Author's Notes: This chapter started as an alternate idea to the story, but once I changed a major plot point that will be revealed in the next chapter, it came together very nicely. I know this story doesn't receive much recognition in the form of reviews, but I always hope that whoever is reading continues to enjoy the tale.

Chapter 20 – Fated Reunion

Wynsridge Estate
Planet Blyne

Gavan found it ironic that what started here on Blyne would end – one way or another – on Blyne. He had made arrangements with Edee to get a different set of clearance codes and to have Sweet Halcyon's identification sequence changed. He had even found a different docking port to leave his ship so as not to arouse any suspicions from when he was previously here. The last thing he needed was Imperial involvement that was not directly related to the Wynsridge Estate.

The past two days he had spent observing the patterns of the guards and sentry droids around the Wynsridge property, studying their movements for gaps that would give him any kind of inkling as to exactly what he would be dealing with the moment he stepped foot onto the family's grounds. From what he could see, there was minimal delay in shift changes and the sentry droids held an abundant charge in their batteries.

In the late afternoon light, Gavan discovered that the only uninvited way in or out of the estate was through the woods that lined the back end of the grounds. However, sneaking into the woods to walk onto or off the grounds was not an option as a tall, wooden fence had recently been erected. The ground was still freshly turned from where the posts had been placed, and the growth of plants and shrubs that once lined the yard were piled neatly into a stack that was presumably awaiting burning by the garden staff.

Gavan moved in a crouch in the thick branch of the leaf-strewn tree that overhung the Wynsridge yard, his eyes still assessing points of interest. From this position, the mansion sat back approximately one hundred yards with a small, one-person building erected towards the back of the garden. Studying the small chimney pipe and the exhaust fan laid upon the roof of the small building, Gavan deduced that it was the groundskeeper's housing, and was likely a one-bedroom shack with one additional room containing a refresher and one room that had been furnished with a single stove for cooking.

The garden that led from the mansion towards the back area of the fenced woods was little more than bushes of various flowers where patches of land had been carefully sectioned for specific flower breeds to blossom. It was meticulous with blues on one side, and reds on the other. Small patches of pinks and yellows were distributed throughout the large yard, with white flowers trimming along the edge of the low stones. Purple and orange shaded-flowers filled in circles around a stone path that led from the mansion towards the far seating area.

There were at least four seating areas, the two closest to the mansion were elaborate creations made in wood, embellished with flourishes and carvings. A number of particularly pruned trees were placed within the garden, allowing for shade near the benches at the front of the yard. The two benches closest to the now-fenced in area before the woods were long seats that were simple blocks of gray stone, smoothed and polished. Unlike the elaborate front end of the yard, this back portion used the overhanging woods to provide the shade. And, it was on one of the stone benches closest to the large tree that hung over from the woods where Gavan found Kaelyn sitting – just nine painfully close yards below from where he was perched.

Gavan had been struck by an assortment of emotions – mostly guilt for nearly walking away from her – as she sat on the bench, entirely unaware of his presence. Ponn had warned him that Kaelyn would hex him, and now he understood just what he meant by that. Never before had he ever considered risking his life this recklessly for any of his brief romantic interludes, but Kaelyn had done something to him that he had never allowed any other woman to do. She had unknowingly found his hidden emotional threads, and before he had any chance of stopping them, they had knotted to her.

He observed her as she sat on the bench, seeming unable to relax, with her back straight in the dark crimson dress that accentuated her curves. The mid-length sleeves nearly covered her entire arm, and the black lace that hung from the trim shifted with every movement of her hands. Studying her closer, Gavan saw that in her hands was a small swath of cloth pinched within a thin wooden frame, and her fingers were moving as she was pushing a small needle with colored thread into the otherwise blank cloth. Her eyes, however, were glancing around her, as though she was not letting anyone know that her attention was not on the embroidery before her but was instead looking at the fence and the shrubs that outlined the far end of the yard she was within.

