Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

T W I N S A B E R S

Chapter Six

Composed by, The Nova Scribes

It felt good to be back on Yavin 4. All that time in space had been getting on Aln-Mai's nerves. He preferred to have his feet on hard, solid ground where he had less fear of his surroundings blowing up.

He was eating in the main dining hall with the Rinaim, Kir, sitting across from him, staring at him intently. It made him uncomfortable. He glanced at her. She was still staring at him. He looked away, slightly embarrassed. He wished he could get rid of her. She dogged his steps, as if an inspector on assignment. She literally watched him do everything except sleep. It was unnerving him. He wondered sometimes if that wasn't what she intended to do.

He got up from where he sat, and so did she. How could he lose her? And then he thought of it-his exercise routine.

He quickened his pace, heading for the entrance to the Great Temple. Kir's curiousity was piqued, and she hurried to keep up with him. He stopped right underneath the overhanging entrance. Calming himself, Aln-Mai gathered the Force to him. He was going for a record jump this time. He was going to try for the second ledge the first time. He knew he could do it, and he wanted, more than anything, to surprise the normally placid Kir.

He focused the Force to him, and in an enormous push against the ground that drained him of all energy, he catapulted into the air at dizzying speed. He soared up and up, the rock of the Great Temple streaming past him in a blur. He looked up, and saw the ledge pass him by, and realized that he had overshot by ten feet! Steadying himself, he scrabbled for a handhold, and finding a small outcropping of rock. He briefly grabbed onto it, then let go and dropped to the ledge below. He was completely drained of all energy, and he was sweating from every pore on his body.

Aln-Mai noted with some satisfaction, however, that Kir's mouth was hanging open in surprise. He allowed himself a small chuckle at the dumbfounded look on Kir's face. That had been fun! And he had set himself a new record! He was proud of himself, although that was one of the things that Master Skywalker continually warned against. 'Pride goeth before the fall' the proverb said. Yes, he supposed, there was some truth to it. He was pondering what to do when he heard a thump next to him. Kir landed in a catlike crouch, looking at the sweating Jedi trainee with an appraising eye.

"Impresssive," she noted, standing up. "Is that your best Force ability?" She waited a moment for the human to shut his oddly-hanging jaw.

"Um, well, one of them," Aln-Mai admitted in a stuttering tone. Kir's right ear flicked, a sign of her unspoken amusement. She found herself greatly intrigued by this human, worthy of her study. She tended to have a way of studying something or someone until she had fully picked it apart in her mind so that she knew every facet and surface that there was to the thing. Aln-Mai was certainly one of the most complex beings she had ever done that to. She settled her green gaze on him once more.

He flushed red at her attention and tugged nervously at his collar. "Kir, I don't mean to be rude or anything...but could you please stop staring at me? I don't know if you know, but direct attention from someone on a human for a long time makes them extremely uncomfortable."

Immediately the Rinaim complied with his wishes. "I apologize, Aln-Mai Tekmi. It is my way of things to study someone intensely. Does it also bother you that I follow you? I meant no disrespect when I did it, but I am learning more about the Academy and the ways of Jedi trainees through you." Kir felt that she had to explain herself to him, she did not want her stalking actions to be misunderstood.

To her great surprise, Aln-Mai laughed. "Oh, is that all? Why don't you just ask next time?"

Both Kir's ears flicked back in great surprise. "Because Rinaim do not ask, they just do."

"Well, in this society, ask first. You've been sheltered, Kir. Many beings don't like being followed or stared at. I guess since you were daughter of an emissary, you were allowed to do that before, but now you're on an equal level with many others."

Kir held up one hand before he could continue. "Thank you, Aln-Mai Tekmi. I will be more careful in the future." Any mention of what had been before she had come to the Academy disturbed the well of pain inside her, something she was dealing with slowly as best she could.

Aln-Mai moved to look over the edge of the shelf they were standing on. "How did you manage to get up here?"

Kir's whiskers trembled in suppressed laughter. "Rinaim do not need the Force to climb and leap. In fact, why trouble oneself when there are so many natural ways of gaining heights?" She turned and jumped the span between the ledge and a nearby tree, claws catching easily in the bark. In a rustle of leaves she had turned back, mischief dancing in her eyes.

