Hikari-No's Promise
Chapter Four
Hikari-No awoke early, before the sun over Domus Prime had risen. A faint instinct told her that someone was coming, and she quickly rose and dressed, reaching for her brush. An automatic check as she tied back her hair told her that her Master was still sleeping, and that he would not rise for several hours yet. Though she searched the passageways with her mind, she could not immediately identify anyone coming to visit her.
Perhaps she had been mistaken. But that was unusual. Normally something like this was easy, and she could have sworn that somebody had been looking for her.
There was a creaking noise behind her, and she jumped in surprise, spinning around and throwing the closest weapon to hand. The brush hit Catherine square on the forehead and she fell to the ground with a clatter, the tray of food scattering over the carpet.
"Is that any way to treat your best friend?" she asked with a slight smile, rubbing the spot on her head where Hikari-No's impromptu attack had struck. Horror washed over Hikari-No's features as she realised what she had done, and she rushed over to help Catherine to her feet. She concentrated for a few moments, taking away the pain that she had caused.
"That feels much better," Catherine said, realising what Hikari-No was doing. After a moment, she bent over to try and collect the food, placing what she could back on the tray, before moving a rug to cover the stain. "So much for breakfast", she murmured good naturedly, shrugging away Hikari-No's apologies, as the smaller girl struggled to find words that would make amends for her attack.
"What are you doing up at this time of the morning?" Catherine asked.
Hikari-No shrugged. "I had a feeling that someone wanted to speak with me, so I got ready. Unfortunately, I was not quite prepared for an attack from the rear, and I was startled." Her eyes remained fixed on the ground, and a blush on her cheeks.
Catherine took her hand and squeezed it. "The more fool me for trying to surprise a Jedi. I deserved that, although I didn't realise you had such good aim."
"Does it still hurt?" Catherine shook her head, and Hikari-No looked over at the wall in surprise. "How did you get in here?"
Catherine grinned, and went over to stand by a portion of the wall, looking around for a moment as she wracked her brain for the right location. Finally, she remembered, and pressed a small space near the window. A door swung open, revealing another of the passages that the palace seemed to be filled with. Hikari-No wondered if there was a single wall in Fuhenteki Na Shiro that was not hollow.
Catherine answered Hikari-No's question before she could ask it.
"I came to see you this morning because the Princess wants to speak with you. I didn't think you'd be awake, so I brought you breakfast. Unfortunately", she continued with a wry grin, "You decided that you didn't want anything."
"The Princess wishes to speak with me?", Hikari-No was confused, but brushed it off, standing and checking over her robes. "Then we had best go at once."
Catherine nodded and the two girls walked out through the passage, as the birds outside the window began to chirp contentedly.
The Princess did not look at all surprised to see two girls of around ten years appearing through a secret doorway into her bedroom. Hikari-No was surprised, as she had expected to be meeting the Princess in the Throne Room, or at least a normal visiting chamber. And yet, she knew that this was what the Princess wanted. Three of her handmaidens were stationed around the room, dressed in their blue gowns and shadowing the Princess. Hikari-No thought she recognised Gemma, the tall priestess from the Temple the other day standing in the corner, but could not be certain in the dim light.
The Princess herself looked little older than she had when Hikari-No first met her two years earlier. She was dressed in a striking blue long dress, and her face was covered with the face colour that Hikari-No was beginning to realise was also tradition on Domus Prime. However, despite her painted features, the smile on the Princess' face was genuine, and Hikari-No bowed deeply to her. Belatedly, Catherine did the same, causing the Princess to laugh softly.
"Good morning, Your Majesty", Hikari-No said politely, remembering her lessons in etiquette and hoping that she would not embarrass the Jedi Order with her behaviour this day.
The Princess looked out the window, to where the horizon was only just beginning to lighten with the first rays of dawn. "Is it?" she asked. "I rather thought that it was too early to tell."
Beside Hikari-No, Catherine yawned loudly, blushing as she tried to hide her action. The Princess laughed, and Hikari-No felt the last of her sorrow from earlier drop away, as Catherine stamped her foot and tried to look angry.
