A/N: Theresa Tariff's POV
Chapter Two: Where the Hell Are We?
When I woke up, I looked around the room. Everyone was where they had been earlier in the day... or night... whatever. Sam was on the couch where he'd been reading, though the book was nowhere to be seen and Jessie was on the couch asleep beside him, the chips in between them. Alex, Kyle, Will and I were all sitting propped up against the wall unit, the DVD player still broken.
"It was all a dream," I said quietly.
Wil opened his eyes and jumped. "What the- what happened?"
I shrugged. "I guess we fell asleep. You're not going to believe the dream- "
VEROOMSH.
Kyle jumped. "Not the light!" Realizing that he was back in my house he blushed and looked down at his feet.
"Dude, what are we wearing?" Alex asked.
The four of us looked down to see that we were wearing brown robes. I shrugged in response to Alex's question. I looked around and saw that Sam and Jessie were wearing them too.
VEROOM.
Wil and I got up off the floor and walked over to the window. There were several more sounds of things going past at great speed. I was afraid to push back the curtains. What would we see?
There was a groan and Sam leaned up. "What's going on?" he asked. Then he realized where he was. He checked his watch and looked up in horror. "My parents are going to kill me... I was supposed to be home at 11:30!"
Alex shrugged and looked at his watch. "Look at it this way: You can always claim you thought it meant AM and not PM."
Sam glared and began a frantic search for his shoes.
"Are we going to... you know... push back the curtains?" Wil asked. "Or are we just going to see if Sam ever gets home?"
I nodded and took a deep breath. Then I pulled back the curtains.
VEERSH. VEROOM. NEEEEER.
All of our jaws dropped.
Outside, where a hundred speeders flying by every few minutes. Lights blared all around and we could see people walking around on platforms.
His shoes forgotten, Sam looked out the window too. "Where the hell are we?"
"In 'Resa's house," Jessie said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Duh."
Everyone sighed.
Jessie got up and walked over to the window and looked out at the lights and speeders. "DUDE!" she exclaimed and began jumping up and down. "I told you! I told you this had happened! But, Noooo. My idea wasn't good enough was it?"
"What are you going on about?" Alex asked harshly.
"We're in the Star Wars galaxy!" Jessie yelled. "Coruscant by the looks of it."
There was a thud.
Everyone turned to see Kyle's little sister Gina Eldred and my little half- sister Lisa standing by the kitchen entrance. My family's fat cat, Conrad, was sitting on the floor where he'd been dropped. And they too were wearing similar robes.
"We're *where*?" my half-brother Benjamin "Bean" Tariff asked. He was only six but very smart for his age. He makes the rest of us look like idiots.
"Coruscant," Sam said dully with wide eyes. "The city planet. Where the Jedi live."
"Well... that depends on what time period we're in," Jessie said. "If we were in the NJO Coruscant would be a hunk of dead planet over run by evil aliens and wierd plants. If we're during the Galactic Civil War, Palpatine is Emperor and... that's bad. If we're during Attack of the Clones... the Clone War is about to start and, yes, the Jedi live here."
I stared. "You guys are actually believing this?"
"Look outside 'Resa!" Kyle shouted.
"Maybe we're dreaming," I said. "Or one of us is dreaming and the rest of us are just figments of their imagination."
Wil shook his head. "These guys would never be in my dreams. Not even my nightmares."
The guys all turned to glare at him.
"Mass hallucination," I countered, trying to make sense of the situation. "That's it."
Bean looked out the window and down the hundreds of stories below them. "Uh... I somehow doubt that."
Our collie dog, Shelby, put her front paws on the window sill and began barking.
Bean silenced her and they continued looking out at the site.
I still wasn't ready to believe that this was all real. "Okay, show me proof that we're in the Star Wars galaxy," I said. "Show me Yoda. Or Luke Skywalker."
Jessie jumped up in glee. "Let's go! Come on, I wanna see Anakin!"
"I can't find my damn shoes!" Sam yelled. But we were already heading out the door. "Guys!" he protested but ended up running out after us.
If the inside of that place looked exactly like my house, the outside didn't. We walked out onto a narrow platform. There were a bunch of doors along the metalic walls, all numbered. I checked my pant pocket for my house key and remembered my number.
"This should be my house," Jessie said and put her hand in her pant pocket to retrieve her key. A moment later she said, "I don't have my key."
"Maybe you forgot it," Wil suggested.
Bean shook his head. "She *never* forgets it. Her parents would kill her if she did."
