"No." Eliziya squeezed her eyes shut and balled her hands into fists. Shivers ran along her spine as the crimson blood in her palms stuck to her skin like glue. "No, no, no, no, no." The words spilled out of her mouth, a mantra spoken in hopes that perhaps all this would simply stop.

She shook her head, refusing to look at her surroundings, refusing to memorize the carnage she'd seen only minutes earlier. "This can't be happening. This isn't real."

But the sounds and the smells, the fact that she was kneeling in a puddle of dark blood next to a dead man without a face…

"It's not real." Tears pricked at her eyes while she tried to take deep breaths, while she tried to erase the images of a family being ripped apart so brutally. "Just a dream. It has to be."

Would the sounds be so vivid, were this only a dream? If this were only a dream, could she consciously feel darkness lingering about?

Fear took hold of her heart in an iron grip. She had no idea where she was, she had no idea how she was going to get back…home?

"Stop." It came out as a whisper at first, barely audible. But then Eliziya took a deep breath and screamed until her throat hurt. "Stop!"

Silence.

She blinked away tears and stared in awe as Stormtroopers halted in mid step, their blaster rifles aimed at civilians. A red bolt stopped only inches away from a man trying to escape capture. Once that bolt caught his back, he'd be dead before he hit the ground. Another life snuffed out…for what?

The sounds of the dying stopped, their screams and cries for mercy ceased – everything froze.

The quietness was absolutely lovely. Eliziya forced herself to take calming breaths, she willed herself to think clearly and assess the situation…which she couldn't. How to assess something you didn't understand?

"What is this place?"

She hadn't been expecting an answer but when the deep, sultry voice sounded behind her, she jumped to her feet and immediately went into a fighting stance.

"It's a dangerous place." Kyp tapped his temple with a finger. "My mind."

As Eliziya focused on him, as she made sure that the person she faced wasn't the same man with black pits as eyes, the surrounding area disappeared. Everything melted like candlewax, thick globs of color and matter rising upwards to the fiery heavens. People broke apart like porcelain dolls, pieces scattered about the disappearing ground. Eventually there was nothing left to see.

Nothing.

Only white.

"What the hell is going on?" She yelled at him, taking one big step forward. She pushed him, slammed her fists against his chest as hard as she could.

"Hey…ow. That hurt." Kyp frowned at her, rubbing the stinging patch of skin. Eliziya pushed him again, hoping for a more active reaction but he did nothing. He stared at her, indifferent.

"Are you done?" He asked slowly.

She breathed. She said nothing. What could she possibly say?

It wasn't a conscious decision to do so but she threw herself at him, arms around his neck and she clung to him with a fierce, almost painful grip. She had to make sure that he was real, that he wasn't part of this twisted new world she'd stumbled upon.

He held her closely, the heat of his body seeping through her skin. His touch was soft, his breath warm as he whispered words to calm her down.

"What's happening, Kyp?" She asked, voice muffled against his shoulder.

Kyp took a step back and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"I was in the Healing Ward. I was with you, holding your hand and I must have fallen asleep. Nikk said that –"

"Healing Ward?"

Eliziya nodded and frantically wiped tears from her face.

Kriffing tears.

"Yes. Don't you remember?"

The frown that appeared on his forehead was all the answer she needed.

"You don't…you don't remember." She said matter-of-factly, eyes meeting his. "The mission. Something went wrong. You got hurt and –"

"Fire." Kyp turned away, dropping his hands and leaving behind coldness as his touch faded. "There was fire."

"Nikk said your body is healing. But you just won't wake up."

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Where ever or whatever this place was, it was impossible to tell time. Maybe they stood facing away from one another for mere minutes, maybe even hours. Eliziya just couldn't tell.

"The Jedi are trying to help you, Kyp. But they said they couldn't get through your natural blocks." She shrugged. "Whatever that means."

"It means I won't let them in." He turned towards her, his green eyes searching her face. "I wasn't aware of…any of this."

"Kyp." Eliziya approached him slowly and laid her hand on his shoulder. "If the Jedi couldn't…get in touch with you…how the hell am I here talking to you?"

"You still have no clue."

"About what?"

He took her hands into his and raised them to his lips. He rained kisses on her knuckles. It felt so real. But was it? How could this be real? How could this even be possible?

"Eliziya." Kyp leaned forward and he kissed her neck. Shivers spread along her body…she couldn't find the words to describe how good it felt to be close to him again. Even if it was only a…dream?

"You're Force sensitive, Liz."

"She's not staying."

Nikk shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh. Talk about major stupidity…

He imagined wringing the man's neck, shaking him until a semblance of sense weaseled its way into his befuddled brain. "How often do we need to tell you? We can't just unhook them! There's no telling what it would do to her or him." It was getting increasingly difficult to keep his voice low.

