A/N: Haha, sorry for the cliffhanger! It was necessary though. Hehe. Thank you so much for your wonderful encouraging reviews, Countess Jackman, ButterCowLuvr and Al Bhed Slayer. And yes, I'm hyped too! Getting very very excited, although unfortunately, I can't see it until June because of my assessments. So here's chapter thirteen for you - only five more after this to go!

Chapter Thirteen: Questions

Tsena opened her eyes slowly. All she could see was light.

She blinked, and she could see white walls.

Another blink, and she became aware that she was lying on a bed.

She turned her head, and there was her Master, asleep in a chair.

Tsena was confused. Where was she? How did she get here? Why was she here?

Suddenly, Jovarii jerked awake, and upon seeing her Padawan's questioning face, burst into tears – a display of emotion incredibly uncharacteristic of the normally expressionless Jedi.

"Master, why are you crying?" Tsena asked, taking her hand. She looked around. "Why am I in the Temple medcentre?"

Jovarii brushed away her tears and stared at Tsena, eyes red from weariness and crying. "You died," she whispered. Tsena shivered, a chill running down her spine. "You died, but now you're alive." Jovarii slowly shook her head, her eyes never leaving Tsena's face. She began to cry again, gripping her Padawan's hand tightly. "How did you come back to us?"

Slowly, Tsena's memory returned to her. She remembered her dreams, and what she had realised they meant. She saw herself taking the shot meant for Anakin. She heard those strange, yet familiar words – 'emin talu raya'. And she saw that black mask, that red blade…

"I wasn't alive…but it didn't seem as if I were dead," Tsena recounted slowly. "I saw…something. And then everything went black."

The door slid open, and Obi-Wan and Yoda walked in. Obi-Wan's shoulder was bandaged, and he limped slightly. Tsena could sense their gladness when they saw her awake.

Jovarii quickly dried her eyes. "Master Yoda, Obi-Wan," she greeted them. Obi-Wan walked over to her. Tsena could see that they were communicating silently through the Force. She was puzzled. She hadn't been aware that her Master shared such a strong bond with obi-Wan.

She turned to Yoda. "Master Yoda, I am glad to see you," she smiled.

Yoda tapped her gently with his cane. "Glad to see anything, you are."

She nodded, then glanced at Jovarii. She wanted to speak with Yoda about what had happened, but she was not sure her Master was ready to hear it.

Yoda turned to Jovarii. "Tired, you are, I feel. Rest, you must have," he said. "To the Temple gardens go, and be at ease. Obi-Wan, accompany her, you may."

Jovarii and Obi-Wan nodded and left the room, Jovarii giving her Padawan a wobbly smile over her shoulder that was only a shadow of her former smirk.

Tsena pulled herself up to a sitting position. "Master," she began. "I need to know why I'm…alive."

Yoda twitched his ears. "Yes. Need to know why, we all must."

"There is something I must do, but to do it I must understand what has happened to me," she continued. "Master Yoda, who are my parents?"

The short Jedi Master considered her for a moment. "Find your parents, you must, hmm?"

"Yes, Master," Tsena answered. "Aside from the obvious, I'm perfectly healthy, and fine to travel. And before I…died, I kept hearing my mother saying 'emin talu raya'. I'm sure the words are significant, and I know that she would know what they mean."

Yoda nodded. "Understand, I do. See them, you must," he agreed. "A unique case, you are. To your parents, we will send you. Tomorrow, you will leave."

Tsena nodded. "Thank you, Master Yoda."

He left the room, leaving Tsena to her thoughts. She smiled at the thought of seeing her parents for the first time in nineteen years. They could tell her how she was still alive, she knew it.

She slipped out of the bed and walked steadily to the door. She had to see Anakin.

Tsena stared at Anakin's mechanical arm as he lay on the bed in one of the medcentre rooms. She reached out and touched it gently, the metal feeling cool against her skin.

How can someone so beautiful, so good, turn to the Dark side? she wondered, gazing into his sleeping face. She shuddered as she thought of the dark figure she had seen – the Sith lord who was not the Anakin she knew.

I will not let you turn into that, Anakin, she vowed. I will prevent it from happening. It is not – it will not be – you.

She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, then sat back and watched as he stirred and opened his eyes.

When Anakin saw Tsena sitting before him, looking as beautiful and healthy as the day he met her, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"I must be dreaming," he breathed. He stared at her as he might stare at a vision or a ghost.

She smiled, took his hand and pressed it to her lips. "You're not dreaming, Anakin," she said, holding his hand in both of hers.

"I have to be. You can't be…here. I was there when you died – I felt you leave…"

"Anakin. I'm as real as you are." I don't know how, but I'm alive. I'm here. She bent down and kissed him lightly, and as soon as their lips touched, Anakin knew.

"But…how?" he asked hoarsely.

Tsena shook her head. "I don't know." She gripped his hand a little harder. After a while, she spoke again. "Tomorrow, I'm going to see my parents – I'm sure they know something about…this."

Anakin slowly nodded. "I understand."

"I don't' know how long I'll be gone, but I want you to promise me that you won't do anything…stupid."

"I promise," Anakin said, slightly puzzled.

Tsena gave a small smile. "Really? Because I seem to remember that the last time you promised me that, you got yourself sentenced to death on Geonosis."

He grinned. "It all turned out for the best," he countered. His smile faded a little. "I swear to you I will keep out of trouble, as long as you do the same. I lost you once already, and it almost killed me."