"Should we ring the-"
Too late. A large hairy wookie walked out of the apartment. "That's not your dad," I muttered and the group of us moved out of the large alien's way. Shelby didn't even bark, too shocked by the alien.
There was a turbolift at the end of the walkway. The nine of us squeezed in, glad that the wookie had gone the other way and not gotten in with them.
"That was a wookie," Sam said stupidly. "Wookie."
"Like Chewie," Gina said in awe.
We were all relieved when we came to the promenade level. We walked out of the apartment building and onto a wide walk way. It wasn't as crowded as sometimes depicted. There were many vendors and such around, families taking a stroll, and pick pockets, I noticed.
No one looked very friendly, not friendly enough to stop and ask the way to the Jedi Temple anyways.
After a few minute of aimless walking we stopped at a vendor, selling something that looked like hot dogs. Except, hot dogs don't have feelers and tails. The others pushed me forward towards him and I reluctantly walked over to the server.
"Excuse me, sir," I said.
The man looked up, revealing six eyes and a mouth that could have fit Conrad inside and closed over him with little difficulty.
"Uh..." I wasn't sure how to proceed. "Ah... I was wondering... how would I get to the Jedi Temple?"
"Get a cab," the man said gruffly.
"I do-"
I heard my robe pocket jingle and I pulled out a considerably large sized money bag. I looked at the others in surprise and watched as they all pulled out similar bags.
"Thanks," I said to the alien vendor and walked over to the others. "Where did this money come from?" I asked them.
They all shrugged.
"Uh... Theresa?"
I looked over at Bean. "What?"
He raised up a metal cylender with a red button on it.
Jessie's jaw dropped and she checked her belt and pulled out a similar cylender with a button and a black body.
"Lightsabers," Wil gasped and pulled out his own.
"What is going on here?" Gina asked fingering a golden bodied lightsaber.
None of us could answer. "Let's get to the Temple," I suggested.
The others all nodded.
We flagged down one cab and had him call in for another. I went in the first cab with Lisa, Bean, Wil, Jessie and Conrad. Sam, Alex, Kyle, Gina and Shelby got in the one behind us and we sped off.
Coruscant drivers are not better than NYC drivers, if not worse. We zoomed past walk ways and over other cars, narrowly missing a large traffic droid. Jessie looked like she was going to be sick and I noticed a small bucket with alien writing on it and nearly laughed, figuring that that was exactly that bucket's use.
The cabs stopped infront of the main entrance to the Temple.
Wil paid our driver and the nine of us stood looking up at the Temple in amazement. It was just like it looked in the movie. No, even better. It was regal, jetting up into the sky.
"Let's go in before someone gets suspicious," Lisa said.
"Suspicious of what?" Wil asked. "It's not like anyone could rob this place or anything. There are what? A thousand Jedi?"
"Qui-Gon's first apprentice did," Jessie reminded him.
"That Xanatos guy?"
Jessie nodded and patted Sam on the head. "Good Sam."
"Let's go in," Wil said. "I want some answers."
"What makes you think they'll have any?" Alex asked.
Sam sighed. "I dunno... we're wearing Jedi robes, we've got money and we're carrying lightsabers. You tell me."
"Doesn't mean they'll have any idea about what happened," he defended himself.
I whistled loudly and everyone quieted and turned to me. "Let's just go in. I'm with Sam. We're carrying lightsabers and wearing Jedi robes. That kinda indicates some Jedi influence somewhere in this mess."
The nine of us entered.
It took our breath away. It was amazing. I can't sum it up with any other word.
"Can I help you?" an elder Jedi man walked over to us and asked. He bent down to pet Shelby who had walked over to him.
"We need to see the Council," Jessie answered.
I nodded and added, "It's an emergancy."
"We're lost," Bean walked up and told the man. "We woke up and found ourselves in Jedi robes, carrying lightsabers."
The elder Jedi nodded, stood, and motioned for the group to follow him. He left them in a small room with many comfortable chairs. They all sat down and waited.
I sat on a big poofy chair with Bean on my right and Shelby to my left. After about an hour of waiting he leaned his head on my lap and fell asleep. Lisa and Gina were playing had games with Conrad curled up beside them.
I took the waiting time to try and process everything that was going on. The others seemed to be doing the same. Sam was running his hand over the lightsaber shaft, I could... feel how much he wanted to ignite it and actually see if it worked. If it was real. But I also felt restraint, not wanting to injure the others.
