Star Wars: Light's brink

by starbornshine

Alana Sheelan is 16 year old amnesiac padawan training under her master during the clone wars. She hopes to end the war. However Alana's murky past holds a dark secret, one she isn't aware of herself. What is she to do when during her first solo mission her past comes back to kill her, and it won't stop at anything to get to her? OC/OC. Book 1 of Legacy of the lost.

36. Chapter 32 Part 1

Hey! I'm back and with the longest chapter to date. Yeah, I have no clue how this happened. Most of it is as per usual dialogue driven but still. I'm very excited to introduce a certain character here despite him being a total a-hole. Anyone remember Canderous Ordo? Yeah, well remember that last name. Also I'm so excited to start writing the next chapter despite how odd it will be. Let's just say I've been looking forward to it since Chapter 28. So 12000+ words, hehe... I'm sorry for going overboard again. Note time:

1) While most of this is proofread there are probably a few mistakes

2) I think I finally have a grip on Alana and Jayden again!

3) Lots of character backstory hints!

4) Sorry about the Jedi bashing I'm trying to tone it down, in any case rest assured that Alana will NOT leave the Order otherwise this story may just fall flat on it's face.

5) As per usual - Enjoy!

====SW:LB====

Chapter 32 - Familiar faces Part 1 (go to next page for part 2)

It was late evening on Coruscant and glittering lights dotted the landscape, neon holograms shone brightly, speeders flew by in a neat and orderly fashion with their headlights shining. Despite the lateness creatures of multiple races wandered around on the ecumonopolis's streets. At the heart of the city stood the Galactic Senate and on its top floor, in the Supreme Chancellor's office a certain meeting was taking place.

A young woman kneeled before the chancellor as she delivered her report, her face obscured by the shadow the Chancellor cast as he stood looking out of the panoramic window:

-Master, there have been multiple disturbances across certain planets - all of them marked by the arrival of a certain ship beforehand.

The Chancellor turned around, his eyes glowing yellow and traces of Dark Side corruption evident on his face:

-Oh?

-Yes, Master. It is a ship of unknown model but I have asked around and it is called the Crimson Storm.

Palpatine paused an image flitting before his mind's eye: a strange ship, painted dark grey and crimson, blood red. Could it be the same ship from that time? He turned back to his agent:

-Are you certain?

-Yes, Master. Do you wish to know of the disturbances?

-Yes.

-The first one happened right here on Coruscant with an attempt on your life, the second one occurred when the Crimson Storm was docked with the Atlantida as it blew up, the third one occurred on Alderaan's moon with a landing bay being nearly blown up after a group of Rodians chased after a group of three, the fourth one was on Bburru station over Duro and I have reason to believe one of its crew is responsible for general Grievous failing his mission. After Duro the Crimson Storm landed on Corellia and while it was there as you know the planet's orbit was shifted, also as the members of the crew were apparently leaving they got into a firefight with those same Rodians and after which the ground suddenly began to crumble and a tower collapsed but the Storm got away. It then vanished off the grid for almost two weeks before reappearing a day ago and crash-landing on Bestine IV, where on that same day a section of an underwater tunnel leading to Jahnae sunk but there were two survivors- I suspect that was those Rodian's doing. That is all, Master.

Palpatine crossed his arms and was silent. The young woman watched nervously, hoping her report had satisfied her Master. She had gone to great trouble to track down the crew and the ship and learn of their identities. They seemed to cause trouble wherever they went and if there happened to be ruckus on Bestine IV that would prove her theory of their power level. After a moment Palpatine finally spoke again:

-Who are these crew members?

-One of them is a girl - a Jedi with dark blue eyes, the other is a young man and he is none other than the infamous Shadow and with them is a very odd droid. From what I have been able to sense both of the humans are Force-sensitive, especially the Jedi.

Palpatine frowned before murmuring thoughtfully:

-Alana Sheelan... Apprentice, have you located the leader of the Rodians?

-Of course, Master.

-Contact him and tell him to get in contact with me for a very special job.

-As you say, My lord.

-Very well, continue your mission. Dismissed.

-Yes, Master.

The young woman stood up and slowly left the office her yellow eyes slowly shifting to a cool silver colour. She swept up her loose red hair into a ponytail and pulled up her face mask before blending into the shadows of the halls in the Senate. Had a Jedi passed by her they would have sensed the immense dark power she was radiating. She was Kyrisiel Skirata, she was a Sith acolyte and she had mission. Kyrisiel would not loose.

==SW: LB==

For the umpteenth time Alana turned over in bed, trying to get comfortable but alas sleep seemed fly further and further from her grasp. Alana sighed in defeat and sat up in bed - these sleepless night had been happening more and more often lately and if she did get to sleep she'd find herself waking up in the middle of the night. During the first moment when she just woke up Alana would feel weird like she almost could remember something from before she got amnesia but the moment that thought formed the sensation would slip away. Alana pulled her knees closer to her chest and leaned her forehead on them tiredly.