"I almost lost you and it did kill me," she tried to joke. She saw the look on his face and swept him into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Anakin."

"What for?"

"For scaring you, for hurting you. And I promise you I won't do it again."

He leaned back and gently stroked her cheek. "It's okay, Tsena. I don't blame you. And we'll both stay out of trouble."

She smiled at him. "Okay." I love you.

I love you too.

"How are you feeling?" Obi-Wan asked Jovarii gently as they walked into the Temple gardens.

Jovarii gave a faint smirk. "All over the place," she answered. She drew a hand across her eyes and chuckled mirthlessly. "I've cried more in the last week or so than I have in my entire life." She glanced at her companion, and he caught the meaning in the look.

"Jovarii –" he began.

She held up a hand to stop him. "I know," she interrupted. "I wasn't going to re-open the discussion. Don't worry." She knelt down on the grass, and he followed suit. "Look, Obi-Wan – I'm always going to care about and love you. But I understand that we can't be together. And I can live with that."

Obi-Wan nodded, and Jovarii detected a faint hint of relief and sadness sin the small smile on his lips.

He feels the same way, she realised. He knows we can't be together, but he still cares.

They were silent for a minute, meditating on the Force. Presently, Obi-Wan broke the silence.

"How is Tsena? Does she know what happened?"

"She is remarkably well, for someone who's supposed to be dead," Jovarii said with a half-smile. "She doesn't know how she came back to life. She remembers dying – then she told me she saw something, and everything went black. She didn't say what she saw."

"Understandable," he commented. He closed his eyes. "She's coming now."

Tsena walked quietly over and joined the Jedi on the grass.

"Hello, Master Obi-Wan," she greeted.

"Hello Tsena," he responded, opening his eyes. "You went to see Anakin, didn't you?"

"Yes. Why didn't anyone tell him I was alive?"

"He was unconscious when we brought him to the medcentre," Jovarii put in. "When he woke up, he was only awake for a few seconds. Then he fell asleep. It was almost as if he didn't want to wake up."

"Oh." Didn't want to wake up? Could it have been because of…me?

"What is it that you wish to tell me, Padawan?" Jovarii asked.

"Tomorrow I'm leaving to see my parents," Tsena told her. "I know that they can tell me why I'm still alive."

"You're going alone?" asked Obi-Wan. Tsena nodded.

Jovarii narrowed her eyes. "Is it safe?"

"They live on Teranis, Master. It's one of the most peaceful systems in the Republic," she reassured her.

"Make sure you keep safe, Padawan. I don't want you to have to eat your words while you're there," Jovarii said, twisting her mouth into a faint smirk.

Tsena easily saw through her master's attempt at light heartedness. "I will, Master," she said sincerely. "I won't cause you any more pain."

I don't want to cause anyone any more pain.

Anakin walked along with Tsena to the hangar, carrying her bags. Ahead of them, their Masters were deep in conversation.

Anakin took a deep breath. He had spent the whole night thinking, and now he had something important to say to Tsena.

"Tsena?"

"Mmm…?" she answered, a little distracted. Her mind was obviously focused on what she would say to her parents when she landed on Teranis.

"I want to marry you."

Tsena stopped dead and stared at him. "You want to what?"

"I want to marry you," he repeated. He watched her anxiously, trying to gauge her emotions.

"But it's forbidden," she half-whispered. Anakin was relieved to note that this seemed to be her only objection.

"We could keep it a secret," he suggested. "Nobody needs to know."

"Anakin, we couldn't keep a secret that huge from the Jedi. One way or another, they would find out! It's bad enough that we're disobeying the Code by being together, but –"

"What do you mean, 'bad enough'?" Anakin cut in, angry and hurt. "You think it's bad that we're together? You think it's bad that we love each other?"

"No, Anakin, that's not what I mean!" She was becoming a little distressed. Anakin had never been this angry with her before. "I just think that maybe we should wait. Maybe the Council will grant us special permission, with you being the Chosen One and me – well, I'm supposed to be dead."

He stared at her for a moment longer. She looked into his eyes, and to her relief, felt his anger subside.

"You're right," he admitted.

"We can just take one thing at a time," she said. They continued to walk to the waiting ship. She thought for a second, then turned to Anakin.

"Anakin, there's nothing I would love more than to be your wife. And when I come back, when I've done all I have to do, when you have done what you have to do, and if the Council grants us permission – then we can get married."

"But that could be years from now!" he argued.

"It's all we can do." She stopped again, and placed a hand on his cheek. "I love you, Anakin, and I don't want to jeopardize our relationship or our futures by rushing into something we're not ready for."

Finally, he relented. "All right, Tsena. Just as long as I know that someday you'll be my wife."

She smiled. "I will," she promised.

They caught up to their Masters, and Anakin handed Tsena her bags.

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan said.

"And with you, Master Obi-Wan," Tsena returned, smiling. She turned to Anakin. "Good-bye, Anakin. Don't be a fool while I'm gone, and get your other arm sliced off." She did not kiss him or embrace him for fear that their Masters would discover their relationship. She moved in front of Jovarii. "I will see you soon, Master. And I will return with answers."

"May the Force be with you," Jovarii said, and she gave her Padawan a brief hug. "Keep safe."

Tsena smiled at the three Jedi, then walked into the ship. The questions had been asked – and now, she had to find the answers.