Tired and drained from the highest leap he had ever done, Aln-Mai suddenly decided that climbing down was likely a better recourse than trying to jump back down. Gauging the the distance carefully, he took a running start and propelled himself across the space, hands grasping the narrow limb. His right hand slipped, and he dangled only by his left. Sweat shone on his face as he struggled to get his handhold back, legs kicking at empty air. Using all the energy he had regained from his short rest atop the temple, he nudged himself slightly upward with the Force, almost overbalancing as he hauled himself onto the branch, gasping for breath.

Kir turned back to recognize Aln-Mai's plight not a moment too soon. With an agility possessed by all cat-like creatures, she worked her way back out on the limb, which was bending lower and lower under their combined weights.

"You require assistance to reach the ground. Grab me around the middle," the Rinaim instructed.

Her companion shook his head, hair whipping about his face. "No, we'll fall!"

"Trust me, Aln-Mai. I know my abilities." Kir's voice was calm and unhurried, as if they were discussing something over dinner. Her tail tightened around his waist, steadying his tired, shaky body.

Muttering a little prayer, he gripped the branch beneath him, trusting Kir to catch him if he slipped.

Slowly Kir began to creep back towards the trunk of the tree, hand over hand. Her hind legs found purchase on a thick bough, and she nudged the human clinging to her off onto the large branch. Aln-Mai was breathing fast and his eyes were wild, but he was in one piece. "Are you all right?" she questioned.

Aln-Mai nodded, but he couldn't force words past the knot of fear in his throat.

"Come, let us climb down and assure those others down there that we are all right." Kir tugged at his sleeve, forcing Aln-Mai to move in front of her. She knew that she could catch him if he slipped again.

Aln-Mai collapsed to his knees as his feet hit solid ground. That had been entirely too close for his comfort. Kir landed in a crouch on all fours and stalked forward to address the knot of trainees that had witnessed the entire event.

"Are you both unharmed?" a muscular girl in scaled armor asked, red braids framing her face.

Kir rose to her full height, dusting off her fur. "Yes, we are."

"You're new here, aren't you?" A boy at her side asked.

Aln-Mai had finally regained enough dignity and nerve to rise to his feet. "Hi, Jacen. Yes, she is. This is Kir of the Ver tribe, daughter of a Rinaim emissary. They were stationed on Dibon..."

Kir quickly cut him off, tail drooping at the memory. "I was brought here by Master Skywalker. I have not even begun my training yet."

Jacen nodded to Aln-Mai; he and the other boy had not always gotten along. They had a general acquaintance standing at this point, distant but not hostile. "Welcome to Yavin, Kir. I'm Jacen Solo, and this is Tenel Ka from Dathomir."

Both names rang a bell within the Rinaim's memory. "Jacen Solo...son of General Solo? And Tenel Ka of the Royal House, if I'm not mistaken." Kir's infallible memory for dignitaries was in high gear.

The warrior girl merely nodded her acknowledgement, but did not expound upon her title. Kir guessed her to be a close-mouthed sort. Jacen, however, smiled lopsidedly. "Yes, that's me. I--"

Aln-Mai interrupted him. "Kir, we need to go."

The Rinaim's ears drooped in a puzzled frown. She could not recall anywhere that they specifically had to be...

"Come on, I promised I'd show you the rest of the ruins, remember?" Aln-Mai tugged at Kirs elbow, and she grudgingly followed him.

"It was nice to meet you, Jacen and Tenel Ka," she called over her shoulder as Aln-Mai led her deep into the jungle. Noises from animal life chirped and cawed all around them, and steamy vapor rose from the dark soil cloyingly.

At last Aln-Mai stopped, eyes closed as if listening.

"Why did you do that?" Kir's question caused him to regard her seriously. He knew what she meant, but did not respond immediately. Why indeed? Why had he felt the need to get away from Jacen and Tenel Ka? Because he was jealous. They had a select group of friends, while he had always been a loner. And he didn't want them taking Kir away from him. He wanted her to be his friend...Aln-Mai shook his head. Where had such thoughts come from?

"I just...wanted to...show you around, that's all," Aln-Mai said, wincing inwardly at the bald-faced lie.

"Well, I appreciate the gesture, but from what I remember from your daily routine, you are late for lightsaber practice," Kir noted in a most aggravating offhand manner.

"What? Oh, no! Lightsaber practice with Master Skywalker!" Aln-Mai berated himself for being so distracted as he turned and ran back toward the Temple, Kir jogging easily behind him.