It had been a day since the whole drowning incident and they had spent it in the hospital with numerous droids and medics running tests on them. Alana didn't stop them - she didn't want to catch pneumonia or worse and they obviously knew better than her. After all the tests were done Kaara and Vadak Phirash (the togruta couple that had rescued them) offered to let them stay a while with them while they were in Jahnae and while the tunnel to the settlement where they had landed was being fixed. Jayden was hesitant to accept their offer but he gave in when Kaara said that the only thing they would need from them is Alana to talk to their kids. The two had exchanged a glance but Alana had ultimately agreed, it couldn't hurt to just talk to the kids, could it? Togruta's were in general a very hospitable and gentle race but in times of war they were strong warriors too and their sense of unity only made them even more deadly as foes. Alana was grateful for Kaara's offer but the situation with their kids made her feel conflicted.

Kaara and Vadak had three kids: a twin boy and girl and a baby girl. The twins were named Cobri and Meka and the baby was called Dala, the moment Alana and Jayden walked into the house the young Jedi had instantly sensed the ripples in the Force. They were small, barely noticeable but they were there. As soon as she laid eyes on the twins Alana was certain- those two were incredibly Force-sensitive but they were already 7 years old. So how... Alana shook her head, she still had yet to report to the council despite the time being well over the deadline they had given her and the last thing she needed was the council searching her mind and finding something like this. Alana couldn't help but feel so lost.

The young Jedi was abruptly jerked out of her thoughts by a strong amount of fear that was most definitely not her own. That fear was accompanied by great pain and sadness, one that almost made Alana want to cry. She closed her eyes and concentrated on who the fear was emanating from. Both of the parents and the kids were all fast asleep, their lights in the Force flickering calmly, glowing a calm blue colour with the twins being a little more defined. However there was one light in the house that was flickering violently, constantly shifting between red and blue in Alana's mind, it was the presence of the same person who was emanating all that fear and pain - Jayden.

Alana sighed as that fear and pain washed over her again, he was experiencing another nightmare. She managed to tone down the bond a bit when that happened, but she could still feel his terror and despite knowing that she really couldn't do anything to stop those dreams from plaguing him every night Alana felt sad.

Their bond was another thing that puzzled her: it seemed whatever sensation whether pain or fear he was experiencing was translated to her and vice versa, if any end of the bond was to be closed of the person who was experiencing it received it in a doubled dose. Why in the universe had the two of them even ended up bonded? She had t preformed any act that would have tied his spirit to hers, all she had done was come at him full force that night after the blue glow... The blue glow! Could it have anything to do with it? Alana was unsure. She just hoped that it wouldn't end up being the death of both of them.

Just as she thought that another horrible wave of pain and terror washed over her and Alana ended up clutching her throbbing head and gasping for breath as she waited for the wave to subside. She considered closing the bond off temporarily but instantly dismissed that idea - there was no way she was going to let Jayden feel the doubled version of what she just experienced. Through the fog of pain and terror Alana wracked her brain in attempt to think of a solution to their current problem, only one idea came to mind and it was the simplest one - wake Jayden up. Alana bit her lip, waking people up from nightmares wasn't the best idea because when they woke up they were still disoriented and could very well perceive reality as the continuation of the nightmare. Alana suddenly let out a small groan of pain as another wave washed over her and steeling herself she forced herself to get up and out of bed. Through the fog of pain Alana somehow managed to force herself to put on the shoes and clothes Kaara had lent her while her own were unusable. She quickly did the bed before tiptoeing out of the room and closing the door behind her. Alana bit her lip to keep herself from letting out any sounds that would wake anyone of the togruta family members up. Following Jayden's presence into the Force she quietly slipped into the room he was sleeping in.

Alana felt the pain and fear intensify as she approached him. Jayden was breathing heavily and thrashing around in bed, small beads of sweat running down from his forehead, his eyes were screwed up and he looked to be in immense pain. Alana hesitated - everything she knew told her not to wake him up and just let the nightmare run it's course as well as block off her end of the bond,but for once her sentimental and gentler side won out. Alana decided to try the safest approach: speaking to him. Alana crouched down next to the bed and softly spoke in a gentle tone while sending waves of calmness through their bond:

-Jayden...Jayden...Jayden, wake up. All you're seeing is just a nightmare. Wake up.

When that approach failed Alana softly shook his shoulder. Wrong move. Jayden shot up in bed and moments later he had her pinned on the floor with her arms above her head. Alana felt shock and a cold chill run through her as she realised the person in control right now was a very dangerous half-asleep Shadow. She maintained her gentle tone:

-Shadow, calm down. It's me - Alana. That was just a nightmare.

Shadow was definitely half-asleep as he hissed with venom in his voice:

-I will kill all of you just as you massacred us! This is vengeance!

Alana sighed inwardly and squashed down the fear threatening to bubble to the surface, she only winced from pain when Shadow tightened his grip on her wrists. She didn't struggle against his hold on her body or let herself panic, Alana merely continued sending warm calming waves of emotion through their Force bond and tried to gently speak to him again:

-It's alright. Those people who hurt you aren't here anymore. Jayden, it's just me.

