Author's Note: Well, here I am continuing again even after I had decided to discontinue it. One of the new freshmen at school read it and encouraged me to continue it. So I did. This chapter is for her.

Ch. 8: Space For Thought

Kara stepped out of her cabin. Her clothes were rumpled from her nap but her hair was neatly braided. The girl proceeded down the corridor, her curious violet eyes glancing about. She paused occasionally to look out a window into the darkness of space or examine one of the ship's spartan facilities. She paused longest in the small galley, studying the miniature appliances.

She then left the galley and made her way to the bridge. She expected Tayori to be there and found her expectations fulfilled. The young pilot was leaning back in the pilot's chair. "Tayori." Kara said softly, not wishing to startle her. The brunette swiveled in her chair to face the girl. "Good afternoon, sleepyhead." Tayori said, laughing.

Chikara's eyes widened. "I must have been really tired." She replied in disbelief. She hadn't been tired enough to take naps as long as this one must have been in years. The older woman nodded and then smiled at Kara gently.

"Would you like a tour of Nanmin 1?" She asked. For a moment Kara didn't respond, lost in a sudden wave of homesickness. Then she brightened as she realized what Tayori had said. "Oh, yes!" Kara exclaimed eagerly. Her brief glimpses of the ship had sparked her curiosity.

"Alright, then." Tayori said. Before leaving the bridge, she glanced over the instruments to ensure the ship was still safely traveling through hyperspace. The dark-haired girl immediately took a place at the pilot's side. The two entered the small living space to begin the tour.

The tour was over all too quickly outside of Kara's small cabin. The pilot and Jedi girl parted ways, Tayori to the bridge and Kara to the lounge area.

Chikara knelt in the center of the small open space. Her eyes closed and her hands neatly folded themselves in her lap. Her breathing slowed as she began to fall into the meditative state. She could feel the swirls and currents of the Force all around.

The tension she had not known was there was swept away by the gentle motion of the Force along with her worries about Tatooine, this Knight Katrina Suru she was t train with, and Foster-Father all alone back home. The homesickness faded as the warmth and purity of the Light side of the Force soothed her.

With a soft sigh, Chikara sank deeper into her meditation.

After what felt like mere minutes but in reality was much longer, Kara's eyes fluttered open as she withdrew from her meditation. It was now the third day of the trip and Kara's nervousness was increasing. The meditation served to calm her and center her in the Force.

Chikara slid her feet to the side and stood up. She padded softly to the bridge, her booted feet making little noise. Tayori spent most of her time in the bridge, particularly now that they were closer to Tatooine. Kara was hoping Tayori would give her another lesson. Last night the pilot had fed the girl's curiosity by teaching her some of the ship's basic controls. Tayori had discovered Kara learned quickly and was genuinely interested in flying.

"Tayori?" Kara called out as she approached. She stuck her head through the doorway to find the woman sitting in the pilot's seat. "We should arrive in the Tatoo system in a couple of hours." Tayori said smiling.

"I suppose you want another lesson." She went on in a cheerful tone. Kara nodded vigorously. Tayori Domei grinned. She had expected Kara to want another lesson given the enthusiasm the girl had previously shown. "Come on then." She replied, motioning the girl to her side. Quietly and with shining eyes, Chikara joined Tayori at the controls.

A persistent beeping halted the lesson. Tayori slung herself back into the pilot's chair and ordered Kara into the copilot's seat. "It's time to emerge from lightspeed." Tayori informed the girl. Tayori's capable hands moved over the controls and the ship returned to subspeed.

Nanmin 1 had emerged at the outer edge of the Tatoo system. Deeper in, Kara could spot fiercely glowing twin suns and several planets, one of which shone nearly as gold at the suns. Tayori indicated the golden planet. "Tatooine." She said. "The only inhabited planet in the Tatoo system and our destination."

Kara nearly bounced in her seat despite being strapped in. "Tatooine seems to glow because of the sands reflecting the sun." She said, remembering reading that in one of her new books. Tayori merely nodded and reverted the ship to hyperspace. She had first emerged at the outer edge to ensure the system was safe. Now that she knew that it was, the last brief trip at lightspeed to the planet began.