Hey! Wow it's been a while. I'm home sick from school and well I'm kinda bored so here's another chapter. As always, getting an e-mail that says I have a review makes me very happy.

Chapter 4

Tenel Ka flopped down onto her sleeping pad. She closed her eyes and smiled in spite of herself. She thought of what she would wear that night. Her mother had sent her a gown for the formal months ago but she hadn't even opened the box. She had planned on simply shining up her armor but now she would have to wear something more appropriate. She stood and walked to her dresser. The package was still sealed. Tenel Ka pulled her knife from her belt and gently cut through the packaging. A beautiful white shone through the slit. She rand her fingers over the delicate fabric. It felt like water running through her hand. There was a knock at her door. She quickly slammed the drawer shut.

It was one of the younger students. "Are you Miss Tenel Ka Ta'a Chume D'jo?"

"Yes. I am."

"This came for you today." The small girl handed her a small orb and then ran down the hall. Tenel Ka watched her go and then shut the door. She sat on the floor cross-legged and activated the hologram. Her mother appeared before her in a beam of light.

"Hello darling. I am very sorry to interrupt your studies but something very important has come up. I do not have much time but your prescence is requested immediately on Dathomir at the fortress of the Singing Mountain Clan. No response is necessary as I am sure I would be unable to recieve it. I will be expecting your arrival within five days. Please travel safely." And with that she was gone.

Tenel Ka closed her eyes. She tried to reach out to her mother through the Force. She could sense her, but only faintly. Her mother's mind was clouded by what felt like fear and doubt. She inhaled deeply, knowing what she should do. Her family needed her. But Jacen had finally made the first move. She stood up and shook her head. How could she be so selfish? The needs of her family came before some stupid crush. She could not even believe she was ready to betray her mother to fulfill some childhood fantasy.

But how could she walk out on Jacen like this? He had been so giddy the whole walk back from their swim. Tenel Ka began to pace rapidly. Two years ago, two months ago, two days ago, this would have been so easy. She would simply pack her things and go to where her mother needed her. But ever since that kiss...

She couldn't take it anymore. She knew what she needed to do. It was so clear. She had to get back to Dathomir. This place, it was making her soft. She grabbed her lightsaber and ran from the room, not caring to shut the door. She ran down the stone corridor, her steps echoing back as she flew. It seemed that the entire acadamy was empty, but perhaps she had simply blocked out everything, everyone, as she hurried to get out of the temple. Her star cruiser, the Rock Dragon was resting in the hangar. A few droids buzzed around the ships, keeping track of the comings and goings. As one approached her, she ran over the control panel of her ship mentaly. She ignited the engines and lowered the boarding ramp.

As she entered the ship, closing the hatch behind her, she could hear alarms sounding. She knew she only had a few seconds to exit the atmosphere before the protective shields went up. She slammed down the accelorator and lifted off the landing pad in a burst of smoke. Trees whipped past the view screen. She flew away from Yavin 4 and slammed on the hyperspeed. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to catch her now. As she locked in the coordinates for Dathomir, tears filled her eyes. She knew this would crush Jacen. She wondered if she should contact him but knew that would only make him try to follow her. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep for the rest of her journey but could only think of Jacen and how he would feel when he found out.

"Hey Tenel Ka, we're all gonna go down to the dining hall if you wanna come with us." Jacen swung into the empty room. He looked around. There were clothes thrown about, the room in total disarray. "Hello?" Jacen began to sweat. He knew Tenel Ka and he knew she would never leave what little personal affects she kept with her lying around on the floor. His mind raced. Had something happened to her? He walked in, trying to find a hint as to what had happened. His foot kicked a small orb across the room, activating it when it came in contact with the wall. Suddenly Jacen was not alone in the room, as a small hologram of Tenel Ka's mother had appeared before him. He watched as she relayed the message meant for her daughter.

So she had left. Without even saying good bye, she had left. Jacen walked back to his room in a cloud of disbelief. Had her affection for him just vanished? Had he been imagining it the whole time, wanting her to feel the same way? He couldn't think that way. She must have had a good reason for not saying good bye. Maybe she knew something about the holo-vid that hadn't been revealed to him. He walked into his room and closed the door behind him. He kicked off his boots and sat on the edge of his bed. He tried to reach out to her with the Force. He could almost reach her, but could feel her slipping farther and farther away.

There was a knock at his door. "Come in!" Jacen replied. His sister, Jaina, popped her head in.

"Hey, are you coming with us or not?"

"Nah. You go ahead."

"You want me to bring you up something?"

"No thanks. I'm really not that hungry."

Jaina got concerned. Her brother, being a teenage boy, was always hungry. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"No, it's something. I can tell. Don't make me go into your mind and find out for myself." She sat down next to him.

"It's just...Tenel Ka."

"I thought things were going great with you two."

"Yeah that's what I thought too. That is, untill she left for Dathomir without even saying good bye."

"What are you talking about?"

"I found a message from her mom in her room." He sighed. "She went to Dathomir. It sounded serious. I don't know."

"Well isn't it obvious what we do now?"

"Umm, we wait and see if she ever comes back which she probably won't because she'll probably meet some guy and marry him or whatever they do on Dathomir and never ever come back here or speak with me ever again."

"No! We go to Dathomir!"

"We can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Well...I don't know. Just because."

"Wow, you really are love sick. I've never heard you turn down any kind of exciting adventure before."

"Shut up." He stood up and started to walk out the door. "Well are you coming to Dathomir with me or not?" He walked down the hall, Jaina trotting to catch up.

"Yes. The Solo twins are off on yet another exciting adventure."

"You are such a dork."