She looked up into his half-lidded green eyes with her own calm midnight blue ones. Finally Shadow seemed to focus on her and his eyes opened fully as he slowly slid back into reality. Jayden blinked in confusion as clarity returned to him and he realised what he was doing. Alana smiled and murmured, disregarding the fact that he was still pinning her to the floor fully:

-Welcome back to land of the living.

Jayden instantly released her and moved back, also sitting down on the floor and letting Alana sit up. The young Jedi rubbed her wrists which she was certain had angry red marks on them but her full attention was focused on the Mandolorian across from her, it was dark so she couldn't quite make out the expression on his face. She could feel his confusion and the ebbing away fear in the Force as well as slight...embarrassment. Alana sighed in relief:

-Are you okay now?

Jayden nodded and whispered:

-It was just a nightmare... Sorry...

Alana shook her head and smiled:

-It's nothing you have to apologise for. I should have been more careful waking you up.

The young Jedi frowned when the Mando remained silent and cautiously probed:

-You've been having nightmares a lot lately, are you ok? Jayden, please tell me the truth, you're starting to make me worry.

There was quite a pause before Jayden murmured:

-You want the full story or just the assurance that I'm fine?

Alana looked him in the eye stubbornly:

-The full story.

Jayden sighed and stood up, holding out a hand to help her up:

-Then let's go somewhere with a little more air.

==SW: LB==

TK peeked around the corner to see two men examining the hyperdrive. One of them, the one without a beard, muttered in awe:

-By the Stars, I've never seen anything quite like this...

The other man, Bruno, nodded:

-Yes, such and old ship hyperdrive core and in such good condition- could this ship be the one...

His colleague threw him a look that seemed to be asking him if he was sane:

-Boss man, there's no way it's this ship. Look at how weird it is.

-True, but it feels as though it has a secret or maybe even somethings akin to a soul.

-You on on Spice or something? First you think this is the ship that managed to get through a nebula and a multiple star clusters without being hit as well as get past numerous security points in the galaxy undetected and then you say this thing has a soul? Boss man, you're really getting old - there's no way this odd relic is the Crimson Storm.

-I suppose. It's an interesting and a fast ship though.

-Yeah, bet it'd fetch quite a price on the black market.

Bruno shot the other man a glare:

-You crazy? We can't pull that stunt again, not with this one!

His assistant shrugged:

-Why not? It belongs to a pair of kids and their droid and it's not like the government can pin the blame on us straight away.

Bruno heaved a sigh:

-The ship belongs to the boy and he's no random teenage boy, he bears Shadow's crest. The Death's Hand's crest.

-Boss man, there's no way the kid is Shadow. Maybe he's a fan.

-Could a fan afford to fly a thing like this? And the girl beside him - she's a Jedi, she'll know if we're lying.

Bruno's colleague shot him a shocked look:

-Your Jedi detector senses acting up again?

-No, she's the real deal. The stance and the walk, as well as her concealed lightsabers - she's a Jedi all right. Plus look at the droid - that one is a strange one, creepy how he seems to disappear into thin air. Besides Torenbol did warn us that this was our last warning and if a ship disappeared here we'd take the fall.

The beardless man sighed:

-You're right, but still...

-No.

TK rolled away quietly, making sure that they didn't hear him. He had just eavesdropped on a very curious and a potentially problematic conversation. He should contact the Jedi girl and the idiot pilot, but just in case - he should look down the ship. Satisfied with that plan, TK made his way over to the nearest interface socket.

==SW: LB==

Padme Amidala sighed as she looked out of the window at the glittering nighttime scenery of Bestine IV, wearing a light nightdress with her long brown hair flowing freely down her back. The light breeze caressed her face gently, painfully reminding the Senator of her secret husband and his soft touch - she missed him so much. Anakin Skywalker was away on missions in the outer rim and she was busy with her duties as a senator, she understood that this war took precedence and if Anakin disappeared from the field for too long suspicions could be raised, but that didn't make her miss her husband any less or worry about him for that matter. She rarely heard anything from him, just snatches about the "Hero with no fear" from the holonet as the media called him or even more rarely from one of her friends who had spotted him like Bail or Mon mothma. Padme's gaze trailed up to the distant stars in the clear night sky and under her breath she whispered:

-Oh, Ani...where are you?

Padme shook herself inwardly and turned away from the window, closing it - she still was the target for many assassination attempts and despite the hotel droids stating that it was very secure she didn't want to take any chances. As she turned away, her brown eyes landed on a datapad lying on a low table in between two soft magenta coloured couches - that was her datapad which contained the details for tomorrow's meeting.

