Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the characters I make up…but we all know that…

Destiny of Shadows

Chapter Two- Many Meetings

It is two months until the anniversary of her father's death. The night they burnt his body Cat entrusted her secret to Lance and Jazz. They helped her study and assisted as much as they could to get her ready for the arrival of the Jedi.

Lance did not like the fact that she would be leaving one day, and that it could be at any time. Though, he and Jazz did enjoy hearing the truth about their galaxy. The thing Lance enjoyed the most was watching her spar with a practice hologram. And on the moonless nights of each month they would go flying with the transport that belonged to her father long ago. They lived in almost the middle of nowhere. There was not a town for 70 miles, and there were only houses here and there.

Cat was becoming a good pilot, despite the fact that she almost got them killed a few times, but it made her the better for it. All in all, they were having a good time with this new life Cat was leading. That was until one night they were down in her father's secret halls watching Cat spar with the practice hologram. She was in the 15th level when they heard a beeping at the station of the far left of the room where all the 'computers' and other 'control room' type machines were held. Cat halted her training and ran over to one of the screens. She pushed a few buttons and looked at the screen passively.

"What?" Jazz asked. "What is it?"

Cat kept her eyes on the screen. "Whatever it is, it's coming in fast." She pressed a few more buttons. "It's over Bath." She grabbed her lightsaber and threw two blasters at them. "Just point and shoot. They're ready." Cat next snatched a small object from the table in front of her, which seemed to Lance, to look like a slightly oversized iPod. "Let's go." Cat ran into the hallway that came out of her father's closet.

"Cat," she called in front of him after they entered the house. "What are we doing?"

Cat did not look back, but opened the front door and walked outside. "We are going to see who it is," she answered simply. She looked at the beeping object she held in her hand. "They are coming from the west." Then she looked in that direction. The other two followed suit.

"I don't see anything." Lance sighed.

"But they are there. They are coming fast too. Too fast."

Jazz looked at her. "They are going to crash?"

Cat still did not look at them. "Yes." She suddenly closed her eyes and took in one deep breath. She opened her eyes a moment later. "Come on," and she started running to the grove of trees to the east. She pressed buttons on the object in her hand.

"What is that thing?" Lance yelled in front of him again.

"A locator."

"And where are we going?"

"They are coming to us."

"How do you know?" Jazz asked.

"Because I told them to look for my signal."

"What?" they both asked, but she didn't answer.

They arrived to the egde of the grove when Cat turned and looked behind them. "Here they come."

Jazz and Lance looked as well and didn't see anything at first. But when they looked a little harder they saw it. A small ship, about the size of Cat's, coming their way fast. There was a trail of black smoke behind them. The ship flew over them and into the trees. A few seconds later they heard a loud crash. Cat went into the trees, and the others followed. In a few moments the ship came in sight. The three stayed in the cover of darkness. She drew her lightsaber in hand, just in case.

They then witnessed a hatch flying off the side, and then two men followed. One man, brown hair almost to his shoulders and a mustache and beard seemed to be in his late twenties. The other, taller than the other, had short red hair and a long braid coming down one side. He was about the same age as she. Seeing his braid and the robes that they wore, Cat knew they were Jedi. She told Lance and Jazz to stay there as she began to make her way towards them through the trees. When she exited the darkness, they both looked at her and instantly ignited their sabers. Cat followed suit. They had a surprised look on their faces, seeing her weapon, and they hesitated. "Who are you?" the younger one asked.

"My name is Cat Cavaliere. I am the daughter of the Master Jedi Tristan Cavaliere. We are not enemies," she stated firmly.

The older man lower his weapon and the neon glow disappeared. Despite of him, Cat kept herself armed because of the other. Finally, the older Jedi set his hand on the Padawan's arm, and reluctantly the glow of his lightsaber disappeared as well, and Cat followed. The older walked forward. "I knew your father. I met him a few times. My old Master spoke of him often." There were a few moments of silence, making sure his statement sunk in, and then he spoke again. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is my apprentice, Anakin Skywalker."

