Cillian - (KEEL-yan) "war or strife." *You might want to remember this guy in the future *G*

Chapter 15

It was around noon the next day when Alex received word that he would be leaving early the next morning for his mission. He watched Meri's face carefully as he told her, but not a flicker of emotion showed. She simply said, "Yes, Master," then continued with her lessons.

One of Alex's black eyebrows arched in mild surprise and it was while he was pondering her sudden acceptance of his decision that the door buzzed. Turning, he walked distractedly to the door and palmed the switch, all the while wondering at his apprentice's change of heart. The moment the door whisked open, though, he was immediately alert.

Standing before him was Cillian Kaeton, an eighteen-year-old padawan who was known as a ladies man. Standing at around 5'10, he had short, curly, blond hair and deep blue eyes, which were set in baby face features.

"I've come to see Meri," he told Alex carelessly.

Alex's blue eyes narrowed. It wasn't "May I see her," or "Master Arieh can I please speak to your apprentice." Instead he was *telling* Alex he had come to see Meri. Kaeton's cocky attitude didn't go over well with Alex, neither did the fact that even though the Temple's rules forbade intimate relationships between padawans, Cillian Kaeton made a point of breaking that rule as a game. Although he'd never been caught in the act, he boasted about it to his friends and rumors spread quickly. Alex knew for a fact that the Council had spoken to the boy's master on occasion. Every girl was a conquest in Kaeton's sight, and Alex wasn't about to allow the upstart to pursue his apprentice in the same manner.

"She's not available right now, Padawan Kaeton," Alex said coolly, his ice-blue eyes staring down intently into the deep blue of the shorter young man.

Cillian's eyes glanced behind the tall Jedi Master's back and happened to catch sight of the slender form of Meri. His eyes brightened and with a smug grin, he focused once more on the cold eyes staring down on him. "I know she's here. I just saw her," he said impudently.

"I didn't say she wasn't here. I said she can't speak with you right now," Alex answered evenly. Either the boy was dense or he didn't care about the message the Jedi Master was sending in his words.

"Well, why don't you ask her?" The words came out in a challenging and insolent tone.

Alex smiled faintly and leaned slightly forward, his voice low. "Let me make this easy for you, Padawan Kaeton. *I* don't want you to have anything to do with my apprentice. Understood?"

Cillian simply smiled at Alex coolly. "Of course, Master Arieh. I understand perfectly." Giving a short nod with his head, Cillian turned on his heel and swaggered away down the hall.

Alex watched; his jaw clenched at the outright disrespect from the padawan. He knew the boy would bear some watching and that this wouldn't be the last he would see of him. No doubt, he would try to win Meri's attention elsewhere. It didn't sit well with Alex, knowing he was about to leave and that Kaeton was on the prowl.

// What in heavens name did she do to attract that boy's attention. // Then he remembered her display in the padawan's recreational room. "I still don't know what the sith she was doing," he muttered under his breath turning back into their quarters. He came face to face with his apprentice. By the look on her face, he knew she had heard his last uttered words, but she only looked at him curiously.

"Master, may I go see Obi-Wan?"

Alex paused to think about it. Maybe if he let her, it would take her mind of him leaving. There was something about the way she was acting that bothered him. Sighing, he shrugged mentally, maybe seeing Obi-Wan would help her. "I suppose so, Padawan. Be back in time for our sparring lesson this afternoon."

She nodded. "Yes, Master." With the quickly muttered words, she rushed out of the apartment before he could see the credits she had clutched in her hand.

***

With Alex's transport scheduled to leave in the early hours of morning, goodbyes were to be said that night. After packing the few things he would need, the knight headed for the main room.

Meri stood looking out the window, dressed for bed. She was pointedly going to ignore his presence for as long as she could possibly get away with. He sighed within. It didn't take a genius to see she was angry with him. Her very stance and mannerisms conveyed that message quite well, never mind the shields she had erected.

For a long moment, he stood simply looking at her, willing her to turn and speak to him, but her back remained stiff, with only her side features visible.

He tried to reach her through their bond, but the shields she had up prevented him. "I'll be all right, you know? I'll come back."

Nothing, no reaction, no words. It hurt. "Meri, look at me...please?" he entreated, his lilting voice laced with slight hurt.

Slowly she turned to face him, but kept her eyes averted towards the floor. He felt like he had been taken back to when she had first become his apprentice and refused to look him in the eye. Why was she refusing now and acting like a child?

A surge of irritation ran through him and he reached out and tilted her chin up with a less than gentle touch. "Look at me," he said roughly.

With a sharp intake of breath, she did so, her brown eyes locking with his blue ones. Neither one knew what to say, though a hundred words seemed trapped on their tongues. He wanted to apologize for hurting her, for leaving her behind even though he knew it was best, and she wanted to beg and plead him not to go, to ask it of someone else, someone who wasn't her Master. But both remained silent, their eyes searching and studying the other's face until finally Meri took a step back.

"Go," she breathed, then backed up another step, lest he see the truth in her eyes. "Just go."

Alex watched in confusion as his apprentice left the room quickly, heading for her room. Something deep within him stirred, giving quiet warning.

Little did he know the fire their relationship was about to endure.

Sleep seemed to evade Alex that night and after a few hours of trying to sleep he gave up and began reading a data pad of Dubh nán's history and for the most part, it was a gruesome tale. It made him wonder if after all this time they would ever find peace, Jedi Ambassador or not. Before he knew it, the chrono on his desktop indicated it was time for him to leave.

Sighing heavily, he picked up the one bag he was taking with him and stepped out of his room, closing the door behind him. As he passed Meri's room, he paused, his hand resting near the switch that would open it. Giving a soft shake of his head, he dropped his hand and moved on. As much as he wanted a last image of her to hold in his memory, a peaceful image, he didn't want to wake her. Not after last night. He couldn't even sense her clearly, so strong she was shielding. It would just make things harder than they already were if he were to do so.

Leaving a light set on low in the room, he gave one last glance around the apartment, and then stepped out into the dark, quiet hall.