A/N: Hey dudes. I didn't want to have to do this again, but I'm so sorry I'm a couple days late on posting...again. It really wasn't my fault though. I was outta town on Monday and when I went to update yesterday, the net wouldn't let me log in. Sorry:( Okay, now...a lot of you have been asking the same question lately, so I'm just gonna explain it all now instead of writing the same thing for each person. Anakin is not a direct character in this story...nor is Padme. Yes, Anakin is still Obi-Wan's padawan, but...well, all the questions you may have about him and where he is will be answered in the next chapter. Please be patient with me. I promise, everthing will be explained soon:) Now for the shoutouts...

kenjigirl: Yes, I know you luv him:) But...well, you already know. Meesa sorry...he's too young for you in this one;) Thankx for reviewin'.

Relyan: Ohh...I'm so glad you picked up on that! Thankx:) I was always thinking like, what about like my folks and friends reading this who may not know every little detail about the SW universe, so I wanted to be able to explain what everything is and what its purpose is. Thankx again for reviewing:)

ZELINIA: Thank you so much for letting me use your phrase! You'll find Zeru saying it near the end of this chap:) But yeah, on the other note, I definitely agree with you about the pain of loosing someone never really going away. I lost my Grandda about 3 years ago now, and it still hurts too. I'm glad you really like Zeru though. Haha...'colorful' is a good description of him;) The friend I modeled him after is quite 'colorful' too. Always nice hearing from you:)

Hermonie Fear: I explained a little bit of it above, but all the details of his story will be explained in the next chapter. Thankx for reading!

Rachel Sparrow: Cool:) I'm glad you like it! Thankx much for reviewin'. Oh, and look above to my note about Anakin, and for Padme, well I can pretty much tell you that she's not in it at all. Sorry:( Since my plot line really has nothing to do with Naboo and she most likely is still the Queen, I wasn't able to fit her in anywhere. Hope to hear from you again!

Sailor Elf: Aww...thankx so much for that:) It made my ego shine for a sec;) And don't worry, it might take me a little while till I'm outta school for the year, but I'll definitely be working this one all the way to it's end. Thankx again:)

Ara Goddess of the Broken: Really? You think so::blushes: You always know just the right thing to say, don't you?;) Thank you so much for the wonderful compliment though. And I will definitely keep your advice in mind when working on a career in writing. Thankx so much again! Your reviews are always loved and highly appreciated:)

JEDIKNIGHT32: Thankx:) I'm really glad you're still enjoying this.

A/N2: Whew...okay, did I get everybody? I'm really lovin' all these great reviews guys! They're all so encouraging! Thank you all so much:) Alright, now for a little disclaimer for you all: The perfect phrase 'floating-ball-o-fun' used within this chapter was created by ZELINIA, who's kindly letting me use it in my story. Now, onto the chap...

Chapter 6:
Storytelling and Training--

Once comfortable and relaxed among the cushioned chairs and pillowed couch of the common room, Obi-Wan began retelling his and Zeru's story. He leaned back into his chair and took a quick sip of his cooling tea. "I suppose the whole story started about ten years ago on Zeru's home planet of Shalake'..."

Like any good storyteller, Obi-Wan took his time in building the interest of his audience, albeit as small as it was. "I was your normal run-of-the-mill Jedi padawan on a negotiation mission with my master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Zeru here was the son of the Shalake'an Ambassador." Obi-Wan and Zeru both laughed softly at their bundle of good memories. "He had heard about my master's and my arrival and decided to try and play a little...joke on me."

"Haha...somehow I'm not surprised." Khyra laughed at the mischievous expression floating over Zeru's face.

"What?" Zeru feigned a whine. "It's not like I really got away with it."

"Yes well, he was close enough." Obi-Wan continued gingerly. "While his father showed my master and I around the government's palace, Zeru was busy in the room I'd be staying in setting up a very...devious trap. Later that afternoon, while my master was out with the Ambassador, I went into my room to settle in. Well, I went into the fresher to wash up a bit and when I turned the faucet of the sink, the nozzle popped off and sprayed a bright red ink all over me!" Obi-Wan laughed harder at the memory.