Cat inclined her head to them both in turn. Anakin seemed to Cat to be uncomfortable with everything around him. Cat didn't blame him, everything on Earth was different from what their world lives by. There was another long moment of lingering silence. Cat then turned and waved for her friends to come over. "There are my most trusted friends. Lance and Jazz," pointing to each with their corresponding name. "Guys, this is Master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker."

Startling Lance and Jazz, another panel of the crashed ship flew opened and droid rolled out. Cat instantly lit up. "Is that an astrodriod?"

Anakin nodded. "This is R2-D2, our most trusted droid companion," he said almost mocking her words. His master gave him a slight glare. Clearly and young Padawan did not want to be there.

Cat let out a sigh, letting his remark pass and she looked over their ship. "Well, you are quite in need of help and a place to stay. Come, I have plenty of room in my plantation house." She waved them to follow as she turned and began to make her way back to the house.

Kenobi trotted up next to Cat as Anakin dragged behind. "I take it your father trained you?"

Cat seemed to really look at him for the first time and smiled. "Yes. But he died, last year. But he left me holovids telling me what to next. I have been continuing my training since he died. Lance and Jazz assist me anyway they can." Obi-Wan nodded, about to ask something else, but Cat asked first. "What are you doing here?"

"The Jedi Council sent us. They said the felt a disturbance in the Force coming from this planet. My guess is that that disturbance is you."

Cat chuckled. "Well, I guess I will have to take that as a compliment." They walked up the steps of her home a few minutes later. "This is my home, and I have plenty of rooms, so you are welcome to stay here. It will be a little strange for you here, because this is a total different world than what you are familiar with. You might want to ask me before touch anything." She walked past the couches. "You may sit if you like," she motioned with her hand. "I will be back in a moment." And she walked into the kitchen. Jazz and Lance sat across from the Jedi. There was a tense moment between them until Cat walked back in the room.

"Okay," and she sat down. "Besides me being a disturbance, why else did the Council send you here?"

Obi-Wan spoke again. "To find out everything about this disturbance we can. Whether it was a good or evil force."

"Well, I assure you, I am no evil force. My father told me this day would come."

"What do you mean?"

"The Council knew he was here, and they knew about me. He told them that he would train me. So the Council told him that they would come retrieve me when the time was right. It seems that time has come."

Anakin spoke up. "Why would the Council bother with one person way beyond the Outer Rim that has unfinished training?"

Cat glared at him. "I do not have an answer to give. You must ask them that yourself," she stated coolly.

"But he broke one of the Codes of the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan said almost to himself. "Why would the Council even reason with him?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Cat sighed. She hated secrecy.

There was another moment of uncomfortable silence. Lance hated the tension. "So what is going to happen to her?" he asked with a protective tone. Both Jedi knew he was attached to her, and Cat knew that they knew. She tucked a piece of her red streaked her behind her ear, now entirely uncomfortable with their stares.

"I honestly don't know," Obi-Wan explained, with still a little confusion in his voice. "I will have to contact the Council and discuss this matter."

Cat smiled. Her destiny would finally be revealed. Like she always said, she hated secrecy. But at the same time, it was a little distressing, for she knew what this would do to Jazz and Lance; especially Lance. Even though this type of thing was forbidden in the Order she was most likely about to join, she still loved him, and he her.

She had spoken with her father about this after she learned of this Code, and that he obviously broke it. She remembered it like it was yesterday:

"Father, why did you break the Code?"

He took a deep breath and looked up to the sky. He seemed like he was in a different time and a different place. After a long while he finally spoke. "Because it only felt right. It was more than just our hearts that pulled each other together, but some sort of greater power. I and another Jedi Knight were sent to protect her from the Hutts, who were powerful gangsters, very well-known in the galaxy. From the first moment I met her, I knew the Force was pulling us together. When we touched for the first time I had a vision of a little girl's face, just her eyes and hair. Hazel eyes surrounded by dark hair with violet highlights." He saw his daughter's shocked face. "Yes, it was you, the first time you dyed streaks into your hair, they were violet. But that wasn't the moment I knew our feelings about the force were true, but when you looked at me for the first time when you were born, I saw your eyes. Those of your mother. I looked at you and I saw that little of my vision ten years ago. And it was at that moment that I found out that your mother had that exact same vision, the same time I did. I loved her more at that moment, I knew we were meant for each other in more ways than one."

