Author's Note:

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

Poor Boba, this is a rough chapter for him!  Thanks to those of you who are patient enough to keep reading.  I hope this makes up for the wait!

Disclaimer:  I own none of the Star Wars characters and Syntas belongs to Dark Horse Comics.  Meric however is mine.

            Meric was waiting just around the corner.  He took one look at her face and kept his mouth shut.  Obviously he didn't want to end up on the floor again.  When they reached Karineli's room she turned around, "Do you have a purpose in following me?"

            "It beats following anyone else.  Most of them are boring and the rest are kind of annoying.  What's wrong with you?  What did you do in there?  Wait, let me guess, 'family business.'"  He then followed her into her room.  She decided it wasn't worth arguing with him about. 

            "Karineli, what's your last name?"  She sat down and picked up a rope launcher she was repairing. 

            "What's yours?" 

            Meric smiled, "My name is Meric K'dori of Norim.  And you?"

            Karineli shook her head, "I can't tell you."

            "Why not?"  This time he didn't get an answer.  "Can you at least tell me a little of what's bothering you?"
            "No."  Meric sighed, watching her clean the launcher.  "You're a good mechanic aren't you?"  She nodded.  "Are you looking forward to when we get to build lightsabers?" 

            "No, they are antiquated, and there are better weapons out there."  Meric shrugged.  "I suppose you would know."  She nodded.  Meric finally gave up, and pulled a leaf from his pocket.  At least he could try they're lesson again.  He closed his eyes, trying to let the Force flow into him, and trying to make it do what he wanted.   He opened them and concentrated on the leaf.  When nothing happened he tried it again.  This time it wiggled slightly.  Karineli was watching him with interest now. 

            "Wait, I see what you're doing.  I think it would be even better if you did…this."  The leaf wavered into the air and began to move gently back and forth.  Meric eyed it then Karineli.  He reached out for her trying to feel what she was doing. 

            "Ohhhh," he succeeded in touching her.  Now he knew what she meant.  The leaf began to dance as he added his touch to hers.  Several hours later both of them were blurry eyed, but pleased.  Tomorrow would be an interesting class. 

            Karineli felt like falling asleep while she ate her dinner.  She felt like she had been through one of her father's more rigorous training programs.  Even so she missed him.  Tomorrow though she might get a message.  Meric looked like he had fallen asleep while he was eating.  She nudged him with her toe.  He stirred and groaned.  Most of the other trainees were already in bed.  Soon they would be joining them.  She shoved her tray in the receptacle and walked back to her room where she fell asleep as soon as she lay down.  Sometimes it seemed as if maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought. 

            The next morning they woke up to the sound of rain pouring down the temple's walls.  No hand to hand today, not that any of the trainees minded.  Today Tionne was going to supervise a small group of trainees practicing what Luke had shown them yesterday.  Karineli couldn't help but fidget.  She wanted to be done to see if any messages had arrived for her.  Being separated this long made her nervous.  Meric though was excited, and he wouldn't let her be distracted.  They could only do their new trick if they worked together.  Karineli wasn't sure she liked this partnership, but it was the only way to make this work. 

            A few minutes after Tionne had set them to their tasks, Meric turned away from his leaf and looked over to where Karineli was concentrating on hers.  He reached out and felt the beginnings of what they had done yesterday.  Soon the leave wobbled up.  No one saw it at first as they were watching Tionne help a boy who was having problems.  The leaf weaved back and forth for a moment then skimmed over the heads of the trainees on Meric's left.  By now it was being noticed.  One boy backed away from where he had been sitting.  Tionne looked up in confusion.  Only Meric and Karineli didn't move.  The leaf continued on it's loop before settling on Tionne's head, something that was Meric's idea. 

            She grabbed it and looked around the group, her eyes coming to rest on the empty spot where Karineli's leaf had rested.  "Karineli, did you do that?"  Karineli nodded, and Meric broke in.  "I helped with it.  Good wasn't it?"  Tionne looked from one to the other.  "You did this together?"  They nodded.  She looked at the leaf again and frowned.  "Did you touch Meric, Karineli?"  Karineli nodded.  "Can you demonstrate with Garig?"  She hesitated for a moment then nodded.  Karineli reach for him, but shuddered as she touched him.  Garig concentrated as well, but after a moment he frowned and rubbed his head.  "What happened?" Tionne asked.

            "I hit something." Complained Garig.  "It hurt."  Karineli didn't say anything.  Touching Garig was like touching Luke, she didn't like either.  They continued for sometime before Tionne let them go, a puzzled expression on her face as she watched Karineli and Meric leave.  She had something to discuss with Luke later.

            Karineli arrived at the transmitter room.  There were a few other trainees loitering nearby.  A young woman sat at the consol she had long brown hair and brown eyes.  Her face looked vaguely familiar.  After a moment Karineli realized that she must be one of  the Solo twins.  They looked like their father.  Jaina smiled at Karineli.  "Can I do something for you?"  Karineli nodded. 

