Chapter 4

Of Masters and Friends.

DANTOOINE.

Jania slowly walked across the enclaves courtyard, barely noticing the noisy hub of the venders and settlers; she was looking for one person, and one person alone.

Jayden Karr.

Jedi Knight.

An Exile.

The one who could find Revan.

Jania had heard that after the mandolorian war Jayden had returned to the order, only to be exiled; had seen the hilt of his saber protruding from the center ceremony stone when she had arrived soon after the sith siege of the planet, forced to scavenge the jedi enclave for artifacts that Malak thought might be useful to his reign as sith lord.

Pulling her hood over her head, she let it drape low across her forehead. Reaching out with what little of the force had returned to her, Jania could sense few force sensitives nearby; "Probably padawans." She guessed, they felt young and carefree, not war torn like most masters.

As she entered the council's main entrance, she felt a slight prob of her mind, followed by recognition, then mild surprise. Opening her mind up, Jania sent her message clearly. "I'm home, Master Kavar."

"Are you truly? One simply does not escape the sith. " Came Kavars reply.

Pushing open the double doors leading into the room, Jania strode in, allowing her hood to fall back as she did. "I'm here to ask the council for forgiveness, Master; and to be allowed to return to the order"

Turning from his place beside one of the many meditation pools in the room, Kavar gazed at her intently, not saying anything for what to Jania seemed like eternity. Walking to her Kavar frowned. "It is not as easy as that; and the council is not what it once was; there are new Masters, old grudges. . .old fears. . ." Kavar stopped right in front of her. "The force maybe returning to you, but you still lack the discipline to use it wisely."

Jania felt anger surge through her body, then mentally shut it down. "Yes Master, I understand Master." She answered meekly, chewing the inside of her bottom lip. "I just ask for a chance- if the council decides I am not worthy, then I merely ask for my lightsaber to be returned to me." Jania squared her shoulders, and turned to leave. "I will be in the gardens when you have decided." Jania smiled softly at him then left, her robe swaying gently behind her.

Kavar stood staring at her as she left, the door closing completely before the other Master joined him "She is not the same Knight that left." He stated, not needing to turn to face the other.

"Confused, is she." stated Vandar, leaning heavily on his crutch.

"We can not risk accepting her back into the order; not with out knowing where Revan and the exile are– its to big of a risk."

"Risk we must, if the order we are to restore."

Kavar stopped, turning to his old master and friend. "So we accept her back into the order?" he asked not quite believing what he had just heard.

Vandar continued to walk as he replied. "No choice do we have in this matter; forgive we must, to save the future."

CARTH'S FLAGSHIP, SPACE.

Bastila slowly raised her head from the table. Opening her eyes she focused on the old man hovering nearby. "How long have I been out Jolee?" She asked, rubbing her temples.

Shrugging, Jolee sat down on the edge of the exam table. "Eh, long enough for Lily to pester Mission with "Why?" questions." He stated, grinning at her.

"Thats my girl." Bastila smiled as she pictured the dark haired three year old tormenting Mission with questions. Turning serous she asked, "Did Lily feel anything when I was overwhelmed? She is really ok, isn't she?"

Jolee patted Bastila reassuringly on the knee as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the table. "Don't worry kid; Mission said they where playing when Lily looked up and said "Auntie's asleep" then went right back to playing with her toys." Looking at her Jolee continued. "She's just like-"

Bastila held up a hand, silencing him. "I know; that's what scares me a little." Standing up, she stopped as she entered the doorway. "Jaina has regained her old force power's."

"Then we really do need to find her, before she does something we will all regret."

Nodding Bastila turned to go; "We will- when she contacted me through our old bond she also, unknown to her, told me where she was at; Dantooine."

DANTOOINE.

Jania walked around the enclaves ground, memories of her past swirling around her; closing her eyes she inhaled the stale air around her, centering herself.

3 years previous...

"This is crazy Jayden; We can't expect a wookie and a kid to watch over her while we go fight; you stay with her, I'll go." Jania's jaw jutted out slightly, something Jayden always loved about her until now.

"Revan needs both of us out there and you know that- I don't trust Malak; he's out to destroy your brother and I won't allow that to happen." Jayden spoke with quiet authority, his mouth set in a tight line. "There is only one other option..."

" we agreed when she was born that we wouldn't do that."

" It's the only way we will know she's safe; when this war is over we can come back and get her; then go somewhere and forget the council-the Jedi- everything."

"You promise?"

Jayden glanced down at the small bundle in Janias arms, he nodded. "I promise."

"Then I'll contact Bastila tonight." Jania spoke softly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Leaning down Jayden kissed the baby's small forehead, then gently wiped at Janias tears before capturing Janias lips with his own. "I promise this won't be forever."

Hearing a branch crack a few feet behind her, Jania whirled around, blaster already in her hand; her daydream forgotten. "I know you're there, come out nice and slow and no one gets hurt."

"Still the same after all these years, tell me knight; did you ever trust anyone?"

Jania holstered the blaster as she kneeled. "Only one, and he is rumored dead now, Master Vrook."

"Many rumors there are since the wars, knight, many true, many false."

Jania stood. "This one I feel is real; for he would have tried to find me if he was alive."

"Your brother? Or do you speak of Jayden Karr? Both have many rumors speading across the galaxy."

Jania looked quizzically at her old Master, for the first time noticing that he was not , well, not . . . solid. "Master?"

Vrook smiled at her, "I'm here because you need guidance; other wise you would not have come to the meditation gardens."

"Fantastic- I now see dead people." Jania thought to herself, shaking her head. "I seek both, and both for different reasons."

"Then both you will find, when the time is right and the Force allows."

Jania smirked "Is this your way of telling me to be patient? 'Cause if it is I'm so done with that."

Vrook started to vaporize as he spoke once more, then was gone, only his words echoing inside Janias head. "Look inside your self for the answers you seek padawan, look into your heart."

UNKNOWN WORLD, SPACE.

Jedi Exile Jayden Karr glanced around densely covered forest, his eye adjusting to the dim light. He had come to this place on a lead, a lead that Revan was stationing himself here, and Jayden wasn't going back until he had talked to his old friend.

Snap, hiss.

"Not again." Jayden thought, whiling around , lightsaber activated, to face the person following him, their red blade the only thing he could see in the darkness. . .