Was it all my fault? If I hadn't invited them over, hadn't gotten the DVD, we'd all be home. I felt great guilt as I'd dragged my brother and sister and friends into this distant galaxy.
"It isn't your fault, 'Resa."
I looked up to see everyone looking at me.
"Really," Wil said. "We all came voluntarily. We wanted to see the movie... we just got a little more than we bargained for."
Alex elbowed him in the side.
"We'll get home," Lisa said. "Don't worry so much."
I smiled and wipped away a small tear.
Shebly whinned and licked my face. I petted her and hugged her to my side.
The door opened and a woman with metal circles on her nose and forehead walked in. "The council will see you now," she told them.
I gently nudged Bean awake and grabbed Shelby's leash.
My sister picked up Conrad and we all followed her out and to the doors of the Council chamber.
//Oh, my God. We're actually going to see the council chamber.// I thought.
"This is kinda exciting," Bean said from beside me.
I nodded though I was extremely nervous.
The Jedi Master opened the doors and we proceeded foward. The nine of us and two animals stood in the middle of the room as the woman took her seat.
"Good to see you again, it is," Yoda said to us. "Worried about you, we were."
"Worried?" Sam wondered aloud and then went red.
"Not, you think we would be?" the small, green Jedi asked.
I shook my head. "Why would you be?" I asked.
Mace Windu gave Yoda a puzzled look. I, in turn, gave Wil the same look and I bet that all the others exchanged similar. What ever was going on, it was obvious that none of us had a clue.
"Much confusion, I sense," Yoda said.
We all nodded. "We *are* confused," Sam told him. "We woke up this morning and found ourselves in robes with lightsabers on some planet that we never thought existed."
Several of the Jedi shifted in their seats, looking very concerned.
Master Windu leaned forward and folded his hands. "The nine of you have been missing for three months," he said to them. "We've been searching for you. But we weren't able to find you anywhere."
My jaw dropped and me and Wil exchanged surprisesds looks.
Bean stepped forward. "We haven't been here for three weeks," he said. "We don't even belong here. We're not from here."
Yoda seemed to smile. "Lost not you ability to speak up, have you? Hmmm?" he said and then chuckled.
"Master Billaba will show you to the waiting room once more," Master Windu told them. "Your Masters will arrive shortly to retrieve you."
"Bow!" Jessie whispered and they all bowed, except Lisa who held Conrad tight.
Master Billaba walked over and showed us back to the waiting room.
"We've got Masters?" Alex asked.
"Do they really think we're someone else?" Kyle asked.
No one could be sure of an answer.
"Wait," I said. "If we're here in this galaxy, then... are our doubles in our galaxy?" Yes, I'd finally come to terms with the fact that, like it or not, we were in the Star War s galaxy.
"Or..." Sam said. "Maybe... it *is* that mass hallucination thing you mentioned before only we're imagining life like we remember and we really *are* Jedi. We've just forgotten."
That was a though, I must admit.
The door opened and in walked a tall human Jedi. She walked and I was hit by a feeling of uncertainty. I realized it was coming from the woman who'd just entered.
"Lisa," I said.
The Jedi nodded. "I've been told you may not remember me," she said to Lisa. "I'm your Master. Master Shira Mongasi. You've only been my Padawan for a month before you disappeared. Are you ready to return to our quarters?"
My sister looked to me and I nodded. I trusted this woman who obviously cared about Lisa. I watched her go with the Jedi and didn't feel any danger. It was a wierd feeling, you know, feeling other people's emotions and such. I didn't get how I did it, I just did. It was handy, but... odd.
Two more masters entered, one for Alex and one for Jessie.
Jessie bounded forward, admitting not remembering anything but saying she was more than ready to start learning again.
Soon, Sam was gone, off with a wookie Master. I almost laughed at the way he looked at the Jedi. He actually wasn't as tall as the wookie they'd seen earlier but Sam was just as wary as he had been around the other one.
Gina was the next to go and we were surprised to see her master was an Ansionian. The only other alien Master the group of us had besides Sam's Master, Orannuabacca. Kyle was very reluctant to let Gina go, not fully trusting the alien. But I said that I didn't feel anything wrong and after a deep breath and a moment's pause, Kyle too felt the peace from the alien Master and let his little sister go.
Kyle's own Master shocked us. A felacat, obvious by the tale that protruded from a hole in the back of her robes. Master Reana was the first I'd ever seen.
Shelby cocked her head, obviously recognizing the alien as a feline but the humanoid features threw her off.
It was just me, Bean and Wil. Bean, I knew, was too young to have a Master and would probably be picked up by one of the teachers.