"It was priceless!" Zeru took over. "He yelled like a little girl and scrambled to turn off the water. Haha..." through the story, he was finding it harder to speak through his laugh. "Once he had finally figured out how to turn it off, I'll never forget the look on his face. It was like he had just seen a very large, very mean Gorba rat!"

"Wait," Khyra interjected. "If you set the trap on him, shouldn't you have been somewhere far away from him when he set it off?"

"Well yes...that would have been the smart thing, but I was only eleven at the time. Smart wasn't really my thing."

Obi-Wan shook his head at a witty saying surging through his thoughts. "Wasn't? Who ever said you got over it?"

The scorn on Zeru's face shown fake and full of amusement, but somehow he managed to make his normally high voice quite a convincing low tone. "Oh ha ha. Very funny."

"Okay, so what happened?" Khyra asked with great anticipation.

"Well, after I managed to clear my thoughts a bit, I was able to easily pick up on Zee's presence. Turns out, he was hiding in a closet just outside the fresher door." Obi-Wan started up again; rubbing in how easily he found his friend all the while.

"What did you do?"

"Ahh...I chased him around for a bit; threatened him with my lightsaber; nothing too serious."

"Oh really? Somehow I remember it a bit differently." Zeru interrupted. "After spraying me all over with the dye too, he dragged me by my feet out to a nasty mud pile in the back of the palace's barn and got me stuck in it!"

Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders and looked at a giggling Khyra with that inhumanly charming smile. "Like I said...nothing too serious."

"Haha...okay, so, after that I'm guessing you two just became best friends?"

For a reason she did not yet know, the smiles on both the men's faces slowly began to fade. "Actually, we really didn't like each other after that incident," said Obi-Wan. "but a few months later, Zeru's planet erupted in a war with a neighboring planet. My master and I went to rescue Zee and the royal family before it was too late, but in the end...we only managed to rescue him."

"I'm so sorry Zee..." Khyra knew she didn't have to, but she still felt the need to express some kind of condolence.

"That's alright. I'm just glad that at least I was able to make it out alive." Zeru's tone was much softer know, with good reason.

"So am I." the shame in Obi-Wan's voice could be heard by all three before he thought it best to change the subject. "Ironically enough, after the battle, Zee had no where else to go, so he ended up staying with us as a mechanic at the Jedi temple. After a while, we got really tight...and well, here we are."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You guys have some history together." Khyra sighed; leaning back into the couch as she did.

"We sure do." a quiet moment of serene silence covered the air in the Cruiser for a moment before anyone again spoke or moved.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I think I'm gonna go hit the sack for the night." Zeru suddenly yawned out as he stood from his chair.

"Good idea." Obi-Wan agreed and turned his sparkling gaze to a sleepy Khyrana. "You've had a long day too milady. I suggest you get some sleep. Tomorrow, you begin your training."

"Training?" the thought perked up Khyra's weary mind.

"Yes. You are quite strong in the force, but you still have yet to learn how to properly use your abilities." the young Jedi smiled and bowed respectfully as he had always done. "Good night, Khyra."

"'Night Obi-Wan." after watching her new friends disappear behind the closed doors of their quarters, Khyra once again leaned back into the couch and sighed heavily. With a soft, tired moan escaping her lips, she took a hand to the bridge of her nose and massaged it gently. 'What a week. Certainly the most eventful—'

"Bugger!" her thoughts were pulled into a barely audible reprimand as she remembered something she had long forgotten. 'Bloody, stupid. I promised Hagan I'd meet him at the site yesterday!' forgetting the other events of late, Khyra worried her job on Earth as an architectural linguist was over because of her missing an important meeting.

It didn't take her long for her momentarily-lost memory to return through the cobwebs of her tired thoughts. She smiled ironically the thought. 'Well, I guess it doesn't really matter anymore now, does it. I wonder if I made the news?'