            "I am waiting for a transmission." 

            "Oh, you must be Karineli, Uncle Luke told me you would be coming.  Here's your message."  She handed her a data card.  Karineli held it for a moment then looked up at the brown haired girl.  Jania smiled again, "Don't worry, no one's seen it.  It is your message."  Jania looked at her more closely, "Where are you from and what's your last name?  I think I've met you somewhere."  Karineli shook her head.  "Thank you for my message."  She walked quickly from the room.  It was hard not to run all the way back to her room. 

            Jania stared after the girl, Karineli.  She was short with an intense face and dark hair.  She knew she had seen her somewhere, or someone with a face like hers.  If only she could remember. Jania sighed.  She had already asked Uncle Luke when he had told her to keep an eye out for the girl, but he hadn't told her much then and probably wouldn't now.  Even so…

            Karineli inserted the data card into the consol in her room.  Something made her nervous, a feeling.  Was this something of the Force?  She hoped not.  A recorded message began playing on the screen.  Karineli leaned forward.  It consolidated into a picture of her father.  He was in the Slave 1.  Smoke was filling the cockpit.  A bloody bandage was wrapped around his upper arm.  "Karineli, I am coming to Yavin 4 after I complete my task.  I will be bringing your mother."  The smoke made him start coughing.  "The damage isn't as bad as it looks.  My opponents came off much worse.  I will be seeing you soon.  Goodbye, my daughter." 

            For a moment Karineli didn't move, there were too many things rushing through her head.  She was going to meet her mother for the first time ever.  Her father was in danger, and the condition the Slave 1 was in!  It was almost beyond imagining.  She only hoped he would be safe until he got to Yavin 4.  Karineli wished she could be with him.  Soon though, he would be here soon.  She couldn't wait. 

            Far away in another system a ship plummeted to the planet's surface.  Inside the Slave 1 warning systems screamed.  Fett kept a tight control on what looked like an out of control crash.  He growled as the smoke obscured the viewplate.  Luckily he was almost down.  Fett pulled the Slave 1 out of it's descent bringing it down among the trees.  As soon as he had secured his ship Fett started for the town.  He hoped to get in before those following him arrived.  He had been attacked three times on planets throughout the galaxy and twice in space.  He had destroyed all the ships and most of the mercenaries.  The surviovors hadn't been able to give him any useful information though.  Still, he had to reach Syntas before they did. 

            It was night on the planet, the moist air surrounded him, there was little air moving to stir the thick tropical leaves of the forest around him.  The blaster burn on his arm ached but he ignored it.  All he had to do was get to Syntas.  The lights in the town could be seen dimly through the branches.  She was working at a cantina here.  He didn't think much of her taste. 

            The planet wasn't through with him yet though.  A cold rain began to fall.  Fett just glared at the run down town and gritted his teeth.  So concentrated was he on the rain, he almost didn't hear the blasters whine until it was too late.  He dived for the ground, coming up firing.  The first shot took his attacker in the shoulder, the next brought him down.  By this time they had surrounded him.  Fett climbed to his feet, he wished he had Karineli here, but this was the reason he had left her with the Jedi. 

            Fett didn't wait for them to attack.  His flamethrower coated several of them.  He took another with darts.  A man behind him thrust at him with a knife blade.  It was turned by his armor, but it cut into him anyway.  Another took the advantage of his distraction and fired his blaster at Fett.  He swung around using the man with the knife to catch most of the shot.  Another mercenary grabbed him as he fired more darts at the blaster-wielder.  He was spun around.  This time to face an enraged wookie, so much for wookie honor.  The wookie grabbed him by the throat.  Fett gagged and struggled.  He kicked him in the stomach and twisted out of his reach.  The wookie growled, but Fett followed up with a blaster shot.  The final mercenary was armed with a spiked club.  He caught Fett in the knee.  Fett responded with his own blaster.  As the man wavered and fell he reached for a tree for support. 

            At least he wasn't far from the town.  He hoped this was all of the mercenaries.  He wasn't sure he could handle another attack like that one.  Fett limped into the town.  He stayed in the shadows.  The sign of the Heart of the Bantha creaked in the wind.  Fett strode towards it.  Syntas would be here if they hadn't found her already.  He entered through the side door.  There was a Roadian at the bar.  Two muscle men stood in front of a door.  Fett could bet they weren't staff members.  Syntas would make it difficult for him. 

            The world spun slightly as he began to walk across the room, maybe he had been hurt worse than he thought.  He had to get Syntas now though.  "Where are you going?" one of the guards growled at him.  "I don't know you." 

            "I've just arrived.  The boss wants me to take over." 