"I'm not sure I want to see what my Master looks like," Wil joked.
Bean and I smiled.
"I'm not *that* ugly," a voice said.
We all turned to see an human form emerge from the shadows. No one had noticed him enter, not even the dog.
"It's good to see you again, Wil," the man said with a wide smile. "When they told me you'd been found I was most relieved."
Wil just looked at him.
The man's smile fell a little as he sighed. "Yes," he said. "I was told you wouldn't remember me."
"I'm sorry," Wil told him.
"It's okay," he responded. "I'm Master Kirk Dockett. You've been my Padawan for three years, believe it or not."
His eyes widened. "Three years?"
Master Dockett nodded. "Come, I've got some pictures and such you can look at. Maybe they'll jump start your memory."
Wil smiled and got up. But he turned back to Bean and me. I felt a confliciton inside of him. He wanted greatly to go with Master Dockett. Despite not knowing the man and knowing that Wil didn't either, I felt a great bond between them.
"I'll see you later," I said.
He nodded and left with Master Dockett.
It was just me, Bean and Shelby. We stayed there for about half an hour. Bean moved to a different chair with Shelby fell back to sleep.
"Theresa!"
Bean and Shelby both jumped and I turned to the door.
A woman, about six feet tall, walked in. Her graying, brown hair was held back in a ponytail as she hurried in and embraced me. There was a warmth in that hug, something I hadn't felt in a long time.
When we broke apart, I looked at her blankly despite my best efforts.
She gave me an encouraging smile. "You'll remember," she told me. "Give yourself time. I'm Cammie M'klaine, your Master. You're Padawan Theresa Tariff, my Padawan for a little over a year, now, and this," she patted Bean on the head, "is Little Bean Tariff. But... I'm not sure who this is."
I realized she was talking about Shelby.
The collie moved forward on the seat and licked Cammie's hand.
"That's Shebly," Bean told my Master. "She's a dog. A collie dog."
Cammie nodded. "You must have picked her up over the past three weeks at some point."
We just nodded.
"Come on," she said. "We'll drop Bean off and I'll take you back to our quarters. Good?"
I nodded. //Just so long as I get to see Bean's safe.// I thought.
//He will be.//
I jumped.
//You never used to worry, you know.//
I recognized the voice as Cammie's. I mentally kicked myself. Of course we'd have a mental connection.
We dropped Bean off at his quarters, the door slid open at his touch and opened to show a two bed room. A little boy, about a year older walked over to them and bowed to Cammie. He grinned at Bean. "Welcome back," he said.
Bean looked at me and then to the boy and said, "Thanks."
"I heard all about what's up," the other boy said. "So if you don't remember some stuff, I'll be sure to remind ya. First off, I'm Jack Odo and you're Bean Tariff. Bean's short for Benjamin. Not a great name, but better than Jackaafarano like my Jack is short for."
I smiled. Bean'd be okay. We were about to walk off when I put my foot in the door to keep it from closing. Bean and the other boy came to the door and reopened it.
I thrust Shelby's leash into Bean's hand. "Take care of her," I told him.
Bean grinned and nodded and he and Jack ran over to his bed with the collie dog between them.
Cammie and I walked on, taking a turbolift up a floor. We came to our quarters and entered. It was cozy, a couch, glass table and vid screen in the front room right inside the quarters. To the left was a small walkway and the open doorways to two bedrooms. To the right was a kitchenette and small room with a slidding door.
A small clattering made me turn to my left, hand on my lightsaber hilt, an automatic reflex I was previously unaware of.
A pit droid clamored out of my room and ran over to me. It chittered something in a mechanical squeaks and garbles.
"You never understood him," Cammie reassured me. "He says he glad to see you back and safe. He kept your bed made and your room tidy."
I grinned.
There was a hissing sound and I looked on the couch to see a small orange cat I hadn't noticed before. "What is it?" I asked Cammie.
"That's Windy," she answered. "Your sand cat. From Tatooine. You brought a little back from a mission once. The mother didn't make it but the four kittens did. The other three belong to Jessie, Alex and Sam. Not really *belong* as possession is forbidden. But you all care for them."
I walked over and stroked the sand cat's fur. He purred and slitted his eyes in pleasure. It brought a smile across my face. I was glad Conrad was safe with Lisa and Shelby with Bean. I was even more glad that I was greated by someone who wasn't trying to make me remember a past that never existed.
"Welcome home, 'Resa," Cammie said.