A swell of warmth rolled into Gavan's chest at the way she was cleverly hiding her reconnaissance from the large man who stood at least three feet away from her. He was dressed in a crisp, yellow tunic with dark green pants and made no attempt to hide the blaster that hung on a holster around his shoulder. His presence was intimidating enough on its own that he did not need any other guards nearby, and he was left to his own devices where Kaelyn's "protection" was considered. However, his presence was less of a protectorate and more of a corrections officer who was keeping an eye on the inmate that had been left in his charge.

The whirring of a droid passed underneath Gavan's position again, and it was far enough below that it would not spot him, but it had caught Kaelyn's attention. He watched her blue eyes shift from the fence to the droid, her head remaining still as though concentrating on the embroidery before her. He saw the way she breathed slowly, and her stillness for the moment had betrayed to him – but luckily not her guard – that she had been counting the length of time between the droid's laps. Once again, he felt that warmth in his chest, feeling an appreciation for her that he was certain she would not receive from her captors, because she had not allowed herself to become a helpless victim, and had remained determined to break free.

Gavan took another moment to assess the scene below him, as he had found plenty of places to fall safely, but there really was only one place that would give him the opportunity to climb so that he could return to the tree that had led him through the forest. Unfortunately, Kaelyn did not have the training required for such physical maneuverability, and he would need to improvise some way to get her out of the yard once he freed her from her personal prison. In the meantime, he needed to give Kaelyn something to let her know that he had not abandonded her, and he would bring her some hope that he would not leave her to Rhouse for longer than necessary.

Reaching on his back, Gavan pulled forth the poison dart blaster but had opted instead to not use the poison darts, as he didn't want Kaelyn caught in the crossfire of whoever he affected with the poison nor did he want to shoot her accidentally. Instead, Ainslee had seen to it that Gavan was given a full supply of sleep darts that he had loaded within the dart gun.

Lining up the large man in his sights, Gavan aimed the blaster and fired, sending at least three darts silently foward on their path. The large man reached a hand towards the pinches that had struck his neck, his arm, and his leg, but he could not fight the strength of the tranquilizer. Dropping to his knees, the guard's eyes fluttered closed and then he dropped with a thud onto his side.

Kaelyn spun towards her now-sleeping bodyguard and then she looked about the garden trying to find the man she was certain had dropped Forn into a deep sleep.

"Kaelyn, don't move."

"And, you need to stay hidden. The sentry droid will be back in eight seconds," she breathed, recognizing Gavan's voice and doing her best to keep her body still so she would not arouse the droid's suspicions with sudden movements.

Kaelyn squeezed the cloth in her fingers and glanced down briefly at the pattern that she had been sewing. To anyone else, it was just a series of practice knots in the same pastel lavender color, with some of those knots smooth and some raised. They appeared sporadically placed upon the cloth canvas, but to Kaelyn it was a minimal sketch of the garden. Since she was unable to make her notes in any way that could be easily discerned, she used the smooth threads to mark places where she would need to investigate further, as they contained areas that she might be able to slip through or climb over. The thick and tall knots were areas to avoid as they were most observable to the guards and sentry droids.

Metal clattering caught her attention, and Kaelyn looked towards the source of the noise to see pieces of the sentry droid scattered on the ground beneath one of the thicker tree branches.

"Edee taught me that trick," Gavan told her quietly, unable to hide the smile he felt creeping into his voice.

Kaelyn felt her fingers tremble as her heart rushed in her chest, seeking the man she knew would be in his dark coat and probably hidden under his dark hood. His voice once again sounded like he had the punchline to some joke he was not sharing, and she missed it so much that she felt her own smile pull at the corners of her lips. However, the moment was short-lived as Gavan's next words were serious.