After relaxing in a deep thought for quite some time, the calming call of sleep began to tug at Khyra's consciousness to the point of nearly overwhelming her. Shaking off all her unanswered thoughts and questions, she stood slowly from the couch and made her way to her quiet room and (very lazily) into her bed where she quickly fell into a peaceful slumber.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was early. Too early, for Khyra's tastes. But she woke, nonetheless, to a soft knock on her door. "Khyra?" the calm voice of a cheerful Obi-Wan flooded into her ears; awaking her from her light slumber. "It's morning, if you'd like to join us."

Still half-asleep, Khyra didn't answer but instead fell from her side to her back on the comfortable bed. She groaned sleepily and massaged the bridge of nose while squeezing her eyes of the sleepiness deep within them. "I'm in another galaxy, and morning's still suck...go figure." she mumbled to herself.

Slowly, the sleep deprived young woman made her way out of the warmth of the bed and entered the fresher to wash and dress.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Out in the common room, Zeru and Obi-Wan both sat in casual conversation over a cup of coffee. "...I don't know bro. Are you sure Akina's still on our side? I mean, I know we've both known her for a long time, but nobody's even had contact with her in nearly eight months. Isn't it possible that Sylo could have gotten to her?" Zeru took it on the liberty of himself to make an argument with his best friend.

"I don't think so, Zee. I have a very strong feeling she's still fighting strong for the Republic. She won't let us down...don't worry."

"Obi-Wan, you know I never mean any disrespect to you, the Jedi, or the Force, because you've never been wrong. But don't you think we should least take into consideration the possibility?"

"Yes, and I have. If she has betrayed us, we will find a way around it. The Force will make sure—" with a quick jolt in his senses with the approaching presence of Khyra, Obi-Wan cute short his sentence. "Hello there." he chirped happily.

Through a yawn that sounded like the cry of a large shaak from Naboo to Zeru, Khyra did her best to sound cheerful. "'Morning." Obviously, she wasn't a morning person.

Not attempting to hide his smile, Obi-Wan almost chuckled at the slight mess that was Khyra's wet hair. From the way she had it done up before, no one could have guessed that it, when undone, reached nearly past her waste. "I trust you slept well?"

"Yeah...pretty good actually." she answered while making her way to a chair near across from Zeru.

"Coffee?" Zeru asked before pouring a fresh glass full.

"Yes please."

With a mug filled nearly to the brim, Zeru handed Khyra her coffee. "I don't know what you're used to in the mornings, but this might taste a little different."

"Thanks." Khyra spoke simply; cupping the mug in her hand before settling comfortably into her chair. Taking a sip of the deep brown liquid, Khyra's senses went wild with the taste of Miganberry flowers and Wisther nuts she compared to a mix of Hazelnuts and an exotic vanilla.

After a few peaceful moments of early morning silence in hyperspace, Obi-Wan began to speak with full attention on Khyra. "So, are you ready to begin your training?"

With one last sip of her coffee to finish off the now-empty mug, Khyra smiled. "I guess we'll find out now won't we?"

"I suppose so." Obi-Wan smiled.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

With her hair tied back into a somewhat organized knot and her robe wrapped loosely around her slender form, Khyra stood in an empty room across from Obi-Wan. She watched curiously as he dug through a small case. After watching for a few moments, Khyra took a step back to make room for a standing Obi-Wan. "Here we are." he said; holding out two unknown objects.

There was an armored metal type ball and a metal tube-like device very similar to the ones she had seen on Obi-Wan's and the other's belts.

"This," Obi-Wan began while handing the tube to Khyra. "is a weapon called a lightsaber."

Taking the now-named lightsaber in hand, Khyra raised a quizzical brow. "This, is a weapon?" she smirked. "What do you do, hit people on the head with it?"

A stifled laugh came from a carefree Zeru as he sat on a chair near the room's door and thought of a funny mental picture from Khyra's almost sarcasm.

"No," Obi-Wan smiled and effortlessly pushed a small black ignition switch near the middle of the weapon's hilt. Almost instantly, a low hum grew from inside the lightsaber as a bright blue laser shot out from the handle.