And for some odd reason, I felt very much there.
Chapter Two: Where the Hell Are We?
When I woke up, I looked around the room. Everyone was where they had been earlier in the day... or night... whatever. Sam was on the couch where he'd been reading, though the book was nowhere to be seen and Jessie was on the couch asleep beside him, the chips in between them. Alex, Kyle, Will and I were all sitting propped up against the wall unit, the DVD player still broken.
"It was all a dream," I said quietly.
Wil opened his eyes and jumped. "What the- what happened?"
I shrugged. "I guess we fell asleep. You're not going to believe the dream- "
VEROOMSH.
Kyle jumped. "Not the light!" Realizing that he was back in my house he blushed and looked down at his feet.
"Dude, what are we wearing?" Alex asked.
The four of us looked down to see that we were wearing brown robes. I shrugged in response to Alex's question. I looked around and saw that Sam and Jessie were wearing them too.
VEROOM.
Wil and I got up off the floor and walked over to the window. There were several more sounds of things going past at great speed. I was afraid to push back the curtains. What would we see?
There was a groan and Sam leaned up. "What's going on?" he asked. Then he realized where he was. He checked his watch and looked up in horror. "My parents are going to kill me... I was supposed to be home at 11:30!"
Alex shrugged and looked at his watch. "Look at it this way: You can always claim you thought it meant AM and not PM."
Sam glared and began a frantic search for his shoes.
"Are we going to... you know... push back the curtains?" Wil asked. "Or are we just going to see if Sam ever gets home?"
I nodded and took a deep breath. Then I pulled back the curtains.
VEERSH. VEROOM. NEEEEER.
All of our jaws dropped.
Outside, where a hundred speeders flying by every few minutes. Lights blared all around and we could see people walking around on platforms.
His shoes forgotten, Sam looked out the window too. "Where the hell are we?"
"In 'Resa's house," Jessie said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Duh."
Everyone sighed.
Jessie got up and walked over to the window and looked out at the lights and speeders. "DUDE!" she exclaimed and began jumping up and down. "I told you! I told you this had happened! But, Noooo. My idea wasn't good enough was it?"
"What are you going on about?" Alex asked harshly.
"We're in the Star Wars galaxy!" Jessie yelled. "Coruscant by the looks of it."
There was a thud.
Everyone turned to see Kyle's little sister Gina Eldred and my little half- sister Lisa standing by the kitchen entrance. My family's fat cat, Conrad, was sitting on the floor where he'd been dropped. And they too were wearing similar robes.
"We're *where*?" my half-brother Benjamin "Bean" Tariff asked. He was only six but very smart for his age. He makes the rest of us look like idiots.
"Coruscant," Sam said dully with wide eyes. "The city planet. Where the Jedi live."
"Well... that depends on what time period we're in," Jessie said. "If we were in the NJO Coruscant would be a hunk of dead planet over run by evil aliens and wierd plants. If we're during the Galactic Civil War, Palpatine is Emperor and... that's bad. If we're during Attack of the Clones... the Clone War is about to start and, yes, the Jedi live here."
I stared. "You guys are actually believing this?"
"Look outside 'Resa!" Kyle shouted.
"Maybe we're dreaming," I said. "Or one of us is dreaming and the rest of us are just figments of their imagination."
Wil shook his head. "These guys would never be in my dreams. Not even my nightmares."
The guys all turned to glare at him.
"Mass hallucination," I countered, trying to make sense of the situation. "That's it."
Bean looked out the window and down the hundreds of stories below them. "Uh... I somehow doubt that."
Our collie dog, Shelby, put her front paws on the window sill and began barking.
Bean silenced her and they continued looking out at the site.
I still wasn't ready to believe that this was all real. "Okay, show me proof that we're in the Star Wars galaxy," I said. "Show me Yoda. Or Luke Skywalker."
Jessie jumped up in glee. "Let's go! Come on, I wanna see Anakin!"
"I can't find my damn shoes!" Sam yelled. But we were already heading out the door. "Guys!" he protested but ended up running out after us.
If the inside of that place looked exactly like my house, the outside didn't. We walked out onto a narrow platform. There were a bunch of doors along the metalic walls, all numbered. I checked my pant pocket for my house key and remembered my number.
"This should be my house," Jessie said and put her hand in her pant pocket to retrieve her key. A moment later she said, "I don't have my key."
"Maybe you forgot it," Wil suggested.
Bean shook his head. "She *never* forgets it. Her parents would kill her if she did."