"Everyone at the sanctuary is safe," Gavan told her, as he glanced towards the mansion and did not see any of the guards noticing his movements. "Jenna will heal, but Pia is emotionally broken right now. The others are angry about the invasion, but dealing with it in their own ways. Mar'taan is doing what he can with all of them."

Knowing he was about to take a huge risk, Gavan did not stop himself as he leapt from the branch onto the groundskeeper's shack. His movements were soft and careful, springing from the roof onto the ground. Kaelyn was mere feet from him now, and a different kind of guilt washed over him as he realized that she probably had no idea why he never returned in time to stop the Templars on the day of her abduction.

"Rhouse planned your capture, Kaelyn," he said as he stood behind the groundskeeper's house, angled so that he would not been seen. "He thought you wouldn't be smart enough to know, and he held me prisoner at the warehouse while his men attacked the sanctuary."

"I suspected as much," Kaelyn whispered as she glanced behind her to see Forn still sleeping and the guards near her house still uninterested in her. Slowly and quietly, she set down the embroidery and moved from the bench, feeling her heart racing with every step. "I tried to stall them, knowing that Mar'taan had called for help, but I had no choice. I had to go with them. When they shot Jenna, I knew my freedom was over."

"I know," Gavan whispered, swallowing hard as Kaelyn now stood before him, and he wondered how she could make him so weak and yet so strong at the same time.

His eyes passed over Kaelyn, grateful to be close to her again and not watching from the distance of the tree branch. He studied how her light brown hair had been loosely curled in spirals that she had never worn during the weeks they were together, as the twists fell symmetrically around her neck and shoulders. He brought a hand towards her, and coiled one of those twisted locks around his finger, feeling the softness and warmth of her hair. As she was the night of the Hurster party, she was again the vision of aristocratic beauty, and he knew he would never get used to seeing her this way. He could see that she was uncomfortable dressed in such grandeur clothing, and as she wore the weight of the material, she carried the weight of her captivity in this life. And, with that thought, Gavan was once again overwhelmed with a rush of guilt for nearly leaving her to this fate.

Kaelyn breathed in heavily, grateful that this corset wasn't as tight as some of the other ones in her wardrobe, but it still didn't give her as much movement as the ones she wore at the sanctuary. Her lungs fought for air as she pressed her hand to Gavan's chest, her shaking fingers matching the trembling the two of them always seemed to share in each other's presence. She needed proof that this shadowed Gavan was not another of her fantasies, as she had experienced far too many of them in the last few days. He haunted her in her dreams at night, he was a constant image in her mind, and he was the illusion she lived within whenever Torace was with her.

Gavan breathed in remorse, keeping his voice soft. "I told you I'm no good for you. I nearly ran in the other direction of the galaxy."

Kaelyn had resigned herself to thinking that she would never see Gavan again, as she understood any attempt to free her was just not worth the risks. Feeling her own voice shaking, she knew that what she had to tell him was not what either of them wanted to hear.

"You should have followed your instincts and run," Kaelyn whispered, aware of the sadness in her voice as she felt her eyes pleading with his shadowed brown irises. "You'd be safer that way. Torace is due to return from another Templar quest today. If he catches you here, I fear he'll kill you."

"That's the chance I've chosen to take," he replied softly. "You're the one thing in the galaxy that keeps the darkness away from me. I've started succumbing to it, and I need to live again."

He shifted his hand from her hair to the hand she had set upon his chest, and he could no longer understand why he even considered leaving her to the fate of a Templar's slave. The soft heat of her skin sent shocks of electricity through him, and he felt that spike of excitement for her once more, pulling her closer to him without even realizing it.

Gavan was drowing now in the mere closeness of her, and the way Kaelyn's breath caressed his lips was driving him mad. The last few days without her had taken him to those dark places he had been warned about, and he longed for her so that she could save him from those haunted shadows. The brightness of her blue irises caught the sunlight, and it reminded him of a ship finding a beacon while lost on a dark sea.