            "Now wait a minute.  I'm not supposed to let anyone in here."  Fett stepped up close to him, "Are you going to argue with me?"  His voice was low and rougher than normal.  The guard swallowed hard and glanced at his partner who kept his eyes carefully away.  "Ahhh, I guess I'll let you in."

            Fett nodded coldly, trying not to limp as he entered the room, slamming the door behind him.  He glanced around the room looking for Syntas.  Then someone leaped on him from behind, jabbing him with a blade.  He whipped around to see Syntas' startled face.  "Syn…"  Somehow this seemed horribly unfair, fate didn't seem to have anything to do with justice.  Syntas caught him as he fell. 

            "Bo!  You're just lucky I saw you at the last minute and didn't push it in.  Can you stand?"  He nodded and she pulled him to his feet.  "So this is the way of it.  Our daughter?" 

            "Safe."  She relaxed and pulled his arm over her shoulder.  "Come on, I need your blaster."  He handed it to her.  "We're going to make a door."  She blasted a hole in the side of the building and pulled him through it.  "Where's the Slave 1?" 

            "Through the trees."  They had to go around a group of mercenaries once and Syntas smiled wirily when she saw the ones Fett had met.  They reached the Slave 1 without misshape.  A few of the mercenaries reached them here.  They had to run to the hatch.  Syntas took the piloting controls, and Fett collapsed on the bunk.  "So Bo, where to?"  She called down.

            "Yavin 4."

            "Yavin 4!  You left our daughter there!  You and I will have a talk when we get there."  She glanced back but Fett was unconscious.  She growled under breath.  It would be like him to do this to her.  She had seen the Slave 1 in better shape though too.  Syntas sighed; hopefully those mercenaries were through now.  When she got her hands on their boss he was going to wish he was already dead.  Being hounded for years was difficult for any hunter, even the best.  She glanced back at Fett; he looked tired now.  She hoped the Jedi would have medical equipment, and would be willing to share.   

            Meric stared at the sky.  It had been what seemed like a long time here on Yavin 4.  They were getting farther in their learning.  He could work well with Karineli.  He just wished he knew more about her.  He had some suspicions.  After all, she had arrived here on the same day as Boba Fett, maybe her family thought she had needed protection and had hired him as a bodyguard.  That didn't seem possible though.  He had seen her arguing with Master Luke a few times too, who else would dare to do that? 

            Something caught his eye as he looked out the window.  It was a ship coming in for a landing!  He jumped up and ran down the hall.  It looked like the Slave 1 too!  He had done some research after first seeing Boba Fett.  This had to be it.  He reached the landing pad just as it touched down.  The door slid open and a woman staggered out, supporting a figure in battered Mandorlorian armor. 

            "You!  Get the Jedi!"  She struggled to get the man down the ramp.  Meric knew it must be Boba Fett.  He gaped for a moment before turning and running back inside the temple.  "Master Luke! Master Luke!"  He nearly ran into him in the hallway.

            "Meric what's going on?"  Luke frowned at him.

            "It-it's Boba Fett!  He here!" 

            "Where?"

            "On the landing pad!" 

            "Go back to your room Meric."  Meric started after him.  Like he was going to do that!  They reached the landing pad.  Fett and the woman were approaching the temple now.  Fett's head jerked up when he saw Skywalker.  Meric was beginning to recover from his awe and he noticed Fett was looking even more battered than usual.  Bandages wrapped his knee, arm, and side.  Meric wondered who could have done that to him.   Fett didn't even seem to be conscious. 

            Luke ran up to help her support him, "What happened and who are you?"

            "Mercenaries had business with us.  My name is Syntas.  Do you have defenses and medical facilities?"

             "Yes, we have a planetary shield, and should be able to take care of both of you."  To Meric the woman had the same look as Fett.  He wouldn't want to mess with her.  "I can carry Fett."  She looked at him for a moment not understanding.  Luke carefully lifted Fett with the Force.  She looked uneasy, but didn't complain.  She glanced back at Meric and he swallowed hard. 

            "Get Karineli," For a moment Meric didn't move and she took a step towards him, "Now!"  Meric turned and fled.  As before, he didn't want to mess with her, Syntas.  He heard Luke comment as he ran, "I would appreciate it if you didn't frighten the students.  I don't think you want to advertise the fact that you're here and there are easier ways of getting their help." 

            It didn't take him long to reach Karineli's room.  She was sitting at her desk working on one of the strange instruments she put so much effort into.  When he banged into her room she glanced up at him.  "What's going on?" 

            "Fett's just landed in the courtyard and…!"

            She cut him off, "Where is he?  Is he alright?" 

            "He's hurt, Luke's taking him down to the med-room.  Hey!  Wait for me!"  Karineli was already racing down the hall.  Meric muttered under his breath as he took off after her, she always could out run him.