Padme had been sent to Bestine IV on a job that the Supreme Chancellor had entrusted her with: a certain planet from the Confederacy wished to rejoin the Republic- Sullust, they had agreed to negotiate the terms on a neutral world and despite Bestine IV being formally aligned with the Republic it was regarded as a neutral world and the meeting was to be held in secret here. Sullust had sent two representatives: a Sullustan and a Mirialan man respectively named Etirt Tenb and Riqo Calbra. The negotiations themselves weren't what bothered the Senator though, it was the representatives themselves. Etirt Tenb was a very practical man with a no nonsense attitude so he wasn't going to be a problem, but the Mirialan? He had a reputation for being a very touchy-feely character from what Padme had heard and being married she really didn't like that. Of course, there was the off chance that Calbra would keep himself in check but since this meeting would be held under a guise of a formal party Padme didn't expect much restraint from him. She really wasn't looking forward to it and there was Anakin's reaction to think about too if he ever caught wind of this... Padme sighed, if she only she had someone she could take with her to this party so she wouldn't be alone... Sadly, there was no such person. Her handmaidens, Tekla's, soft voice jerked her out of her thought:

-Can I offer you any assistance, Milady?

Padme sighed and sank down onto the sofa:

-No, but thank you, Tekla... Actually...

-Yes,Milady?

Padme looked up at her handmaiden and friend with slight hopefulness:

-Is there any chance you could come with me to the negotiations tomorrow under the disguise of a close friend?

Tekla shook her head:

-I'm sorry,Milady, but there's no way I could do that. I could try, but...

The Senator exhaled softly and nodded:

-It's alright, Tekla - I don't want to make you uncomfortable.

Tekla gave the former monarch a small apologetic smile and said:

-Should I retire for the night, Milady?

-Yes, of course.

-Then goodnight, Milady.

-Goodnight, Tekla.

Tekla gave a small bow and quietly slipped out of the room, leaving Padme alone with her thoughts. If only there was someone she knew here...

==SW: LB==

Alana leaned against the railing of the rooftop of the tall building the Phirash's had an apartment in. It was the middle of the night so they hadn't run into anyone and the rooftop was empty. There was a cool breeze blowing, Alana closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the feeling of it lightly blowing by her skin and playing with her loose hair. Jayden stood beside her silently, looking out at the glittering city - it's lights could never compare to those of Coruscant or Nar Shadaa but the sight was calming all the same and the gentle wind worked wonders. He cast a sideways glance at his companion to see that small and yet blindingly bright smile on her face, her hair moved slightly with the wind lifting a few strands at a time - she seemed to be happy. Jayden suddenly felt extremely tempted to try and twirl her hair around his finger, an activity he'd found oddly fun once before and he just couldn't stop himself in time. Alana felt him twirl her hair around his finger and she opened her eyes, an amused smile flitting across her lips:

-Why exactly are you playing with my hair again?

Jayden smiled and repeated the same answer he had given her once before:

-It seemed fun to twirl it.

-And is it?

-Very.

Alana gave a soft laugh and rolled her eyes in exasperation, Jayden responded with a simple warm smile. There was a comfortable silence between them and Alana finally felt like she understood the meaning of the phrase "Silence is golden". However as content as she was with simply enjoying her partners silent company, Alana knew that she had to bring up the conversation about nightmares and coax Jayden into telling her what was wrong because if she left it up to him they'd never get around to it. But before Alana could even open her mouth Jayden quietly spoke up:

-Do you ever have nightmares?

Alana turned to him in slight shock at him bringing up the subject himself before realising he must have sensed her surprise via their bond since a ghost of a smile now resided on his lips. Alana looked into the night sky and was silent for a moment before saying:

-Well, not often before but recently there are dreams - strange ones that I can't make head or tail of and some of them frighten me. I always wake up an inch away from screaming and in the middle of the night, that is if I can fall asleep.

-Is that why you were around to wake me up today?

Alana gave a small nod before turning to him and smiling:

-I'm fine though, this insomnia like thing isn't too frequent. Besides I can always meditate to get some rest. I get the feeling you're worse off than me, I've felt you in pain so often in the night.

Jayden gave her a small wry smile:

-I should have known you would have, this bond is weird.

Alana chuckled:

-I actually thought exactly that earlier tonight. I guess there are advantages to having it though.

-I can't argue with that. About what you felt in the night? Did you feel a ghostly kind of pain or a physical one?

Alana looked down at her fingers which were gripping the railing and was quiet for a bit before answering:

-I felt fear, sadness and strong physical pain. You were hurting immensely. Normally I would just close of the bond temporarily but I couldn't let you feel double the pain. It was blinding and it hurt so much.

Jayden sighed:

-I'm sorry. My nightmares aren't dreams normally - they're terrifying memories of my own past. You see, I have a weird ability - I have what some would call an amazing memory. I can recall things with perfect clarity from before I was 4 years old and I never forget anything as much as I may want to. It's both a gift and a curse. There are many bad memories in my mind and a lot of them contain physical pain but during the day I manage to bury them and yet...

He trailed off and Alana finished for him:

-At night they come out? That must be tough dealing with PTSD every night.

Jayden shrugged:

-I've gotten used to it, just as you have to your amnesia. You know I really admire your determination.