Hikari-No took a deep breath, trying to locate some courage and finding it as she listened to the pulsing of the Force around her. "Your Majesty", she spoke, "Why did you wish to speak with me now? Surely my Master is more able to fulfil whatever task or custom you would ask of me. I am only a Padawan after all, and not a very good one at that." Always so honest, she sighed, never knowing when to close her mouth.
"Child", the Princess began, her eyes locking onto Hikari-No's, not letting her look away, "I did not ask you here because I want you to do anything for me. I have heard much about you recently from my own pupil, and I have found something that I would do for you."
She made a small gesture to the woman in the corner, and Hikari-No watched in puzzlement as Gemma brought over a small box that she had been carrying. The Princess turned to her, and Hikari-No stepped forward, not understanding what was taking place.
"These are to be a gift to you, from Domus Prime." The Princess opened the box, and inside Hikari-No saw four sapphires of deepest blue, just the right size for her lightsaber, their many-faceted light shining faintly. Hikari-No turned to Catherine in surprise, to see her grinning wildly. She spun back to the Princess, desperately trying to find the correct words to say.
"Your Majesty", she bowed again, "I cannot accept these." Hikari-No stepped back, and saw confusion on the Princess' face.
"Why? Surely I can give you whatever I want to?"
Hikari-No shook her head. "These are far too valuable, Your Majesty. And besides, a Jedi could never accept such a gift, we are expected to do our duty without thought of reward." Now Catherine turned to her in surprise, understanding her mistake. "I have done little that would ever warrant such a generous present."
The Princess stood from her chair, and walked to Hikari-No, embracing her. "I wish that my own daughter was like you, child. You give without thought of reward, and still you are prepared to love those who would love you, without condition." She pulled back, and smiled at Hikari-No. "Take the trinkets, child. I know you would have more benefit from them than I, and I will ask for nothing in return, nor tell your Master about the gift if you do not wish me to. They are yours, free of any obligation or responsibility. Besides", she whispered in an aside, "I couldn't think of anything else to do with the four of them. And blue really is your colour."
Hikari-No considered the morality of the situation, and bowed her acquiescence. "It will be as you say. However, I swear on my honour as a Jedi, that I will always do my best to protect you, and the people of Domus Prime. If you ever have any need of my services, all you must do is contact me and I will come at once."
With that, she threw her arms around the elderly lady, hugging her fiercely, and tears came to her eyes as she tried to express her gratitude. When she stepped back, the Princess waved for the two girls to leave, exchanging a glance with Catherine as she closed the passage behind her.
Even as he slept, Mi-Rai heard the words spoken by his Padawan, and though he tried, he could not stop her from making the vow.
"I swear on my honour as a Jedi, that I will always do my best to protect you, and the people of Domus Prime."
He turned over, the words fading even as he was hearing them.
However, when he awoke later, he couldn't shake the feeling that something important had happened, and as he sat listening to the patterns of the Force, all the nuances he could hear sounded somehow triumphant.
That afternoon, Catherine and Hikari-No were both seated on the floor in Hikari-No's room, relaxed in the knowledge that Master Shinwa would not return from the other side of the planet for at least another hour.
"Are you certain that this is going to work?" Catherine asked in a low voice, taking precautions to ensure that she could no be overheard even though there was no danger. She seemed to delight in the intrigue that she was creating in her own mind, and appeared to be more nervous about the Jedi Master's return than Hikari-No, who had decided to be philosophical about the matter. If he found out, then she would explain, if not, then she would not have to.
"I read the books clearly, and I know I understood them. This will work, provided I haven't overlooked anything, but I think all the circuitry is correct." She was placing the last sapphire gently in its slot, making a final check to ensure that the beam of light from the power source would be correctly focussed.
"If you say so", Catherine did not sound certain, and it was only her statement earlier about being Hikari-No's best friend that prevented the blue-eyed girl from removing the other from the room by force. Her interruptions were frequent and distracting, but Hikari-No was getting better at simply blocking them out, concentrating only on the task at hand.
"I do." With a sigh, Hikari-No replaced the casing and sealed it in place, daring to cross her fingers and hope that everything would work. She adjusted the power setting for minimum, and turned to smile at Catherine. "It is ready", she said, before closing her eyes and igniting the lightsaber, instinctively turning it away from anything before flicking the small switch.
