she should have been that Micah was there too.

"Don't look at me like that he's my best friend." Micah says as he walks onto the transport Garen has started running.

"Come on, let's go then. I'll go in and get him, you come in with me but wait until I call you over before joining us. I'm not gonna be able to carry him if he can't walk out on his own and Garen needs to stay with the transport." Arlie tells him as they board.

"How did you plan on getting into the club Arls? May I remind you that you look 13?" Micah points out.

"So, when we get there, you're my friend and Mace's friend not a Jedi Master. I'll explain once we get him back home." Micah gives her a calculating look as Garen flies out of the hanger.

"All right."

When they get there Micah and Arlie head out of the transport and walk straight into the club, the bouncer doesn't even look at them, nor does anyone else.

"Hi, I'm Arl Aa." Arlie says to the bartender.

"He's over here." The man says, Micah has no idea what Arlie is doing to make no one care of her obvious age but she has to be doing it to the entire club at the same time, it shocks Micah how powerful she is and makes him wonder how long she's been using the force, since he isn't sure when she met her Mentor.

Arlie is led to her master who is slumped over the bar looking as though he's a second or two away from passing out.

"Hey Winni, you ready to go home Master?" Arlie asks as she puts a hand on his back.

"Arlayyyyy, hiiii." Mace slurs when he looks up at her.

"Come on, time to go." She says waving Micah over as she realises this is not the place to ask her Master any questions, he comes up and wraps an arm around Mace's waist while Arlie somehow manages to clear a path to the door. Still Mace nearly falls every 2nd or 3rd step, Micah and Arlie exchange worried looks the entire time, this was not like him.

"Micah, hiccup, your herrre." He says with a goofy smile and totally glazed over eyes as he stumbles towards the door.

"Yeah buddy, I'm here." Micah replies. Eventually they manage to get him into the transport that Garen immediately starts flying home.

"Okay, you wanna tell me what's going on Master?" Arlie asks when he's seated.

"Whaa?" Was his response before he slumped forward and Micah and Arlie were forced to catch him.

"You know what on second thought, I'll just ask when you wake up later today." She decides, then Micah looks up quickly.

"Damn, we have a council meeting at 12th hour." Micah remembers suddenly.

"You know it doesn't seem to matter how long I'm here, that's always gonna sound weird." Arl tells him.

"What? Council meeting?"

"No, the way you measure your perception of time in this universe." Arlie explains.

"I forget how long you've been alive sometimes. I don't mean your age either, I mean in-between and everything." Micah tells her.

"Shis too cute to be old." Mace mumbles from where his head is on Micah's shoulder, half asleep.

"Aww thanks Master." Arlie says with a grin that didn't quite cover up how worried about him she was.

When they get back to the temple Garen puts one of Mace's arms around his shoulders and Micah does the same with his other arm while Arlie opens any doors in the way. She offered to do to the Jedi what she did to the people in the club, much to Garen's confusion, but Micah forbade it.

"Garnn." Mace mumbles as he tries to look straight at the Knight in question.

"Yes Master?" Garen asks trying not to laugh at the look on his face as he tries to concentrate enough to talk.

"Don't tell Mic but, I electrocuted the cat." Mace says before giggling to himself which to be honest was just damn adorable. His words confuse Arl and Garen, but Mic seems to know what he means and looks a little miffed. Then Mace trips over his own feet and nearly falls before he just stops, it takes Micah and Garen a moment to see he was glowing a familiar purple, they both turn to see Arlie with her hands out and glowing as well.

"You had one job guys, stop him from falling." Arlie says unimpressed.

"I was not expecting to see that when I woke up this morning." Master Gallia says as she leaves her quarters, the quarters they happen to be standing in front of. Micah and Garen quickly get Mace upright again.

"Wyooo." He says as they do so. "Adddiiii, you kno I useta think you was really hot." Mace says, Arlie facepalms while Garen laughs and Micah just looks to the sky as if asking for help, Adi raises an eyebrow at him.

"Used to? What changed?" She asks unsure if she should be flattered or insulted.

"I met him." Mace says turning to gaze dreamily at Micah who looks at him like a deer caught in headlights.

"Okaaaay time for bed Master." Arlie says as she pushes the others into moving again. "Goodnight Master Gallia, or morning or whatever." She says bowing quickly before hurrying off, Adi shakes her head amused and begins her day.