The politician, going by the name of Kyrian Hunter, stepped closer, hands stashed into the pockets of his fancy looking coat. "You and your merry band of Jedi can go to hell for all I care. She is coming with me." He ripped a com link from his pocket and flipped it open.

Nikk, completely dumb struck, took a moment to gather his wits about himself because surely he'd misheard what Hunter had just said…

"Excuse me?" Nikk raised his brows. "Mind running that by me again?"

Skywalker and Cilghal both spoke up at the same time, more or less pleading for Hunter to reconsider. The problem, Nikk knew, was that given Eliziya's current state, Hunter was indeed permitted to have his sister taken to a different medical establishment and there was nothing the Jedi could do about it. Arguing wouldn't change a damned thing.

Nikk snorted and shook his dark head. "So this is the thanks we get for helping you? For saving your brother in law's life?" He jerked a finger towards the quarantine cubicle. "Jedi Durron is dying in there. Do you get that? Do you understand what he sacrificed to help you?" Nikk shrugged.

"Eliziya –"

"She's safe! She's alive! Nothing will happen to her." Nikk raised his voice, balling hands into fists at his side lest he use them to break Hunter's nose for being so kriffing unreasonable.

Skywalker spoke quietly. "Since Jedi Durron's return we've been trying to contact him through the Force. Generally speaking, it is possible. But no one's been able to get through to him. Your sister is the exception."

"It doesn't matter to me."

"You piece of…" Nikk took a large step forward, forgetting all rules and regulations. Who the hell did this bastard think he was? "You're playing with my friend's life here!" He yelled and from the corner of his eye, he saw how other Jedi in the Healing Ward looked their way.

Witnesses…

Crap.

"How do I know you're not playing with hers?" Kyrian shot back heatedly.

"She is perfectly alright." Cilghal said softly, gesturing to the computer monitors. "You may look for yourself."

"We understand that you are worried." Skywalker said, again using the Force to lay a blanket of calm over everyone participating in this pointless argument. He shot Nikk a pointed glare. "Believe me, we're doing the best we can to solve this."

"And plus, it's simple." Han Solo suddenly put in and everyone turned his way as his deep voice sounded. "If you take her away and Kyp dies, I'll come after you myself." He shrugged, as if what he said was the most normal thing anyone could utter. "It's up to you, friend. But keep in mind, when it comes to my family, I don't mess around. I will come after you. And it won't be pretty."

Nikk tried not to smile. But he failed. Being threatened by Han Solo…you had to be all kinds of stupid not to do what the man said.

And Hunter seemed to be thinking the same way. His comlink disappeared within his fist, knuckles white as he gripped the little thing. He was a whirlwind of emotions, torn every which way and when he turned to look at his sister, sadness leaked through his very pores.

"Your sister," Skywalker began, "She made a connection with Jedi Durron."

"I should have known." Hunter shook his head sadly. "When I saw him with the pendant. I should have known." He faced Skywalker with a sad smile. "She gave Durron a necklace with a rare pendant. I knew it belonged to her."

"Are you aware that she can use the Force?" Skywalker said.

Hunter nodded. "I know." He breathed quietly. "I've known for years."

It took a moment for Kyp's words to finally make sense to her. Eliziya raised her brows. "Come again?" She untangled herself from his embrace and took a step back, curiously eyeing him with a tiny little smirk.

"I take it you're not deaf." He said with a light smile.

Eliziya blew out a breath and laughed. "You know…everything that's happened so far has been beyond crazy. So I'm just going to put this bit of information off and pretend I just didn't here you say I could use the Force. Because that's just nuts." She turned away from Kyp and placed both hands on her hips.

"Liz…I'm not kidding."

She took a deep breath and frowned at him. He wasn't joking. The firm set of his mouth, the tiny little crease on his forehead told her that he was actually serious. As in really, really serious.

"Yeah." She breathed. "Okay. Obviously you've lost your mind so…um…" She blew out another breath. "Can you please tell me how we can leave this place? Because I sort of want to go home."

"Eliziya." He reached for her but she took a step back, suddenly feeling crowded. The whiteness around her, the utter lack of structures and shapes…stars, there was nothing there. She imagined she could walk for days and never get to a destination, never return to her starting point.

"Don't." She said, holding up a hand as if to push him away. "This is too much. I want all this to stop. Now."

Kyp, shoulders slumped, merely shrugged. "If I knew how to stop it, I would. I don't understand what's going on. Liz…the only explanation I have of you being here is that we've connected on a level that…is just so profound, so huge…and I don't let anyone near my head. Not even Master Skywalker can find away into my mind but you have." He took her hands into his, gently running his thumbs along her knuckles. "You have to understand. Only a Force sensitive could do what you've done."