With her eyes closed, she heard the low buzzing sound, a faint hum that seemed to sing in her veins and dance in her mind. She opened her eyes slowly, and saw a faint beam of almost navy light protruding from the end of the device. A smile spread across her face, and she moved the beam slowly, amazed at the fact that not only was it working, but her lightsaber was beautiful. She turned around the room, doing a few quick turns and movements, mostly instinctive, but there was a certain grace to them that quickly cheered Catherine.
Hikari-No turned around suddenly, swinging the blade down in a wide arc and slicing the bed in half. She gasped, and waited for it to fall apart. When it did not, she turned off the device and went to gently finger the bed, realising that it had not been cut, and that the training blade could not have done any damage.
Catherine was the first to speak, jumping up and down and screaming her delight, all pretence of hiding her actions forgotten in the thrill of success. She grabbed Hikari-No's hands and spun her around and the two celebrated for a long moment, and it was only Hikari-No's discretion that prevented Catherine from running off and telling everyone what they had accomplished.
Over the course of the next hour, Hikari-No experimented with the lightsaber, learning its balance and how to move it. Although she never turned up the power setting beyond that low beam that would not cut anything, she understood it's destructive capabilities better than anyone else, because she had designed it.
She thought back to some of the training exercises she had seen the older students practicing in one of the gymnasiums at the Temple before she left, and tried to emulate their movements, turning, and imagining her foe before her, visualising his every move and countering it in her mind. Catherine sat on the end of the bed, enthralled by the subtleties of the dance she was watching.
Both girls were so caught up in their occupations that they missed the tell-tale sounds of movements outside Hikari-No's room, and so when Jedi Master Mi-Rai Shinwa opened the door, both were extremely startled. Hikari-No dropped the lightsaber in her fright as she turned around, and Catherine jumped to her feet, trying to stand in front of the weapon and conceal it from his view.
The Jedi Master knew immediately that something was wrong, and it was only then that he noticed the faint sound of a lightsaber, and looked down at the floor. The expression on his face would have been comical, if both girls had been in the frame of mind to notice anything other than their own worry.
Mi-Rai leapt across the room, to snatch Hikari-No out from under the lightsaber, which should have been slicing through her feet. He sat her down on the bed, and looked at them in worry with all the pain of an anxious parent evident in his face. After a few moments, he looked up at her face in surprise, then down at the nearly forgotten device, picking it up and then waving his own hand through it. Both girls gasped, but nothing dreadful happened.
Looking over the handle of the lightsaber, he quickly found the control and switched it off. Mi-Rai sighed.
"So, that is what you have been hiding from me." Hikari-No blushed, and looked down at the floor, sitting on the bed in sadness and apprehension. Catherine sensed that she was not wanted, and slipped through the open door. Neither Jedi noticed her leave.
"I did not want to worry you, Master", she whispered softly, wondering what her punishment would be this time.
He sighed again, sitting down on the bed beside her, and placing one arm around her shoulders. "What am I going to do with you, Little One?" he asked, never expecting a reply.
A single tear fell down Hikari-No's cheek. He noticed, and wiped it off with a gentle hand. "Don't cry, Little One. You've done nothing wrong, except for 'forgetting' to mention that you were building a Jedi's weapon. I was just surprised, that's all." She looked up at him, not trusting herself to speak, and trying to see the certainty that was clear in his eyes. "You've done well, and later I want you to explain to me fully how it works, so that I can make sure that you understand the theory behind the mechanics. But for now, I am going to take care of this, just to make sure that nothing happens, and you are going to get ready for dinner with the Princess." He lifted her chin with his hand, looking at her blue eyes and smiling. "After all, what would people say if they say you looking all messed up like that? You have to hold up the reputation of the Order, and right now you look like the surface of a Dagobah swamp during the monsoon season."
She giggled despite her attempt to feel miserable.
"This will never work", Hikari-No pleaded as Catherine applied the cosmetics to her face, blushing with embarrassment. Her thoughts were screaming: please do not make me do this. The pale pink dress she had been forced to wear was causing her to itch, and she could tell just by looking at the shoes that she would never be able to stand in them, let alone walk. Her hair was bound up in such a manner that no one would notice her braid tucked up in the mess, although Tamira said it was a flattering style.
Tamira was having an easier time of it, although she still looked nervous. She was sitting calmly in Hikari-No's spare set of robes, and she would have no trouble walking in the high boots. Her braid looked authentic enough, and she made the perfect model of a Jedi Padawan.