"Should we ring the-"
Too late. A large hairy wookie walked out of the apartment. "That's not your dad," I muttered and the group of us moved out of the large alien's way. Shelby didn't even bark, too shocked by the alien.
There was a turbolift at the end of the walkway. The nine of us squeezed in, glad that the wookie had gone the other way and not gotten in with them.
"That was a wookie," Sam said stupidly. "Wookie."
"Like Chewie," Gina said in awe.
We were all relieved when we came to the promenade level. We walked out of the apartment building and onto a wide walk way. It wasn't as crowded as sometimes depicted. There were many vendors and such around, families taking a stroll, and pick pockets, I noticed.
No one looked very friendly, not friendly enough to stop and ask the way to the Jedi Temple anyways.
After a few minute of aimless walking we stopped at a vendor, selling something that looked like hot dogs. Except, hot dogs don't have feelers and tails. The others pushed me forward towards him and I reluctantly walked over to the server.
"Excuse me, sir," I said.
The man looked up, revealing six eyes and a mouth that could have fit Conrad inside and closed over him with little difficulty.
"Uh..." I wasn't sure how to proceed. "Ah... I was wondering... how would I get to the Jedi Temple?"
"Get a cab," the man said gruffly.
"I do-"
I heard my robe pocket jingle and I pulled out a considerably large sized money bag. I looked at the others in surprise and watched as they all pulled out similar bags.
"Thanks," I said to the alien vendor and walked over to the others. "Where did this money come from?" I asked them.
They all shrugged.
"Uh... Theresa?"
I looked over at Bean. "What?"
He raised up a metal cylender with a red button on it.
Jessie's jaw dropped and she checked her belt and pulled out a similar cylender with a button and a black body.
"Lightsabers," Wil gasped and pulled out his own.
"What is going on here?" Gina asked fingering a golden bodied lightsaber.
None of us could answer. "Let's get to the Temple," I suggested.
The others all nodded.
We flagged down one cab and had him call in for another. I went in the first cab with Lisa, Bean, Wil, Jessie and Conrad. Sam, Alex, Kyle, Gina and Shelby got in the one behind us and we sped off.
Coruscant drivers are not better than NYC drivers, if not worse. We zoomed past walk ways and over other cars, narrowly missing a large traffic droid. Jessie looked like she was going to be sick and I noticed a small bucket with alien writing on it and nearly laughed, figuring that that was exactly that bucket's use.
The cabs stopped infront of the main entrance to the Temple.
Wil paid our driver and the nine of us stood looking up at the Temple in amazement. It was just like it looked in the movie. No, even better. It was regal, jetting up into the sky.
"Let's go in before someone gets suspicious," Lisa said.
"Suspicious of what?" Wil asked. "It's not like anyone could rob this place or anything. There are what? A thousand Jedi?"
"Qui-Gon's first apprentice did," Jessie reminded him.
"That Xanatos guy?"
Jessie nodded and patted Sam on the head. "Good Sam."
"Let's go in," Wil said. "I want some answers."
"What makes you think they'll have any?" Alex asked.
Sam sighed. "I dunno... we're wearing Jedi robes, we've got money and we're carrying lightsabers. You tell me."
"Doesn't mean they'll have any idea about what happened," he defended himself.
I whistled loudly and everyone quieted and turned to me. "Let's just go in. I'm with Sam. We're carrying lightsabers and wearing Jedi robes. That kinda indicates some Jedi influence somewhere in this mess."
The nine of us entered.
It took our breath away. It was amazing. I can't sum it up with any other word.
"Can I help you?" an elder Jedi man walked over to us and asked. He bent down to pet Shelby who had walked over to him.
"We need to see the Council," Jessie answered.
I nodded and added, "It's an emergancy."
"We're lost," Bean walked up and told the man. "We woke up and found ourselves in Jedi robes, carrying lightsabers."
The elder Jedi nodded, stood, and motioned for the group to follow him. He left them in a small room with many comfortable chairs. They all sat down and waited.
I sat on a big poofy chair with Bean on my right and Shelby to my left. After about an hour of waiting he leaned his head on my lap and fell asleep. Lisa and Gina were playing had games with Conrad curled up beside them.
I took the waiting time to try and process everything that was going on. The others seemed to be doing the same. Sam was running his hand over the lightsaber shaft, I could... feel how much he wanted to ignite it and actually see if it worked. If it was real. But I also felt restraint, not wanting to injure the others.
Was it all my fault? If I hadn't invited them over, hadn't gotten the DVD, we'd all be home. I felt great guilt as I'd dragged my brother and sister and friends into this distant galaxy.
