AN: I do not own Star Wars or Star Wars the Old Republic. I own only the OC and plot. General trigger warnings just in case!

"aaaa"-talking out loud. "aaaa" (bold and italics)-talking through a holo or com. 'aaaaa'-inner thoughts. "aaaaa"-talking through a Bond or talking during a Force Vision. aaaa-Force Vision. "aaaa" (bold)-talking in another language. ("aaa") (bold, italics, and parentheses)-talking through a holo or com in another language

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Chapter Three-Parting Pain

The time had come. They had lingered on Corellia for too long. Their extended visit had been noticed and questioned. The enclave that Zho and Theron called home was small, but there were factions among the Jedi there. The biggest faction was the traditionalists who didn't like Zho for his views and Theron simply because of his name. They were the loudest when changes came and they had been searching for something that would let them exile the pair. Or at least exile Zho and place Theron with a better master.

All that meant was that Zho and Theron had lingered too long. And now they needed to go home.

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"We can't lie to ourselves," Silas pointed out to Zho. The pair had settled into Silas' small study, sipping on fine Corellian brandy that the younger male kept hidden away. It was their reward for all the research they had done and a consolation after finding nothing that could truly help them. "Our children are not going to be okay with this." Zho snorted into his brandy. Saying that Theron and Esther would be unhappy with the upcoming separation was an understatement. The pair had only grown closer and closer. The bond continuing to get stronger.

Thoughts of the bond made Zho frown. That was the other reason he was not ready to leave although he knew they had to. Because neither he nor Silas knew exactly what would happen to the children when he and Theron left. Right now the pair showed no adverse effects when separated, but soon they would be systems and planets apart. What would happen to them then? They didn't know because they had found nothing but rumors and myths about bonds. Both had thought that with the Green Jedi's lax attitude, even promotion of attachments, there would have been something in their archives about bonds. Something factual and more than just stories. But there had been nothing. He had even reached out to a friend, asking him to help, but he doubted that his friend would find anything.

Silas took another sip of brandy as he gathered his thoughts. "The most ideal option would off course keep the two together…" his voice trailed off as he spoke aloud the impossible.

"You know that answer is no!" Zho snapped. "If we do that, there is every chance that Theron's mother might very well come and remove him, place him with a different master." His reasoning made Silas raise an eyebrow, but didn't push back. "Plus you know the Jedi way. I should have left at the first sign of any sort of attachment…" Silas snorted again. Zho could bluster about following Jedi teachings, but he knew the old man well enough to know that the Master regarding the rules and teachings more as guidelines for the most part. "I cannot deny whatever it is that the Force created between those two. Nor can I deny that it is something that should be cared for and encouraged as they grow."

"Then it will have to be visits. You and Theron coming here since it would be harder for Esther and I to get off Corellia." Zho grunted. Green Jedi rarely if ever left Corellia or the Corellian system. Their first loyalty was always to the planet they called home, then the system, and finally the Republic. A Green Jedi had to have a very good reason as to why they were traveling beyond the system and Zho doubted that the Green Council would see playdates as a good reason. "We can set up times for them to call each other when they are apart."

He let the suggestions roll around in his head for a few moments before nodding. What they were planning to do, what they were going to do went against many Jedi teachings. Lesser Jedi have been exiled for doing similar. But Zho as always just couldn't find it in himself to care that he was going to ruffle feathers and upset others should the truth get out. After all, the Jedi teachings had been crafted by beings and they were not following the will of other beings.

They were following the will of the Force.

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"NO!" Esther howled. The little girl in his arms wiggled so much that Silas sighed and let her go. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she was running towards the ship. Running towards Theron who had turned at her cry as he had been slowly marching up the ramp. Now he ran down the ramp, catching Esther as jumped up and into his arms. The pair clung to each other.

Zho and Silas made their way to the pair. As they had known, Esther and Theron had not taken the news of their parting well. They had gotten more clingy with each other, not wanting to be apart. But they hadn't fought, hadn't protested it the way that the adult men had thought they might do. They hadn't even attempted some wild, crazy scheme to prevent Theron from leaving. They thought then that the pair had accepted it despite being unhappy about it.

But with the reality of their parting, with it happening in that moment, the pair could no longer just accept it.

"Esther…" Silas spoke to his daughter in the soothing tone he used when trying to calm her. "You know we talked about this. Theron and Master Zho need to go home…"

"He can't leave!" she protested. "Theron's my friend. My only friend!"

"I know that and he will always be your friend. But he needs to go home. They'll be back to visit soon." Silas and Zho were already plotting the next visit, trying to create a workable schedule. Silas thought that the visits would be often.

But his reassurances did nothing to calm his daughter who saw only the loss of her best friend. One that the Force itself had given her. Esther shook her head at his comments and pressed herself closer to Theron. The young Jedi had knelt on the ground, to hold her more easily and tightened his grip on her. He stayed silent.

"Theron…" Zho came up and rested a hand on his student's shoulder. The boy turned his head to glance at him. "Attachment can be good so long as duty comes first. And you must be the example."

Theron wanted to say no. Wanted to turn his back on duty. He wanted to scream that he hated that word for what it was, what it stood for. It was because of duty that his mother had given him up right after he was born. It was because of duty that he hadn't seen his mother since his birth and didn't even know the name of his father because his mother had refused to tell Zho.

But Theron knew that he couldn't snap, couldn't rage. Master Zho was right. If he wanted to keep seeing Esther, he needed to do his duty and return to the enclave he called home.

With that in mind, Theron poured all the love and bravery and friendship that could as best he could down the bond. Slowly, gently he pushed Esther back. Her shoulders slumped as she realized that there way they could fight this battle. They had to be parted for the moment.

"You'll come back right?" she sniffed a little bit. "I'll see you again?"

He rested his hands on her face, pressing their foreheads together. "You're my first friend and my best friend," Theron reminded Esther. "I have to leave now and I'll have to leave in the future after our visits, but I will always come back to you Esther. I promise."