Cat looked at him for a moment. She swore he looked 20 years younger, even for just a second. "What made you decide? What made you decide to go for it?"

"The mission to protect her was over all too soon. We both went back to our lives. For seven years we were parted. Then trouble amongst the Hutts arose again, and once again she was in the middle of it. But this time she wasn't in danger. For those seven years she was recruiting an army against them. And she called for us to help her, to lead the army against the Hutts. Once again, Qui-Gon and I went to help, along with his now fifteen year old apprentice. We saw each other again, and…well, you know the rest. It was not long before we pledged ourselves to each other for eternity."He saw his daughter smiling. "Truthfully, after it is all said and done, I don't want to know what life would have been like if I didn't have love. It's what got me through each day, and what kept me going when things were rough. And it is the only reason I didn't die with your mother, because I loved you…

A beeping from R2 broke her thought, and all eyes were still on her. She stood. "Well, he need to get you two looking like Earthlings. So, follow me if you please. We will get you changed and then we can eat if you like, you are probably starving."

A while later the five of them were sitting at the table in the kitchen, all with a cup of tea in front of them. She gave Obi-Wan her long sleeved Manchester United jersey, which has always been huge on her, along with an old pair of her father's sweats that she normally slept in. Lance gave Anakin one of his Oxford shirts and plaid flannel pants. There was another wave of silence. Cat looked back and forth between Lance and Anakin, who were sitting across from one another, and apparently having a glaring contest. Though she could not understand why. She looked across to Obi-Wan, who had noticed the two as well. Cat gulped the rest of her tea and stood. "Well," she said rather loudly, breaking the contest. "I'm off to bed. Would you like me to show you your rooms, or just tell you, it is quite simply actually. Just walk up the stairs and the two rooms on the left are yours and the ones on the right are ours. The refresher is the other room on that end. Do you think you can manage?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "We should be able to find it okay. Thank you." With that Cat nodded and went up stairs to her bedroom, the one she shared with Lance. He moved in after her father died, along with Jazz. When Cat finished getting ready for bed Lance walked in and shut the door behind him.

He smiled at her. "Finally," he said as he walked over to her. He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply…

Cat woke to laughing coming from down stairs. She sat up in bed and heard the shower in the bathroom going and Lance was not lying beside her. She heard another fit of laughter then decided it was time for her to get up. Cat walked down stairs in sweats and a razorback tank top. It was her normal workout gear, comfortable and easy to move in. It also showed her muscular arms, as well as a tattoo of a tiger that lingered on her left arm.

She walked into the kitchen downstairs and saw a broken blender and what seems like a smoothie all over the floor, but R2 seemed to get most of the hit, for it was dripping all over him. Jazz was laughing sitting on one of the bar stools on the high counter. Anakin and Obi-Wan were eyeing the broken blender carefully. "What happened?"

A still laughing Jazz spoke. "I made a smoothie a little while ago as they came into the kitchen. Anakin pressed one of the buttons and got a mix of strawberry and banana in his face. So he decided to use a lightsaber on it."

Cat shook her head at them as she slipped her running shoes on. "Well, I'm going running."

Anakin stepped forward. "I will go with you."

"Okay, meet me on the porch," and she walked out the front door. Cat finished stretching as Anakin came out the door. "You stretched?" He just simply nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

Cat stepped off the porch and ran to the back of the house and they began to run down a dirt trail. The sun was now over the horizon and was lighting their way from behind. Their shadows danced on the ground in front of them. "So who are you really?" Anakin asked breaking the silence.

"I should be asking you the same question," Cat answered, still looking forward.

"Okay. I am Anakin Skywalker. I was born into slavery on Tatooine, a real dust bowl of a planet. I had only my mother. I can fix almost anything, and build almost anything. Many say I am the best pilot in the galaxy. I have been Obi-Wan Padawan since I was ten. Is that good enough?" he asked looking at her playfully.