Alana's eyes grew wide:

-What?

Jayden smiled:

-I'm not kidding, I really am slightly envious of how determined you are to find your memories and yet remain the same person as well. I don't think I could do that.

Alana gave a short breathy humourless laugh:

-Nonsense, anyone could do what I do. I just want to be myself, that's all. It like you said that you're both Jayden and Shadow at the same time - that's what makes up who you are, I'm trying to find what makes me who I am. Those memories, no matter how much they may hurt they make up who you and I are. It's simple really.

A bright smile lit up Alana's face and Jayden watched her in stunned awe. She had given him a way to accept the memories that had tormented him for years and to her it was simple. She was very different from him and yet in a way she was like him - Alana Sheelan truly was a very curious person. Alana continued:

-Jayden, have you ever spoken to anyone about these memories?

-I've only told all of it to my grandmother and just once.

-Why only once?

Jayden's eyes grew sad and serious:

-Because she feels that I suffered as a result of her being unable to do anything. That's not true. I don't want her to think that way so I never brought it up again. Ayyshiri knows a tiny bit and so do my friends of the remnant that my grandma leads. I've never really talked about them to anyone.

Alana could hear the pain in Jayden's voice and she realised she was pushing him too far. She'd better stop. Alana gave a tiny curt nod and looked up at the inky black sky, full of glittering stars. For no reason at all Alana found herself muttering:

-You know I think I have a weird fixation on stars.

-You like looking at them?

-Not exactly. I love the way they shine in the sky and the way they look up close, but every time I look at them I feel their call, like they're asking me to go somewhere. It total nonsense of course, but I like to think it could be true. Anyway, want to hear a story?

Jayden raised an eyebrow:

-About what?

Alana smiled:

-About how a little girl attacked the chancellor by repeatedly kicking him right in the senate. It's a pretty funny story really.

Jayden couldn't hold back a laugh:

-Where in the universe did you hear a story like that?

Alana's eyes sparkled with a merry light:

-It's my memory actually. So you want to hear it?

Jayden tilted his head, pretending to consider it:

-Hmm, a story about a mini you beating up the most influential man in the Republic? This I've got to hear.

Alana laughed:

-Okay then. A few days after my Master found me he took me to Coruscant and while the Jedi searched for my parents they left me with a certain senator- Padme Amidala. She was busy and I don't think I was too rowdy at that time so she took me to the Senate with her. We were leaving the Senate chambers when Padme suddenly stopped to talk to the Chancellor who had called her over and that's when I did something both really stupid and really odd. Before I continue you should know that I was extremely short before I turned 13 and sprouted.

-How short are we talking about here?

-Well, I was ten but I was the size of a five year old. So yeah, that's why an extremely annoying friend keeps calling me shorty.

-I'd have to agree. But do go on.

Alana rolled her eyes but continued telling the story:

-Anyway, I got a bad feeling from him and before I knew it I was was calling him a bad man and repeatedly kicking him in the shins - hard. The most influential man in the Republic nearly fell over if not from shock then from the force of the kick.

Jayden laughed and nodded:

-I-I can attest to that, you do have a pretty strong kick.

Alana was grinning as she continued:

-Thanks, good to know you felt it. Anyway his guards instantly tried to get me away from him but I sorta missed the shins because of them and well...

Jayden picked up the words she left unspoken and he doubled over laughing at the image of a tiny girl kicking the most politically powerful man in the Republic in the privates. Alana had a light blush on her cheeks from the embarrassment, but she was smiling brightly. She waited for Jayden to stop laughing and as he wiped tears of mirth from his eyes, she spoke:

-See? That's a certain memory of mine. A slightly embarrassing one to tell the truth, but it's mine. I'm pretty sure the Chancellor still holds a grudge against me for that, talk about bad first impressions.

Jayden chuckled and for some reason patted her head:

-That would be the definition of a very bad first impression, my friend. You know they should put that as an example of a bad first impression when explaining the meaning.

Alana shot him a mock-angry glare:

-Don't you dare tell anyone that! And I'm not a pet.

Jayden grinned and just to annoy her continue patting her head:

-Good Alana, good Alana.

Alana shot him a glare and swatted his hand aside, but she was barely suppressing a smile herself:

-Knock it off, Cap'n!

Jayden laughed and retorted:

-Whatever do you mean, princess?

-Ugh, you really are an idiot you know.

-Right back at you, your highness.

Alana shook her head in exasperation, but she was smiling. There was a moment of silence before she spoke:

-You know I told you that story to do two things.

-Oh?

-Yeah, one - to make you realise that among the dark memories there are bright ones and just like me you have them too. Two- I was trying to cheer you up and it worked. Seems like you cheered me up as well - thanks, Jayden.

Jayden felt a smile form on his lips as those dazzling midnight blue eyes locked onto his. Before Alana knew what had happened Jayden had pulled her into a hug. A bit surprised and a little flustered as a result of his action Alana tried to push away:

-Jayden, what-

-Just be quiet for once, princess. I felt like it.