Kaelyn caught her breath at his words, and she felt herself fighting against the corset that held her lungs from taking in their full capacity of air. She had a flash of a memory of the night Gavan went after Zendor and she had thought of the scene in her imagination she had of him before lighting the hope candle. In that scene, they had stood facing each other, and the light that surrounded her had captured him within it. Looking to him now in the moment of his admitted darkness, she finally understood that memory.

Mar'taan had explained it during one of their many conversations, and how he had encouraged the Assassins under his tutelage to seek a source of light and hope – something that would ensure that they always came back from the darkness that fills their duties.

Kaelyn never thought for a moment that Gavan would have chosen her for such an honor – to be the one thing that keeps him a protector instead of an aggressor – and while she could not imagine it any other way, she was also intimidated by the responsibility of it.

Still, the more pressing matter was to get him safe, and what Kaelyn said next pained her so hard it could be heard in her voice, but she knew that Gavan would understand her reasoning.

"Gavan, I cannot leave here – not yet. Because Torace planned everything to get me back, the sanctuary will never be safe. If you free me from him again, you and I both know that he will use Mar'taan and the younglings as leverage."

Gavan closed his eyes and took in a heavy breath at the truth of her words, feeling an anger surging deep inside him. Rhouse had manipulated everything, and he had arranged it so that, even after Kaelyn was brought back to him, he would manage to maintain his hold on her and deny her any freedom. Gavan knew that there was only one way to ever hope to give Kaelyn a life away from Blyne, and in order to do that, he would have no choice but to kill Torace Rhouse.

Gavan felt the heat of Kaelyn's body as she leaned so very close to him, and he decided that if she could not leave, then he would take the moment for all it was worth. Unable to hold himself back any longer, his lips caught hers, and she pressed to him with a longing that matched his own. Their kiss was so raw and so real that they were both consumed by a need that had been suppressed for the long and lonely days without each other. Yet, neither was able to forget the uncontrollable attachment that they shared. They were opposite halves longing for wholeness, drawn together by a journey of choices, but forced apart by those in the galaxy who were blind to the strength they had because of the choices they had made.

Knowing time was not something they could spare in any kind of abundance in this meeting, Gavan regrettably forced himself to ease his lips from hers. Her breath came in short gasps, not unlike his own, and he did not resist when Kaelyn could not control herself and clutched her hands to the front of his long coat, prolonging him from leaving just yet, despite how they both knew that staying would endanger him.

Gavan felt the pain of betrayal stab at his heart that he had to leave Kaelyn behind with the Templars in this Imperial prison until the task of eliminating Rhouse was finished. He suddenly hated what the galaxy had done to them – how it continued to twist him to its sick will and laugh at him the entire time. One day, he would find a way to defy the galaxy, but for this moment in his life, he was going to defy time for an extra few seconds. Taking a breath, he hesitated to release the words that had been in his eyes for so long. He was afraid of shattering this moment, and terrified to find that it would be nothing more than a dream formed under the duress of being knocked unconscious in whatever fight he had gotten himself into again.

"Kaelyn, I…" he paused in his careful whisper, hating that she could not be free until Rhouse would be stopped permanently from bringing harm to the sanctuary. All he wanted was for them to feel just a little hope until such a time would come where they could be free of the Templars that manipulated them.

"The galaxy has forced us to live in voids that offer no freedom," Kaelyn whispered, filling in Gavan's pause and understanding without him actually saying what he could not put into words. "I ache without you, and it is something I had never known before."

Gavan brought both his hands to her face now and touched his forehead upon hers, his eyes closing at the proximity of her, his lips resisting to take hers until he finally said what he needed. "It's so much simpler than that."

"I know," she breathed, fearing the words he stumbled upon saying as much as she was anticipating them.

