o:o:o

Phaelon sat cross-legged on her bed in the middle of her dimly lit room, her eyes half shut, willing away the madness of the rest of the Academy and trying to ignore the pounding headache lurking in the back of her mind.

Thankfully she only taught every other day. She was positive she didn't have the patience for fifteen energetic teenagers excited to be flying on their own – even Master Luke's calming techniques were useless when she brought her X-wing back into the hangar. Not only were they completely unmanageable during class, several had taken to seeking her out at other times and asking her about battles she'd been in during the war, and that was a topic she rather wished to forget.

Those kids are going to be my fall to the dark side. She smirked at the thought and wondered if the Jedi of the Old Republic had ever felt that way.

Through her meditation, she could feel the presence of one of those teens approaching her door. She sighed and wished there was some way to disappear, but the only ways in or out of her room was the door and window, and the window wasn't really designed as an entrance or exit.

At that moment, the bell on her door chimed, and Phaelon opened it using the Force, not getting up from where she was sitting.

It was a very determined-looking Jysella Horn. She paused on the threshold. "I'm sorry," she mumbled quickly. "You're busy. I can come back."

Phaelon had to smile as she uncrossed her legs – Jysella was one of the few students who did not inherently bother her. "I'm not. Just trying to get rid of a headache is all. Come on in."

The girl smiled and settled herself into one of the cushions that served as chairs.

"What's on your mind?"

"You're unhappy teaching us."

This statement was so blunt it caught her off-guard, and she couldn't help smiling. "How do you chart that?"

She shrugged. "I can tell. Example: You don't come out of here unless you're teaching or dueling with someone." – She paused. – "I heard you talking to my dad. You don't know how to deal with us."

Phaelon shook her head. She should have known – with parents like Corran and Mirax, Jysella was incredibly perceptive when it came to understanding people. She sighed. "It's not that I don't know how to deal with you; I just don't understand you." I also can't believe I'm having this discussion with someone fifteen years my junior.

"War changes many things," said the teenager sagely. "It's makes people forget what it was like to have fun and be young again."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why do I have a sneaking suspicion you have a remedy for this?"

Grinning excitedly, Jysella jumped up, grabbed her hand, and began pulling her towards the door.

o:o:o

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Phaelon asked as Jysella dragged her through yet another corridor.

Jysella grinned in reply and pulled her through a door into a room where more of the students and several of the Masters had gathered. The students were looking just as excited as Jysella, but most of the Masters looked incredibly confused.

"What're your kids up to, Horn?" Phaelon asked, seeing Corran looking fairly amused.

He shrugged. "I have no idea."

After several more students arrived dragging various older Jedi in their wake, Corran's son, Valin stood up. "A very wise man once said: you can't look dignified if you're having fun..."

Corran chuckled. "Ten credits says that very wise man is a former Rogue by the name of Wes Janson."

"The war made us forget about that," Valin went on. "We were more concerned with the politics of the whole thing, and with our own survival. We were separated not only in our views, but physically from our friends and those close to us. But that's not true anymore. You're teachers at this Academy, but you're still focused on wartime goals. We're going to teach you how to have fun again."

Many of the Masters exchanged worried glances with one another.

"Where'd he learn to be so eloquent?" Phaelon whispered to Corran.

Mirax, who was lurking nearby, smirked. "Not from his dad."

o:o:o