-I'm not a very huggable person you know.

Jayden snorted:

-I beg to differ. You're very warm. You know you may be the weirdest, the most reckless and the most surprising person I have her met, but you're also very brave and kind too.

Alana's arms fell limp at her sides and she stopped struggling before whispering:

-You must be really sick if you're saying this of your own volition. Note to self: side-effects of nearly drowning include the victim being a total weirdo.

-You are terrible at accepting compliments.

-Well, excuse me! It's a reflex. The Chancellor is the only guy who has ever complimented me before and he is one creepy old man.

Jayden laughed and finally let Alana go:

-I think it's his way of avenging his privates.

Alana's ear heated up, betraying her utter embarrassment:

-Jayden!

He laughed in response to his partners indignant glare. Alana sighed, accepting the fact that Jayden would probably hold this over her for the rest of her life. The man in question smiled but finally calmed down. They stood in a relative silence before Alana pulled out her holocom and looked at it apprehensively. Quietly she muttered:

-They are going to be so mad at me for missing the deadline.

-Well, we did nearly drown - I think that's a good enough excuse as any. Besides they're just old geezers who believe they're powerful that's all.

Alana looked up at him:

-Who are you and what have you done with Jayden? He would never say that about the Jedi Masters!

He lightly swatted Alana on the back of her head:

-Just call them, princess.

Alana sighed and nodded:

-Alright, but you may want to get out of the picture.

-Nope, I think I'll say hello too.

Alana looked at him like he was insane before shrugging:

-Alright, it's your funeral.

Alana switched to the Council's frequency and started the transmission. There were a few moments that seemed to stretch on for eternity for the young Jedi before the a hologram of a single person was projected - one of a small green man. Alana's expression quickly shifted into that of surprise:

-Master Yoda! I thought the Council would be here.

The little Jedi Master smiled:

-Late you are, but pleased to see you I am.

Alana bowed her head in apology:

-Sorry, Master. I had a very eventful day.

-Hmm, safe are you?

-Yes, Master. And this-

Alana made to introduce Jayden but the young man cut across her:

-I'm Jayden Callen, Master Jedi. I've been travelling with Alana.

Master Yoda gave a small nod:

-Force-bonded to her, are you? Flow through you the Force does.

Jayden's eyes widened slightly before he nodded and confirmed:

-Um, yes - we are, but how did you know?

Alana explained:

-Master Yoda is incredibly powerful in the Force, he's not the Jedi Order's Grandmaster for no 's probably the most powerful Force-user in this era and he has next to no one who can rival him in that now.

Master Yoda shook his head, his pointy ears twitching slightly:

-Not true that is, always a stronger one there is. And rivals I do have. The question that is not, hmm. Find out what did you?

Alana took a deep breath and was about to answer when Jayden held up a hand and asked:

-Master Jedi, did you willingly sanction this investigation into my identity?

-Hmm, my will this was not. But want this the council did.

Alana frowned and shot Jayden a look that meant he better not interrupt her:

-Master, I did as you asked and the man standing beside me is not Shadow. He is just a man that fits his description- after all, there are many men with dark hair and green eyes. Moreover I suggest you investigate those Rodian's doing. I've run into them before and they've caused quite a bit of trouble already.

Alana felt Jayden's shock resonate through their bond but she maintained her impassive mask, she wouldn't betray his trust. There was a while before the small green Jedi Master spoke:

-Very well, tell the council this I shall.

Alana could barely contain her relief and Jayden had to struggle to hide his surprise. Had he really fallen for Alana's half-truth-lie? Alana looked at the little green Jedi Master and just for a second she though she saw him give a tiny shake of his head before with the words "May the Force be with you" the transmission winked out. As Alana put away the holocom she realised the Master Yoda had pretty much realised that what she told him wasn't the full truth but she was grateful he wasn't going to call her out on it. There was a bit of silence before Jayden spoke:

-Thank you.

Alana turned around and smiled:

-Of course. We're friends. We probably should go back inside, I think I might be able to fall asleep now. Though it is nearly 4 am.

Jayden shrugged and nudged her towards the door that led back inside the building:

-Some sleep is better than none. You don't want me to start calling you zombie instead of princess, do you?

Alana grimaced and retorted:

-I'd rather you called me my name, idiot.

Jayden chuckled:

-Tough luck, your highness, not gonna happen.

Alana huffed and threw her hands up in defeat disappearing inside the building. Jayden was left alone on the roof with his thoughts for company. He couldn't believe that she'd really lied to the Jedi Grandmaster for him and she hated lying. Jayden smiled and whispered barely audibly:

-Friends, huh? A Jedi and a Mandolorian- who would've thought... Maybe I should take her advice and talk to someone about my memories...

Oddly enough the first people after his grandmother and his teammates who sprang to mind was Alana and that droid. Jayden shook his head- he really shouldn't get dependent on them, but somewhere deep down he knew that he already was. The drowning incident and Corellia had proven that of him.