The two girls glanced over at each other, ignoring Catherine's continuous prattle about how to act for a moment. Hikari-No sighed. She knew that this was a mistake, but could not tell Catherine. Hopefully no one would notice. That way, she would not get into trouble, and tomorrow she would leave Domus Prime, with no one the wiser. However, as she looked at Tamira, and saw her reflection as she was used to seeing it, she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"And for the final touch", Catherine crowed, holding out a pair of boxes, one to each girl. She was smiling mischievously, and Hikari-No felt a sudden reluctance to open it. Still, what choice did she have? Carefully, she opened the case, and inside saw a pair of eye lenses, tinted to the purple colour of Tamira's eyes. She understood then that the disguise would be flawless, and her Master would be the only person who could tell them apart based on appearances. Tamira would simply have to stay away from him.
It was the last night of celebration, and so he would probably be too busy to notice that something was up anyway. Or so they hoped.
When her preparations were finally complete, she looked in the mirror for the first time since Catherine had arrived, and was amazed to note that the girl who looked back at her was not the girl who had been there earlier. This girl was taller, for one thing, and she had a confidence that could not be found in Hikari-No's own eyes. She turned to Tamira, and for the first time dared to hope that no one would notice the change.
Catherine was grinning, and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "This will be a night to remember", she said, and Hikari-No could not help but agree.
The first time she stumbled in the high heels, she used the Force to steady herself without thought. Suddenly she understood how to imitate Tamira's grace, using a steady stream of energy to hold herself upright. After a few steps, she no longer had to concentrate as hard, and by the time they had reached the entrance to the Great Hall she could walk about in the shoes as if they were made for her feet, without any semblance of effort.
The dress would still be a problem. Hikari-No could not see how anyone could wear clothes like this, surely the folds and ruffles got in the way all the time. But, she supposed that most people were not as athletic as the Jedi, and they did not require functional clothing that a person could move about in. After all, the dress was really little more than decoration. Still, she thought, rubbing at a sleave, did it have to itch so much?
Her hands would give her away, she was certain of that. Every time she started to think of anything, she reached up to where her braid would normally be, and that unconscious action would no doubt betray everything.
What did a Jedi know about being a Countess anyway?
The night was still early when they arrived, before most of the guests, including Hikari-No's Master. However, the Princess was seated at the Head Table already, in earnest discussion with one of the Councillors. The three made their way to the children's table, at the back corner, and Hikari-No found her eyes drifting to the shadowed corner where she had met Jester two years ago. Though she did not realise it, she had expected him to be there, and was disappointed when he was not.
They sat down, and Catherine took that moment to give them some last-minute instructions before anyone else arrived. She turned to Tamira first.
"Remember, Hikari-No is very quiet, and so that is how you must appear. You must not speak to anyone that she does not know, which is pretty much everyone. I don't think anyone would mind if you already knew everyone's names, because Jedi are strange people." Hikari-No bristled at this, but Catherine just told her to be quiet. "Don't continue any conversations that Tamira has held with people, because you are not Tamira. You are Hikari-No Miko, Jedi Padawan."
She turned to Hikari-No then, who was blushing from Catherine's description of her. "And as for you: You are Tamira, the Countess of Chikara, a small area on the north side of Domus Prime's main continent. You look up to no one, and no one tells you what to do. Act respectful of your elders, and go along with whatever Danya says, although if it's too stupid, look over at me for help. Which reminds me. I'll try and keep an eye on you both tonight, to help out whenever it is needed, but I can't be in two places at once, so try not to get into trouble." And with that, the conversation stopped because Danya, the former 'Queen of all that is Star Wars', had arrived with her cronies.
The test had begun.
Hikari-No ate demurely, and if anyone noticed that Tamira was being unusually quiet, they put it down to nerves at being allowed at the party. Over the past few years, her uncle had become increasingly strict regarding her behaviour. On the other hand, Hikari-No had turned out to be an interesting dinner partner.
Her Master would be furious at the tales that Tamira was weaving in her name, and more than once Catherine had been forced to kick her under the table to prevent Tamira from telling what she felt would make a great Jedi adventure. It seemed that everyone wanted to be a Jedi, or at least take part in the glorified adventures that they believed the Jedi got to live.