At last they had Mace in bed, he had passed out the second he hit the pillow. Micah briefly stroked his face affectionately before leaving the room with his padawans.

"So, am I the only one questioning if this was all some weird ass dream/nightmare?" Garen asks.

"Not the only one." Arlie says while Micah says "You are not Padawan."

"Well I'm going to get some more sleep." Garen says before walking into Arlie's room and immediately crashing on her bed.

"Figures." Arlie says as Micah takes a seat on the couch. "How you doing old man?" She asks as she sits next to him.

"I am quite confused and very tired." Micah replies honestly, Arlie chuckles a little.

"Trust me, I am familiar with confusion."

"Well of course you are, you literally jumped between universes several times, have been in a place that doesn't exist and sort of time-travelled. If you weren't used to confusion I'd be even more confused." Arlie sighs.

"You can't get used to confusion Mic, if you're used to it you're no longer confused. And anyway, that's not what I meant." She tells him glancing in the direction of her room before looking down at her hands.

"Ahh, I was wondering when that was going to happen." She looks at him quickly, he laughs. "Sweetheart I've known you since you were seventeen-years-old, I can see the signs even if your Master is oblivious, though I'm beginning to think he does it by choice. He and I used to watch the way you, Garen and Xan would interact and laugh, we knew then that one day something would happen between either you and Garen or you and Xan, Mace just refuses to see it happening."

"I was 8! How could Xan have thought of me that way at all?"

"He wasn't an idiot, he could see past your physical age and knew there was more within, that's what he cared for. That's what Garen cares for, far more than anything you present on the outside. If you were to show what kind of person you are on the inside, you'd be surprised how quick things would change. Not just with Garen either." Micah smiles at her and she smiles back before cuddling into his side. Arlie soon fell asleep but Micah stayed awake so that he could wake Mace up with enough time to get to the council meeting that was sure to be a trial in itself. It left him with far more time to think than he'd have liked.

2 hours before the council meeting, 7 hours after they went to bed, Micah wakes Arlie.

"Hey kid, I got to get your other Master up. You coming for the interrogation?" He asks as she blinks awake.

"Yeah, let's go find out what happened last night." She responds as they both walk to Mace's room.

They find him sprawled out on the bed still fast asleep, Arlie walks over and grabs his shoulder gently as she always does when waking him.

"Hmph, Padawan?" He asks blearily, "Ouch." He says putting a hand on his head and squinty from the light being let in through the doorway where Micah was still standing. "What happened?"

"We were kind hoping you could tell us." Arlie responds softly, she sits next to him on the bed while Micah moves to sit on the other side. "I got a call at 2 am, wait no, 2nd hour to come get you from the club you had all but passed out in." He blinks a few times.

"I uh, I remember going there and having a few drinks. Horrendously loud but I figured no one would look for me there." Mace says as he lays hid head back down and presses the heels of his palms into his forehead in an effort to relieve some of the pain.

"And why did you want to go drink somewhere on your own while desperately not wanting to be found?" Micah asks evenly though anyone who looked at him could tell he was angry.

"I just wanted to be alone okay?! Don't worry about it I'm fine." Mace snaps bitterly, Micah glares at him.

"If you were fine this wouldn't have happened."

"Look it won't happen again all right?" Mace says very obviously not willing to say more.

"Fine, I'll see you in two hours." Mic replies before walking out of the room and right out of the living quarters, through the door that was once again open, in a huff.

"Two hours?"

"Council meeting."

"Well that sucks." Arlie rolls her eyes at him before going to wake her best friend and kick him out of her room.

Two hours later Mace walks into the council chamber to find it empty aside from Adi who was reading through a datapad.

"Pretty small council meeting." Mace says from the doorway.

"Oh you didn't hear? Micah requested that we push it back a day. Apparently Master Tahl has found something and wishes to present it in front of the council herself but she isn't back until late tonight. I thought it was odd since usually she'd just do a holocall but he insisted." She tells him without looking up. He gets the feeling he's been dismissed and starts awkwardly walking away. "I do hope Tahl is quite thankful for his efforts given that tomorrow would have been the only day off he'd get for the next month and a half and he's given it up for her." Adi calls as he walks out of the door, Mace curses under his breath realising he now owes both Tahl and Micah big time. Especially Micah, force bless that man.