==SW: LB==

Alana sat meditating in the the room Kaara and Vadak had lent to her. She was trying to at least somehow establish a semblance of balance within herself because right now she was a ball of messy light and dark. Alana had tuned everyone and everything out, however that didn't stop her from feeling two particularly bright Force-presences peek into the room. Without opening her eyes Alana spoke:

-If you are trying to be stealthy you really should learn to be quieter and possibly mask your presence.

Alana felt both children jump in surprise at her words - obviously they hadn't expected her to sense them. The bolder of the twins - Cobri asked:

-Can you see us with your eyes closed?!

Alana smiled and evasively answered:

-In a way. You two are very strong in the Force you know.

Meka, the female twin, plopped down on the floor across from the young Jedi and sat crossed legged like the teen. Cobri hesitated for a moment before mirroring his twin. There was a bit of silence before Meka piped up:

-How are you making mama's art fly?

Alana finally opened her eyes and saw that her meditation was indeed causing small metalwork shapes to levitate. Alana sighed and guided them back down carefully with her hand. She looked to where the voices had come from to see a little togruta boy with reddish-brown skin and white and dark grey montrails and a little togruta girl with violet skin and light blue and white montrails and a lekku, Cobri and Meka Phirash - the 7 year old Force-sensitive twins of Kaara and Vadak. The twins looked at her in awe:

-Woah! You made them go down again!

-That's so cool!

Alana smiled and shook her head:

-That's the basic stuff. You two must be able to make this happen sometimes.

Meka looked thoughtful before her face lit up and she hit her forehead with her fist gently:

-Oh yeah, Cobri made Shyru fly once accidentally! She got stuck on top of the cupboards and he got her down!

Alana raised an eyebrow:

-Shyru?

Cobri nodded enthusiastically and whistled. A moment later Alana heard fast-paced footfalls in the hall and soon a small furry shape came barreling into the room,stopping in front of them. Alana's eyes widened as she took in the small animal in front of her:

-Shyru is...

Meka clapped her hands happily:

-She's our tame Nexu cub! Isn't she adorable?

Alana nodded, but inwardly noted that adorable would not be the word she would ever use while describing a Nexu albeit it was a tiny one. The tiny thing was currently baring its shiny and very pointy teeth at her, spikes protruding from it's small back. Meka suddenly clapped her hands to her mouth:

-Oh, I forgot she doesn't like strangers!

Cobri shot his twin an exasperated look:

-You forgot?

His sister pouted and shot back:

-You forgot too! Ah, what should we do?!

-I don't know!

Suddenly a calm voice stopped the twins from freaking out, it was Alana's voice:

-Well, for one you can stop panicking. You're making your pet think I'm the enemy.

The young Jedi held out a hand towards the growling Nexu and slowly reached out to it's flickering Force presence. At fist the cub snarled before Alana felt a connection form between their minds and through it she calmed the Nexu, assuring it that she wasn't the enemy and that she meant no harm. As soon it felt the connection the Nexu immediately calmed down, sheathing it's claws and spiked back before nimbly jumping into the teen's lap and curling up into a ball. The twin's jaws dropped in unison:

-How'd you do that?! Shyru has always attacked strangers before.

Alana smiled as she petted the harmless cub that was curled up in her lap which released a sound akin to a purr:

-I simply talked to her. I told her I wasn't the enemy.

Meka shook her head in disbelief:

-Shyru has never listened to us when we told her that! Are you a person who can speak to animals?!

Alana laughed and shook her head:

-No, I didn't mean it like that. I spoke to Shyru using the Force and she understood me.

Both twins got puzzled looks on their faces and exchanged a glance before Cobri leaned forward and asked curiously:

-What's this Force thingy?

-I want to know too!

Alana looked at the twins with a smile. She thought back to the way her Master had explained it to her and after a second of internal debate decided to modify his explanation a tad:

-The Force is all around us, it swirls around you two, my friend, your parents, me and everyone else - the Force is a field of living energy. It connects us, binds us all together, it brings people together and however sad it may be it drives people apart. The Force will be with you, always.

The twins listened to Alana explain with wonder in their eyes. The young Jedi felt like both crying and smiling as she continued, these two innocent children didn't know what grief the Force could bring into their lives:

-There a people like my friend and me who can use the Force. Those people are called Force-sensitives - just like you two are. Around those people the Force is stronger and it protects them, it grants them the ability to incredible things, both good and evil. I am a Jedi, though I'm still a student, and most Jedi use only the light side of the Force though I guess I'm a bit different.

Meka leaned her head to the side and asked:

-Is the Dark Side all that bad?

Alana hesitated for a moment before carefully formulating her answer:

-Well, despite what all the other Jedi will tell you - it's not that terrible. The Dark Side itself isn't evil it's what people who get consumed by it do that's horrible. They are called Sith.

-Are they bad?

-I would say most of them are, but you can't really be thinking in terms of good and bad when it comes to people. If they're hurting a lot of people, they yes - they're bad, but everyone has a chance to become good again. Most Sith just choose not to take that chance.