            Luke was worried.  They had taken care of Fett now.  He was lying in a bed deep in the temple, apparently asleep.  He had been unconscious the entire time.  Luke could understand, his lower leg and knee were a mess, he'd been stabbed and shot with a blaster.  Luke had been beaten up, but this wasn't something he wanted to experience, ever.  Karineli would be here soon, but the temple was a big place it took anyone some time to get anywhere.  He glanced at the woman again.  He still had no idea who she was. 

            "Who are you?"

            "I already told you, Syntas."

            "How do you know Fett and Karineli?  They don't seem to be very open with most people, but then again neither do you." 

            "How much did Fett tell you about them?"

            "Just that she was his daughter, and he was only leaving her with us because he had to do something unusually dangerous."  Syntas considered for a moment.

            "Did he ever tell you who Karineli's mother was?"  It took Luke a minute to catch her meaning, but when he did his jaw dropped.

            "But, how could…?"  The silence presence of Syntas and Fett's unconscious form ended his sentence.   Fetts!  Tioone walked in then, Synta' hand went to her blaster, and Tioone's to her lightsaber.  Luke stepped between them.  Their hands retreated, but they both watched each other warily. 

            "What's happened?"

            "Fett was injured, they came here for help.  Those who attacked them were pursuing."  She nodded, but didn't leave.  Obviously she had every intention of protecting him from Fett, even an unconscious and badly hurt Fett.  Syntas was checking over what they had done for Fett.  "Syntas, how do you know him?"

            "I met him at a school dance."  She saw Luke staring at her and smiled.  "No, you're right.  I doubt he ever attended anything such as that.  Let's just say we met on business."

            "You know, you are as bad as he is."  She just smiled and turned back to Fett's unconscious form.  Luke saw how gentle she was with him.  It was hard to believe she could be gentle with anyone.  He wondered if Fett was the same.  Right at this moment Karineli burst through the door.  She was panting.  Luke bet she had run all the way here.  Her eyes were wide and she looked worried. 

            "Is he all right?  What happened?"  She didn't even notice the woman standing next to her father's bed.  Syntas stared at her in amazement, and momentarily stretched out a hand, but dropped it back to her side.  Karineli didn't take her eyes off her father.  Her eyes checked him over thoroughly, and only relaxed when she had seen for herself that he was in stable condition. 

            Karineli whirled around and glared at Luke as if this was his fault.  Then Syntas caught her eye.  "Who are you?"

            "I'm Syntas.  I'm…"

            "Is this your fault?  Did you cause all of this?" She waved her arm at Fett's unconscious form. 

            "Well, I suppose you could say part of it was my fault.  He came to get me out.  We have…mutual friends."

            "How do you know my father?"  Karineli looked up at Syntas.  This was the most open Luke had seen her.  It must be the shock, then relief at seeing her father would be alright. 

            "I think you should ask him."  Syntas looked away, checking the monitors.  Hours passed with extreme slowness.  Luke dozed off after awhile, but the other two just watched each other and Fett. 

            Fett stirred slightly trying to remember where he was.  His head ached, as did the rest of him.  He shifted slightly and glanced up.  Most of his armor was gone, except his helmet.  He tried sitting up, but stopped immediately.  Pain shot up his side, and with it his memory returned in pieces.  He remembered finding Syn and being stabbed by her.  He also remembered some of the trip.  He had drifted in and out of consciousness all the way to…  To where?  He looked around.  Yavin four. 

            His movement had woken Karineli.  "Father?  Are you alright?"  He nodded slightly and she touched his hand.  "What happened?  I knew you shouldn't have left me here.  I could have…"  He waved her into silence.

            "This wasn't your fight.  I will be fine."  Karineli looked like she wanted to say more, but lapsed into silence.  Fett temporarily played with the idea of retiring while she sat quietly.  It was starting to hurt more than he liked to admit to do this.  He pushed it aside.  Not yet, Karineli wasn't ready yet. 

            "Who is she?"  Her voice surprised Fett and he looked over at Karineli.  "Who is Syntas?"  Karineli pointed.  Fett could see Syn curled in the corner asleep.  The Jedi was in the room too.  Syn opened her eyes as he watched her, stretched and looked at him. 

            "Is it time to tell her?"  He nodded. 

            "Karineli, do you remember anything about your mother?"

            "A little, just like I remember a little about you when I was little."  She sounded worried. 

            "Karineli, I told you I would bring your mother, correct?" 

            "Yes," her eyes were wide.

            "I am your mother Karineli."  Syntas came up and put her hand on Karineli's shoulder.  I couldn't be with you before.  It was too dangerous.  They have been hunting us for a long time."  Fett nodded.  Karineli looked almost dazed.  Syntas put her arms around her daughter.  For a moment Karineli stood stiffly, then buried her head in her mother's shoulder.