Cat really looked at him for the first time. He was a head taller than her and his eyes were a grayish blue. He was quite handsome, she thought. His smile is what made her shiver. His gaze was deep. It was almost she was starting into his soul, or was he staring into hers. "I am Catalina Cavaliere," she said turning back to the road. "My father was a Jedi until my mother became pregnant with me and they came into hiding here. Since I could remember my father has been training me, but never told me the real truth until 2 years ago. Since, I have been going through my real training. My father died last year, and my mother when I was 17. He told me I have a destiny that I must fulfill, but no one knows what that is."

He nodded his head and then back to the dirt trail. They were silent as they came up to a river and started to run along side it. It flowed into a rather large bank of trees and Cat jogged to a stop. She stood with her hands on her hips until her breathing slowed and then kneel next to the water and splashed her face, then took a drink. Anakin followed suit. Cat sat up on an enormous flat rock and Anakin climbed up next to her. "I like to meditate here. It's quiet, peaceful. Places like this are very rare on this planet. When I am here, I am in absolute serenity." Anakin looked around him. It was fantastically green, and the water was clear. He heard calls from above him.

"What is that?"

"The noise?" He nodded. "Those are birds. Blue jays, I believe. And the louder one is a Kingfisher. Do they bother you?"

"No. I have just never heard it before."

"Birds! You don't have those in other places?" He shook his head. Cat was sure she would not like anywhere she went now, if she was to go with them. She loved the birds. She loved every sound of nature. Cat looked at Anakin, who was still taking in his surroundings. There was something about him, something that fascinated her. "You know, we told our pasts, but did not tell who we are." He looked at her with a little smirk. It made her chuckle. "I'm stubborn, very stubborn. Innovative. A little crazy at times, and some people tell me I am very moody as well. I can be happy one second and angry the next. I'm never predictable, not even for my father, and always surprising. Sometimes a little arrogant, and I am always ready for change and an adventure. I get bored really fast." Anakin laughed out loud. "What! What is so funny?"

He looked at her. "We have a lot in common, you and I. Obi-Wan is always lecturing me on my stubbornness and arrogance. You are probably in for the same. I am never patient when I need to be, and seem to rush into everything. And I get worked up easily. I always tease people I am close to. Obi-Wan hates that. I want to do everything myself, and want no help doing it. I never admit I need help, either. I hate sitting and waiting, so I also get bored easily. And like said before, I can fix anything and build anything, so I guess that qualifies for being innovative." Ha laughed. "I am doing it already."

Cat smiled a confused look. "Doing what?"

"Teasing." He said it softly.

"So I guess I am close to you then?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I guess so," he answered with a shrug.

"Hmm."

"What?"

"I think you trust too easily. Because if I were you I would teat my trust."

"Why is that?" he sniggered.

"Because like I said, I am very unpredictable." She scooted closer to him, until she was inches from his face. He had a very confused look of her face. Then she put her hand to his chest and pushed him off the rock into the river ten feet below. Cat looked over the edge and saw Anakin resurface. "You see." Cat beamed with pride.

"Now you're doing it!"

"What?"

"Teasing!" She laughed. When she wasn't paying attention stretched his hand to her and using the force, pushed her off the edge, and she fell in next to him with a scream. Cat resurfaced and took in a deep breath. She moved her hair out her face. "Do you have any idea how much I hate you right now?" she tried to ask in an angry tone.

Anakin sensed her failure. "Just a little," he taunted back. She reached over and pushed his head under water, but he sawn deeper. She tried to see him from above water, but she was suddenly pulled by one of her feet underneath again. Cat tried to kick her foot from his grip, but he wouldn't budge. She swam down ad slowly pried his fingers from her foot, but he linked his arms around her waist. Fed up, Cat kneed him hard in the stomach, and she swam to the surface, crawling out of the water, Anakin followed her. He stood and Cat followed, but slipped on a rock. Anakin caught her in mid-fall. As skin touched skin, a vision flashed before Cat's eyes. The face of a teenage girl. Her eyes a bluish-green and her hair a deep, dark red. Cat felt something familiar about her, but there was one thing she knew to be true, it was her daughter. Cat caught her footing and stepped away from Anakin. His eyes flashed a little confusion, just as hers did. Cat wondered if he saw it too, but would not dare to ask. "We should be getting back," she offered. He nodded his head and they began their run back to the house.

