Hi all, got another chapter for you. Having a heat wave in greece how cool is that?????? Well anyway, basically that means it's too hot to do anything but go to the beach or lay by the pool on my laptop typing up this stuff so guess what, I've got 2 chapters here at once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, the next 2 are abit fraught, your in for a few suprises (ie the big twist I've been going on about for chapters. Look, the clues are all there) so don't read if you've got a delicate heart condition or anything. Watch out for a few familliar faces as well!

When he returned he went straight to her room.

"Hi" Kyia said, "Where did she take you?"

"Zen"

"Ooh" she said knowingly "The old 'the hydrolift has broken' routine?"

Obi Wan narrowed his eyes "What do mean the 'old routine'?"

"I expected her to be more original" she shrugged.

"You could have rescued me!"

Kyia smiled, obviously getting the desired reaction, she moved over to him "By saying what? Oh sorry Felle, stay away because I'm seeing him?" She sniggered "The only way she would have taken it was from you otherwise she would have chased you all the harder. If I'd have given you an out she would have worked out what's going on and everyone from here to the outer rim would have known by sunset"

Obi Wan was not sure he wanted to find out what being chased 'hard' by Felle was like "I think she got most of it anyway"

Kyia sighed, "I thought she might, she's very strong and you're not used to shielding your mind from everyone rather than those just carrying a lightsabre" She edged towards him but he was clearly still sulking "I've upset you haven't I?"

"No, it's just you seemed very willing to hand me over to Felle"

She put her arms around his neck "Couldn't resist, even you have to admit it was kinda funny. The look on your face…"

He scowled "So I end up embarrassed and feeling like a dumb initiate because I can't shield my mind properly. Tell me this thing of ours isn't obvious to everyone?"

Kyia kissed him, finding his insecurities endearing "Only to me" Sensing someone one coming she said "We're about to have company".



"May I" Iona Jay tilted her head as if listening for something "Speak to you alone?"

Kyia led her guest to the plush blue settee and ushered for Obi Wan to leave. "He's gone. Now what was so important that you could not discuss it in the meeting?"

"When is anything urgent ever discussed in the meeting?" She replied straight-faced, "This is politics, I did not want the others to hear".

"Okay shoot"

"There are stirrings amongst some of the Governors since Obi Wan's arrival concerning how close the Jedi is seen to be sticking by you"

Kyia laughed, "He's my bodyguard, he's supposed to stick close to me"

Iona exhaled in a half sigh "There in lies the problem, the mandate expressed in no uncertain terms that he stay as close to you as possible"

"How do you know" The Quelena interrupted, if Iona knew then most likely so did the rest of the Governors, "Forget it, I don't want to know".

"And certain individuals are concerned that he is including himself in your decision making processes as of orders from Coruscant" The Northern Sector representative continued "After the problems at Hellebore's light they do not trust him".

"Who's they?" Kyia asked

"Vagel Yyll" She tipped her head downwards feeling guilty that she was selling out her sector partner "Naplo Hanal, Ible Moss, and maybe Rew Tuvite, I'm not sure"

Kyia's eyes widened in surprise, but then again Rew had always resented in part the hold Coruscant had over the Jedi "What about Felle and Bis?"

"From what I can gather about Felle" Iona said "She may not like you but she does not think you easily controlled, especially not by him, I think those where her words" She let a smile linger on her lips "And as for Bis, I think you can count on him when it gets rough"

Kyia nodded "Good, Bis holds more weight than he realises, often being the first to desert a dying swamp warrat, the rest I can usually predict." She paused briefly to get Iona's full attention "Where do you stand?"

"You're too stubborn for a Jedi mind trick, or anything short of that"

Kyia smiled at her comment "I'm not going to refuse help that he can give me, he's the only one besides me with any Sith experience"

"I'm not saying you should" Iona added "Just that you should be careful. The majority is on your side, and even though you don't like it, as Quelena you do not need their approval to pass a motion, but unity is important in trying times".

"I know that" said Kyia "Inviting them to sit in on the council meeting may not have been the most tactically brilliant decision I have ever made, but I was trying to keep the session passive, and I stand by that" She stopped and dropped her voice "However, I'll try and keep him out of the spotlight from now on".

Iona faced her head on, grazing over Kyia's eyes "Who is it? Why are we preparing for war?"

"I'm preparing for the worst" She countered quickly

"No" Iona shook her head, cutting through Kyia's comment "The others may have been convinced by that, but I, and I'm certain Bis didn't"

Kyia sat up straight and raised her head "I'm afraid you are going to have to wait a while for the answer to that one"

Iona turned her head towards the floor "Just answer me one thing, truthfully. How bad is it?"

"Bad"

"I thought so," She whispered. There was a brief hesitation before she straightened herself up "Can we survive past it?"

Kyia placed a hand on hers, with absolute certainty she replied, "There is always hope".

"Then" Her companion rose "I believe I have work to do".

Kyia nodded her head as if to give permission but Iona had already turned to gingerly feel her way through the doorway.

The light on the view screen in Obi Wan's room blinked red indicating a message had been left for him. Attentively he switched it on.

"I need air" Kyia said to herself before descending to the gardens. Sensing the change in her friend by the end of their discussion had deflated her, she had meant to reassure but somehow 'everything will be fine' would not pass her lips. Once outside she took a deep breath and crouched next to one of the pools. Reproachfully she touched the water's surface with her fingertips and watched as the ripped spread outwards coinciding with the blue tones creeping up her arm. Eventually she turned, not sure how long she had been there. The footsteps that had broken her out of her reverie caused her to stand and meet Obi Wan.

"Trouble?" He asked mutedly

She smiled softly "No, just warning me of something I should have already known. Iona may be not have sight but she sees more than most people I know".

"She's blind?"

Kyia nodded, sensing a change in him "What's the matter?"

His head snapped up to look at her, but the question made it loll back down again "Anakin and I have been recalled".

She was not surprised; she really was not, but somehow it had caught her off guard, "I thought they would, after what Master Yoda said" She let her voice drop, and a wall rise. This was it; the end of the infatuation, Kyia had always hated goodbyes "It had to happen sooner or later".

"Yes it did" Obi Wan nodded and withdrew too; it was what they had silently promised each other. No acknowledgement of anything that could have been, just a calculated mental handshake like the ending of a business partnership that had they both outgrew.

Anakin trotted up beside them and Kyia reached out and ruffled his hair "Take care of him for me Anakin, I know what a perchance he had of getting himself into trouble"

The apprentice laughed "Tell me about it"

Obi Wan smiled thin-lipped "Keep out of trouble yourself Kyia"

She nodded "I'll try"

"Do or do not" The Jedi replied, reciting Master Yoda as if they needed reminding that they what they both were "There is no try".

"Of course"

"Goodbye Kyia" Obi Wan spoke firmly

"See you around Kyia" Anakin added, blissfully ignorant of the undertones of the parting.

She replied with just as firmly "Goodbye"

Obi Wan put his hand in the small of his padawan's back, still feeling her eyes on him as he walked away.

"Don't turn around" She whispered inaudibly, a lump had risen in her throat and for reasons unknown to her she did not want him to look back at her. Although he could not hear her request or feel its message he kept walking unfalteringly until they reached the landing bay where the pilot of the Super Nova had returned for them.