"I don't know what I've done…" She whispered, slowly shaking her head. "I fell asleep. That's all. I'm not Force sensitive."

There was a part of her that knew what Kyp claimed had to be impossible. Force sensitive? Yeah right. But another part, a quiet part that she'd silenced years ago, began to hope that maybe…Kyp was right.

But no. It didn't make sense. She couldn't use the Force and that was that.

"I've felt the Force within you, Eliziya." Kyp said quietly. "You knew when your brother came to your apartment. You knew when I came to you."

"So?" She shrugged, staring at their linked hands, avoiding his gaze. "A lot of people have this…sixth sense. Doesn't have to be the Force."

"Liz –"

"No!" She ripped their hands apart and took a step back while she fought hot tears threatening to run down her face. "No. You're wrong."

Narrowing his eyes, Kyp cocked his head to the side. He watched her, curiously. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid." Eliziya said hastily, wiping her cheeks dry with the back of her hands. "I want to go home."

"We'll get out of this."

"How?" She snapped.

Kyp shrugged. "I trust in the Force."

Eliziya rolled her eyes. "Spare me the religious crap." She was surprised at the venom she detected in her voice. The anger, that pulsed through her veins...she couldn't understand it. She had no need to be angry especially towards Kyp. This mess wasn't his fault.

Kyp smiled at her. "I'm guessing that throughout your life, you've made things happen. Little things at first. Maybe finding something that you'd thought you'd lost. Knowing when something was about to happen, knowing when friends or family members arrived at your doorstep. And when these things did happen, didn't you find it odd?"

"I am not Force sensitive." She said, her voice dark. "Accept it."

"I can't accept something that isn't true."

"You're just being stubborn. It's wishful thinking."

"Eliziya –"

"If I could use the Force then how come I couldn't –" Her voice trailed off. She looked away, wishing that there was something to see other than whiteness and nothingness. A blue sky perhaps with a beautiful golden sun. She would have loved to feel grass between her toes and listen to animals running about. "Why couldn't I save my brother?" She continued, staring at Kyp with tear filled eyes. "Isn't that what Jedi do? Save lives? I'm not like you, Kyp."

She continued to talk, her brows pulled into a frown. "My youngest brother – I had to watch him die. I won't ever forget how the life drained from his eyes. The hardest part to live with is that it was my fault."

"Liz, I'm –"

"Now, for the sake of arguing, let's say you're right. Let's I can use the Force. Can you imagine what life would be like for me? It would be hell. I was raised to hate the Jedi and anyone affiliated with the Force. My family would hate me. More than they already do now."

Kyp grabbed her hand suddenly and pulled her towards him. Flat against his chest, she stared into his face, mesmerized by his beautiful green eyes. Was this real? Could all this even be real? Somehow she wished it was all only a dream. Because then she'd wake up and everything would be back to the way it was.

Normal.

You're lying to yourself.

"What happened to you, Eliziya?"

She shook her head. "Please don't ask me that."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to cry anymore." Her voice was barely a whisper, the words broken as her lips trembled.

Eliziya's brother, Skywalker and Cilghal had left to have a quiet conversation with one another, which had been a pretty good idea considering Nikk's state of mind. His hand still itched to smash into the politician's face.

He took a calming breath and turned his head towards Han. The older man hadn't said a damned word since the others had left. With his hands stashed into the pockets of his pants, all he did was look at Kyp's sleeping shape.

The monitoring system suddenly beeped.

Nikk hurried to the computer screen and was faced with a bunch of numbers and letters that were gibberish to him. The only thing he recognized was the status of their blood pressure and heart rate. And Eliziya's heart rate was elevated.

"Wow." Nikk said with raised brows. "If I'd have to take a guess, I'd say she's excited about something."

"Or angry." Han said. "Who knows what's going on in there?"

Nikk pursed his lips and stepped back up to the cubicle. Side by side they lay in separate beds, faces turned towards one another as if subconsciously knowing they weren't alone. A single tear ran down Eliziya's face. Nikk wondered what she was seeing, how they were communicating…

He turned towards Han. "I think I might have an idea."

"Go on."

"We can't communicate with Kyp because he's a stubborn bastard and won't let us, right?"

"Yeah."

"But what if we tried talking to Liz? She's an untrained Force sensitive. Her mental blocks aren't as stable as those of a trained Force user."

Nikk didn't wait for Han to comment. He turned on his heel and ripped out his comlink, ready to talk Skywalker down until he gave in to Nikk's plan.

But Nikk didn't even have to com Skywalker. The monitoring systems suddenly started blaring like crazy and blinking red lights appeared on the screens. Skywalker and Cilghal were there in seconds, the politician right behind them.