There had been a few surprises that night with regard to the guests that had come to the celebrations, the largest for Hikari-No being that Melvin Jester had been allowed leave to return home for one night. He was seated at one of the back tables reserved for the Princess' handmaidens and some of the lesser nobility, including Tamira's uncle. Jester was dressed in his naval uniform, but Hikari-No recognised the smile on his face immediately and wondered if he would remember her. Though Hikari-No did not realise it, there was another reason for Jester's return: his father was ill.
Once the last of the plates had been taken away, conversation started up in earnest amongst the children, and Hikari-No was accosted by several people wanting to know how she was coping with her uncle, and when she would be able to take over her duties as Countess. Fortunately, Catherine was listening, and answered the queries generally, telling the others that they should leave Tamira alone because nothing had changed since they last spoke, so why ask the same old, dull, questions. Feeling a bit abashed, silence dawned across the table.
Hikari-No glanced up at the Head Table, meeting her master's eyes for a moment before looking away quickly, blushing. Danya noticed the direction of her contemplation, and made a comment about the "blind" Jedi Master. Hikari-No bristled, not understanding the remark.
"What did he do to you, Danya, that was so bad?" she demanded, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. Over the noise of the rest of the room, no one would notice one argument.
"He is old and senile, and I do not care that he is a Jedi Master. Anyone who cannot tell the difference between you and that brat over there is a fool." The sneer on her face was obvious, and Hikari-No smiled.
She sat down, understanding that perhaps their trick would work, if her Master had already once failed to see the difference between Tamira and herself. She resisted the urge to call Danya a fool, instead enjoying the knowledge that at least she knew the truth. Instead of retorting, Hikari-No turned to the boy sitting next to her, and started a conversation with him instead, finding out more about fixing up speeders than she ever needed to know. She kept an ear on Tamira's conversation about the time she fought a pack of Rancors and saved the life of a Prince as she listened to the boy, and tried her best not to wish for some entertainment for the Head Table. Unfortunately, it seemed that Jester's father was not present, although she had been lead to believe that he would be.
A few musicians had taken their places around the room, performing as individuals and groups for the various important people at different table. However, it was clear that none would bother with the children's table, and so Salyfe disappeared to fetch her own musical instrument. She returned a moment later, carrying a Lita, which was a seven-stringed instrument that she used mainly as accompaniment. Though Hikari-No could not play, she appreciated the fine sound from the instrument, wishing that she had some musical training. Salyfe tuned the instrument and sang a ballad by herself first, with some of the other children joining her on the chorus.
Hikari-No sat silently, enjoying the music, and although Danya was inordinately pleased with the sound of her own voice, no one seemed to agree with her. At least not in the silence of their minds.
When she finally finished one solo that seemed to drag forever, Hikari-No sighed a little too loudly, for Danya heard her. Suddenly, she realised that Tamira had not joined any of the songs, and turned to her, an evil-looking smile on her face.
"Tamira, why don't you lead the next one?", she asked sweetly, and Hikari-No started to panic slightly. She tried to think of a way out of her situation, but Catherine was talking to Tamira. She was all alone, and she had never sung a note before. Idly, she wondered if Tamira could sing at all. She lightly probed Salyfe's mind, being careful not to listen to her deeper thoughts, only her memories of Tamira singing. Now, if only she could pull this off.
She took a deep breath. "Very well", Hikari-No murmured, and Salyfe began to play something. Though Hikari-No did not recognise the song, the melody was simple, and so she opened her mouth and started to sing, making up the words as she went along, telling a story of two lovers forever separated by destiny and the will of the Force. It was an old tale, and Hikari-No did not bother with embellishments, closing her eyes and slipping into a light trance, letting the Force guide her actions and words.
When she was done, the ballad ending with the death of the man, and the woman's subsequent suicide, Hikari-No realised that silence had fallen over the table, and the two neighbouring tables as well, and that the eyes of everyone who had heard the song were on her. Not knowing how to react, she lowered her head, blushing and wondering if this was a good thing.
There was a clapping sound behind her, and she turned to see Jester applauding her. "Well done, Tamira", he said with a smile, "Though I did not know you could sing in the alto register." She did not understand, colour rising on her cheeks, although she now suspected that when Tamira sang, it was with a higher voice.