"Whoa..." Khyra stared in awe at the captivating blue creating a five foot blade from hilt to end. "Dude, that's way cool."

Zeru and Obi-Wan joined in a happy laugh before Obi-Wan managed to gain the composure to speak. "Yes, I suppose 'way cool' is a good way to describe it. But," he pause to deactivate the 'saber with another push of the black switch. "it is very dangerous. A lightsaber's blade can cut through any known substance, save for the blade of another lightsaber."

With Khyra's awe still very well intact, Obi-Wan handed her the 'saber. "Be very careful with it."

With the hilt of the 'saber in hand, Khyra let it roll over her palm until she found a comfortable fit. "Amazing..."

Obi-Wan broke her sentence as he held up the circular object still in hand and set a series of orders through its small control pad. "Now, this is a training sphere made to help train Jedi's in the use of a lightsaber. It works something like a floating stun blaster."

"Yeah, otherwise known as the evil 'floating-ball-o-fun.'" Zeru mumbled sarcastically.

"So, what do I do?" Khyra asked; rightfully ignoring Zeru's last statement.

While continuing to set a group of small buttons and switches on the training sphere, Obi-Wan continued explaining. "I want you to use your force abilities to sense the attacks of the sphere and use the lightsaber to deflect them."

"And how exactly do I do that?"

"Just feel through it. Let yourself trust your feelings and instincts," Obi-Wan paused as the sphere lifted from his hand and floated peacefully around the room. "Let the Force guide you. Move swiftly, but stay in control."

"Right..." Khyra began (mostly to herself); igniting the 'saber with an ease that made the somewhat awkward movement seem natural. "swift; control; Force." Reading herself to begin, she smirked mischievously and took the only defensive stance she thought reasonable. "Sounds easy enough."

Obi-Wan smiled and backed away from the center of the training area. "Yes, but do not allow yourself to become cocky."

"You're starting to sound like the old troll, bro." Zeru laughed quietly of the growing similarities between his old friend and Master Yoda (who he had so kindly nicknamed 'the old troll').

With a sarcastic grin to Zeru and approving nod to Khyra, the training sphere jolted into its attack mode.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

With a swift and perfectly accurate shot, the training sphere began the battle.

The bright green blast charged forward like a speeding jet in the sky toward its mark of Khyra's left shoulder. That 'perfect' shot never made its mark though as Khyra spryly raised the 'saber and blocked the blast with a speed only possible for a seasoned Jedi.

Again and again, Khyra found herself blocking and moving like she never knew she could. Left to right; right to left. The blaster spat out bullet-like lasers as eagerly as a winning lotto machine spitting out coins to its victor. But alas for the blaster, it never once made its mark.

Meanwhile, Khyra stood, panting lightly at her spherical foe. True, she was tired, but no where near as tired as she should have been...not for someone so inexperienced in the Force.

"Very good, Khyra." Obi-Wan stopped the battle between the sphere and Khyra with a swift pull from the Force to deactivate the little blaster. 'Now," he continued; holding up a long piece of thin-cut cloth that appeared to come from nowhere. "Do the same thing, blindfolded."

Invigorated with her success with the Jedi weapon Khyra was eager to accept the challenge and nodded for Obi-Wan to tie the cloth over her eyes.

Knowing there was no way she could see through the cloth, Obi-Wan tied one last securing knot over her hair and reactivated the blaster.

With just, if not even more, ease as before, Khyra spun and twirled around the room; following a very outdone training sphere around the room. The sound of clashing lasers and the deep hum of the 'saber was all that could be heard as lights of blue and green reflected off the shining white walls of the room.

"She's good." Zeru muttered dumbfoundedly.

"Yes, very." came Obi-Wan's quiet reply. 'Curious,' Obi-Wan pondered silently. 'she might just be able to pull this off after all.'

A/N3: Wow...three author notes in one chap...that must be some kind of record or something;) Haha...well, I hope everyone enjoyed this one, and don't forget to review before you go:) Next up: Arival at Mybis. See yawl there!