"It isn't your fault, 'Resa."
I looked up to see everyone looking at me.
"Really," Wil said. "We all came voluntarily. We wanted to see the movie... we just got a little more than we bargained for."
Alex elbowed him in the side.
"We'll get home," Lisa said. "Don't worry so much."
I smiled and wipped away a small tear.
Shebly whinned and licked my face. I petted her and hugged her to my side.
The door opened and a woman with metal circles on her nose and forehead walked in. "The council will see you now," she told them.
I gently nudged Bean awake and grabbed Shelby's leash.
My sister picked up Conrad and we all followed her out and to the doors of the Council chamber.
//Oh, my God. We're actually going to see the council chamber.// I thought.
"This is kinda exciting," Bean said from beside me.
I nodded though I was extremely nervous.
The Jedi Master opened the doors and we proceeded foward. The nine of us and two animals stood in the middle of the room as the woman took her seat.
"Good to see you again, it is," Yoda said to us. "Worried about you, we were."
"Worried?" Sam wondered aloud and then went red.
"Not, you think we would be?" the small, green Jedi asked.
I shook my head. "Why would you be?" I asked.
Mace Windu gave Yoda a puzzled look. I, in turn, gave Wil the same look and I bet that all the others exchanged similar. What ever was going on, it was obvious that none of us had a clue.
"Much confusion, I sense," Yoda said.
We all nodded. "We *are* confused," Sam told him. "We woke up this morning and found ourselves in robes with lightsabers on some planet that we never thought existed."
Several of the Jedi shifted in their seats, looking very concerned.
Master Windu leaned forward and folded his hands. "The nine of you have been missing for three months," he said to them. "We've been searching for you. But we weren't able to find you anywhere."
My jaw dropped and me and Wil exchanged surprisesds looks.
Bean stepped forward. "We haven't been here for three weeks," he said. "We don't even belong here. We're not from here."
Yoda seemed to smile. "Lost not you ability to speak up, have you? Hmmm?" he said and then chuckled.
"Master Billaba will show you to the waiting room once more," Master Windu told them. "Your Masters will arrive shortly to retrieve you."
"Bow!" Jessie whispered and they all bowed, except Lisa who held Conrad tight.
Master Billaba walked over and showed us back to the waiting room.
"We've got Masters?" Alex asked.
"Do they really think we're someone else?" Kyle asked.
No one could be sure of an answer.
"Wait," I said. "If we're here in this galaxy, then... are our doubles in our galaxy?" Yes, I'd finally come to terms with the fact that, like it or not, we were in the Star War s galaxy.
"Or..." Sam said. "Maybe... it *is* that mass hallucination thing you mentioned before only we're imagining life like we remember and we really *are* Jedi. We've just forgotten."
That was a though, I must admit.
The door opened and in walked a tall human Jedi. She walked and I was hit by a feeling of uncertainty. I realized it was coming from the woman who'd just entered.
"Lisa," I said.
The Jedi nodded. "I've been told you may not remember me," she said to Lisa. "I'm your Master. Master Shira Mongasi. You've only been my Padawan for a month before you disappeared. Are you ready to return to our quarters?"
My sister looked to me and I nodded. I trusted this woman who obviously cared about Lisa. I watched her go with the Jedi and didn't feel any danger. It was a wierd feeling, you know, feeling other people's emotions and such. I didn't get how I did it, I just did. It was handy, but... odd.
Two more masters entered, one for Alex and one for Jessie.
Jessie bounded forward, admitting not remembering anything but saying she was more than ready to start learning again.
Soon, Sam was gone, off with a wookie Master. I almost laughed at the way he looked at the Jedi. He actually wasn't as tall as the wookie they'd seen earlier but Sam was just as wary as he had been around the other one.
Gina was the next to go and we were surprised to see her master was an Ansionian. The only other alien Master the group of us had besides Sam's Master, Orannuabacca. Kyle was very reluctant to let Gina go, not fully trusting the alien. But I said that I didn't feel anything wrong and after a deep breath and a moment's pause, Kyle too felt the peace from the alien Master and let his little sister go.
Kyle's own Master shocked us. A felacat, obvious by the tale that protruded from a hole in the back of her robes. Master Reana was the first I'd ever seen.
Shelby cocked her head, obviously recognizing the alien as a feline but the humanoid features threw her off.
It was just me, Bean and Wil. Bean, I knew, was too young to have a Master and would probably be picked up by one of the teachers.