She smiled lightly. "It comes and goes", she murmured. Catherine had finally decided to interfere, loudly asking Salyfe to play one of her favourite songs. She started to, and most of the other children joined in, though Danya abstained, the look on her face suggesting that she had eaten a sour Basa Fruit. At the other tables, conversations started up again, and the moment was soon forgotten.
If anyone noticed that Tamira blushed frequently and spoke little throughout the rest of the evening, nothing was spoken aloud, and though she felt Jester's eyes on her a number of times, she could not look up, nor even think about speaking to him.
An hour after the singing began, a messenger came to fetch Hikari-No for "a quick word with the Princess". Tamira flashed her a worried look, before standing and following the handmaiden to the Head Table. Catherine and Hikari-No looked worried for a moment, but then the beginning of an idea began to form in Hikari-No's mind. She told Catherine to keep everyone's attention off her, and started to concentrate.
Hikari-No sensed Tamira arriving before the Princess, and bowing lowly. She made contact with her mind, willing Tamira to hear her thoughts. "Tamira", she called, "answer me in your mind. Can you hear me?"
"Hikari-No?", the astonished thought came, "Is that you?"
"Yes." She was glad, perhaps they could still convince the Princess that Tamira was Hikari-No. The Princess asked about her lightsaber, and Hikari-No realised that her Master must have spoken about it to the Princess.
"What do I say?" Tamira was worried.
"Tell her that it is working perfectly, and that your master will soon begin to teach you how to use it." Tamira related the message almost verbatim, and the Princess turned to Master Shinwa, asking him a short question that neither girl could hear. She laughed softly at his response, and Tamira bowed.
Someone was shaking Hikari-No's arm, and the contact was severed suddenly, leaving Tamira alone on the other side of the room. She looked up, slightly annoyed. Everyone was looking at her. "What?", she asked of Catherine, who blushed, the pink flush an interesting contrast to the green of her skin. Catherine made a small gesture, indicating that Hikari-No should turn around.
A boy was standing there, about fifteen years in age, and dressed in the formal suit that seemed to be so popular on Domus Prime. His hand was held out to her, and there was a pleading look in his eyes.
"Would you please dance with me?" he asked softly, and Hikari-No turned to Catherine, who nodded slightly. She realised belatedly that the musicians had banded together, and couples were beginning to dance together in the large space that had formed in the center of the room. She stood, not daring to trust herself to speak, and placed her hand in the boy's own.
He lead her to the dance floor, and placed his arms around her in the traditional dance hold. Though she had never danced before, she followed his movements, and soon the slow steps were almost automatic. She took that lull to establish contact with Tamira again, who was more than a little worried. Fortunately, the Princess was busy conversing with Master Shinwa.
"Calm down", Hikari-No said, "I am back." Inwardly, Tamira breathed a sigh of relief. Hikari-No turned around on the floor, concentrating on holding to Tamira's mind, and accidentally stepping on the boy's foot.
"What happened?" Tamira asked, now angry at her abandonment.
"I cannot be in two places at once. I had to learn how to dance," she chided Tamira. Step, turn and bow, she thought to herself.
"Oh. Who are you dancing with then?" Hikari-No sent her an image of the boy, wondering herself who it was. "That's Axe. He's going to join the Royal Forces next year", Hikari-No realised that he must be older than he looked. "He's kind of dreamy, don't you think?"
Hikari-No opened her eyes, and failed to see what Tamira did. "Can you escape now?" she asked Tamira, who was looking up at the Princess.
"I think so." With a bow, Tamira left the Princess' gaze as the dance was ending. Both girls arrived at the table at the same time, and a glance was enough time for them to decide to leave the party.
Hikari-No and Tamira came back to the party before the next dance was finished, each dressed in her own clothes. However, they were now firm friends, the experience forging a bond between them that would not be easily broken. And they were both in agreement. They would convince Catherine that they were still changed, just to see if they could fool her.
It seemed as if everyone was dancing, save for the Padawan in the corner alone. The last of the tables had been removed, and only the people around the Princess were still seated. She sighed, looking at the swirling figures. Despite herself, she found herself wishing that she was one of those girls in the pretty dresses. But it seemed that no one wanted to dance with the youngest girl in the room, particularly one as weird as Hikari-No.