"I love you," he finally admitted, his words coming without thought or provocation. He felt Kaelyn's warm exhale on his lips, her gasp at his confession a surprise as much to her as it was to him. He also knew that he only had a few precious seconds left before he had to make himself a shadow and disappear once again. With a renewed hunger, Gavan closed that imminent gap between them and kissed her, bathing in his light and his hope. He was going to free Kaelyn from everyone who was suppressing her, and he would not let them take her freedom again.

Kaelyn felt the rush once more that existed between them, and just as she was starting to grow breathless, Gavan tore himself from her lips. She saw in the shadows of his cowl that there was a regret in his eyes, and she knew if he stayed any longer, he would be caught. Forn would not remain asleep much longer, and as she eased her fingers from Gavan's coat, her saddened voice started to whisper a goodbye she hoped would only be temporary. "I…"

Gavan stopped her with a simple touch of his finger on her lips, his voice holding in the punchline to a joke only he knew. "Tell me next time."

Kaelyn felt the tiny smile form a curve on her lips as she stepped back from the shadow of the small house and watched Gavan turn from her and quickly climb up the groundskeeper's cottage. He never looked back at her, and she understood that their separation was a necessary evil until she could be free without the repercussions of this life haunting her. She started to rotate so that she could resume her embroidery code when she nearly rammed into something hard and unmovable. Before she could shift away from it, Forn's arm came around her waist and locked her against him. Then, it happened so quickly that she barely registered that Forn had taken his blaster and fired it into Gavan's back.

The strike of the blaster pushed Gavan forward onto his knees, as the coat and vest protected him from the burn. He used what bare seconds he had to gather himself on the roof of the shack, and he spun around in his crouched position with both his blasters raised and ready.

As Forn pulled Kaelyn with him from the groundskeeper's house, she saw the twenty guards rushing towards them from her home. She felt Forn shift his stance while he held her, and she saw him positioning his blaster again towards Gavan.

Watching his finger prepare to close over the trigger, Kaelyn took the opportunity and brought her unrestrained arms forward. She pushed on Forn's wrist with both her hands while her voice screamed, "Run!"

Gavan saw the blaster bolt shoot wide to the left of his waist, and as Kaelyn's voice echoed around him, he caught sight of the additional guards that were heading towards the garden. He holstered his blasters and leapt upwards in an attempt to catch the tree limb. Unfortunately, one of the guards' blaster bolts had struck true, hitting him again in his back, and his hands fell short of the tree. Unable to stop himself from dropping, Gavan rolled as he fell and found himself holding his blasters once more. His outstretched arms chose two targets of the twenty guards that were quickly surrounding him, as he briefly wondered how many he could take out before they would be entirely upon him.

"The orders are to subdue him and keep him alive," Forn commanded to the guards, his eyes looking down to Kaelyn as she struggled in his grasp. "But, no one said you couldn't give him an appropriate beating into submission first."

"No!" Kaelyn shouted as she fought harder against Forn while he pulled her from the melee she heard erupting behind them.

Gavan steadied his breath and stilled his body, preparing for the fight he would need in order to escape and return on another day with a better plan. He fired the blasters wildly, hoping it would cause enough confusion so that he could get away from the enclosed circle of guards. Firing as quickly as he could, he managed to take out at least four of the guards, but that was short-lived as he felt the blaster bolts tearing into his coat and his vest. Still, he fired back, watching three more guards go down, but they had already enclosed their circle around him more tightly and while he was firing wildly into whoever he could, a kick landed in the back of his knee causing him to fall.

Struggling to get his footing back, he didn't see the fist fly across his head and slam into his skull, momentarily blackening his vision and making him stagger. Still, Gavan refused to give up, taking out at least two more guards before something hard and unmovable struck him in the back of his head. The world around him grew dizzy, and he was unable to resist the darkness that hovered around his eyes. He barely registered that he had heard Kaelyn screaming further away now when the cool, grassy ground caught his bruising cheek. He felt at least three boots drive into his ribs as the blackness from his concussion folded around his vision. Then, everything grew silent.