"I'm not sure I want to see what my Master looks like," Wil joked.
Bean and I smiled.
"I'm not *that* ugly," a voice said.
We all turned to see an human form emerge from the shadows. No one had noticed him enter, not even the dog.
"It's good to see you again, Wil," the man said with a wide smile. "When they told me you'd been found I was most relieved."
Wil just looked at him.
The man's smile fell a little as he sighed. "Yes," he said. "I was told you wouldn't remember me."
"I'm sorry," Wil told him.
"It's okay," he responded. "I'm Master Kirk Dockett. You've been my Padawan for three years, believe it or not."
His eyes widened. "Three years?"
Master Dockett nodded. "Come, I've got some pictures and such you can look at. Maybe they'll jump start your memory."
Wil smiled and got up. But he turned back to Bean and me. I felt a confliciton inside of him. He wanted greatly to go with Master Dockett. Despite not knowing the man and knowing that Wil didn't either, I felt a great bond between them.
"I'll see you later," I said.
He nodded and left with Master Dockett.
It was just me, Bean and Shelby. We stayed there for about half an hour. Bean moved to a different chair with Shelby fell back to sleep.
"Theresa!"
Bean and Shelby both jumped and I turned to the door.
A woman, about six feet tall, walked in. Her graying, brown hair was held back in a ponytail as she hurried in and embraced me. There was a warmth in that hug, something I hadn't felt in a long time.
When we broke apart, I looked at her blankly despite my best efforts.
She gave me an encouraging smile. "You'll remember," she told me. "Give yourself time. I'm Cammie M'klaine, your Master. You're Padawan Theresa Tariff, my Padawan for a little over a year, now, and this," she patted Bean on the head, "is Little Bean Tariff. But... I'm not sure who this is."
I realized she was talking about Shelby.
The collie moved forward on the seat and licked Cammie's hand.
"That's Shebly," Bean told my Master. "She's a dog. A collie dog."
Cammie nodded. "You must have picked her up over the past three weeks at some point."
We just nodded.
"Come on," she said. "We'll drop Bean off and I'll take you back to our quarters. Good?"
I nodded. //Just so long as I get to see Bean's safe.// I thought.
//He will be.//
I jumped.
//You never used to worry, you know.//
I recognized the voice as Cammie's. I mentally kicked myself. Of course we'd have a mental connection.
We dropped Bean off at his quarters, the door slid open at his touch and opened to show a two bed room. A little boy, about a year older walked over to them and bowed to Cammie. He grinned at Bean. "Welcome back," he said.
Bean looked at me and then to the boy and said, "Thanks."
"I heard all about what's up," the other boy said. "So if you don't remember some stuff, I'll be sure to remind ya. First off, I'm Jack Odo and you're Bean Tariff. Bean's short for Benjamin. Not a great name, but better than Jackaafarano like my Jack is short for."
I smiled. Bean'd be okay. We were about to walk off when I put my foot in the door to keep it from closing. Bean and the other boy came to the door and reopened it.
I thrust Shelby's leash into Bean's hand. "Take care of her," I told him.
Bean grinned and nodded and he and Jack ran over to his bed with the collie dog between them.
Cammie and I walked on, taking a turbolift up a floor. We came to our quarters and entered. It was cozy, a couch, glass table and vid screen in the front room right inside the quarters. To the left was a small walkway and the open doorways to two bedrooms. To the right was a kitchenette and small room with a slidding door.
A small clattering made me turn to my left, hand on my lightsaber hilt, an automatic reflex I was previously unaware of.
A pit droid clamored out of my room and ran over to me. It chittered something in a mechanical squeaks and garbles.
"You never understood him," Cammie reassured me. "He says he glad to see you back and safe. He kept your bed made and your room tidy."
I grinned.
There was a hissing sound and I looked on the couch to see a small orange cat I hadn't noticed before. "What is it?" I asked Cammie.
"That's Windy," she answered. "Your sand cat. From Tatooine. You brought a little back from a mission once. The mother didn't make it but the four kittens did. The other three belong to Jessie, Alex and Sam. Not really *belong* as possession is forbidden. But you all care for them."
I walked over and stroked the sand cat's fur. He purred and slitted his eyes in pleasure. It brought a smile across my face. I was glad Conrad was safe with Lisa and Shelby with Bean. I was even more glad that I was greated by someone who wasn't trying to make me remember a past that never existed.
"Welcome home, 'Resa," Cammie said.
And for some odd reason, I felt very much there.