Hey guys! Here's another one. I'm seriously having a writer's block with story though. It's driving me crazy...

**Darsha Assant's POV**

The Earthling had captured Sing... I was shocked, humbled, and a little bit annoyed. That had been my first mission by myself and I had nearly gotten myself killed! And the human girl had been the one to finished it to the end. I was thankful to her for saving my life... but I was angry she had stolen the glory of the mission. It had been my mission! And I was made a fool.

I shook my head. I was being irrational. I had been the one to tell her to chase after Sing. I had nearly had to force her to do it... she seemed determined to stay by my side. I felt my resolve soften a little bit at that. She was annoying, headstrong, and prideful... but she was loyal. I may be ashamed that I hadn't been the one to complete the mission, but I had been the one to lead that part at the end, to hold off Sing while the human stood uncertainly in the background.

We were on our way back to Coruscant right now with Sing in custody. She would have a lot of time to think about her actions and consequences behind those bars. I walked quickly through the tight hallways on the ship. I was trying to find the Earthling... we needed to talk.

I felt her Force presence coming from the quarters we shared. I stopped before the door, it was open. That was odd. With a slight frown on my face, I peaked inside. Rosalie was sitting on the floor with her head bent low over something. Her shoulders were shaking—I felt my heart clench—she was crying. I took a small step toward her... what was wrong? She had been out cold in the bacta tank for a full day and a half. Had the events traumatized her? I didn't believe that, she got scared sometimes, but she was strong. And then I saw what she was leaning over. It... it seemed to be a type of holograph. A picture of a family. Then I realized... it was her family. Her family from Earth. Then, to my surprise and horror, I felt myself melt at the scene. Nothing ever got to me, no one saw my true emotions, I was careful to hide them. But seeing her there, crying over her family. It reminded me of when I was younger, of another child who grieved for her parents.

I quickly drew back into the hall and walked away... I didn't feel compelled to yell at her anymore... to feel angry for being humiliated on my first mission. She was just another lost child flying crazily through the large expanse of space, trying to find her way, just like everybody else.

I felt her back in the room look up to where I had been standing a moment ago. Yes, I would leave her alone for now.

**Rosalie Storm's POV**

My body was still killing me. Even after a full day in the bacta tank, my bones ached and groaned in protest when I moved as if I was already an old lady. Despite my pains, I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. I had completed the mission. I had captured Sing. A small part of me felt sorry for Darsha, it had been her mission to complete. But that was hardly my fault. She'd been wounded, and Sing had to be captured. I had been the only one still functional.

I had only seen Darsha once since the mission as she piloted the ship. She only grunted a few words in response to my questions, glaring over her dashboard. The lights blinked many different colors on her face. I'd just huffed and left her to herself. Master Anoon was still recovering from his wounds—he'd be fine. He told me not worry about Darsha, she'd get over herself soon enough. My completing the mission while she lay wounded had hurt her pride. And she had bucket loads of it... something she needed to tame, he said. I'd just shrugged my shoulders and said I hoped she got over it soon... I'd even suggested apologizing but he quickly put an end to that idea. She needed to be the one to apologize to me for her behavior. I had done nothing wrong... she needed to learn to control her pride.

two days passed since the mission and we were still avoiding each other like the plague. I'd been pouring over old photos from Earth one morning when I'd felt her presence, she seemed mad. But after a moment her conviction seemed to waver and she went away. I was glad. I was too emotionally bare to deal with her crap. I had traced the outlines of my family with trembling fingers. Maybe she'd noticed that and decided to leave me in peace. I was embarrassed that she'd seen me looking weak, but I was also grateful she had decided to leave me alone.

We still weren't talking to each other when we landed in Coruscant. Darsha and her Master handed Sing over the authorities while I watched from the shadows. The Jedi still wanted to keep me a secret, afraid that if the media got wind of me, they would never leave me alone and I would be a target for people who would use me and my secret knowledge. I didn't mind, I didn't want to be swarmed by politicians and reporters anyway, I was content to watch from a distance while Darsha and Anoon concocted a story of how they captured the infamous bounty hunter.

When they finished I found myself alone in the hanger bay with Darsha. I had my bag flung over my shoulder, ready to head back to my room. But then Darsha called me back.

"Storm!"

I turned, hoping she wasn't going to pick a fight. I was tired of fighting with her, of the hostility in general. I asked for it sometimes but she had a sense of superiority which I hated and beat down with my words and sometimes (like capturing Sing) with my actions.

"What is it Darsha?" I expected an onslaught of negative comments, a bashing over the head for getting the glory in the Jedi's eyes for the mission. Maybe even a threat to stay out of her way.

Instead, she surprised me.

"I'm sorry."