'You had your chance', she thought, 'and you gave it up. Besides, Tamira is having much more fun than you would.' It was true, Tamira was dancing with Axe again, her long hair flowing freely in soft waves, now that it was removed from the braids that had held it previously.
Catherine was enjoying herself too. Having stolen Danya's partner away, she was now making up new steps for him to follow, and both were laughing. Even her Master was out there, one of the Princess' handmaidens in his arms. The Princess did not dance, rather, she was seated with the same Councillor as earlier, and both were so busy concentrating on their conversation that they probably did not realise that anyone was dancing.
Despite herself, a tear fell down her cheek.
"Why are you crying?" The voice was familiar, and she pulled a tissue from her sleave, wiping the tear away before looking up, her eyes shining with amusement.
"I am not crying", she said, her tone dripping irony. Jester sat down next to her, taking up her small hand in his, and smiled. For a few moments neither spoke, simply content to watch the proceedings in silence.
"So, little Jedi, why are you hiding here in the shadows?" He was older than she remembered him, and although the twinkle remained in his eyes, for the first time she realised that he was an adult by the standards of most worlds. His uniform made him appear mature, and she wondered if that was an illusion.
She did not answer him, preferring instead to simply shrug. He grinned down at her.
"You really did sing well earlier", he said.
"I never sang, that was Tamira." Her eyes never left the sight of Axe and Tamira dancing close under the glittering lights of the hall.
"Tamira could never have sang that well. Her voice sounds completely different. Besides, she lacks your talent for composition." For a moment he looked confused by the expression on her face, before thinking over the situation and remembering.
'Betrayed by a song', she thought, before giving in.
"So you figured it out. I wonder if anyone else saw through my disguise," she sighed aloud, not sure what to say.
"Probably not. It was very good. If you hadn't opened your big mouth I doubt I would have noticed." Jester gave her a friendly knock on the shoulder. He stood. "So, do you want to dance or are you just going to sit here and mope?"
She smiled at him, and placed her hand in his, standing and pretending not to notice that she was not even as tall as his chest.
They moved about the dance floor together, and for once Hikari-No actually felt graceful. The Force swirled around them, and she delighted in the touch of it, even as she moved in time to the music. She knew instinctively how to step, where to place her feet, and a smile crossed her face. Jester laughed down at her, and she was happy.
The sun over Domus Prime dawned bright the next day, and Hikari-No sat on the balcony of their apartments in the palace watching, enjoying the warmth and the magic that remained from last night's dream.
She had already packed her things, the lightsaber still in her Master's possession, and her bag almost too light. There would be no one to see them off this time, but that was all right, because Catherine had already promised to keep in touch, and Jester had returned to his ship after their one dance. Tamira's uncle had stolen her away again not long afterwards, and Hikari-No had retired to go to bed some time after that.
They would leave once her Master was awake. Until then, Hikari-No would add the finishing touches to her report for Master Genki.
When the assignment was given back to Hikari-No, it was dropped off at her rooms whilst she was sending a message to Catherine on Domus Prime. When she returned, she recognised the datapad immediately, for she had placed her signature symbol on it: a small spiral with a line crossing it. Although she had been gifted with the signature a long time ago, one day she would choose her own, something that actually felt appropriate to her.
There was a small note attached to it, telling her that Master Genki's assistant would have given her full marks if this had been a true assessment. Most of her studies were not marked by her teacher, because he had other concerns, and not enough time to be struggling to understand the work of his most accomplished pupil. The assistant also added that perhaps she could have learned more about the alternative religion of Domus Prime, about it's hierarchy and structure, rather than just it's way of applying the Force.
The final note could only have come from Master Genki's own hand:
Hikari-No,
Although your report is very factual and detailed, perhaps it would have been better if you had given more detail about the people that you met. If you have a spare moment after class one day, I'd love to hear from you in detail about the dance, and the friends that I feel you must have made on Domus Prime.
Master Genki
It was just like him to be worried about her, despite the fact that she had made peace with a number of the Padawans in her class recently. Still, she smiled, it was his concern for all the students that made Master Genki one of the best teachers that the Temple had to offer. She would talk to him tomorrow, but for now, she had a lesson in lightsaber fighting to attend.