As Anakin and Cat came up the front steps the door opened and Lance appeared. "Where did you go?" he asked in what Anakin found as a jealous tone.

Cat snapped her head up in annoyance. "Lance, you know I go running every morning."

"I know," he returned her look. "But you have been gone longer than usual."

"I slipped on a rock and twisted my ankle, so we sat for a while before returning."

Lance glared at Anakin, who just returned a passive expression, and then left, walking back into the house, leaving the door open. Anakin face a now irritated Cat. "He's jealous." It was a statement.

Cat chuckled at him. "Yeah, but I don't know why. There is no reason why he should be jealous about you; you are not nearly as good looking. Of Obi-Wan perhaps, but not you."

Anakin sensed the teasing in her voice, so he played along. "No, he really has no reason. I don't find you in the least bit attractive. Maybe if you had blue skin, and were bald like some others I know back at the Temple. But I really don't like well toned skin and beautiful green eyes." Cat blushed, but they both laughed. "You left out two things about yourself?" She looked at him. "You are a tease and you blush when given compliments." He whispered to her.

Cat thumped his arm. "I know. I like to keep those a secret." They could hear an excited series of beeps from R2, followed by a laugh from Jazz. She walked in the house, leaving him on the porch. Anakin looked at her retreating figure and smiled broadly. She had the grace of a candle flame and the fire of the sun. He could do nothing but smile each time he looked into her eyes. He this feeling was against the Codes of the Jedi Order, but he did not feel guilty. The vision of the teenage girl he saw when they touched was a sign. He knew it was his daughter, and was sure it was their daughter. But he wondered if she saw it too…

Cat ate breakfast sitting across from Anakin. They would take turns looking at each other. When they caught the other looking at them, each would turn back to their plate. Jazz had made them both scrambled eggs with various things mixed into it, along with some breakfast tea. "So what is this exactly?" Anakin asked with interest, moving his food around on his plate.

"It's called scrambled eggs. And there are other things in it as well. Meat, peppers, stuff like that."

"And that is?"

Cat rolled her eyes. "You remember the birds I was talking about, well birds birth eggs. That is how their offspring is born. Inside the shell there is a small embryo that feeds off the main part that we are eating now. But we use the egg before the embryo develops. This meat, which is turkey, comes from another type of bird. And peppers are vegetables, they grow like plant."

HE nodded his head in understanding. "It is pretty good actually. Tastes somewhat like a certain thing we have back home."

"And what's it called?"

Anakin shook his head. "You don't want to know. If I told you, you would never come close to it."

Their conversation was interrupted with a call from upstairs. "Cat, come here please." It was Lance. Both could sense his annoyance. Cat took one more bite and the last gulp of her tea and then set her dishes in the sink.

"You submit to his call?" Anakin asked surprised.

"I need to take a shower anyway." She sat next to him and regarded him for a moment.

He kept his eyes locked with hers. "What?"

"I have been wandering. You seemed so bitter to us last night, but now, you could not be more friendly, why?"

He smiled. "Well, I have been quite annoyed that the Council sent us to retrieve a single person, who seemed so very important to them, when in my point of view there are other things that need to be taken care of, like exterminating the Droid Armies of the reappearing Sith. There is a War approaching, and that needs to be stopped. And when I found you were a girl, that didn't seem to help things, neither was the fact that by the Jedi Code, you should not even exist."

Cat raised her brow. "So did you change your mind?"

"I meditated last night, and I was reassured that we are meant to be here, so I decided to get to know you."

"And?"

"I am still not interested in your sparkling beauty," he teased. Their eyes stayed locked until R2 rolled in the kitchen with a beep. The droid stopped in between them. They both patted his dome.

"Cat." Lance called with an angry and impatient tone. She rolled her eyes and hurried up the stairs.

R2 beeped again. Anakin looked from the doorway to the translator that sat on the table. "No R2, I'm sure she'll be okay." Another beep. "Yes, I'm sure she likes you."