I stilled. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water, trying to work through my shock at her words to respond. "I—you... what?" was my brilliant reply.

Darsha rolled her eyes and enunciated carefully, as if I was having a problem understanding this new language coming from her.

"I. Am. Sorry."

I forced back the smile that tried to spread across my face. I was thankful for the apology, but being me, I was going to make her suffer for it. "You're sorry?"

Then she exploded.

"Yes Rosalie! I'm sorry for treating you badly. I'm sorry for calling you names and insulting your planet! I'm sorry for feeling angry that you completed the mission instead of me! I'm sorry for punching you on the ship! I'm sorry I put my pride above my duty! I'm sorry! ALRIGHT?!"

I let the smile go this time, but not before the smirk escaped first. "Alright, I hear you, no need to yell."

She glared at me. "Well?"

I held up my hands in defense. "Okay, okay. Apology accepted. And I'm sorry too... sorry I goaded you on, teased you and hurt your pride. Oh, and I'm sorry for punching you too. But you deserved it."

This time it was Darsha's turn to smirk. "Yeah, you deserved it too."

I walked back over to her and stuck out my hand. "Truce?"

She stared at it for a minute.

I rolled my eyes. "Friends?"

She smiled. "Friends."

We shook on it. And that was that.

• • • •

By the time I reported to the council along with Master Anoon and Darsha, settled back into my room and grabbed something to eat, it was dark outside. I had sat with Obi-Wan and a few other Padawans in the mess hall while we ate and filled them in on the details from the mission. They congratulated me in my success and boasted that I would be the next Aurra Sing soon... except for the whole assassin, bounty hunter part. I had laughed at their awkwardness with that and started throwing in boasts of my own.

But I had yet to see Aayla. I knew she was here. She hadn't been called away to a mission in a while and I knew she hadn't been called away while I was gone. I could feel her presence on the planet. I was still new to the whole sensing-life-forms-through-the-Force thing, but I could tell she was here... somewhere.

I scoured the Temple and even stopped by to ask Master Tholme (who had just returned from another mission). No one knew where she was. After I had been looking for an hour I began to grow worried. It wasn't like Aayla to not greet me after I returned to the Temple. She was always the first one I saw, I guess that's what best friends are for, right? But I hadn't seen her at all, I didn't even know where she was. It was a little more difficult for me to track her through the Force, but I kept at it non the less.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt myself drawing closer to her. She was in the gardens outside on the terrace. And she wasn't alone. The other life-force I felt didn't feel hostile so that was a relief. After a minute I recognized it as Kit Fisto. I rolled my eyes and smiled despite myself. Those two were getting pretty cute together. Hopefully the Council wouldn't catch them anytime soon. I mean they weren't getting into trouble or anything, it was just a crush.

I tried to mask my presence as well as I could so I would be able to surprise them.

But as I jumped around the corner and yelled "boo!" I wasn't sure who was more surprised, them, or me.

They were standing in the shadows, Kit had Aayla back up against the wall. And they were... making out?

They jumped apart in surprise at my exclamation, Aayla took one look at my shocked face and turned scarlet.

"Rose! How are you doing, honey?" she laughed nervously.

I wagged my finger in between the two of them. "Are you too um... what have I... what is going on?"

"Oh, um. We were-I mean I was... um."

I couldn't tell how Kit was feeling under his alien mask but I could feel the guilt radiating off of him. "Goodnight ladies," he said simply. And then ran out of the gardens.

I turned back and glared at Aayla accusingly. "What were you doing?!"

She blushed again and looked at me from out underneath her thick lashes. "Um, I was-"

"You were making out with Kit! Aayla! What the hell is wrong with you! That's against the code!"

Then she got defensive. "Hey! I may be a Jedi Rose but I'm still a living, breathing life-form. I can't help the way I feel for Kit. And besides, you were encouraging it! Hypocrite!"

"Aayla, I thought it was cute. There's nothing wrong in having feelings for the frog-"

"ROSE!"

"I mean Fisto. But if you act on it like that... Aayla, you're a Jedi. You can't have attachments like that. And you know it. You remember all the stories don't you? And even the ones I've told you? You can't have attachments like that for fear of being compromised. We're servants to galaxy (actually more like slaves, if you ask me) and we can't let ourselves fall from the cause."

"We?" Aayla laughed. "You're not a Jedi, Rose. It's easy for you to spout all this off because you can do it! You..." she trailed off as my hurt face registered. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "You're right. But I'm not going to cut it off completely. I can't."

And then she walked calmly back into the Temple, leaving me behind alone in the garden feeling hurt and weary. It wasn't easy having Jedi as friends... especially when you know the consequences... and the future...

Review? Please? It really makes my day... :-)