Cobri sighed and crossed his arms:

-Well, then they're dumb!

Alana laughed as she ran a gentle hand down a certain Nexu's back who looked very content with the situation:

-I guess so. Good guys can make mistakes too, you know. The Force isn't just light and Dark it's both, constantly changing, swirling and adapting - the Force is alive.

Mesa tilted her head and voiced a question that was also on her twin's mind:

-If it's alive can it talk?

Alana gave a mysterious smile:

-It can, to those who know how to listen.

-Ooh, can you teach us?

Alana looked a bit taken a back by that request and held up a hand to halt the twin's oncoming barrage of questions and requests:

-I can't really do that,but I can teach you another Force trick. Do you want that?

The twin's eyes sparkled and in unison they replied:

-Yes!

-Alright then, simmer down you two - I can't teach you if you're two balls of very destructive energy.

The twins instantly calmed down and watched their newfound teacher with rapt attention. However before Alana could begin fulfilling their mother's request and her own hope the door opened slightly and the face of a certain Mandolorian popped in:

-Knock Knock.

Alana sighed:

-Jayden Callen, how old are you?

-I was 17 last I checked.

-Then you should know that you should knock on the door not just say "knock knock"!

Jayden laughed as he closed the door behind him and sat down next to Cobri:

-Oh, but it's more fun this way!

Alana exhaled and shot him a glare:

-You're just doing this to wind me up aren't you, hunter?

He grinned and shot back:

-When'd you guess, Master Jedi?

Alana shook her head:

-Just be quiet, I'm trying to teach.

-If I stay silent can sit in too?

Alana facepalmed and muttered:

-Just don't interrupt me, okay?

Jayden leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, giving her a small nod and that confident smile that often irritated the Jedi. Alana tried to refrain from glaring at him but then again restraint had never been her strong point. Even the Nexu cub who had been happily dozing off in the Jedi's lap lifted her head and watched Jayden with suspicion before Alana made her calm down again by assuring Shyru that he was a friend, a very annoying friend but a friend nonetheless.

Meka interrupted Alana's brief glaring contest with Jayden by leaning forward and eagerly inquiring:

-So what's this trick?

Alana looked away from a certain annoyance and pretended to ponder over the answer to the young togruta's question:

-Hmm, what should I teach you... Oh, I know - how about a trick that makes it impossible for Jedi and Sith to sense you so you can be super stealthy warriors?

The twins nodded quickly, faces alight with excitement. Out of the corner of her eye Alana noticed a look of realisation formed of on Jayden's face but it was hidden the second after - good, he understood. Alana kept up her friendly smile for the twin's sake even though their future was riding on the result of this lesson:

-Ok, then. Close your eyes.

Alana did so herself prompting her students to follow her lead. Once she was certain her students had done as she asked, Alana continued:

-Now reach out, don't do it with your hands - use that sixth sense inside of you. Feel the Force swirling around you.

In the back of Alana's mind a slightly darker coloured lightly quickly became more defined - Alana wasn't surprised: Jayden was a quick learner and he had been using the Force subconsciously much longer than the twins even though he had no control over it. It took a few minutes but finally the lighter and more innocent presences also became more defined - the twins had managed it. Alana nodded in approval, pleased with the results:

-Okay, final step. You have hidden under blankets at least once before in your life, right? Well, imagine yourself grasping an invisible blanket made purely out of the Force and pulling it over yourself. Got that? Now, try it but don't lose focus. I'll do it too.

Alana quickly reached into the Force and hid her presence - most Force-sensitives could do this, but the amount of time you could keep it hidden varied from one being to another. Alana was better at using the Force and her stamina was higher than an average person's (though much lower than the Masters) so she could probably cloak herself for at least an hour or so - it took a lot of energy to keep it up. Alana felt a ghost of a smile flit across her lips as she noticed Jayden's force presence vanish from the Force but she could feel him close by through their seemingly unbreakable Force-bond. Out of the twins Meka managed to hide it first, quickly followed by Cobri. Alana felt Shyru shift panickedly in her lap upon feeling the connection be broken but upon feeling the Jedi's hand on her head again the Nexu calmed down. Alana opened her eyes and smiled when she saw the twin's hands clenched into little fists and placed on the floor as though they were pulling a real blanket over themselves:

-Well done, you two, I can't feel you in the Force anymore. You too, hunter.

The three exhaled and released their cloaking, opening their eyes. Jayden looked slightly surprised, while the twins looked ecstatic:

-Did we really do it?

Alana nodded:

-Of course, you two are very talented. If you keep practicing this trick you'll be able to hide for longer periods of time, then you'll be super stealthy warriors. You'll practice, won't you?

The twins nodded seriously, barely containing their excitement. Before anyone could say anything else Vadak poked his head into the room:

-Ah, are you two free?

Shyru leapt from Alana's lap a moment before the Jedi stood up and nodded. Jayden silently followed her up. Vadak, noticing the tension, smiled:

-Don't worry, my wife just wants to speak with you.